Текст книги "From What I Remember"

Автор книги: Valerie Thomas

Соавторы: Stacy Kramer
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Текущая страница: 17 (всего у книги 23 страниц)

can’t believe they didn’t take any of my music. That’s just insulting.” Will and Juan and I are standing in front of Will’s Mini Cooper, staring at the driver’s-side window, which has been smashed to smithereens. “That’s what you’re worried about?” Usually Will’s humor is charming, but right now I want to rip his scalp off. Not only have the windows of his car been decimated by thieves, but all four tires are gone. Gone. His car looks like a toy that’s been mangled by a toddler. We’re not going anywhere. “You have to admit, it’s offensive. How could they not have wanted any of my CDs? I have great taste in music.” Will looks at me, dead serious.

I want to throttle him. I am so not in the mood.

“Who gives a shit about your music, Will? We have such bigger issues. How the hell are we going to get to graduation now?” I’m going to lose it on Will. He’s hardly earned it, but he’s the only likely candidate for my rage.

Juan has the good sense not to get involved. He looks out at the ocean, waiting, I assume, for us to resolve this nightmare somehow or seek his counsel.

“Kylie, this is not my fault, darling. How could I have known my car would get vandalized? Damn. The border cop actually told me to get insurance, and I thought he was just trying to scam me. Who knew? I should have listened to him. My dad is going to kill me. He just bought the Mini a few months ago.”

I can feel myself losing it. “Listen, Will, I feel bad about the car, but you can deal with it later. I’m sure your dad can figure this out. Right now, we’ve got to focus on finding a way back to school. Shit. Shit. Shit. What are we going to do? This is so typical. You know what, Will? You attract trouble.”

I know it’s not Will’s fault, but somehow, somehow…I feel like it is.

“What? Let me remind you that you’re the one who got kidnapped and taken to Mexico, not me. I’m the one who hauled ass and came down here to rescue you. So I think you better just lose the ’tude.”

Will’s righteous anger tugs me back to reality. Why am I treating my best friend like shit? Because I let some guy treat me like shit, that’s why. It’s not fair. I’m better than this. Will deserves better than this.

“I’m sorry, you’re right. I just don’t know what to do.”

“It’s all right, chica, I know you’re stressing. We’re going to get back; we’ll figure this out.” Will puts his arm around my shoulder. “‘Make anyone cry today?’”

“‘Sadly, no. But it’s only four thirty,’” I say. 10 Things I Hate About You always brings a smile to my face. I love that movie. And Heath Ledger in it. And Will for bringing it up.

I have to stop acting like such a tool. And feeling sorry for myself. Yes I got my heart broken, but at least I put it out there. Maybe next time I’ll pick a better contender, like Will did. Right now, I’ve got to throw everything I’ve got into Plan B.

I turn to Juan. “I don’t suppose you have a car, Juan?”

Juan smiles weakly. “No. I’ve got a bike.”

I’m sure Max, Lily, and Charlie have already hightailed it out of town. Max seemed eager to be far, far away from me.

“We’ve got to see when the next bus leaves. It’s our best option,” I say. “Let’s go back to Manuel’s. He can help us figure out the schedule.”

We turn and trudge back toward Manuel’s. It’s hard to buck up. The self-pity is creeping back in like roaches at a seedy motel.

At this point, I know it doesn’t even matter, but I must look like such a train wreck. My hair is frizzing out and the ends are coated with dried vomit. I’m still wearing this goddamn wedding dress, but the lace hangs off the hem, shredded. My white espadrilles are gray at this point, and my skin has a greenish hue. It’s certainly an original look for the Freiburg valedictorian.

I dig into my backpack, pull out a tube of lip balm, and swipe it across my lips. I may look like hell, but at least my lips will be moist. It’s not much, but it’s something. As I’m putting the lip balm back, I catch sight of my key chain from Jake, attached to the zipper. It’s a plastic palm tree with the words san diego written up the trunk. I have no idea why he thought I’d like it so much, but I do. I treasure it. The thought of Jake pulls at my stomach. I’ve been so busy making a mess of my life, I haven’t thought about him in a while. I wonder how he’s doing without me. What did Mom tell him? Jesus. I can’t go there, not now.

I feel the ring on my hand and glance down at it briefly. I’m not even sure what it means. I search the recesses of my brain and find, deeply hidden, a vague recollection from the pier last night. There was a priest, couples, a wedding ceremony. Is it even possible? We couldn’t have gotten married. Could we? And even if we did something that stupid and reckless, doesn’t it take a lot more than some priest on a pier for an American to get legally married in Mexico? It was probably just a joke. An idiotic, foolhardy, drunken joke. Whatever it was, I’m sure it’s fixable. The rest of the mess is less easily mended.

I stare down at the ring. I should hurl it across the street. It’s a potent symbol of my folly. And yet I don’t want to take it off. Stupid, stupid girl. Are you waiting on a miracle? Get over him. It’s not happening.

I head back into Manuel’s house, Will and Juan right behind me. They’re holding hands like they’ve been together for years, an old married couple. It’s surreal.

“What time is it, Will?” I ask, dreading the answer.

“Uh…seven thirty-five.”

A little more than four hours to get to graduation. Our chances are shrinking by the minute.

“Hello?” I walk through the front door of the house to find Manuel and Manu watching TV on the couch.

“You’re back?”

The sight of Manuel with his arm around his son, somehow pierces at my heart, and I erupt in tears. Oh my God. I’m turning into a character from a Mexican telenovela. I cannot stop crying. What is wrong with me? I’ve probably cried at least six times in the past twenty-four hours. I do not understand it, but Manuel has struck a chord in me, maybe because of my dad, maybe because he was such a huge part of such a huge night in my life, maybe because I am flat-out exhausted. In any case, I run up to him and throw my arms around him.

“Whoa there, mamacita, what’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry. I’ll be fine. Just tired. I feel like I didn’t properly apologize for the craziness this morning, Manuel. I’m so sorry.”

“Is that why you came back, to apologize. Again? Because you already did. Several times.” Manuel is chuckling. He must think I am a complete lunatic. Which I am. “You really don’t have time to waste. The border could be crowded. You need to get going.”

“Will’s car was vandalized. We need to get a bus.”

“I bet you can catch your…friends. Can I call them that?”

“Not really,” I say.

“Well, whatever they are, I bet they’re still in town. They went to buy food. Max told me on his way out.”

“No way. That’s great. Thanks. Thanks again and again, Manuel. For everything.”

“You’ll come back with Javier. This summer. Before you go off to New York City.”

“I promise I’ll be back. I can’t speak for my dad. You know what he’s like.”

I’m running for the door when Manuel calls to me.

“Kylie, that girl doesn’t hold a candle to you.”

I smile at Manuel. If I stayed any longer I’d start crying again.

I fly out the door. Will and Juan are waiting outside.

“C’mon. Manuel thinks Max, Lily, and Charlie went to get food in town. We’ve got to find them.” As sickening as it will be to drive all the way back to school with them, it’s the best idea we’ve got.

“We’re all going to drive home together?” Will asks, equally horrified at the prospect.

“Yes. Unless you have a better idea.”

“I’ve got nothing.”

I tear off down the hill. I can see town up ahead. I run past the houses and the kids playing in the street and the ticky-tacky souvenir shops. Back into this town that I’ve come to love. And there it is, Charlie’s Jeep sitting on the main street, across from the harbor, idling.

I’m still a few blocks away as I watch Max and Lily climb inside and shut the doors. And then the Jeep pulls away from the curb.

I charge after it, yelling and waving my arms furiously.

“Wait! Stop! Max!”

The Jeep picks up speed.

Will and Juan run after me, but they’re too slow. Our great hope to make it to graduation, pulling down the street…

Shit. Shit. Shit. What are we going to do? I feel my anxiety rising to dangerous levels. My breath quickens. I’m gulping air. I see an old guy on a Vespa heading into the plaza, and decide in a crazy last-ditch effort to flag him down.

He stops.

“Por favor, ¿me prestas tu Vespa?” I say to him.

He stares at me, not sure how to answer. I want to borrow his Vespa. Naturally, he doesn’t look pleased by the idea. Damn, I don’t have time to debate this.

“Por un momento, lo prometo,” I say, hoping that will make a bit of a difference. I look at him beseechingly and, miraculously, the guy climbs off.

I have a real skill in vehicle jacking. There’s my Plan B if the screenwriting thing doesn’t work out. The poor guy just stares after me, bewildered. He’ll get it back momentarily; he just doesn’t know that yet.

Having never ridden a Vespa before, I’m a bit wobbly, but my determination wins out over my lack of skills, and quickly I’m on the road, right behind the Jeep. The thought occurs to me that, once again, I’ve found myself in yet another cliché-ridden movie scene. Although, if this were a movie instead of my pathetic life, things would probably end differently. I would be chasing my love, racing against time to tell him that I was wrong, that I do love him and can’t live without him. He would jump out of the car and proclaim his undying love for me as well. Everyone would applaud and we would live happily ever after. But that is so not happening here.

I pull alongside the Jeep.

“Max! Max!” I yell. “Stop!”

Max, sitting in the passenger seat, turns to see me.

“Kylie, what are you doing?” he yells through the open window.

“Just stop the car.”

Charlie pulls the Jeep to the side of the road, and I jump off the Vespa. Max looks at me. Our eyes meet, and for an instant it’s yesterday again. It’s just him and me and I’m happy and in love. But then my eyes shift ever so slightly to the left, and I see Lily sitting in the back, her pinched little face pushing into the front seat, and I’m thrown back to reality.

All three of them jump out. Great. The Three Musketeers. The thought of riding home with them makes my stomach turn.

“Hey, Kylie, nice Vespa,” Charlie says. Is he being nice? Or just attempting to make a horribly awkward situation incrementally less awkward? Who knows? I’ve never gotten Charlie.

“Uh, listen, we need a ride back to school. Will’s car got vandalized.”

“What do you mean?” Max asks.

“She means Will’s car no longer has tires. Or windows,” Will says as he and Juan run up, panting. “But they left all my CDs. That’s just weird, isn’t it?”

“That guy really wants his Vespa back,” Juan says to me. “He’s pretty pissed.”

“I told him I’d bring it back,” I say.

“Yeah, well, shockingly, he didn’t believe it,” Will says.

“You stole a Vespa?” Max asks.

“I borrowed it.”

“Cool,” Charlie says. Man, he is such an idiot. Why is Max friends with him? Then again, maybe I’m giving Max too much credit.

The Vespa owner marches up and snatches his scooter from me, whispering under his breath, “Loca!”

I don’t think he means that in a good way.

“Gracias,” I say, trying to make amends. “Muchas gracias.”

He gives me the finger, jumps on his bike, and speeds off.

“’Kay, so can we come with you guys?” I ask again since no one has actually answered me. Are they really going to make me beg?

“Sure,” Max says. Charlie and Lily don’t say anything.

One yes is better than none.

Lily scowls at me. She looks miserable. And, believe me, I get it. It would be so easy to hate her at this very moment, but I can’t. We’ve both just had our hearts broken by the same boy, and now we are bonded together, like it or not.

“I don’t think there’s room. I mean, there are three of them,” Lily says.

“Oh come on, Lily. We’ll make room. It’s graduation.” It’s Charlie, coming to our rescue. Who’d have thought?

“Max, there is no way I am getting into that car with her.” Lily has suddenly shifted from downtrodden to crazy pissed. The hate is on again. And I’m feeling it too.

“Well, then I guess you’re staying in Ensenada.” Will cocks his head at Lily and smiles.

“Oh shut up, Will,” Lily snaps.

Oh. My. God. I do not want this to devolve into another shouting match. Charlie glances over at Max like it’s Max’s decision to make. I look at Max, daring him to say no, while Lily stares him down, daring him to say yes. It’s a Mexican standoff, literally.

“Of course there’s room,” Max says, steadfastly refusing to look at either me or Lily. Still, if we’re playing, and everything is a game after all, I’d say one point for me.

“Someone will have to sit in the rear seat, in the way back,” Charlie says.

“Not me,” Lily insists.

“Of course not. We wouldn’t dream of asking you, princess,” Will says.

“I’ll do it,” Juan says. “I don’t mind.”

The decision is made. All of us will cram into the goddamn car and travel to graduation together. What a frigging nightmare. Shoot me now.

Max is opening the back door for Juan when a look of fear flashes across his face. I know that look. What’s going on?

He leans in to me. “Kylie, look. Over there. Across the street.”

I follow his gaze. And there they are, the two dudes from yesterday, standing on the other side of the street, next to their U-Haul. There’s no mistaking them. Bald, muscled, and inked up. Practically twins, except the tall one is twice the size of the little one.

You have got to be kidding me. What are the chances?

I suddenly realize this is exactly where we left the U-Haul. I cannot believe our terrible luck. Still, how did they find it? And how did we end up right back where we started? It’s like Groundhog Day. We’re just going to keep running into these guys every single day for the rest of our lives. They’ll appear in La Jolla, San Diego, New York City, tracking us down for our one transgression. Okay, there’s no way that’s going to happen.

I’m totally being melodramatic. Still, our bad luck is pretty epic.

“Get in the car, get in the car,” Max says, literally herding everyone into the Jeep.

“How did they find the truck?” I ask Max.

“I don’t know. They must have a tracking device in there or something. Shit.”

“I am not sitting next to her,” Lily says, pointing at me.

“Lily, just get in the car,” Max says.

No one has any idea what is going on, and there’s really no time to catch them up on the situation. I would bet that if Lily knew the extent of things, she’d still complain about having to sit next to me. I have a sneaking suspicion she’s petty to the core, even in the face of grave danger.

I’ve turned away from the two guys and am climbing into the Jeep. I’m banking on the crazy idea that if I don’t look at them, they can’t see me. But when I glance over, they’re studying Max closely, trying to remember how they know him. And then there’s a moment of recognition on both their faces as they realize who he is.

harlie, give me the keys. I’m driving.” Kylie says evenly.

I look at Kylie and I can see her snap into the same fear-fueled state of focus she experienced in the U-Haul yesterday.

I know she’s completely freaked out, but instead of being paralyzed, she’s somehow calm and decisive. I will myself to be stronger this time around.

I snatch the keys from Charlie and toss them to Kylie. She hustles into the driver’s seat. I shove Charlie into the back, slam the door, and get in shotgun.

“What the fuck, dude?” Charlie says.

Kylie tears off down the street. Maybe they won’t follow us. They’ve got their stuff, they’ve got their truck. What would they want from us anyway? Revenge?

“The guys who stole the stuff, that was them across the street,” I tell Charlie.

He hears the urgency in my voice. The mood shifts.

“Shit, man,” Charlie says.

“I know. What are the chances?” I say.

“Improbably low,” Kylie says.

“Why does Kylie get to drive?” Lily asks.

“Because she drives better than any of us, that’s why. And she knows the town!” Man, that is so Lily to be sweating the small stuff when it’s the big stuff that’s gonna get us any minute.

Kylie turns right onto a small side street and winds her way into the heart of the town. I check the rearview mirror and I don’t see the U-Haul. I’m beginning to think we’re in the clear.

“I cannot believe you guys got us into this. How are we going to make it to graduation?” Lily says to no one in particular.

“Lily, if you’d like to get out, be my guest.” Kylie is still calm and focused, but in no mood for Lily’s shit.

“‘I’ve got a trig midterm tomorrow, and I’m being chased by Guido the killer pimp,’” Will says. “I love it.”

“What the hell’s he talking about?” Charlie says.

“It’s a line from Risky Business,” Kylie says.

Will is one bizarro dude. He seems totally amused by the situation. I don’t think he grasps that it’s not fun or funny at all. It’s scary and hugely stressful.

“Oh shit,” I yell. “Kylie, over there.”

The U-Haul is coming straight at us from another side street. Kylie swerves left and barrels down a narrow street, and then turns right again, back onto the main road. There’s an enormous truck in front of us, and I watch as Kylie makes the split decision to pass it, hoping to lose the U-Haul. She successfully makes her way around the truck, but the U-Haul is directly behind us.

Kylie drives fast down the street, but there’s not much she can do to lose the truck.

Juan is yelling something from the back.

“What?” I can’t hear him well, he’s too far back.

Juan climbs over the seat and squishes himself in between Lily and Will.

“Oh my God. What do you think you’re doing?” Lily squawks at him.

“I’m talking to myself back there. No one can hear me. I know the police chief. I can help you out of this. I just called the cops. Kylie, you need to stay on this road until it intersects with the toll road to Tijuana. The police will meet us there.”

Juan has suddenly become the hero. I had forgotten he was in the car. Earlier, I was wondering why the hell he even had to come. But now I’m just thankful he’s here.

“Are you sure?” Kylie yells out.

“Yes. I’m on the phone with them now. My dad and the police chief are best friends.”

Juan speaks into his phone in clipped Spanish, telling someone, presumably the police, what is going on.

The U-Haul speeds up and is driving alongside us, despite the fact that there are cars racing toward it from the opposite lane. Vehicles are honking and swerving to the left and right to get out of the way. It’s complete chaos. I don’t want to look at the guys, so I turn the other way. I’m trying to control my shit, but I scream when I see how close cars are coming to us. For now, Kylie is maneuvering with agility. She has the look of contained fear on her face that she had in the U-Haul. But this scene is beyond her. It’s out of control, and even perfect driving can’t save us. There are way too many variables.

Lily has her head buried in her hands, Charlie is staring straight ahead, his face drained of color, and Will isn’t enjoying himself anymore; he’s just sitting stone still, his hands clenched into fists. Other than Kylie, Juan is the only person in the car who’s helpful, as he continues talking into his phone. Sadly, I’m as useless as everyone else. For the second time in two days, I am engaged in a high-speed car chase, now fleeing from bad guys. And I am not doing a damn thing to help the situation. Although, to be fair, I don’t think there’s much I can do.

The U-Haul rams into us from the side, and we all slam into one another from the force of the impact. Kylie accelerates and punches ahead. The U-Haul is forced to pull away to avoid being hit by another car, and for a moment we’re ahead of them and we have the advantage. Kylie must have watched so many action scenes in her life that they are hardwired into her brain, because she is outperforming herself here. It’s mind-blowing.

“You are a total overachiever,” I say to her. If I can’t be helpful, the least I can do is be supportive.

Kylie doesn’t take her eyes off the road, but I see the sides of her lips lift into a smile. Man, I am totally into this chick. She is way cool. Whatever happened this morning between us hasn’t diminished anything for me. I’ve never felt this way about anyone. She may want nothing to do with me, but my feelings are undeniable.

“Kylie, stay to the right, the toll road is up ahead. When you get there, just stop,” Juan says.

“Just stop? Really?” Kylie asks.

The disbelief spreads through the car, and we all look at Juan with doubt. Just stop? Does this guy know what he’s doing? Can we stake our life on it?

“I don’t know, man,” Charlie says. “I think we should keep going.”

“I’m telling you, we need to stop. The police are right behind us; they’re going to take care of it. Trust me,” Juan says.

It sure doesn’t sound like a great idea. But it’s the only one we’ve got.

As we come upon the intersection, Juan yells, “PULL OVER!”

“Now?” Kylie says.

“Now!” Juan insists.

Kylie pulls to the curb. Seconds later, the U-Haul speeds up from behind and screeches next to us. We all panic and scream, as if on cue. The two guys fling their doors open and are on us like a shot. Kylie is about to pull away again when we hear the high pitch of a siren approaching. I look in the rearview mirror, and just like in the movies, I see a police car speed into view. The cavalry. The two dudes hear the siren as well and immediately retreat. They’re climbing back into the U-Haul when the police car skids up to us and two police officers jump out.

One of the officers approaches Kylie’s window and says, “Go, go. We’ll take it from here. You don’t want to miss your graduation.”

Kylie doesn’t hesitate. She pulls out and makes a beeline for the toll road. Within seconds, we’re on the road and cruising toward the border. For a few seconds, no one says a word. We’ve just traveled through a tunnel of doom and come out the other side.

“Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God,” Will chants.

I’m not sure how long Will has been chanting this under his breath, but now he’s upping the volume a little.

“You okay, Will?” Kylie turns around to look at him.

“I’m fine. Now.”

“Juan! That was awesome. Man, how did you do that?” I, for one, am overjoyed.

“Because he’s a rock star!!” Will says. “He’s my rock star!” Will smothers Juan’s face in kisses. Juan is giggling. Lily recoils.

“You grow up in a small town in Mexico, it has its advantages,” Juan says.

“What did you tell the police?” Kylie asks.

“I told them there were two criminals chasing us, with a shitload of stolen stuff in their truck. Like I said, the police chief is my dad’s best friend. He’s like my uncle. He didn’t really question it. He knows I would never do that unless it was for real.”

“You’re my own personal Chow Yun Fat,” Will says to Juan.

“Who?” Charlie asks.

“Chinese action star,” Kylie and I say at the same time.

Kylie and I share a look. I try to convey a million little things, but I don’t think I’m particularly successful. Kylie looks away, either not feeling it or not wanting to acknowledge it.