Free Getting It by Alex Sanchez Page B

saying, “I’ll take the matter up with the superintendent.”
    Meanwhile, Carlos wondered, how would he explain this to his friends?
    Friday evening, he and his buds hung out at Pulga’s house, sprawling on the carpet, eating pizza, and playing video games. Carlos waited anxiously, hoping the GSA would escape mention. But Pulga brought it up: “Hey, Carlotta said you whipped Harris’s ass at some meeting for that gay group.”
    â€œIt’s not a gay group,” Carlos corrected, “or Carlotta wouldn’t be in it, would she?”
    â€œIs Carlotta bi?” Playboy asked Pulga excitedly. “Dude, you should get her to do a three-way—two babes at once!”
    â€œI wish!” Pulga told Playboy. “But she’s not bi. I already asked.”
    â€œYou stood up to Hard-Ass Harris?” Toro asked Carlos, glancing up from the muscle mag he’d been reading.
    â€œSort of. I guess so. I just told him the law says he has to allow the group.”
    â€œYeah, great, genius,” Pulga moaned. “Thanks to you, now Carlotta is trying to get me to join the group. Every day she gets more bossy, like she thinks she’s my girlfriend. Tomorrow she wants me to go to a movie with her.”
    â€œYou mean, like a date?” Playboy shook his head with disapproval. “You’d better nip that in the bud right away.”
    â€œHow?” Pulga moaned. “I don’t want to give up the sex.”
    The boys became silent, listening to a Los Lonely Boys CD, and Carlos’s thoughts turned to Roxy. Would she one day go to a movie with him? He didn’t completely get why Pulga and Playboy were so against having a real girlfriend, but he didn’t want to ask and seem stupid, either.
    Playboy stood from the carpet. “I want to check my Hot-or-Snot rating.”
    â€œWhat for?” Carlos tried to dissuade him. “It’ll only make you feel bad.”
    â€œYou don’t know that.” Playboy strode over to Pulga’s computer. “It might’ve gone up.”
    But his rating had actually declined even further—sinking below the “five” threshold.
    â€œNo!” Playboy slammed the mouse down. “This can’t be happening. I’m not snot!”
    â€œHey, chill, man!” Pulga gave his shoulder a soothing pat, but Playboy shoved him away.
    As the boys crowded around, he switched to the girls’ profiles, rating each with a “one.”
    â€œThey’re
doing this to me. They’re all bitches!”
    â€œTake it easy, dude.” Toro intervened, trying to pry the mouse from Playboy’s hand.
    But Playboy brushed him off too, continuing to click photos. “Take that, bitch! See how it feels, bitch!”
    â€œDude, calm down,” Carlos urged, when suddenly, unexpectedly, the computer screen flashed a familiar green-eyed girl.
    â€œSTOP!” Carlos shouted so loud the boys froze—even Playboy Carlos yanked the mouse from his hand and leaned over the monitor, unable to believe his eyes. Staring back from the screen at him was USERNAME:
GlitterGirl.
But the photo was unmistakably Roxy.
    DESCRIPTION:
5′6″ish, blonde highlights, green/brown/or blue eyes (depending on my mood) … single … available (hint-hint) … a cheerleader … fun kind of girl … and I’m not lez so guys plz stop asking, ok?
    Carlos’s heart raced ahead of him as his gaze sped across the screen.
    LIKES:
First off, I like boys! …
    Good. So far, Carlos qualified.
    â€¦ who are kinda smart (but not nerdy) …
    â€œYou guys think I’m nerdy?” Carlos asked his friends as they leaned over his shoulder.
    â€œNah,” Pulga replied. “Definitely a pendejo, but not nerdy.”
    â€¦ guys who are nice, sweet, have a good sense of humor, cute smile …
    â€œI’m all that, aren’t I?” Carlos asked.
    â€œI think you are,” Toro