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.It was almost as if the Javi everyone else knew, the one who walked around with the lopsided grin that charmed the world, didn’t truly exist.The real Javi was far less confident and walking along a thorny path in the dark.“Wanna talk about it?” I asked, already knowing the answer.He sighed.When he opened his eyes, the devil-may-care grin that snaked across his lips was all the answer I needed.“It’s just baseball,” he said as he sat up.It was obviously only a partial truth.His inability to look me in the eye reminded me of my dear old stepdad.That man could weave a tale most people would buy, but his eyes had been his tell.Javi, it appeared, suffered from the same tick.“What do you mean?” I asked, deciding it was better to play along than call my new friend a liar.“I’ve got tons of pressure to take us to state.If the team can get us there again, a college scout might notice me.And if he does, I’ve got a free ride to college.Which is something I really want to do.I don’t want to be stuck here forever,” he said, sweeping his arms around him.Javi was not referring to the beautiful park he’d brought me to.He wanted out of the barrio and to get away from the poverty that clung to its inhabitants like tar.“That is a lot of pressure,” I agreed.“But I’m sure your parents will support anything you end up doing.”Javi glanced at me askance before snuffing.“My parents are the worst!”Who was he kidding? “You’re parents are the best,” I said, feeling the need to stick up for two people who had been nothing but nice to me.“Oh, they are great, but they’re the worst at piling on the pressure.” He cleared his throat and said in a thick Spanish accent, “You’ve got to win, mijo.You’ve got to show them how good you are so they will pay for your school.” He was apparently trying to mimic his mother.He cleared his voice again and spoke in his father’s deep voice.“You’ll be the first Castillo to make something of himself.The first to get out of the neighborhood.And the first to move us all into his mansion when he’s a famous athlete.”After he finished mimicking words that clearly haunted him, Javi let loose a lungful of air.What was I supposed to say to that? Javi had a lot riding on his shoulders.No wonder he was stressed out.But what bothered me the most was this didn’t seem to be everything that troubled my friend.“And now Rance is being a dick weed,” Javi mumbled.Was this the true cause of Javi’s distress? “What do you mean?”“Well, you know he’s in ISS?” Of course, I knew.I was most likely the reason.I nodded, and he continued.“Well, I tried talking to him after school today.To see what the hell he did to get in trouble this time because Rance is always in trouble! It’s been that way since I met him in fourth grade.”Since fourth grade? How could I compete with that kind of history?“And you know what that fucker did?” Javi asked.This time he locked eyes with me.Whatever Javi was about to reveal was the complete truth.“What?”“He told me to fuck off and then walked away.”I didn’t know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t that.“Do you know why?”Javi shook his head.“Nope, but I’m getting tired of him being such an asshole all the time.He wasn’t like that when we were kids.Sure, he got into trouble.But it was little stuff like talking in class all the time or not doing his homework.But ever since he came back from camp last summer, he’s been an unbearable prick to just about everyone.Including me.”“What happened at camp?”“I don’t know.” Worry crept into his eyes.“I asked him when he got back and was acting all moody and shit, but he played it off.Said he was just tired of being stuck with a bunch of whiny fags for the summer who were crying about their mommies and daddies.”That sounded like the Rance who’d practically torn me apart in the locker room yesterday.“And you didn’t believe him?”“Nope.But he’s got a big chip on his shoulder now, and I’ve gotten tired of dealing with it.And with him.” When he looked at me, the light in his eyes returned.As if I was something he’d spent the last few months searching for.“That’s why I’m glad I met you.”I almost fell over.“What do you mean?”“I’m not sure really,” he said with a chuckle.“But when I saw you standing there in precalc, I just knew I had to be your friend.”Now that I couldn’t believe.Javi seemed to be the most popular guy in school.Not only had Claudia told me how beloved he was by the student body, but I’d seen it firsthand over the course of the last two days.Why would Javi need to be my friend? “Don’t be pulling my leg,” I said.“You’ve got tons of friends already.”“I do,” he said with a nod.“And I count myself lucky.I really do.But fate brings people into your life for a reason.At least that’s what I believe.”I’d never believed in that old saying.New people only brought fresh pain.At least that had always been my experience.Still, hearing those words come from Javi gave me faith.Perhaps, for once, my life had taken a turn for the better.JAVI AND I sat in the park for hours, enjoying the sunny afternoon and then the cool evening breeze.And in that time, I’d learned a little bit more about Javi Castillo.When Javi ran for sophomore class president and had to make a speech in front of the entire tenth grade, he’d been so nervous he’d thrown up on stage and all over Ms.Garcia.It took me at least fifteen minutes to stop laughing.I couldn’t get the image of Javi blowing chunks all over Ms.Garcia’s fake boobs out of my head.Of course, in true Javi fashion, he’d been elected president anyway.He probably could have gotten on stage and farted in the microphone, and still won by a landslide.Besides being class president at one time, Javi was also a member of the National Honor Society, the drama club, the student council, where he currently served as vice president, and was a school ambassador, which meant he’d been selected by the administration as what an ideal high school student represented.According to Javi, he’d been chosen as an ambassador because it had always been easy for him to make friends.He didn’t fall into the social cliques everyone else did.He preferred being friends with everyone.He didn’t care if someone was considered a nerd or unpopular by everyone else.As long as people were kind to him, he’d always do his best to return the favor.It was hard for me to believe someone like that really existed in the world, but as Javi whistled to the birds in the trees, it was hard to deny the truth when it sat right in front of you.“Your turn,” Javi said as he conversed with a robin perched upon its nest.I stared up at the bird that chirped back in response.“I can’t whistle like you.”Javi picked up a small pebble and threw it at me.“Hey!” I said as I searched the grass for a retaliatory stone.“I meant for you to tell me about yourself,” Javi said.My gut wrenched.First Claudia and now Javi.Would this madness never end? “What you see is what you get,” I said after I’d selected a stone and tossed it at Javi.He easily ducked and the small rock sailed over his left shoulder.“All I see right now is someone with piss poor aim.”I gestured to myself with a flourish of hands.“Then you know all about me already [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]