“This tie is killing me.” He loosens it by tugging it back and forth. He unbuttons the top button of his shirt and looks around. He’s been looking around a lot, as if he’s not sure he belongs either.
Enzo is about 5'8", neither tall nor short, neither fat or skinny. Too average to stand out to bullies.
“So what do you think?” he asks. “Do you think Emily wanted a fancy party because juniors can’t go to prom?”
“Maybe,” I say, and pop another barbecue chip in my mouth.
Miguel tells Enzo, “Maybe it’s because Emily thought that dressing more formal would make everybody act more civilized.”
If so, it’s working. Nothing has gotten smashed, though after some people have a few drinks that all might change.
The popular guys aren’t tormenting anybody either. Then again, I’ve seen only two of them, briefly, when they stepped out here real quick. For all I know, they’ve set up a torture chamber inside.
Miguel lifts his almost brimming cup to his nose. Cringes when he takes a whiff.
“How nasty can it be?” Liliana asks. “You barely put rum in it.”
They’ve been going out since two months ago, when Karina and I each brought our best friends to the movies with us. Nobody was playing matchmaker or anything. It just happened.
“Super nasty,” Miguel says. “The rum ruined the taste of the whole soda.”
We all wait for his second attempt to take a swallow. He sips from the cup and winces. A second later he spits it out on the grass.
“I told him not to put rum in his Coke,” Liliana tells the girls.
Miguel sets down the cup. “I didn’t know it would be this bad.” He pushes it to the side.
“Give it up, man,” I say.
“I’m no quitter,” he says. “Also, I heard this TV chef say that we gotta taste new stuff three times before deciding if we like it.”
I really wish I had something to drink, anything without alcohol. Since nobody’s drinking at this table, there’s no pressure. With certain guys around, you don’t do something they’re doing and you lose your guy status.
Enzo starts talking about Nightchaser, which is one of his favorite movies too. Miguel and I have watched it about a million times.
“With all the special effects,” Enzo says, “I thought maybe that wasn’t Van Nelson’s actual body, but he really is that big and ripped.”
“Why wouldn’t it be real?” I ask.
“Did you see his last movie?” he asks. “He played this regular-sized dude, some corporate lawyer.”
I didn’t see it.
Miguel points out that back in the day action heroes weren’t that buff. “James Bond was skinny as a pencil. Or how about the TV Batman and Robin? I could’ve kicked both their asses. Like, at the same time.”
“Yep,” I say. “Back in the day superheroes didn’t even wear muscle suits underneath.”
“Actors who wear muscle suits are lame,” Enzo says. “If you get paid a zillion dollars, you should make the effort, you know?”
“Why get all muscular for one role?” I ask. “What if the next role you want doesn’t require big muscles?”
Enzo shrugs. I guess he doesn’t take his opinion too seriously. I’m the same way. How cool that we can disagree without turning it into a huge competition, like some guys do. Enzo is alright.
“The Ovato Mission is out next week,” Miguel tells Enzo. “David and I are going. You should come.”
“I’m down for that,” he says.
Maybe we could all hang out this summer and, more importantly, sit together during lunch when school starts. It’s just been Miguel and me since our other friend Tommy moved to Kansas because of his mom’s job.
“Third and final attempt.” Miguel is staring down the cup like it personally challenged him.
“You can punk out if you want.” I smile, a total instigator. “I won’t tell the whole world you couldn’t swallow even a tiny sip of a drink you prepared for yourself.”
“Thanks.”
“I’ll tell only the people we know.”
The girls have stopped talking to watch him again.
Miguel takes a deep breath, lifts the red cup to his lips, and takes a swig. Actually holds it in his mouth for more than a second, cheeks puffed and lips pressed tight. It’s going to happen. He’s going to swallow.
But then he ducks his head under the table to spit it out.
The girls make grossed-out noises.
Miguel pops back up, face scrunched. “Nobody can say I didn’t try.”
He gives his head a vigorous shake, as if taste vanished that way.
He turns to Liliana. “I hope I still have your respect.”
“You never had it,” she jokes.
After a few more laughs, Enzo says “Duuuude” to nobody in particular. “Just remembered there’s a new Nightchaser ride at Universal Studios. It’s supposed to be awesome, and there’s a discount for Florida residents.”
Though Orlando is only an hour away, I haven’t been to any of the theme parks there. Gaby is forever asking to go to Disney World and Dad tells her what he used to tell me—that we’ll go when we have extra money.
The closest thing we’ve ever had to a vacation trip is when we went to Mexico for my abuelo’s funeral three years ago.
Miguel says, “Count me in.” He turns to me. “What about you, Big Money?”
“I’m down,” I tell Enzo. “And I’m not Big Money.
“I have almost two grand saved up,” I explain, “because I wanna buy a used car. I’ve earned it by mowing lawns in the neighborhood and helping my dad at the auto shop.”
I’ll be helping out more since the part-timer Diego moved back to New Jersey. I won’t feel bad about spending money on Universal Studios. Summers are all about having fun.
“Universal Studios sounds awesome,” Karina says.
The girls look at each other and Janelle shouts, “Triple date!”
“It sounds cheesy if you say it like that,” Enzo says.
Cheesy or not, I love the idea. Friends packed into a car, a short road trip to Orlando, where we’ll have a blast. Maybe we can go for the whole weekend to hit another theme park while we’re there!
Miguel says, “I’ll be in the Dominican Republic for six weeks, so it has to be before or after.”
Enzo starts telling us his favorite rides and shows at Universal. Then, all of a sudden, I hear something that puts a stop to my good time.
“Ricky.”
The sound of that name makes me snap my head to the left. Liliana said it.
“What about Ricky?” I ask, heat spreading in my chest.
“We’re talking about what he said to Karina today.”
Enzo busts out laughing. I guess Janelle already told him.
Miguel and I eye each other.
I must look confused because Janelle turns to Karina. “You didn’t tell David about rapping Ricky?”
No, she didn’t. Why the hell not?
Karina sets down her Diet Coke, red nails bright against the silver can, and says, “It happened during PE.”
PE today = the punch
“After class, when we were going back inside to change, he goes up to me all,” she says, and makes her voice dumb and deep: “Hey, girl, you look good. Let me rap to you for a bit.”