Page 19 of Read With Your Heart

Ms. Carter wasn’t wrong. The school doesn’t have a way to contact me, and that’s on purpose, but what happens if one of my sisters gets into trouble or worse, they get sick? I’ve been listening to Lys sniffle lately, and it’s getting on my nerves.

“We need to talk,” I say to her after I send another warning text to my sister about getting her ass home. “What’s happening at school? Your teacher says she’s worried about you.”

Lys shrugs.

“Were you in a special class in middle school?”

Lys looks up at me all doe-eyed and confused. She understands English, even if Mami and Papi only speak Spanish at home. They can’t help her with homework, though, just like they couldn’t help me or my brother, but I didn’t care. Lys does. She wants to do well, be good, and get ahead. Those are my parents’ plans as well. They wanted a better life for us.

One out of four kids gettin’ there ain’t great odds.

“Lys, this is important. Your teacher thinks you can’t read or write.” I stop myself because that isn’t exactly what she said. In fact, I can’t remember exactly what she’d said because I was so distracted by the movement of her cherry-red lips while she was speaking to me. I was slow to register she had genuine concerns about my sister.

“I can read and write,” she quietly defends, and I know she thinks she can. We all want to believe we understand the basics.

“Lys, were you in a special class back at your old school?” I ask again, attempting to be more sensitive. I don’t know about any of this. I hardly know her. While I tried to make an appearance at my parents’ for the occasional birthday or holiday, I kept my distance in order not to bring unwarranted harm to my innocent family.

“I was in a class with only eight kids, but I don’t want to go back.”

“Back to a smaller class?” I clarify because I get it. Who wants to be with the other kids? If Lys struggles to understand English, then it’s a language issue, but I don’t think that’s the concern.

“No, back to that school.”

My brows crease. “You won’t go back there. You’ve moved on to high school. When you go back home, you’ll be at the high school with Lena.”

“I don’t want to go to that high school either,” she whispers, and I’m so confused. What is this?

“Why not?”

She shrugs again, and I don’t understand.

“I need to know what to tell your teacher,” I say as Lys avoids my eyes. “Which reminds me, you never mentioned she’s been wanting to see me for a parent-teacher meeting.” I didn’t get the phone messages either. I ignore unknown numbers and never listen to the voicemails from them.

“You aren’t Mami,” she states, and I agree. I’m not her parent.

“No, but I’m in charge for now, and I have to know if you’re in trouble.”

“Am I in trouble?” Her brows press together.

“No, but if you need help in school, it’s okay to ask.” Is that what I should say? I don’t know if I believe that. I never would have asked for help in school. I’d let everything slide. I hadn’t cared what my teachers said or my parents threatened. I hadn’t valued any of it, especially after Israel was gone.

Lys only nods, and I’m wondering if she comprehends what I’ve said, let alone can read and write. I’m in over my head here and decide to drop the subject. I need to know what my other sister is up to.

Fortunately, right after I wish Lys a good night and leave her room, I stomp down the steps to find Lena walking into the house.

“Where the fuck have you been?” I lay into her. She can hold her own, so I don’t worry about frightening her like I would Lys. Lys is fragile while Lena is steel. She straightens, and I notice her outfit. More rips than material to her jeans. Sky-high heeled booties. A tight top that shows off my seventeen-year-old sister’s womanly curves.

“I was out with new friends.”

“I didn’t know you had any,” I bark.

Lena flinches, a fissure to her tough girl façade. “You’re an ass, Leon.”

“I only meant I didn’t know you’d met other kids.”

“Yeah, I’ve met people.” Somehow, the clarification stands out to me.

“What does that mean?” My sister is on the edge here. She thinks the other kids are backwoods and light years behind her, which means she might be barking up another tree, looking for an older crowd.