Free No More Us for You by David Hernandez

to come with us to Enrique’s?” she asked.
    I opened the cupboard and took down the loaf of wheat bread. “I don’t feel like having Mexican.”
    â€œBut you love their carne asada.”
    â€œYou and Dad go. I’m just going to have a sandwich.”
    She stood beside me. “You want me to make it for you, mijo ?”
    â€œI’ve got it, Mom.”
    She placed her hand on my back. “You haven’t heard from her?”
    I shook my head no and laid some turkey on a slice ofbread. She didn’t know the whole story. I had just told her that we split up and Mira was now seeing someone else, some guy on the track team. I left the part out about her cheating on me.
    â€œShe’ll regret it,” my mom said. “I won’t be surprised if she dumps this other guy and asks you to come back.”
    â€œIt’s not going to happen,” I said.
    â€œYou don’t know.”
    â€œWhat if I don’t want her back?”
    â€œShe’s a sweet girl.”
    I squirted mustard on another slice of bread and spread it evenly with a knife. “That’s questionable.”
    â€œShe is, mijo . She was always very courteous and thoughtful. Remember she bought your father and me those nice suede slippers for Christmas? She didn’t have to do that.”
    I exhaled heavily and continued sliding the knife around.
    â€œMaybe you should write her a nice letter or send some flowers?” my mom suggested.
    That was it—my breaking point—and I tossed theknife into the sink. “She was screwing another guy,” I finally said.
    My mom gulped air as if she’d been holding her breath. “That tramp .”
    I heard the garage door grumbling, the car door opening and slamming shut. “Don’t keep Dad waiting,” I said. “Go.”
    â€œWe won’t be gone long,” she said before dashing to the garage.
    I took my sandwich and a Sprite to the couch and channel-surfed. Car bomb in Iraq, Blind Date , Hurricane Katrina aftermath, The Simpsons . I took a bite, a sip, and flipped to MTV, to Madonna in a skimpy pink suit and heels, stretching out on a ballet floor and slowly gyrating her hips. I finished my sandwich and clicked off the television and went to my room to check my email again. More spam on how to lengthen my penis, this time with an herbal pill that was scientifically proven.
    I crashed on my bed and looked at the calendar thumbtacked to the wall. Valentine’s was three days away. I opened the drawer to my nightstand and took out thered leather box with Mira’s gift inside—a silver bracelet with green stones. I hadn’t bothered to keep the receipt since Mira had pointed it out two weeks earlier, told me Valentine’s Day was just around the corner, wink-wink. If only I’d known she’d been flirting with someone in her history class, that days later she would swing by his house to pick up his notes on the Battle of Gettysburg and Sherman’s March, that minutes later they would kiss and a few minutes after that stumble into his bedroom. If only I’d known, I would’ve had an extra $48.38 in my checking account.
    My cell rang and before I checked to see who it was, I wished it was Mira and then, half a second later, wished that it wasn’t. The digital display said SNAKE .
    â€œWhat’re you doing, douchebag?” he said.
    â€œJust kicking it,” I said.
    â€œYou’re going to Christopher’s thing tonight, right?”
    I faked a yawn. “I’m pretty wiped out.”
    â€œDon’t give me that shit. You’re going. We’ll come pick you up.”
    â€œWe?”
    â€œWill’s here.”
    â€œOh,” I said, wondering if Will was still angry with me, or disappointed, or whatever it was he felt when he’d walked down the hallway as I was calling his name. “Let me talk to him for a second,” I said.
    Snake passed the phone to