Crush Alert (12 page)

“
Muy bonita
,” Elena Maria agreed as she clasped her hands together.

Avery stared at her reflection in the mirror, grumbling about ridiculous frilly dresses that didn’t have any pockets, but she had to admit to herself that she actually felt pretty. The dress wasn’t too fancy or too plain. She spun around in a circle. The dress felt really comfortable, too. “Hey, guys—look! I could probably play soccer in this,” she shouted, and kicked her sweater into the air.

Elena Maria urged Avery back into the dressing room warning her, “You are going to ruin that dress if you are not careful.”

“Sorry.” Avery laughed, then looked over at Isabel. She hadn’t tried on a single thing! “Come on, Izzy. I tried on, like, six dresses. Your turn!”

“Yeah,” her sister added. “What is the matter with you,
chica
?”

But Isabel just shook her head. “I can’t…” she started.

“This isn’t about your allowance, is it?” Elena Maria demanded. “I said you could pay me back later.
No problema
.”

“No…” Isabel hesitated. “See, it’s Kevin…”

“Not boys again!” Katani threw her hands in the air. “We need to make a new Tower rule, I think…‘boys do not control the show!’”

“Katani…,” Charlotte began.

“I’m just kidding,” Katani said, and put a hand on Isabel’s shoulder. “Tell me, what’s wrong?”

“Well…I guess I made a promise to Kevin…about a
month ago…that I’d go to Jeri’s Place with him and teach kids a Valentine craft.”

“That’s awesome!” Avery bounced up and down in her dress. “You’ve got to go!”

“But one of us messed the date up…and it’s the same night as the dance,” Isabel said, and burst into tears.

“Oh, no…” Charlotte put her arms around Isabel. Avery looked horrified, and Katani paced in front of the mirror.

“Well, you could split your time! Or, call the shelter and reschedule. There have got to be other volunteers who want to go to the dance….”

Elena Maria stood quietly, biting her lip.

“No!” Isabel sobbed. “I thought of
everything
already, and it won’t work. This is a special event and the kids are really looking forward to it, and if I don’t go, Kevin won’t be able to get anyone else….”

“Can’t Kevin handle a bunch of five-year-olds by himself?” Avery asked.

“Avery!” Katani put her hands on her hips. “That’s not the point.”

“Yeah,” said Charlotte. “Isabel made a promise…”

“I wish I hadn’t,” she whispered.

“Hey, don’t talk that way!” Elena Maria picked up her purse and took her sister’s hand. “Come,
mi hermana
. First, let’s get some dinner. Then go home. Mama will know what to do.” Purse swinging from her arm, Isabel’s older sister led them out of the dressing room.

B
y the time Charlotte got home, it was already eight o’clock. She climbed the stairs and poked her head into her dad’s office. She found him typing away on his laptop while Marty lay curled up at his feet, gently snoring.

“Hey, Dad,” she greeted him affectionately. “It looks like the little guy is feeling a bit better.”

“Yeah, he crawled out from under your bed when he smelled my chicken nugget dinner cooking.” Her dad laughed. “Did you find a dress?” He looked at Charlotte with such a concerned look on his face that Charlotte wanted to fling herself into his arms and tell him her whole sad tale.

Instead, she opened up her shopping bag and pulled out the shimmering light purple dress.

“Wow! Smashing!” He smiled and reached out to touch the smooth fabric. “You will definitely steal the show tomorrow night.” He gave her a big thumbs-up.

“Oh, Dad, you always think I’m the best,” Charlotte
teased, but glowed a little inside. “I’m going up to the Tower, but wanted to let you know that I’m home.” Charlotte reached down to pat Marty on the head before heading up to her writing desk.

“Wait,” her dad called as she turned to go. “You had several phone calls this evening. Nick Montoya’s trying to reach you. Maybe you should give him a call?” Her dad raised one eyebrow, but Charlotte just shook her head and backed out of the room. That awkward lonely feeling came rushing back, just when she thought she had conquered it.
I wonder why
he’s
calling now,
she thought as she dashed up to the Tower, with Marty following close behind.

At her desk, she opened the chocolate drawer first, then remembered that she and Avery had finished off the caramel bar. All she had were a few Hershey’s Kisses with almonds left over from a sleepover. As she booted up her computer, Charlotte opened one up and popped the slightly crunchy chocolate into her mouth.

One new message.
Maybe Sophie wrote again!
Charlotte sighed with relief as she opened up the e-mail. She could use some of her French friend’s wit and wisdom right now!

Her heart leaped—the e-mail wasn’t from Sophie.

By the end of the e-mail, Charlotte had a huge smile on her face.
What a dork I’ve been for ignoring him!
she realized.
He had no idea I got all dressed up just to ask him to the dance.
Usually it wouldn’t be a huge deal if one of them didn’t show at the bakery. And then she hadn’t really given him a chance to explain, because she had been sure he liked Chelsea. This dance thing was just making everyone crazy!

Then another thought crept out in between all the
others.
He noticed my hair!
Charlotte grinned down at Marty. “Nick Montoya liked my hair! What do you think of that, Mr. Marté?” she picked up the little dog, and Marty reached out his tongue and licked the tip of her nose. Charlotte giggled. “I’ll take that as a ‘very beautiful, darling,’” she said, wiping the slurp off her nose.

Then the phone rang. Charlotte listened to the faint tone downstairs, then the click of her dad’s shoes walking up toward the Tower.

A lump began to expand in her throat. Charlotte felt like she was on the edge of something amazing and strange and fantastic all at the same time.
If it’s Nick, what am I going to say?

Mr. Ramsey handed his daughter the phone. “There’s a young gentleman who wants to speak with you,” he said in a formal voice, then turned to leave.

“Okay, thanks, Dad,” Charlotte gulped, struggling to keep huge waves of excitement from crashing through her voice.

“Charlotte?” Nick’s voice on the phone was muted, soft even. Charlotte thought she could just sit there and listen to him say her name again and she would be happy. “Charlotte, you there?” he said again.

She smiled. “Yes, it’s me.”

He was quiet for a little while, and she listened to him breathing.

“Ummm…,” he said finally. “Did you get my e-mail?”

“Yes.” Charlotte lay back on her windowsill with the cordless phone in one hand, watching cars go by on the street below. “And it’s okay, I was being a dork too. I
thought…well, it doesn’t matter!” she laughed, and Nick laughed with her.

“Charlotte?”

“Yes, Nick?”

“I really missed not talking to you this week. You’re, well…you’re really…special…interesting. You know.”

“Special? And interesting?” She liked the way those words sounded.

“Yeah, you, well…you understand me. Maybe this is weird, but I think sometimes you know me better than anyone else. You really get that whole adventure thing I have….” He fumbled for words.

“I do?” Charlotte curled up with her knees against her chest.

“Yeah…it’s hard to explain….” Nick’s voice trailed off.

“I think I know what you mean,” Charlotte answered him, feeling all the words she’d held up inside so long come pouring out. “I like to talk to you…I mean, because I know you listen and you’re, like, really interesting and different from most boys.”

They both laughed again. This time, a relaxed laugh, not a nervous one.

“You know, isn’t it weird what this Valentine’s Day Dance is doing to everyone?” Charlotte joked, all of her worries washing away. “I mean, Betsy’s going with Yurt, and Isabel can’t go, and Maeve’s going crazy and…well, I guess I was acting pretty crazy too.”

“It’s okay,” Nick soothed. “While we’re on the subject, can we go together to the dance?” he asked. “I’ve been
trying to ask you all week, and somehow, with all this craziness, it never happened.”

“Really?” Charlotte’s voice came out all high. She was smiling so hard, she couldn’t help it.

“Really,” he assured her.

“Oh. Well, okay. I mean sure, of
course
I will go to the dance with you!” Charlotte sat up and leaned forward, cradling the phone against her shoulder. It seemed so ridiculous and silly now that she had been so afraid to talk to Nick.

Nick laughed. “Cool! What time should I come by to walk to the dance with you, then?”

“Oh, anytime…” Charlotte switched the phone to the other ear. “Maybe six forty-five? The BSG are all coming to the Tower beforehand to get ready, and then a group is coming to walk to the dance.”

“Right. Awesome.”

“Okay, see you then?” Charlotte said.

“Yeah. See you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay.” Charlotte held the phone against her ear for a few minutes after she heard the
click
, then jumped straight up in the air.

“Yesssss!” she shouted to the empty room. Marty jumped away and barked a few times. Charlotte picked him up and spun him around. “I’m going to the dance with Nick!” she sang while the little dude yipped along. “I have a Valentine!” Then she kissed Marty right on the nose, not even minding his salty dog smell.

Promises to Keep

Isabel and Elena Maria opened the door to the
welcoming smell of frying tortillas. Mama and Aunt Lourdes sat together in the kitchen, laughing and listening to the radio. Isabel hadn’t seen her mother so animated in days. She had multiple sclerosis, which made it hard for her to move around sometimes. Today was one of those days. She sat in her wheelchair while the girls’ aunt flipped the homemade tortillas, but her laughter was genuine and happy.

“We’re home!” Isabel and Elena Maria chorused, and they both ran over to give their mother a big hug.

Mrs. Martinez kissed each daughter on the cheek. “You’re just in time! The tortillas are almost finished.”

“Oh, Mama, we already ate….” Elena Maria touched her mother’s dark hair with one hand.

“Now you eat again!” Aunt Lourdes smiled and thrust a tortilla-covered plate at her oldest niece.

“Oh, Aunt Lourdes”—Elena Maria looked over at Isabel with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes—“I am so stuffed with pizza, but I am sure Isabel would like one. Wouldn’t you, Izzy?” Elena Maria knew that Aunt Lourdes would flip out that they preferred pizza to her tortillas.

But Isabel was not in the mood for Elena Maria’s little jokes this evening and said through gritted teeth, “I’m not really hungry either.”

“Well,” her aunt responded in a huffy voice, “I made enough for four.”

Then she scolded both girls, “How many times do I tell you? You change your plans, you call. We pay for your cell phone, no? It is not for talking to boys, it is for calling your aunt and mother who are slaving away in the kitchen making everyone’s favorite tortillas!” She put her hands on
her hips and glared at her nieces, “So what do you have to say for yourselves…eating pizza?”

“We’re sorry, Aunt Lourdes,” they apologized in unison.

Aunt Lourdes was completely over the top, especially when it came to pizza versus tortillas. In her mind there was no comparison. Isabel had to bite her lip to keep from giggling. She glanced at her sister, who was doing the same thing.

“Lourdes…” Mama held up a hand for her older sister to calm down, then looked into Isabel’s eyes. “Isabel, honey, let me see your dress.”

Isabel shook her head slowly as tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. Mrs. Ramirez looked to Elena Maria with an expression that said,
What did you do to your sister?

“You tell Mama, Izzy. Tell her your promise.” Elena Maria dropped her purse on the table next to the untouched plate of tortillas, and began to move toward the door.

“What promise?” a suddenly alert Aunt Lourdes asked.

“Aunt Lourdes,” Elena Maria interrupted, “do you think you could help me in the bedroom with the new dress I bought? I think it might need to be hemmed.”

Lourdes hesitated for a second, looking back and forth at each sister. Then she said, “Oh, of course, Elena Maria. Let me just take my apron off.”

That’s the thing about Aunt Lourdes,
Isabel thought as she sat down next to her mother. Her aunt might be strict and a little cranky sometimes, but she was a nurse and she loved taking care of people, especially her family. The sisters knew that anytime they asked, Aunt Lourdes would
drop everything to help them, even if was just about a dress.

Isabel flashed her sister a grateful smile as Elena Maria grabbed Aunt Lourdes’s arm and disappeared into the bedroom she shared with Isabel.

“So,
mi hija
, what is this promise you have made?” Her mother looked at her younger daughter with a sympathetic smile.

While Isabel explained about Kevin and the dance, Mama filled a tortilla with steaming chicken and vegetables waiting in separate bowls.

“Mama, I have to go to this dance!” Isabel cried, wiping her nose with the back of one arm. “My friends are all going, and I made the posters, and the decorations, and…”

“And you don’t have a dress,” Mama pointed out.

Isabel shook her head. “But I could borrow one of Elena Maria’s old dresses, she said so.”

“That is not the point. You will not be borrowing a dress,” Mama said gently. “You already made your decision, no? You gave your word. And this boy…Kevin…is he not counting on you to help him?”

Isabel rested her head on her mother’s shoulder. “But…”

Mama nodded once, a smile on her lips. “You are my responsible daughter. You know what is the right thing to do.”

“I know, Mama, but this is
so
hard. All my friends will be there and I really wanted to go. The dates got mixed up…it’s not my fault!” She leaned her head on her mother’s shoulder.

“I know,” her mother said, patting her daughter’s arm. “But one dance will not make up for the bad feeling that you will have for breaking a promise to a friend.”

Isabel understood what she had to do.