Free Falling Too Fast by Malín Alegría Page A

swayed to the chorus.
    â€œDo you want to sing?” Christian asked.
    Alexis shook her head. “Not now. I just like listening.”
    His eyes sparkled as he reached to hold her hand. “What other mariachi songs do you like?”
    Alexis took another sip from her drink and smiled. “Well, I actually have a confession to make. I just started learning mariachi songs last year.”
    â€œReally?”
    â€œI know all the famous songs everyone knows, like ‘Volver Volver’ and ‘El Rey,’ and of course ‘Las Mañanitas.’ But I didn’t really get into it until recently. I grew up singing my grandpa’s conjunto music. Puro Tex-Mex ,” she said, imitating her grandma Trini.
    â€œAah, I get it. So music runs in your family.”
    â€œYeah, I guess. My grandfather was really famous in his time. He’s even in the Tejano Roots Hall of Fame museum. It’s a small picture by the water fountain, but he’s there.”
    Christian smiled, looking impressed.
    Alexis licked her lips. “One day, I’ll be there, too — at least, I hope so.” She felt her cheeks get hot. “What about you? What kind of music do you like?”
    He shrugged. “I like all kinds of music. Recently I’ve even started writing my own rancheras .”
    â€œReally?” Alexis couldn’t hide her interest. “What do you write about?”
    Christian’s cheeks reddened. “Promise not to laugh?” Alexis nodded. “Well, I wrote this one song about these two brothers who were wanted for breaking hearts and breaking heads on both sides of the Rio Grande.” He laughed. “It’s so corny.” Christian sang the last line out loud. “If you see the Salinas brothers coming near your daughter/Let them steal a kiss, if you value your heart.” He smiled proudly when he was done.
    Alexis jerked like she’d been rudely awakened from a beautiful dream. “Wait! Are you talking about Brandon and Travis Salinas?”
    â€œYou know them?” Christian asked.
    Alexis thought about the song in Karina’s truck and the way Christian had looked so familiar to her at the university concert. He didn’t just remind her of the guy she’d seen with the Salinas brothers — he was that guy. The Salinas brothers were always getting her cousin into trouble. “Those knuckleheads would get slapped all the way to Hidalgo if they tried to steal a kiss from me,” she said.
    Christian laughed. “I bet they would!” Then he took a deep breath and said: “That’s just what they wanted me to sing for them, though. I didn’t make up the words. I just arranged the lyrics with the music so they sounded good.”
    â€œSo they paid you to write songs about them?”
    Christian nodded. “Yeah. I’ve done it for other people, too. For two hundred bucks I’ll even sing it and make them a CD.”
    It was suddenly clear to Alexis how Christian could afford to treat her to such a nice dinner. She wasn’t sure she liked knowing he took money from people like the Salinas brothers.
    â€œIsn’t that lying? Brandon and Travis didn’t shoot up a town.”
    â€œIt’s just fiction.” He gestured like it was no big deal. “Like in the movies.”
    Alexis pressed her lips together. This was definitely different than some old movie. “It sounds a lot like you’re writing narcocorridos .”
    Christian sat up straight. “I wish. Those guys make thousands of dollars for songs.” He noticed Alexis’s disapproval and lowered his voice. “I probably wouldn’t do it if I didn’t really need the money. I’m trying to save up for college, you know? I’m not a citizen. The out-of-state tuition is steep. That’s why I’ve been working so hard, and writing these songs on the side.”
    Alexis softened. “It’s not fair,” she