Playing for Keeps Page 11

  Alicia started to stammer. “Well, I was there. You saw me. You know how spread out everything is there. I was a little late. I must have missed the first song.”

  Gaz leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. “How late? Did you hear the second or third song?”

  Alicia shook her head.

  “Why did you lie?”

  Not knowing what to say and fearing that her mouth had already gotten her into a lot of trouble, Alicia said nothing at all.

  That was all Gaz needed to hear—or not hear. He turned and walked out of the house. Alicia wanted to follow him, but what would she have said? “Sorry” wouldn’t cut it. Not now. Not after how royally she had messed up. So she did what her mother always advised—she controlled the controllable. She got a broom and a dustpan and began to sweep up the broken glass.

  Later that night, Jamie and Carmen went out to hear a local band, leaving Alicia in the guest room wondering how things had become such a big mess. Her eyes were red and puffy from hours of crying, but she didn’t care. Who was going to see her like this, anyway? Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and Valeria entered.

  “Hey, how’s it going?” she asked.

  Alicia straightened up and tried to pretend that she hadn’t just been crying. “Everything’s great,” she said, trying to smile brightly. “Your quince is going to be amazing.”

  Valeria shook her head. “I know it will be great. That’s not what’s worrying me. But I am worried about you and Gaz. It seems like you guys are in a rough patch.”

  Alicia sighed. “I lied to him. I got caught. Life pretty much sucks right now.”

  Valeria smiled gently. “You know, in Texas, we have a healthy respect for the tall tale. You may have told a lie, but he’s been stretching the truth, too.”

  Alicia’s eyes widened. “Do you think he’s been cheating on me with Saniyah?”

  Valeria put a reassuring arm around her new friend’s shoulder. “Oh, my goodness, no. I just mean I think Gaz has been fooling himself by pretending that his heart is in Amigas Inc. You know, there’s another saying, you can’t dance at two weddings with one tush.”

  Alicia nodded slowly, as understanding dawned. “He can’t be in the quince business and the music business at the same time.”

  “Exactly. But just like you need him to forgive you, he needs you to give him an out,” Valeria said. “Why don’t you invite him to go on a boat ride tomorrow? Riding around Lake Austin in a canoe is one of the best cure-alls I know.”

  Alicia looked at Valeria. “You’re pretty wise for someone who hasn’t turned fifteen yet.”

  “Well, we’re just generally more advanced down here in Texas,” Valeria joked, giving Alicia a hug. “Big hats, big cattle, big brain…big hearts.”

  Gaz seemed hesitant when Alicia asked him to take a ride out with her to Lake Austin the next morning. But he softened when she added, “If we’re going to be well and truly done, let’s make sure we finish things right.”

  “I’m not saying we’re done,” he whispered.

  “Good, then come out with me.”

  They didn’t say much on the ride over. But their eyes widened as they walked down the path to the boat-rental shack. The lake was big and beautiful, and they felt as if they were walking through a painting.

  Alicia paid for the rental, and she and Gaz pulled the boat into the water, laughing a little as they tried to steady it and get in.

  “The urge to throw you in is so huge,” Gaz grinned.

  “And I completely deserve it,” Alicia added. “But as I didn’t bring a change of clothes, I’m going to beg you to take it easy on me.”

  “Maybe,” Gaz said.

  “I’m sorry I lied to you,” Alicia said when they had paddled away from the shore. The lake was still and peaceful. “Not my finest moment, and it won’t happen again.”

  “I want to believe you…” Gaz began.

  “So, believe me,” Alicia insisted. “Because I need you to know that, as much as I want us to do everything together, including planning quinces, and going to school, and hanging out, and talking about music the way you do with Saniyah, I finally get it. Just like I eat, sleep, and breathe quinces, music is your everything. You should focus on that. I’m not a musician. I don’t know a lot about the industry, so I can’t say I’ll be a huge help with your career. But I can tell you that if you let me, I’ll be in the front row each and every time.”

  Gaz was silent for a long time, and Alicia felt her heart pounding.

  And then he spoke.

  “So, no more Amigas for me?”

  She nodded.

  “And you’d basically be my groupie?” he asked, mischievously.

  “Something like that,” Alicia said.

  “Will you wear a T-shirt with my picture on it?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Memorize all the lyrics to all my songs?”

  “Done.”

  “Will you make sure I have only blue M&M’s in my dressing room?”

  Alicia raised an eyebrow.

  Gaz shrugged. “I read some bands have got crazy riders in their contract like that. Only blue M&M’s. Only orange Fanta in the fridge. Stuff like that.”

  Alicia sighed. “When you start performing at places with a dressing room, then, yes, I will be on M&M duty.”

  Gaz conceded. “Then I think we can officially consider ourselves made up.”

  Alicia shook her head. “No. Uh-uh. Not yet.”

  “Why not?”

  Alicia answered, “Because there will be no making up without the make-up make-out.”

  Gaz smiled. “No problem.” Then, balancing the canoe ever so carefully, he leaned over and kissed her.

  Sighing, Alicia lost herself in the moment. This, she thought, is how it should always be. And while she hated fighting, she was glad they were back on the same page—and maybe even stronger than before.

  THE MORNING of Valeria’s quince, Gaz and Alicia woke up superearly and went out to see the antelopes do their morning ritual. Sitting on the bench, sipping from their thermoses, they looked at each other with the shared wonder of two people who knew how different life could be when you changed the scenery.

  “I can’t believe it’s been only two weeks,” Alicia said as she watched the blesbok do their wide-legged splits, as elegant as ballet dancers, across the field.

  “I feel like a whole different person,” Gaz admitted.

  “Well, you are wearing jeans and cowboy boots,” Alicia said playfully.

  Gaz turned to her, suddenly serious. “I really am sorry I left you hanging with so much quince work.”

  Alicia waved dismissively. “Water under the bridge—or canoe.” She smiled. “It’s okay.”

  “It’s not, really,” he said. “But, as always, you’ve done an amazing job. Valeria already has that post-quince glow—and she hasn’t even had her party yet. Saniyah’s song—about hermanas and women who mentor—that could be about you. You, Carmen, and Jamie are like the antimean girls. You meet a girl and you don’t just plan a party, you figure out all these ways to make her life better. You’re the definition of a hermana.”

  Alicia looked at Gaz, amazed at all he’d said, all he’d noticed over the past year of her work with Amigas Inc. She wondered if that were the definition of love—to be seen in all these lovely ways by someone you didn’t even know was watching.

  They walked arm in arm back to the big house. For their penultimate Texas breakfast, Jamie reprised her Amigas migas—serving up hearty portions of eggs, crunchy tortilla strips, and spicy chorizo. They were just finishing up breakfast and about to work out getting all fourteen members of the court primped and pretty with only one bathroom and an hour to spare, when Valeria, still in her robe, burst into the guesthouse kitchen.

  “Y’all have to see this,” she said. “One of the cows is having a baby! Follow me.”

  She ran out toward the main barn, letting the screen door slam behind her.

  �
��What did she just say?” Carmen asked.

  Jamie smiled. “I think she just said that they’re having a cow.”

  Gaz shook his head. “No, I think what she said is, ‘Don’t have a cow.’”

  “Well, whatever she did or did not say, I think we need to go to the barn.”

  Quickly, everyone put on their shoes and coats and headed out.

  “Do you think this is going to take long?” Alicia asked as they walked. “I’m all for the miracle of life, but we’re due at the church for Valeria’s quince blessing in two hours. I don’t want to keep the priest—or her loca aunts—waiting.”

  Jamie gave her a look. “Seriously, chica,” she said. “You think any of us knows about baby cows?”

  Alicia laughed. They most certainly did not. But it would seem they were about to find out.

  In the barn, several ranch hands held up gas lamps. Alicia’s mom stood next to Ranya and David Castillo. The amigas and Gaz stood right behind Valeria. The expecting cow lay in the corner, away from the herd.

  “Who could blame her for wanting a little privacy?” Alicia whispered.

  “Do you see how her sides are inflating?” Valeria asked. “She’s holding her breath.”

  The cow didn’t do much for a full twenty minutes. Then she stood on her feet, and when she did, they could see the calf’s nose sticking out. She let out a low moan.

  Gaz looked as though he were about to lose his breakfast. “Oh, this is more than I want to know.”

  “Man up!” Alicia said. “How do you think you got here?”

  “I just can’t watch,” he groaned, turning away, not embarrassed at all that the girls wanted to watch and he just couldn’t.

  Then the cow lay down on her side, and her moaning got more intense. They saw the calf’s head, then her shoulders, then her whole body bounding out, with all of the energy of a newborn puppy.

  Valeria clapped. “Okay, Gaz, it’s safe for you to open your eyes now. She’s just going to lick and clean her for a while.”

  For a moment there was nothing but awed silence as everyone took in the miracle in front of them. The baby was small yet strong, standing up right away to find milk. It was something none of them could have imagined, yet they wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Finally, everyone clapped, and the ranch staff popped open bottles of champagne and sparkling cider.

  While they would have liked to stay and celebrate, there was another show that had to go on. Alicia looked at her watch and announced, “Hey, everybody, we have to shower, get dressed, and get out of here.”

  Valeria didn’t look concerned. “No biggie,” she said. “The church is just down the road.”

  Alicia put her hand on Valeria’s shoulder. “Chica, I think you’re awesome. But after spending two weeks in Texas, I’ve determined that nothing—and I do mean nothing—is ‘just down the road.’”

  She turned back to the barnful of gawkers. “Okay, everybody. I need you dressed and waiting by the vans in thirty minutes. Let’s get Valeria to the church on time!”

  Ranya whispered to Marisol, “Were we ever that commanding in high school?”

  Marisol said, “I wasn’t, but…”

  From across the room, Alicia smiled sweetly at her mom, then jerked a thumb at the barn door. “Keep it moving, Mom. There’s plenty of time to chat in the car.”

  Ranya and Marisol giggled like teenagers and saluted Alicia military style as they hurried out the door.

  • • •

  When they arrived at the cathedral, Carmen, Jamie, and Alicia saw that all of the guests were seated and waiting. Taking the lead, Alicia told the crowd, “Our quinceañera is on her way. Valeria and her father were delayed due to the birthing of a baby calf. You all are from Texas. I’m sure you understand.”

  There was applause from the appreciative audience, and then a stunned silence as Valeria emerged in the doorway of the church. Omarion sat in the front row, and from the gaga expression on his face, the amigas could tell that Valeria’s crush was most definitely requited. Maybelline and Charmaine from the hair salon sat in the fifth row, whispering, “Work it, sister!” and “Fierce. Absolutely fierce,” as Valeria strutted down the aisle.

  While the amigas had planned dozens of quinces, they had never seen a transformation as complete as Valeria’s. From Valeria the geek—matted, greasy hair covering her eyes, a Keep Austin Weird T-shirt, and a gaze glued to the floor as if it were the most fascinating thing ever—to Valeria the chic—stunningly dressed, perfectly cut bangs, and loose waves that framed her heart-shaped face.

  Carmen had outdone herself with Valeria’s church dress: classic white, with yellow embroidery along the bodice and the hemline of the skirt symbolizing the Yellow Rose of Texas. As Valeria glided down the aisle, the amigas could hear the oohs and aahs of the crowd. Even Valeria’s aunties had to admit their sobrina had never looked so amazing; she’d taken the whole Texas quince to another level.

  But Valeria wanted to show her family and friends that no matter how slick her hair and makeup might be, she was still, deep down inside, the same Austin rock-and-roll girl. Instead of the demure flats that most quinces wore, Valeria wore yellow skate shoes. And instead of stilettos, which would have symbolized her walk into womanhood, Valeria’s parents presented her with a pair of vintage leather cowboy boots.

  In place of the usual crown on her head, her parents gave her a custom-made black cowboy hat with a hot pink lining. Replacing the diamond studs that are a traditional gift, Valeria wore gold filigreed earrings, that looked like the fringe on a traditional cowboy shirt. It was such a spectacle that even Valeria’s priest cracked a smile at his charge’s unique take on the hundreds-of-years-old tradition. The important part was, the tradition was still there. It wasn’t just a physical transformation Valeria had undergone; in just a few weeks, she’d truly grown up.

  The church ceremony ended at four. But since the Valeria at Twilight quince wouldn’t start until ten P.M., Jamie, Carmen, and Alicia had devised a quinceañera scavenger hunt. Guests were divided into teams. Each team had to find fifteen iconic Austin items, ranging from a photo of the jaguar at the Austin zoo to a Lady Bird Johnson key chain from the presidential museum.

  The scavenger hunt was designed to give the visitors a taste of the richness of Texas and locals a chance to see the state with new eyes. The bonus item, worth a full fifty out of a hundred points, was the autograph of one of Austin’s most famous residents, actress Sandra Bullock, whom Gaz had passed more than a half a dozen times at the Starbucks closest to the South by Southwest headquarters.

  For Amigas Inc., the scavenger hunt was a chance to put the finishing touches on the party. Just as they’d never done a makeover as radical as Valeria’s, they’d never built a set as elaborate.

  At ten, Valeria entered the great room, her dark eyes shining from beneath her sleek bangs. Omarion was at her side, handsome in his navy tuxedo jacket, white T-shirt, and dark blue jeans. Valeria, dressed in a short black minidress festooned with black feathers along the bodice and a pair of hot pink Converse sneakers, entered her party on a special ramp that Alicia had ordered (and then reordered in a smaller size so it could get through the front door). The ramp covered the Castillos’ dramatic staircase. This was the big “reveal” that Alicia and her girls had been planning. As everyone watched, Valeria pulled a skateboard from behind her back and proceeded to skate down, looking as comfortable in her dress as she had at the skate park. The crowd let out whoops and hollers that only got louder when she held her skateboard over her head to show off its Yellow Rose of Texas design that Jamie had made.

  Jamie and Carmen snapped multiple pictures with their phones—both for the Amigas Inc. portfolio and to send back home to Domingo and Dash. Jamie typed a quick message to her novio before she hit send: See, Dash, another satisfied quince. Truly, I’m making a lot of people smile out here in Texas! Can you say the same about your golf game? J/K ☺

  Then Valeria changed into her Texas belle goth
dress for the dancing portion of the night. It was a lacy black off-the-shoulder affair with a full skirt, and it made Valeria look like a modern-day Scarlett O’Hara. She gave a very princesslike twirl, and the guests whooped at the flash of hot pink in the crinoline hoopskirt.

  For the live-music segment, Saniyah performed “Wheels of Texas” for Omarion and Valeria’s dance. Then Gaz played a few of Valeria’s favorite tunes, dedicating his last song to his “best girl, Alicia.” He looked her straight in the eyes, full of a new confidence, and sang “Playing for Keeps,” the song he had written especially for her. Then he pulled a huge surprise and announced that, with Saniyah’s help, he’d signed a songwriting deal with Chia Pet, a small independent label based in Chicago.

  Only the amigas noticed how Alicia gritted her teeth when Gaz mentioned Saniyah.

  “Take it easy, tiger,” Carmen whispered, stroking her friend’s shoulder soothingly.

  “He’s with you, remember?” Jamie said reassuringly to her very best amiga. Alicia knew they were right and that she and Gaz were stronger than ever, but as much as she had learned and explored, and as much as she enjoyed Austin, there was a part of her that couldn’t wait to be back home in Miami, with songwriting, singing, and dancing Saniyah hundreds of miles away.

  Once the music switched to iPod tunes, the crowd slowed down to enjoy hors d’oeuvres featuring all of Valeria’s favorite foods—cranberry and pecan tamales, roasted poblano peppers stuffed with sautéed corn and zucchini and topped with sour cream, chocolaty mole served over tofu (plus chicken, which was available for the nonvegetarians). But the real star of the evening was the sixty-four-foot-long chocolate buffet—featuring chocolate mousse, freshly made cakes, petit fours, homemade ice-cream sandwiches, cupcakes, chocolate-chip cookies, chocolate milk, chocolate bread pudding, chocolate fondue, and dozens of other sinfully delicious chocolate desserts.

  Looking around at Valeria enjoying herself, the tías actually smiling, and the guests dancing, Alicia beamed. They had done it. Once again, they’d pulled off the sweetest of parties.