Don't You Know Who I Am? Read online

  “Do you really think that’s true?”

  “Who knows?” Dawn shrugged her shoulders. “It’s just what people say.”

  ~ ~ ~

  It was back to school on Monday, another week to tackle. I looked forward to seeing Javier even though he didn’t seem to acknowledge my existence. I made my way to my first class. I sat in the middle of the room waiting to see him come in.

  Class started and no Javier. I wondered where he was? Maybe he was sick. He’d looked fine on Friday and Saturday. I noticed that his usual group of friends weren’t around either. Maybe they’d all skipped today.

  By the time I got to my interior design class I couldn’t wait for the day to end. At least, Veronica was in the room.

  “Hey, girl. How’s it going?” Veronica said, turning around in her seat after I sat down.

  “Hi Veronica. I’m fine. It’s only the second week for me and I am looking forward to graduating.”

  She laughed and said, “Senioritis is with us all, trust me.”

  “Where’s your cousin today? I noticed he didn’t make class.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I bet you noticed and so did everybody else. He got suspended for the fight at the pub on Friday night.”

  “What? How can the principal suspend him for something that happened off school property?” I started to raise my voice.

  “Welcome to Nogales. It’s stupid. The good news is that he doesn’t have to tell his parents because he’s eighteen. The school can’t inform them.”

  “So the school can suspend him for something that happened in another country, but they can’t call his parents because he is eighteen? Wow, it’s hard to figure out what all of the rules are.” The topic disgusted me.

  “It’s the best they can do. The cops aren’t going to press charges because my tío will just drop them.”

  “Your tío the Senator, or your tío the Governor?”

  Veronica laughed again. “How did you figure all of that out?”

  I felt embarrassed that I’d let on how much I’d heard about her family. “My sister said the girls we were with on Friday night told her that.”

  Veronica rolled her eyes for the second time. “Ugh, talk, talk, talk, it’s all those girls do. What else did they say?”

  “That Javier’s dad owns a couple of car lots and that he can do whatever he wants because he is a...” I decided to not confess what else had been said.

  “A what?” Veronica said defensive. “I swear if they’re calling him a drug dealer again, I’ll throw down with whoever said it. Everyone around here thinks if you have money, then it’s from dealing.” She paused for a moment. “He isn’t a dealer. Trust me. He likes to fight but he isn’t a dealer. It’s true his dad owns two car lots though. That’s where Javier got the souped-up Camaro.” Veronica spun around in her seat as the teacher walked in and class started.

  I turned my focus to what the teacher was saying, but I couldn’t keep my thoughts from wandering back to our previous conversation. What was Javier doing? How long would it be before I got to see him again?

  I got butterflies in my stomach every time I thought about him. I wanted to run my fingers through his jet-black hair. My mind shifted back to class again. We needed to finish our project, which was looking really good. Class ended and I stood up, grabbing my backpack before lunch.

  “Do you want to come to my house Thursday night and we can put the finishing touches on our project?” Veronica asked.

  “Yeah, that’d be great. Give me your address.” I handed over my phone with her contact information pulled up onto the screen. She took it and entered the address and handed it back to me. I tucked my phone away. “What time is good?”

  “Let’s say seven. My mom insists that we have dinner together as a family, but we should be done by then.”

  “Seven it is. See you tomorrow in class.” I turned and walked out of class and to the courtyard.

  I met up with Dawn for lunch. “How’s your day going?” I asked her.

  “Same old thing. How ‘bout you?”

  “Fine. Veronica told me that Javier and his friends got suspended for the fight on Friday night.”

  “I heard that too. I guess because they were fighting with other kids from the school, the administration decided it was their business.”

  “I still think it’s weird that a school would get involved in something that didn’t even happen here. I mean if I get a parking ticket in town, does that mean I can’t park here as a result?”

  “Good point. You’re kind of grumpy about this. Is it jacking up your day to not be able to see Javier in class?” Dawn smirked at me.

  “It does jack up my day if you must know.”

  “You are hopeless.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Further rumors during the day confirmed the guys fighting with Javier and his friends were members of the school baseball team. I saw one of them with a puffy black eye while walking to class. The story going around was that Martin, the one with the black eye, flirted with Ricardo’s girlfriend.

  Ricardo was Javier’s best friend since birth apparently. Martin sat down in her seat at the pub and talked her into sitting on his lap. She did and Ricardo was not impressed. They jumped Martin and his friends as a result and Ricardo broke up with his girlfriend in the aftermath. It all seemed a little extreme to me but that was the story.

  When I got home all I could think about was what Javier was doing if he wasn’t at school. How long was he going to be suspended? I hoped he’d still go to the pub on Friday night. I finally decided doing my homework was a better use of my time. I immersed myself in Calculus and Physics for a couple of hours and then surfed the net. I started looking up colleges with interior design programs, definitely the direction I intended to go after high school. I downloaded applications for New York City, San Jose, and Northern Arizona. I’d need to start compiling my portfolio soon.

  I snapped my laptop closed and decided to call it a night. My thoughts wandered back to Javier. Would I get lucky? Would he show up at Veronica’s on Thursday?

  Chapter 6

  After dinner on Thursday, I went to my room to finish my homework before getting ready to go to Veronica’s. Deep down, I prayed I’d see Javier. I’m so stupid. The chance her cousin would happen to be there was slim to none. Nevertheless, I stood in front of my closet and worried about what to wear.

  Dawn walked into my room. She eyed me, puzzled. “What are you doing?”

  “Trying to pick the right outfit.”

  “Aren’t you going to Veronica’s to finish your project?”

  “Yes.” I knew she’d see right through me.

  “Javier wouldn’t happen to be there too, would he?” She giggled, obviously finding humor in the situation.

  I shot her a look wondering how she could read me so easily. Did Javier read my thoughts that easily too? If so, I was sunk. “No, I don’t think he will be there, but I’ve never met her family so I should look presentable.”

  “Good story.” She laughed again. “Wear the black sundress. It is super cute and not too dressy.” She turned to walk out of my room and then shot out, “Good luck.”

  I stuck my tongue out at her as she left. She was right. I hoped to see Javier, and she was right about the dress. What would I do without her?

  I went downstairs to get the car keys and say good-bye to my parents.

  “You look very nice,” Mom said, as I kissed her cheek.

  “Thanks, Mom. I won’t be late. I should be back around nine-thirty, ten at the latest.”

  “Sounds good. Be careful and I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  It only took ten minutes to get to Veronica’s. She lived on the outskirts of Nogales. Her house was very similar to ours wit
h gates and walls around the property. I buzzed the gate and it opened. I drove up the semi-circle driveway and parked just past the entrance of the house. I got out and went up to the door. Veronica waited there for me.

  “Hey girl, come on in.” She gave me a hug at the door.

  I walked in behind her, star-struck by how beautiful her house was. We had a nice house but this was like walking through a showroom. It was a Spanish hacienda style home not unlike ours, and had ornate pottery and paintings throughout. We headed to the kitchen and she introduced me to her mom.

  “Mom, this is my friend, Kayla that I told you about. She just moved here from Harrisburg.”

  “Mucho gusto.” Her mom shook my hand.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” I said in reply.

  Veronica’s mother was a tiny Hispanic woman, not more than five feet tall. She had her hair back in a braid and wore an embroidered top with Capri’s. She had a comforting, genuine smile that made me want to hug her.

  “We're going to be in my room finishing our presentation for tomorrow, okay?”

  “Sí, sí, mi hija. Go finish your studies.”

  We turned and went to Veronica’s room. When we entered, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Her bedroom was as big as our living room.

  “Wow, this is beautiful.”

  “Thanks. Mom let me design it myself.”

  “Well you did a good job. Is design what you are going to go to college for?”

  “I'm not sure yet. I like design but I'm considering a business degree so I can work for my family.”

  “Really? What do they do?” I asked.

  “My dad owns an office supply company. It's called Oficina De Negocios Más, or Business Office Plus in English. We have one store here in Nogales and three in Mexico.”

  “That’s impressive, Veronica. I bet you’d do great in the family business.”

  “What do your parents do?”

  “My dad is the Chief Financial Officer for Philips-Dunaway Mining, and my mom stays at home.”

  “That’s cool. Mining has kept Arizona going for years. You’ve moved to the right place. Are you into finance like your dad?”

  “Heck no. I love art and design. That’s what I’ll major in when I go to college.”

  We sat down on the floor and laid out the design we created. We added the final details to the project and then decided how we were going to present it. We had a CAD design of the floor plan and then a 3D model made out of cardboard and plastic pieces to go with it. Once we finished, we turned on music and hung out in her room. I sat down in her furry chair in the corner and Veronica threw herself on her bed.

  “Are you coming with us to the pub tomorrow night?” Veronica rolled onto her stomach so she’d see me.

  “Yeah, if it’s okay with you.” I said, with a sudden fear that maybe I wasn’t included this time.

  “Oh yeah. I'm glad you liked it. Is Dawn coming too?”

  “I'm sure she will. She had a great time too. Do we meet up at the same place and time?”

  “Works for me.”

  There was a knock on the bedroom door. Veronica jumped up to open it. It was her mom.

  “Mi hija, are you done with your homework?”

  “Sí, mamá.”

  “Will you go to your tía’s house and pick up my dress? She hemmed it for me and I need it for tomorrow night.”

  “Sí mama, no problem.”

  “Thank you, mi hija.”

  Her mom turned and walked away. Veronica went to her desk and pulled out a set of car keys and a lanyard that held her license. “Want to come? She only lives five minutes from here.”

  “Sure.” I got up and followed her out. We got into her light blue Camry and we were on our way.

  “Oh, I forgot to tell you, my tía is Javier’s mom.” She grinned, knowing I’d want to see Javier.

  I didn’t say anything. I just smiled and looked out the window.

  As we pulled up, we again needed to buzz the intercom and the gates opened. I guess we all lived the same way. We drove up the driveway and around the semi-circle. There was a small lot off the driveway to park. There were five cars there already. Veronica pulled in and turned off the motor.

  “Wait until you see this place. We call it the compound because there is the main house, a game-room we call the man cave, maid-quarters, and a guesthouse. It’s huge.”

  We walked up to the front door and Veronica rang the bell, then opened the door and walked in. “Tía, it’s Veronica!” she yelled out as we walked through. I looked around as we headed down the hall. The house was every bit as impressive as Veronica’s. I guessed the whole family was successful. We found her aunt in the sewing room, at her machine when we walked in.

  “Hola Tia, como esta?” Veronica kissed her cheek.

  “Muy bien mi hija, y tu?”

  “Bien, bien. Tía, this is my friend, Kayla. Kayla, this is my Tía Antonia.”

  “It’s nice to meet you.” I shook her hand.

  “Mucho gusto, welcome to our home,” her aunt replied.

  “My mom sent me for her dress. She's going to wear it tomorrow.”

  “Sí, sí, it’s over here. I have her dress for the wedding done too. Take both.”

  Following her aunt over to the closet, Veronica accepted the two long dresses handed to her. They were beautiful. One was black and the other navy blue.

  “Thanks, she’ll be so happy. You know how she likes things done well in advance.”

  “Oh I know, mi hija. That’s why I got them both done at the same time.”

  “Tía, is Javier around?”

  My head shot up. Why was she asking to see Javier?

  “Sí, he is washing cars for his dad in the lot.”

  “Okay, thanks. See you later,” Veronica said and gave her aunt another kiss.

  “May God bless you,” her aunt replied.

  “It was nice to meet you.” I shook her hand again.

  “It was nice to meet you too.”

  Everyone in this family was drop-dead beautiful, warm, and welcoming. I followed Veronica out and we left the same way we came in. My heart dropped a little as we walked to the car. I’d hoped we’d go to the lot to see Javier. I helped Veronica get the dresses in the car and on the hook so they didn't drag on the floor. I closed the back door and got in the front.

  “What are you doing? Come on, we're going to the lot.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Because I want to say hi to Javier and I know you do too.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Don’t be a chicken. Get out.”

  I got out and followed her. We walked down a sidewalk along the house and through the rose garden. On the other side, was a car lot. I wasn’t sure how people actually drove into it because it was well hidden. As we approached, I saw Javier. He looked up when he heard us.

  “Hey, Javier. Are you washing my new car?” Veronica asked.

  I looked over to see Javier washing a cherry-red Dodge Challenger.

  “Get a job and then you can buy this car.”

  “Why should I when I have you? Don’t I get a family discount or something?”

  “Free is not a discount.” Javier’s dark eyes seemed to pierce right through me.

  I suddenly felt nervous and anxious.

  He kept his gaze on me. “What are you guys doing here?”

  “Came to pick up dresses for my mom. You going to the pub tomorrow?”

  I said nothing, but continued to stare at his incredibly sculpted arms and perfectly combed hair.

  “It’s Friday tomorrow, isn’t it? Do we have anything else to do?”

  “Just wanted to make sure you hadn’t lost track of the days of the week with you
r time off.”

  “Very funny, smartass. Are you going too, Kayla?”

  “Yes.” My voice was so soft, I wasn’t sure if I answered out loud.

  Javier smiled at me. “Good, I'll see you there.”

  I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen him smile before. He had a dimple on his left cheek that made him even more irresistible. I couldn’t help smiling back at him and said with more confidence. “I’ll see you there.”

  “Come on, Kayla. Let’s leave the lot boy to his work.” Veronica turned to walk away when a wet, soapy sponge hit her in the back of the head.

  “You little shit!” She picked it up and threw it back hard.

  Javier ducked and it missed him. He looked over the car and pointed the hose at her. “You should go before I unleash hell on you.”

  “Payback is a bitch, Javier!” Veronica yelled.

  I couldn’t help but laugh too and started trying to help get the soap out of her hair. We began walking out of the lot and I glanced back at Javier. He gazed at me, smiling. He waved when I peeked back and my heart jumped.

  In the car, we headed to Veronica’s. When we arrived, I helped her take the dresses into the house. I was still amused by her interaction with her more than sexy cousin. “I better get going. It’s getting late. How’s your head?”

  “It’s fine, but revenge will be mine.” She laughed. “I'll see you in class tomorrow.”

  I gave her a hug and got into my car to head home. I couldn’t wait to go to the pub tomorrow night. I wasn’t sure why Javier hadn’t associated with us last week. I guessed it was the little bit of encouragement when he said he’d see me there that excited me. I made my way up to my room and found Dawn waiting. “So? Did you see him?” She dropped down on my bed.

  “We went to his house to pick up some dresses that had been altered for Veronica’s mother. You should see their places. They're amazing.”

  “But, did you see Javier?” Dawn turned to her side to look at me, wanting more details than I offered.