Spain or Shine (15 page)

“Set ourselves apart?” She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Alex was splayed across the ground with eyes so heavy-lidded he looked as if he was almost asleep. And yet there was a spark of competitive spirit somewhere deep within.

“Yeah, I mean, you want to be picked for one of the final performances, don't you?”

“Definitely.”

“So think about it.” He scrambled up into a sitting position. She could practically see the synapses in his brain firing to life. “What makes kids do all those messed-up things?”

Elena shrugged. She didn't understand how this was going to set them apart, but she was willing to see where Alex was heading with this.

“They're just trying to find their place, you know? Figure out who they are and where they belong, right?”

Was that right?
she wondered. It couldn't possibly be that simple, and yet there was something about it that resonated.

“Maybe it should be about a journey.” Alex squinted out at the blue Bay of Biscay, but he seemed to be concentrating on something more elusive.

“A journey where?” she prodded.

Alex scrunched his forehead down so that the skin between his eyes folded into deep ridges. “Maybe a journey by someone who's adopted and is looking for his real mom,” Alex cried, sitting up quickly, his eyes shining.

Elena had never seen him so animated. “That's good. Maybe he's always had questions about who he really is, and where he belongs,” she continued, feeding off his energy, “and he thinks finding his roots will be the answer.”

“He should meet some interesting characters along the way.”

Elena nodded, encouraging him to continue.

“Maybe some of them knew his mom. He's, like, putting together this puzzle of who he is while he's also getting closer to finding her.”

“Maybe he meets a girl,” Elena said. She was a sucker for a love story. “She could be, like, a real free-spirit, wanderer type.”

“Yeah, yeah. He's from the ‘burbs and he's really sheltered, and she's a city girl who helps him navigate the streets.”

They continued to bat ideas around, and Elena scribbled them all down. With every suggestion Alex tossed out, Elena had one of her own to add. They were building off of each other's momentum. It reminded her of the times she'd listened to Caleb's band jamming in their garage. The guys would start out wailing on their instruments, stirring a jumble of noise. But eventually someone would pick out a melody and each instrument would fall in line with it, building on what the other had formed and creating something whole and unique.

“This is going to be a great road-trip story,” she said after they had been working for a while.

“Yeah,” Alex nodded. “But in the end, it'll really be about him finding his way home. Every good journey story is about finding your way home, don't you think? Like Odysseus in
The Odyssey.”
Elena didn't answer but stared, mouth agape. Who was this guy and what had he done with the Alex she knew who slept through most of his classes and spent every spare moment exploring or catching waves?

By the time the sun was setting, Alex's manic energy had begun to wane. He leaned back on the blanket, propping himself on his elbows.

“Well, I think we've got some great stuff so far,” he said.

“Next time we meet we should figure out an ending and then start mapping out, like, the stage direction and the dialogue and stuff,” Elena began, searching for her calendar in the scattered mess of her bag.

“Yeah, I'm sort of depending on you for the dialogue,” he said, as he scrambled to stand. “We all have our strengths, and that one's yours.”

She began packing the stack of scribbled papers away in her notebook. She was flattered by Alex's surprising comment that she was better at writing dialogue. Even though she would probably end up with the bulk of the detail work, it didn't bother her. She was proud to be good at something.

They finished packing up and began the descent down the walking path that led back into town. She never would have predicted a boy who slept through class and a girl who dreamed with her eyes open could produce tangible work.

“I think we might actually be able to pull this off,” Elena mused aloud as she stumbled on a knot of roots.

“See.” He lent her his arm to steady her on the uneven ground. “Told you we'd balance each other out.”

On the Thursday after Halloween Elena and Jenna decided they should make another outing to the tapas bars the next week. Elena told Alex about the plan that afternoon while they worked on their play. She told him to invite Chris. Jenna rounded up Caitlin and Marci to come along, as well. They assembled at the bar where Elena had first spotted Miguel. It was only eight thirty, which was early by Spain standards, so the restaurant wasn't too crowded yet and there was room for everyone to spread out along the tapas-covered bar.

Jenna ordered a round of sangrias and began pulling plates from the edge of the bar.

“How are the plans coming for the Madrid trip next weekend?” Elena asked, sidling up to Jenna and Alex.

“Pretty good. I found a hostel near the Puerta del Sol with beds available. If we all split the cost of everything, it should be pretty cheap.”

“We just have to figure out how we're going to get there.”

“I was thinking maybe we'd hitchhike.”

‘Jenna, are you kidding? We're not hitchhiking across Spain.” Elena grabbed a plate of
pan con tomate.

“Why not? I thought we could have, like, an adventure on our way to Madrid.”

“Jenna, I think hitchhiking is a little dangerous, don't you?” Elena prodded. “Plus, who's going to pick up six hitch-hikers?”

“Well, I guess we'll just have to find some cars then.” Elena looked up at the front door and saw Miguel and Borja entering the restaurant. She nudged Jenna.

Jenna waved them over to the group.

“Hi guys,” Jenna said. “Here, I'll get you some sangrias.” She leaned into the bar and flagged down the bartender.

“So, what is going on?” Miguel asked.

“Jenna and I were just talking about our plans for next weekend,” Elena said.

“We're taking a trip to Madrid.” Jenna handed each boy a glass. “Do you guys know where we can rent cars?”

“Why do you need cars to go to Madrid?” Borja looked genuinely puzzled.

“Well, how else should we get there? Elena shot down my hitchhiking idea,” Jenna said.

“Trains are the way to travel here.” Miguel chuckled. “What is it with Americans and your obsession with cars?”

“Oh my God. I didn't even think of a train. You guys should come with us next weekend! We need you. It'll be so much fun,” Jenna pleaded.

Miguel touched his chin and appeared to be thinking it over. “I will see if I can get off work.”

“I can go.” Borja smiled broadly at Jenna.

“All right,” Jenna whooped. “This is going to be awesome.”

They hung close as a group until Alex and Chris wandered off to talk to three pretty Spanish girls who had come in, and Marci and Caitlin headed out onto the dance floor. Jenna talked with Borja, but Elena noticed that she kept stealing glances at Alex.

“So, do you think you'll be able to come with us to Madrid?” Elena asked Miguel after he had ordered another glass of sangria from the bartender.

“I think so. I have to check with my manager, but I would like to go. It would be good to visit again before I go there for university next fall.”

“That's right,” Elena nodded. “You mentioned you'll be going to school there. What are you planning to study?”

“I don't know.” He leaned back against the bar and looked out at the dance floor, which was filling rapidly. “I love history. Or maybe philosophy. What about you? Do you know what you will study at university?”

“Well, first I have to figure out where I want to go.” She hedged for a second, and then surprised herself by opening up a little more. “Maybe I'll study theater, or film.” She smiled. She'd never said those words aloud to anyone but Claire.

Jenna interrupted them, grabbing Elena and Miguel by the hand and pulling them toward the dance floor. “Enough talk,” she shouted over the music. “Time to dance.”

They danced for an hour as a big group. No couples split off, though Elena caught Jenna and Alex eyeing each other throughout the night. At the end of the night, Alex and Chris walked Jenna and Elena back to their respective places to make sure they were safe.

They dropped Jenna off at the dorms and then continued toward the Cruzes' apartment.

“Do you want to meet again tomorrow to work on the play?” Alex asked as they passed through a puddle of light from one of the streetlamps.

“We probably should, huh? I feel like we still have so much to do.”

“Well, at least we've finished the first act.”

“Yeah, but that took a while.”

“We'll get there, Elena. Why don't we meet at that park down by the marina tomorrow. I'll bring food—my host mom makes these killer
bocadillos”

They reached the front stoop of the apartment building. “Thanks for walking me home, boys,” Elena said. She waved as they turned to leave. She appreciated the gesture, but she realized that she felt very safe in San Sebastián. After only a couple months, she was already surprisingly comfortable. She wasn't really nervous anymore about going to Madrid. It would be a different experience, but she was ready for another frontier to explore.

The swift shimmy of the train as it switched across a fork in the tracks jostled Elena from her nap. The week had passed quickly in a blur of schoolwork and trips to the beach before the weather turned cold. By Saturday she found herself on a train streaking toward Madrid.

Elena sat up in the thinly padded seat and craned her neck to see what everyone else was doing. Jenna was asleep beside her. Marci and Caitlin were reading magazines and whispering. She got up out of her seat and headed toward the bathroom, passing the four boys—Miguel, Borja, Alex, and Chris—sitting in seats that faced each other, playing cards. As Elena passed them, Miguel caught her eye and smiled. She was glad Miguel had been able to come along. Even though just looking at him made her heart race and the blood rush into her face, and even though she could barely bring herself to say more than two words in his presence, she liked having him around.

Elena stopped for a moment beside the wide glass windows that revealed dry shrubbery and hills whipping by on the other side. The sun was going down over the landscape, which meant they were set to arrive in Spain's capital within the hour.

After eight hours on the train, they reached Madrid just after sundown. They climbed off the train and into Madrid's central station, Estación de Atocha. Elena and her friends passed through a corridor and then boarded a human conveyor belt that looked like an escalator, but with a flat floor instead of stairs, that carried them up to the next level. They entered the core of the station, where they were engulfed by noise and a flurry of sights. The station's intercom system snapped and crackled, announcing departure times in rapid Spanish. The train announcement board clicked as it shuffled letters and numbers with updated departure information. This station was a far cry from the modest one-room train station they'd left in San Sebastián.