Free Riding Invisible by Sandra Alonzo Page A

huh?
    YANCY 2: It’s worse than crazy. It’s demented! I’m on your side.
    YANCY 1: But maybe Tavo has a point. I mean, who wants a son like Will? It’s not very rewarding.
    YANCY 2: Maybe not, but your life totally sucks. That’s my opinion. You’re the person everyone should feel sorry for.
    After blanketing the last horse, we headed back to the trailer. Tavo paused outside the door under the dim light and he tapped his toe in the leaves. I watched his boots.
    â€œIt don’t make sense,” he said, “but maybe now I start to understand and maybe when I think of horses, then it make sense this brother and you.” The toe tapped faster. I wondered what he meant. I didn’t say anything. Finally Tavo continued.
    â€œBack in Mexico, MI AMIGO , he raise many horses and sell them to his friend in U.S. for racetrack. One day he show me two horses. He tell me that this one is smart and very quiet and he learn fast. He is the horse that gonna win the race. Next my friend point to another horse, same color, almost a twin, a beautiful blood bay, MUY BONITO . Now this animal, my friend say, this one NO ES MUY INTELIGENTE . He never listen and he is very stubborn. He is not gonna make it out the gate when the race start. ‘Look here at my arm,’ my friend tell me. He roll up his CAMISA and he show me a big, red, ugly bite with horse teeth marks. ‘That son of a bitch bite me!’ say my friend.” So then Tavo turned toward me and took hold of my shoulders. “And you know what, Yancy? These two horses are brothers. Same sire, same dam. The bad horse, he is one year older, and the young horse, he is the smart colt. So when I think about this, then maybe it make sense. Sometimes the good breeding? All the training? All the care? It no count for much. Maybe God is the one who form the personality. He is the one who have the plan.”
    So, Adventure Journal, maybe shit just happens. We’re like the horse brothers, Will and me. He’s not okay. I am. And that’s just the way it is.
DAY ELEVEN—
    12:00 p.m.—sitting under a tree by the pasture
    The Other Side
    (SOMETIMES Y’ GOTTA LAUGH!!)
    fifteen minutes ago I saw the nice ass
    AGAIN
    and I almost ran it down
    by ACCIDENT ! when the manure cart
    went THUD
    and a girl spun around glaring
    â€œWatch it!” she yelled
    and when I saw her features I actually choked
    to keep from laughing straight out loud
    in her outrageous, space alien, graphically
    illustrated FACE

    So finally! I met the mystery woman. Dracula’s Bride started checking me out all over, top to bottom, and since she’s a little rich girl, I felt like crawling in a corner or something.
    â€œSo who are you?” she asked, and the lids on those two-hour-paint-job eyes fluttered. I decided that she might actually look beautiful under all the mess, and she’s got a hot body for sure, no denying it. Then she glared at me just like Will does. I started thinking, WILL! DUDE! I HAVE FOUND THE PERFECT WOMAN FOR YOU !
    â€œDo you have a name or not?”
    â€œSorry. I’m Yancy. Tavo’s nephew.”
    DING! The expression on her face transformed into something I think they call SUPERIORITY, and her eyebrows wrinkled, and she squinted at me like she was staring at a bug under a microscope. I could feel myself being lifted by giant tweezers, examined, and then filed in this lowlife category, the one reserved for Mexican laborers. Hired Help. Maybe from her POV, if Tavo’s my Uncle in Real Life, wouldn’t I be a so-called second class-citizen?
    â€œWell, I’m Grace Arnold, but my friends call me Grass. Just don’t use that name around Daddy!”
    â€œMr. Arnold’s your dad?”
    She stared at me like I’m dog poop after that question, so I figured the answer must be YES. Then I asked her why she’s not in school.
    â€œGot kicked out.”
    NOT a huge shocker. “So you’re