SCOUT
Our lips locked,and my brain exploded. All of my nerves were on fire. Red and yellow stars sparkled behind my eyelids as I took in the taste of him. He tasted of beer and cigarettes. It was paired with something else I couldn’t pinpoint, even later that night, but it was Desi.
That next day, I sat cross-legged in my living room. Cassettes were scattered all around me, while I held a notebook on my lap. On one side of me was my stereo, and on the other was my boombox with a blank tape loaded into it. I had just pushed play on my stereo and record on the boombox when there was a knock on the door. Before I could welcome them in, it opened and Catrine entered.
“I came to see if you needed help cleaning—what are you doing?”
“You messed it up!” I scolded and stopped the boombox, rewinding it to record again. “I’m making a mixed tape.”
She came to sit with me, crossing her legs and picking up my Mariah Carey tape. “I love her voice.”
I nodded and reached over to turn the volume on my stereo down and push play. Mary J. Blige came through the speakers. It wasn’t the right song anyway, I decided.
“It looks good in here. You cleaned all this already?”
“I had some help last night,” I muttered, not looking at her.
“Oh? By that guy you brought around?”
“Don’t start,” I warned.
She put her hands up in innocence. “I’m not saying anything. Just that… he was interesting. It made Chino jealous. Me too a little,” she confessed with a small giggle.
“Chino is only jealous because I’m the only girl who didn’t jump in his truck the first time he looked at me.”
“You could do worse than Chino. He has a big d—”
I interrupted her by covering my ears and singing loudly. “La La La, I can’t hear you!”
She laughed, rocking and holding her stomach. “Fine. I’m just saying, don’t knock all the other girls. But your new man must have something Chino doesn’t, no?”
I grinned, recalling the kiss last night. I had wanted more than just a kiss, but still, this was all new and fresh. “He’s really funny.”
“Funny? I didn’t see funny last night.” She smirked.
I rolled my eyes. “And what exactly did you see?”
“Muy guapo.” She grinned, causing me to blush. Then she added, “Pero un poco blanco.” She pinched her fingers together.
He was white, and that was a problem. Maybe to her.
“Stop,” I scolded. “You act like you’ve never seen a white boy in your life.”
“Not with people like us,” she said. “Don’t try to deny it. We’re both from the same neighborhood. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with—What’s his name?”
“Desiderio,” I reminded her.
“Desiderio.” She nodded. “Just that it’s different. People are…”
“People like Chino and Julio?” I accused. “Men who are simple-minded.”
“Yeah, and men like yours that hate our community.”
“Is this what you came over for?” I snapped. “To tell me that I can’t go with a man that looks different?” I stood and pointed to the door. “Just go.”
“That’s not why I came. I was just trying to be a good friend and warn you.”
“Warn me about what? That I might meet someone that likes me for who I really am? I’m sorry that you decided to sleep around and ended up with Julio, but that’s not my problem.”
