We’ve caused a scandal ourselves, what with the two of us openly dating. America wants our story. The story of two Florida kids who came together under unlikely circumstances, then helped bring down the ringleader of a very lucrative human-smuggling business. I can see the movie trailer for it now. And they better pick someone good-looking—and legit Latina—to play me.
Investigation after investigation has opened up against the sheriff’s office in connection with Julio’s allegations. Already, more and more witnesses have stepped forward, claiming to have information against the sheriff, against El Libertador. The FBI is involved, and Homeland Security. This should impress me, I know, but what I feel is that this is happening to someone else, and not to me and Julio and Arden.
People who call themselves experts debate on live television whether or not the laws should be tightened on undocumented immigrants, on whether or not Julio was in the right, on whether or not this will affect the president’s policy on the matter. The president of the United States likely knows my name.
Me, the quiet one.
Arden groans. “The No Trespassing signs are up everywhere. They step foot in the yard, you tell me.”
His mother nods. “Looks like they’re just filming us. I wonder if they would air it if I flipped them the bird.” Underneath that fragile exterior of hers, I can see how she and Cletus are related.
Arden chuckles. “Only one way to find out.”
And so she does.
Epilogue
Arden pulls into the dirt driveway of Carly and Julio’s trailer. He’s early, he knows, but he’s brought breakfast because he knows how chaotic the airport can be. They have two connections on the way to Mexico, but grabbing a bite in between could be tricky—and who knows what the food choices will be like. Besides, his mother baked them a breakfast casserole and he’s determined not to let her efforts go to waste.
He knocks on the door and is greeted by Julio, a mischievous look in his eyes. “Buenos dias, Arden. Los osos comen pan?”
Arden laughs. “No, the bears do not eat bread.” Julio has been testing him these past few weeks, speaking to him only in Spanish—and trying to trip him up at every chance.
“Carlotta is in her bedroom,” Julio says in Spanish, talking slowly so Arden can understand.
“Gracias,” Arden says. He sets the casserole dish on the counter. “Mi madre cocidó el desayuno.” He’s not sure if that’s exactly right, but Julio gets the idea.
“Muy bien.”
Arden heads down the narrow hallway, his shoulders rubbing on either side of the wood-paneled walls. He finds Carly sitting on her overstuffed suitcase, trying to zip it up. “We’re not moving down there, are we?” Arden asks, pulling her up. He plants a small kiss on her lips, then sets to work on her suitcase. “This can’t all be clothes, Carly.”
She crosses her arms. “Of course not. There are shoes in there too.”
But secretly he’s glad she has so many clothes. When they first met, she wore the same outfit at least twice a week. It’s refreshing to see her indulge in something for herself every once in a while. To act like a normal teenage girl.
“Can I ask you something, and you answer it honestly?” she says, sitting on the bed next to the suitcase.
“I reckon,” he says, closing it the rest of the way. He lifts it onto the floor. It weighs a metric crap-ton.
“I know we’ve talked about this. And I know he’ll never ask for it. But … do you think I should pay Cletus back for the cash he lost? Julio found out yesterday that because it was confiscated and involved in a crime, the money wouldn’t be returned to him.”
Every time Arden thinks he can move on from what happened it seems something else is brought up about it. He wonders whether there will ever be a time when he can look back and simply remember what happened, instead of always feeling like he’s still in the middle of it.
Arden leans against her dresser, feeling like a giant in this tiny space. “Cletus is a millionaire several times over. Twenty grand is nothing to him.”
“But he’s a man of principle. On principle, I should pay him back.”
“Tell you what. You scratch and save and pinch every penny, then present him with a check for twenty grand. When he laughs in your face, then go buy a car with it. How does that sound?”
She grins. “Can you believe that by the end of the day we’ll be in Mexico?” Her lip gloss is especially tantalizing at the moment. He sits next to her on the bed, and they lie back. She nestles into the crook of his arm, resting her head on his chest. Nothing in the world could destroy his peace right now. Carly will finally be reunited with her family. He’ll get to spend that special moment with her. Life is amazing.
“What did your coach say about you missing football practice while we’re gone?” she says.
He scoffs. “He told me to have a good time. What else is he going to say? That I can’t go?” The truth is, Coach Nelson wasn’t happy about him taking time off during summer practice. But Arden figures someone else can have the limelight this year. Next year, when he’s a senior, he’ll crack down on his game.
He can’t help but think how ironic it is, that his dad is the reason he’s back on the team, and now he’s not here to see him play—something his father genuinely enjoyed doing. What if it was something they could have reconnected over? Something that would have made them reexamine their relationship at the most basic level and start again?