Free Perfect Chemistry 1 by Simone Elkeles Page A

the garage.
    Enrique presses the button to raise the large garage door.
    Javier Moreno's car screeches inside. "Close the door, Enrique,"
    Javier orders breathlessly. "La policia are lookin' for us."
    My cousin slams his fist on the button again and turns off the
    lights to the shop. "What the hell did you guys do?"
    Carmen is in the backseat, her eyes bloodshot from either drugs or
    alcohol; I can't tell which. And she's been messing around with whoever
    is back there with her, because I know all too well what Carmen looks
    like when she's been messing around.
    "Raul tried to smoke a Satin Hood," Carmen slurs, sticking her head
    out of the car window. "But he's got lousy aim."
    Raul turns to her and yells at her from the front passenger seat,
    "Puta, you try and shoot a movin' target while Javier's driving."
    I roll my eyes as Javier steps out of the car. "You dissin' my
    driving, Raul?" he says. "'Cause if you are, I have a fist here that I'll
    ram into your face."
    Raul steps out of the car. "You want a piece of me, culero?"
    I step in front of Raul and hold him back.
    "Shit, guys. La policia are right outside." These are the first words
    out of Sam, the guy who Carmen must have been with tonight.
    Everyone in the garage ducks as the police shine their flashlights
    through the windows. I crouch behind a large tool drawer, holding my
    breath. The last thing I need is attempted murder on my record. I've
    miraculously avoided getting arrested, but one day my luck is bound to
    run out.
    A gang member rarely avoids the cops. Or jail time.
    Enrique's face shows what he's thinking. He finally saved enough to
    open this shop, and now four high school punks could ruin his dream if
    anyone makes a sound. The cops will take my cousin, with his old LB
    tattoos on the back of his neck, in right along with the rest of us.
    And he'll be out of business within a week.
    The door to the shop jiggles. I wince and pray please be locked.
    The cops give up on the door, then shine their flashlights in the
    garage again. I wonder who tipped them off--nobody in this
    neighborhood would narc. A secret code of silence and affiliation keeps
    families safe.
    After what seems like forever, the cops drive away.
    "Shit, that was close," Javier says.
    "Too close," Enrique agrees. "Wait ten minutes, then get outta
    here."
    Carmen steps out of the car--actually, trips out. "Hiya, Alex. I
    missed you tonight."
    My gaze rests on Sam. "Yeah, I see how much you missed me."
    "Sam? Oh, I don't really like him," she coos, coming close. I can
    smell the mota radiating off her. "I'm waiting for you to come back to
    me."
    "Not gonna happen."
    "Is it because of your stupid chemistry partner?" She grabs ray
    chin, trying to force me to look at her, her long nails digging into my
    skin.
    I grab both her wrists and pull them aside, all the time wondering
    how my tough-as-nails ex-girlfriend turned into a tough-as-nails bitch.
    "Brittany has nothin' to do with you and me. I hear you've been talkin'
    shit to her."
    "Did Isa tell you that?" she asks, her eyes narrowed into slits.
    "Just back off," I say, ignoring her question, "or you'll have a lot
    more to deal with than a bitter ex-boyfriend."
    "Are you bitter, Alex? Because you don't act bitter. You act like
    you don't give a shit."
    She's right. After I found her sleeping around, it took me a while
    to get over it, get over her. I wondered what other guys were giving
    her that I couldn't.
    "I used to give a shit," I tell her. "I don't now."
    Carmen slaps me. "Fuck you, Alex."
    "Lovers' quarrel?" Javier drawls from the hood of the car.
    "Collate," Carmen and I say simultaneously.
    Carmen whips around, stalks back to the car, and slides into the
    backseat. I watch as she pulls Sam's head toward her. The sounds of
    heavy kissing and moaning fill the auto shop.
    Javier calls out, "Enrique, open the door. We're outta here."
    Raul, who'd taken a leak in the bathroom, asks me, "Alex, you
    comin'? We need you, man. Paco and this