Free Falling Too Fast by Malín Alegría

who teaches near Dallas. They’re having a chilifest and a couple of the newer school mariachi clubs are going to have a friendly competition. I think it will be good for you guys.”
    â€œCan’t we just watch from the audience?” Santiago asked.
    â€œNope,” Castillo stated, crossing his arms. “Besides, I already said we’d be there.”
    â€œWhen’s the festival?” Alexis asked.
    â€œIn three weeks.”

I hate this damn thing,” Karina cried out in frustration in the middle of rehearsal the following week. “Look, I broke another nail.” She fanned her fingers in the air.
    â€œAyyy, poor baby,” Pablo said in a pouty baby voice behind her.
    â€œI heard that,” Karina snapped.
    â€œOkay, guys.” Justin rose from his seat. His big brown eyes were full of warmth and understanding. “I know we’re all worried about the performance coming up, but we can’t turn on each other. We’re a team.”
    â€œThat’s right,” AP Castillo said. “There’s nothing to be worried about. But, Karina, I can tell you haven’t been practicing.”
    â€œWell, maybe I’m just too stupid for this instrument,” she said, hitting the harp in frustration.
    Alexis was about to jump in when a familiar voice interrupted. “Her hands are all wrong.”
    The whole class turned. Christian Luna smiled from the doorway. He looked like a ray of golden sunshine in the dreary gray room. Christian locked eyes with Alexis. Her heart leapt. Christian’s busy practice schedule had kept them apart since the serenata , but finally, here he was. Alexis tried to stay calm, but she couldn’t keep herself from grinning.
    â€œYour hand is all wrong,” Christian continued in a kind voice. “Look, your right hand needs to be relaxed and curved — like you’re holding a baby chick.” He adjusted Karina’s right elbow so it gave her easier mobility. “And your left elbow should be out, in an L shape.” He pulled her left arm into position. “Like that. Now try playing a C chord.”
    Karina looked confused.
    â€œThe red chord,” Christian prompted. He caught Alexis’s eye over his shoulder as Karina plucked the chord. The sound was crisp and clear and her nails remained intact.
    Castillo cleared his throat. “Thank you, young man. You seem to know a lot about music. Want a job?”
    Christian laughed. “Thank you, but I already have a lot on my plate. I just stopped by today because Alexis said you guys might need a little help.”
    The guitarists, guitarrón , and vihuela players circled around Christian. He led them in a series of exercises. The musicians took to him like he was one of the team. Alexis caught him looking in her direction as he strummed the chords on the vihuela at a slow pace so that the others could follow. Christian’s eyes sparkled as he encouraged the struggling twins to keep up. At the end of rehearsal, everyone was smiling. The group was far from ready to compete, but they were getting better.
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    After practice, Christian invited Alexis out to dinner. Alexis called her mom for permission to stay out late and to tell her all about Christian’s surprise visit. Magda told her to have fun and promised to wait up to get all the details. Christian took Alexis to a fancy restaurant in La Joya that had a thatched roof woven with palm-tree leaves. They sat on the patio, which overlooked a large pond. It felt like a dream to be sitting with Christian, sipping on virgin margaritas. Glancing at the menu, she noticed how expensive all the dishes were. The fajitas were twice what her parents charged at their restaurant.
    A band started to play. The musicians approached the line of tables, taking requests for a small fee. They played “Solamente una Vez.” Alexis couldn’t help singing softly with them as she sipped from her glass and