Quince Clash (5 page)

F
abi tried to forget the quinceañera mess, including how upset it was making Georgia Rae. Luckily, she had plenty of schoolwork and things to do around the restaurant to keep her distracted. There was never enough time after school to do all her reading, so she started spending her lunch period in the library. It was well air-conditioned, and she was guaranteed not to bump into Melodee and her pack. Plus, Fabi liked to sit in the cubicles. It was private and there was plenty of space to spread out. Studying like this made her feel smarter, like a college student.

She was just starting to lose herself in her book when someone snuck up behind her and said, “So
this
is why we never run into each other.” Fabi turned and almost jumped out of her seat. It was the cute boy from the mall, the pizza boy, Daniel.

“Oh, hi!” she said, feeling her cheeks flush as her heartbeat pounded loudly in her ears like a drum. She casually wiped her sweaty palms on the edge of the plastic seat. She hoped he didn't notice.

Daniel smiled in a friendly manner as he leaned against the divider. He looked even better without the pizza uniform, Fabi thought, admiring his arms.

“Yeah …” Fabi tried to think of something smart or cool or funny to say. She was drawing a complete blank. “I like to read.”

Daniel chuckled. “Me, too,” he said, and raised a finger to his soft pouty lips in a “shh” gesture. “But don't tell anyone.” He smiled again. “Mrs. Perales —” He motioned to the school librarian. “She picks out books she thinks I'll like and leaves them in the first cubby. She's great. She even takes off the book jackets so no one knows what kind of books I'm reading.”

“Really?” Fabi couldn't help but be curious. “Like what kind of books? Romance?”

“No!” He laughed again. “I mean, I do like romance,” he said, then suddenly blushed, his mouth dropping open in shock. “Wow, did I just say that out loud?”

Mrs. Perales looked up from her desk on the other side of the room and made a shushing sound at them, but in a nice way.

Daniel mouthed the word “sorry” to the librarian. Then he grabbed a chair and sat next to Fabi. Her heart started to thump. She couldn't believe this was actually happening. A cute boy was talking to her. His body was so close she could breathe him in. He smelled like peppermint candy. She would never smell peppermint candy again without thinking of him.

“Okay, so you promise not to laugh?” he said softly, snapping her out of her trance.

“Yes, I promise.” Fabi would have promised him the moon, the stars, and the sun just to keep him talking.

He licked his lips slowly, glancing around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. “I kinda like fantasy books.”

“Like
The Lord of the Rings
?”

“Yeah,” he said, and sighed in relief. “Anything with magical animals and faeries. Stupid, huh?”

Fabi shook her head. “That's not stupid at all. I think it's kind of cool.”

“You do?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“You think I'm a nerd, huh?”

“No, I think you're … intriguing.” She was secretly happy to finally get the chance to use this line.

Daniel leaned in close. “I think you're intriguing, too.”

Fabi jerked back, feeling incredibly uncomfortable. Daniel was all around her: his chest, his nose — and those lips. She needed air. The cubicle was becoming unbearably stuffy. Just then the lunch bell rang.
Saved by the bell!
Fabi thought. She sprang out of her seat and whispered, “See you later,” before bolting toward the door.

By the time she reached the hallway, her heart was racing and she suddenly became very confused. Which class did she have after lunch? Fabi raced for the first girls' bathroom and went into the last stall, locking the door behind her. She needed a minute to collect her thoughts, to get her head on straight. What was it about that boy Daniel that made her so frazzled? Fabi hated not being in control of her emotions, and this boy was making her
loca en la cabeza
.

If this is love,
Fabi thought,
then maybe I can't handle it.

Ahhh, did I just use the “L” word?!?
She didn't even know Daniel's last name!

“Knock, knock!” an overly cheerful voice sang out, interrupting her thoughts.

Fabi peeked under the door and noticed a pair of suede animal-print flats. Fabi said meekly, “I'm busy.”

“Now, I know you haven't been hiding from me,” Melodee began, ignoring the fact that Fabi was standing in front of the toilet. “I seem to remember someone saying they were going to have a quinceañera. But the funny thing is, I haven't received my invitation. Strange, huh?”

This was the last thing Fabi needed. She was secretly hoping Melodee would forget about their bet. But now she seemed to be trapped. How would she get out of the stall without colliding with the girl? Fabi prayed someone, anyone, would walk in and rescue her. Where were the hall monitors when you needed them? But class had already started and Fabi was going to be marked absent. There was no escape. She flushed the empty toilet and walked out.

Melodee Stanton stood smiling in her pink tank and short skirt that accentuated her long legs. “So …” Melodee placed her hands on her hips, waiting.

“So, what?”

Melodee dropped her fake smile. “Where's my invitation, stupid?”

“Um … they're getting made.” Fabi fumbled over her words. She had to get this girl off her back.

“Fine,” Melodee huffed. She reached into her Gucci purse and pulled out a small pink envelope. “Well, here's an invitation to
my
party. You better not do yours on the same day, got it?”

Fabi took the invitation. She noticed that her name wasn't on the envelope, as if it was an extra. Melodee turned to leave. Her flats snapped loudly as she walked away. Fabi sighed in relief, releasing the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

All of a sudden, Melodee spun around to face Fabi. “And if I can ask,” she said in a suspiciously sweet voice, “who's going to be your
chambelán
?”

Fabi jerked. She wasn't expecting that.

“Your
date
?” Melodee prompted, rolling her eyes.

“I know what a
chambelán
is,” Fabi snapped, trying to think quickly while acting cool — not an easy thing to do under Melodee Stanton's critical stare.

Melodee began to chuckle. “Don't tell me you're going to ask that shrimp, DJ Meko.”

“His name is Hermilo,” Fabi corrected. “And no, I wasn't going to ask him.”

Melodee smiled. “Good.”

At that moment, Fabi hated Melodee. Hated her like dog poo on the bottom of her shoe. Who did she think she was, insulting Fabi's friends like that? “For your information, I'm not asking Milo because I
have
a date. And he's the hottest boy at school.”

“Oh, really,” Melodee said mockingly. “And who is this ‘hottest boy at school'?”

“I guess you'll just have to wait and see, won't you.”

Melodee turned to admire herself in the mirror. Fabi wanted to slap that grin off her face. “I can't wait,” Melodee said, and then turned and left without another word.

Fabi stood there a moment, still furious, and now terrified, too. There was only one boy she could think of who would fit the bill. She had to ask Daniel to be her
chambelán
. He seemed nice enough, didn't he? Of course, they'd just met, and the
chambelán
was kind of an important role. Most girls asked their boyfriends to do it. But Fabi didn't have a boyfriend, and she couldn't have her cousin or Milo do it. Plus, Daniel was the one she wanted.

She just hoped he'd say yes.

 

After school, Fabi found Santiago outside the school building. He was standing with the known troublemakers Brandon and Travis Salinas. The tension between them was thick. Brandon was saying something and Santiago was frowning. Her cousin waved them away, and when they called back to him, he ignored them. Fabi wondered what that was about.

“Everything okay?” she asked when she'd caught up to him.

Santiago shrugged. “I'm cool.” He shifted his heavy backpack to his other shoulder. Fabi couldn't believe that he was still going to his classes. She'd even heard a rumor that he had joined the Science Olympiads team, a science club that competed with other schools in science experiments. Fabi had a hard time believing that, but decided not to ask Santiago about it right then.

“Woo, it's stifling out here,” she said instead, peeling back her shirt collar for ventilation. “Where's Alexis?” Fabi glanced around for her sister. Students were streaming out of the main doors. A line of SUVs and trucks was parked in front. Suddenly, she saw a hand waving wildly in her direction. Alexis was running toward her. There was a crazed, excited look on her face that made Fabi nervous. When her sister was super excited, something bad usually happened. She tried to shake off her nerves.

Alexis ran up to them and screamed, “We got it!” She pulled Fabi and Santiago into a tight hug. “I just got the call. Can you believe it? Fabi, you're going to be famous! It worked! They want to talk to Mom and Dad. They're coming. They're actually coming here to Dos Rios!”

Fabi looked at her cousin for some support. Santiago looked as confused as she felt.

“What are you talking about?” he asked Alexis, tossing his curly locks out of his face.

“Quince Dreams! Quince Dreams
! You” — Alexis thrust her arms up and at Fabi for emphasis — “were chosen for their next episode. I just got the call. Ms. Allen even gave me detention. You're not supposed to answer your phone during Algebra, but whatever.” She rolled her eyes. “When I saw the unfamiliar area code, I had to answer it. Can you
believe
it? I'm so excited. We have to tell Milo and Grandma Trini. They're going to be so happy!”

Fabi couldn't believe her ears. Was this for sure? The look on her sister's face said yes, it was. The reality of the situation started to sink in.

And despite herself, she smiled.
Maybe now I can actually compete with Melodee and even win the bet!

A car honked and the three of them glanced up to see Melodee waving at them from her new chili-red Mustang convertible. It was an early birthday gift from her father — or so her tweet said. Melodee didn't even have a license. Fabi's blood started to boil, but then she thought about the look on Melodee's face, green with envy like the wicked witch of Oz, when she heard the news of Fabi's party. Fabi pictured herself dancing in a fancy designer dress with some handsome guy. She couldn't believe that this could actually happen. This was going to be the best quinceañera of all time! Fabi smiled smugly as she watched the Mustang disappear in a stream of trucks and SUVs exiting the school parking lot. Adios, Melodee Stanton!

B
y the end of that week, two words were on everyone's lips:
Quince Dreams
. Many had never heard of the show before. But when they learned a TV crew was coming to Dos Rios, they all became instant fans. Everyone in town wanted to be a part of the action.

Fabi tried to continue her daily routine, but people kept showing up at the restaurant to “check in” with her. City council member Rey Garcia III stopped by to talk about his reelection campaign and ask for her support. He left a dozen flyers, signs, and buttons. Mrs. Sanchez from the bakery down the street stopped by every day. She offered different pieces of cake for Fabi to try. The local paper wanted to do an article on her. Fabi didn't know how to handle her new celebrity status. At least her parents were happy — business had never been better.

At school, it was out of control. People she knew casually were acting like she was their best friend. Her lunch table filled up with new faces wanting to know all about the show, and what she planned to wear, and how she was going to do her hair. Even her teachers started to act strange, letting her turn in assignments late and dropping comments like, “You know, I almost had a part in a movie.” She couldn't even walk down the halls without a dozen people following at her heels. Thankfully, Alexis and Milo were always there to keep her grounded and the masses at arm's length.

But if this was the price of fame, Fabi thought, it was worth the pain. All she could think about was the look on Melodee's face when she saw Fabi walking with her “I won” crowd down the halls. It was priceless.

Still, everything had its limits. When Fabi couldn't even go to the bathroom in peace, she knew she needed a break.

The back of the library was still her sanctuary. She found her cubicle empty, relished the peaceful quiet, and opened a book she had been looking forward to reading. Fabi was starting to get into it when someone snuck up on her.

“I thought I'd find you here.”

Fabi looked up and into the warm chocolate eyes of Daniel. She never did get his last name. Well,
this
was an interruption she'd happily take any day.

“Hey, you,” she said, smiling.

“I was trying to talk to you earlier, but I couldn't get past your bodyguards,” he joked, referring to Alexis and Milo.

Fabi laughed. “Yeah, it's been pretty crazy lately, with all this TV stuff.”

“So how does it feel to be an instant star?”

She shrugged. “I'm still the same person.”

Daniel smiled, revealing his adorable dimples. “I'm glad to hear that. Hey, so is your party all set? I know we kind of just met and all … but if there's anything I can, you know, do … to help you with your party … I do look pretty good in a tux, you know?”

Fabi's mouth dropped. An awkward silence passed between them.

Daniel's face reddened. He looked away shyly. “So … what are you reading?”

Fabi blushed and admitted, “My guilty pleasure.” She held up a chick lit book. “There's no faeries, but it's set in New York and it's really cool.”

He reached out for the book and read the back summary. “Maybe I can borrow it when you're done.”

“Fabi!” Alexis stormed in like a category five hurricane. She paid no mind to the librarian shushing her from the other end of the room. Her sister stopped short when she noticed that Fabi was not alone.

Fabi waved her over. “Alexis, this is my friend Daniel … Daniel … ah …”

He extended his hand out to her sister. “Daniel Cruz.”

Alexis gave Fabi a sly wink. “Very,
very
nice to meet you, Daniel. Fabi forgot to mention you.” She shook her head at Fabi and crinkled her nose. “Sisters. But I guess there's been a lot of stuff going on lately that
you forgot
!”

“This is the library,” the librarian said out loud, interrupting Alexis.

Alexis waved and mouthed the word “sorry,” then turned back to Fabi. “They're here,” she whispered loudly. “The
Quince Dreams
people are here and they want to see you.”

“Here? Now?”

Alexis nodded. She grabbed Fabi's arm and started to pull her toward the door.

“Sorry,” Fabi said to Daniel. “Got to go.”

Daniel folded his arms across his chest and said, “Don't worry about it. Catch you later.”

“Why didn't you tell me you had a new ‘friend'?” Alexis demanded as soon as they reached the hallway.

“I only just met him,” Fabi explained. “It's nothing. We just talk about books.”

“Books. Really? Now, why don't I believe you?” Alexis pinched her softly on the arm. “He's dreamy.”

“I know.” Fabi felt her face get hot. “But I'm sure it's nothing like that.” Fabi thought about his offer to “help.” Did he really mean it or was he just trying to get on TV?

Alexis stopped and turned to her sister. “And why not? You're beautiful.”

Fabi dismissed Alexis's comment with her hand. “Whatever.”

Alexis stopped walking and stared at her. “Oh, my God, Fabi's got a
boyfriend
,” she teased.

“You take that back!” Fabi demanded. She could feel her cheeks flush, and raised a fist in Alexis's face. “You better not say that again if you plan to see another birthday.”

Alexis laughed, ignoring Fabi's threat. “This is exactly why you need this show,” she continued in a dreamy voice. There was a small smile creeping up her lips. “You don't know what a gem you are.”

Fabi rolled her eyes.

“You are a princess, and now, through
Quince Dreams
, the whole world will see it,” Alexis stated, raising one arm in the air with flair and taking a bow.

Fabi looked for the camera. That sounded way too rehearsed. When Fabi was sure that no one was around, she raised her finger in a threatening manner to her sister. “You better not say anything embarrassing like that on camera or I'll never speak to you again.”

Alexis grinned back a bit too excitedly. Fabi prayed that her little sister wouldn't embarrass her.

 

She entered the principal's office. It was the first time that Fabi had been in there — she'd never gotten in trouble. Dr. Mick Hudson sat behind his desk. His walls were covered in awards and school pictures. He was a small man with hairy hands and a balding head who walked around the hallways scowling at everyone, but today he was all smiles.

“Miss Fabiola Garza,” he said, getting up and waving her in. He was sitting across from an elegantly dressed, full-figured young woman with supershort dark hair. Fabi liked her immediately. A muscular guy with a cool goatee was standing by the window. He wore a Dodgers baseball cap backward and balanced a big camera on his shoulder. “I was just telling Mrs. —”

“It's Ms. Cooper. Ms. Grace Cooper.” She extended her manicured hand to Fabi. “You can call me Grace.”

Fabi extended her hand to Grace. The woman shook it firmly. Fabi made a note to herself that she had to shake people's hands firmly like Grace. It showed confidence and sass. Fabi smiled, feeling a bit starstruck. The woman was so polished and sophisticated. She looked like she'd just walked off a magazine cover. Grace smiled sweetly at Fabi.

“I'm the production manager for
Quince Dreams
. We're so excited to be here and to finally meet you. In these next couple of weeks, leading up to your big day, we plan to get some interviews and make sure everything is in order.” She looked more closely at Fabi. “How are you feeling? I know this is a lot.”

“Yeah, it's all so overwhelming. I can't believe you're actually here. So it's really going to happen?”

Grace reached out and gave her a squeeze. “Of course it is. Fabi, from this moment on, don't you worry about a thing. That's my job to make happen. You just sit back and let me handle everything.”

Dr. Hudson coughed softly and said, “I'd like to get back to what I was saying about possible sponsorship.”

Grace interrupted, “Sure, but first, can you tell me a bit about Fabiola?”

Dr. Hudson chuckled softly and glanced at Fabi. “Miss Garza is one of our most valued students.” He winked. “She's such a role model to the young girls of the Valley — a real gem.” Fabi stared at him in disbelief. He was starting to sound like her sister. “Why, I was just telling the staff that we needed to honor her in some way.”

“I think that's a great idea.” Grace took out a small notepad and started to scribble a note. “Maybe at the quinceañera, you can present an award to her?”

The principal laughed. “I was just thinking the same thing.”

Fabi didn't understand what was going on. She watched the two adults plan her party as if they knew her. The principal had never said two words to her before today and now he wanted to give her an award. This was not what she expected. Fabi had to talk to her sister. She looked at the clock. Fifth period had started fifteen minutes ago. Maybe the principal would write her a note?

“Excuse me,” Fabi said, trying to get their attention. “Um … Dr. Hudson … I think I need to go back to class. I don't want to get in trouble.”

“Nonsense, Fabiola,” he said, smiling brightly. “This is a very important event for Dos Rios High School. You only turn fifteen once.”

“But I'm already fifteen,” she informed him.

“A technicality. Please, have a seat.” He motioned to an empty chair. “Do you want something to drink? Some soda, perhaps?”

Fabi shook her head, pressing her lips together. She did not like this turn of events one bit. Grace Cooper read the hesitation on her face.

“We can continue our interview later,” she said to the principal, closing her notebook. With the flick of her wrist, she motioned to the cameraman to follow. “Right now I'd like to talk to Fabi, and maybe some of her teachers and friends.”

Dr. Hudson spread his arms out wide. “Talk to whoever you like. Dos Rios High is honored to have you and your camera friend on our campus. Now, this show of yours, will it be televised nationally?”

“Coast to coast,” Grace said as she led Fabi out of the office.

“You all come back anytime,” Dr. Hudson said with a grin.

They walked down the hallway for a couple steps. The cameraman seemed to be having a hard time with the equipment, huffing loudly behind them.

“Is it always this hot around here?” Grace asked. Her voice was light and playful.

Fabi nodded, fanning herself with her hand. “April is pretty bad. But just be glad it's not July or August. That's when the
canícula
hits. They say you can fry an egg on the sidewalk. I've never tried it. My dad would throw a fit if I wasted an egg. Thank God for air-conditioning, although my
abuelita
Alpha doesn't care for the AC; she says it's not good for her lungs and refuses to get one for her house —” Fabi was babbling and caught herself.

Grace laughed politely. “Now, Fabi, you're a very special girl. I must tell you, we chose you over hundreds of other entries.”

Fabi flinched.
Hundreds!

“You're just the perfect girl for
Quince Dreams
. To be honest, I truly loved your story. I pushed really hard to get you selected. Now” — her voice dropped and her face became serious — “I don't want you to change for the camera. If you've seen our show, you'll know that some girls have been very dramatic, a bit over the top. They become very demanding, start fights with their friends, etc. We actually had a stabbing in the last show. That's not what we're trying to do here.
Quince Dreams
is trying to change its image. Put more heartfelt stories on air. Showcase Latina role models who are making a difference in their communities.”

Fabi tried to hold her smile even though anxiety was running loose throughout her body — out of control. She didn't know how to react to Grace's comment. Role model? Her? Where was Alexis? She should be here. Alexis and Grandma Trini submitted the entry to
Quince Dreams
. Who knew what they actually wrote. Worry started to fester in Fabi's stomach. But she couldn't say anything to Grace. Fabi couldn't ruin this opportunity. It was her only chance of winning the bet with Melodee. Plus, the whole town was now expecting the ultimate televised quince experience. One of Abuelita Alpha's sayings rang out in her mind:
“Al mal tiempo buena cara.”
She put on a brave face and smiled despite her growing anxiety.

“I want you to pretend like the camera is not even there,” Grace instructed. “We want some shots of you in class, at home, and at your job — doing normal stuff. I'd like to interview your best friends, the girls who're going to be your
damas
.”

“Okay, that's easy.”

Grace reviewed her notes and went on, “I think it's great that you asked your grandmother to be a
dama
. I've never heard of anyone doing that. But you two sound real close. Grandma …”

“Trinidad,” Fabi said through clenched teeth. She was going to kill her grandmother when she got home. “That's me,” Fabi said, harsher than she wanted to. “Good ol' Fabi.”

Grace smiled. “Now, there're a couple of other things you need to know about our show. Our sponsors provide all the items for the party. They're amazing and we'll just need to do some product placement, nothing major. We'll weave it into the event. You won't even notice. We've got the runner-up on
America's Top Fashion Designer
to make the gowns. She'll be calling this week to set up fittings and talk themes and colors.”

“Really!” Fabi loved that show.

“Tarjay
will be providing all the decorations, mementos, tableware, dishware, everything you can imagine. They're even covering the choreographer for the dance. Who is” — she paused for emphasis — “none other than Jennifer Lopez's personal dance choreographer!”