Free Cubanita by Gaby Triana Page A

all. I wasn’t even thinking about it.”
    And we kiss again, for quite a while. Only this time, I’m sure it won’t be the last.

Nine
    â€œSo what’s going on with you guys?” Susy asks me at lunch two days later.
    She avoids my eyes, examining her sandwich instead.
    â€œWhat do you mean?” The make-out session with Coach, duh.
    â€œWhat do you mean what do I mean ? You and Andrew. Are you guys going out? Or was that a one-shot deal you were starting the other day?”
    One-shot deal? No, that’s you, sister. “Why are you asking like that? What are you, mad? Look, I can’t help it if he likes me.” Okay, I just flipped my palm up, like my mother does.
    It’s quiet as she thinks about this. “Yes, but you never said you were interested in him.”
    â€œI know I didn’t, because I wasn’t. But then I got to know him, and now I like him.” My volume gets a bit loud, and acouple people look over from the other table.
    â€œShh.” Susy leans in, glancing up at my face. “Look, just take it easy with him. He’s a lot older than you are.”
    â€œAnd?” She’s never cared this much about me before, but now she gets all sisterly? “He’s twenty-three, not fifty.”
    â€œDoesn’t matter. His agenda is different than yours.”
    â€œAnd how do you know what his agenda is?” I ask, looking her straight in the eye. “Or mine for that matter? What if my agenda includes seeing Andrew as much as I please?”
    She leans back again, getting comfortable in her chair. “Oh, that’s right. You did say, ‘No, I’m not going to meet anyone this summer, I want a clean slate, I’m leaving for Michigan,’ blah, blah, blah.”
    â€œSo? I didn’t expect to meet someone new. It just happened.”
    â€œWell, I’m just looking out for you. I remember Iggy saying his roommate was always drunk. He was probably talking about Andrew,” she says, letting it sink in for a moment before taking a sip of her Coke.
    Nice! So now she’s trying to make him an alcoholic so I won’t go out with him? She’s that desperate? Or does she think there’s no one to look out for me, since my sister’s not around and everything?
    â€œThanks, but I don’t need another mom. I already have the mother of all mothers, plus Carmen.” This is really starting to piss me off. It’s not like she wrote her name on his forehead with a Sharpie or anything.
    â€œSuit yourself.” She stands and scoops up her brown bag,plastic bag, and soda can. She dumps them into the garbage, then leaves the teachers’ lounge.
    Like I need this from her. I thought Susy was beyond jealousy, with that careless attitude of hers, but I guess not. Interesting, the defense mechanisms people will put up sometimes. I honestly didn’t think she liked him that badly. Well, sorry, girlfriend, that’s life. Deal with it.
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    I have five minutes before picking up the kids from the cafeteria, so I go by the main house. Between Susy’s intrusion and Andrew’s tongue the other day, I forgot to check out the art contest she mentioned. Better take a look. I’ll need all the extra bucks I can get before leaving for college.
    On the bulletin board I spot the bright blue paper. Well, what do you know? The contest is for Cuba Expo, and the deadline is July 29. Today’s the 8th. Wouldn’t that be something? Actually going to the stupid thing this year for a contest, not at my mom’s insistence? The first prize is only $100, though, which sucks. And guess what? My painting isn’t about anything Cuban. So there goes that.
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    On my way home it starts again. The stupid rain. One day, fine, two days, okay. Now it’s rained, like, four days in a row, and I can’t see a damned thing in front of me. Then you have the people driving out from the city, who don’t