Down to the Bone Read Online Free PDF Page A

Cuba.” He stands and scrubs sand off his long legs full of light blond peach fuzz. “Want to come along? I know you have a boyfriend, but we can be friends , right?”
    “Of course.” I lie. “But I can’t go now. Maybe some other time.” I don’t want to tell him I need a place to live. He’s too handsome. I can’t accept invitations from a guy who might be trying to rescue me and take me home. That wouldn’t be fair to Marlena and would be detrimental to me.
    He writes his digits on a napkin. “Call me sometime. Maybe we can go watch a Cuban film.”
    We kiss each other’s cheeks goodbye, and I watch him walk away. When he’s out of sight, I tear his digits into pieces and stuff it inside my bag.

4—Falling Sky
     
    I sit on the towel and cuddle Neruda in my arms. “Don’t worry. You’re coming with me no matter where I go.”
    She tilts her head to the right and barks, guauuu! Neruda always understands what I’m saying. Ever since I got her from the pound, I’ve been bringing her to the beach. Not this one, of course! On Sunday mornings, I normally spend time with Marlena, her aunt, uncle, cousins and my little brother at El Farito Beach in Key Biscayne. Just for fun, I dress Neruda up in all sorts of garments, like tutus and pink sunglasses or in a bikini. She usually looks like a drag queen, really, and it kills my mom with laughter each and every time. I already miss hearing her laugh.
    I pack up and walk toward the road. I stop in front of a pay phone, stick some change inside and dial Marlena’s number. Her grandfather answers and says in Spanish, “Marlenita and the family went to pick up her boyfriend Rick at the airport.”
    My eyebrows shoot up. What a great surprise. Why couldn’t Marlena have told me? I guess she didn’t want to spoil our time together. As her grandpa speaks about how wonderful Rick and his family are, flashbacks cram my mind:
    “How dare you talk to that girl behind my back after everything you’ve just put me through. Tell me once and for all, Shai Sofía, who were you just talking to? I need to go and speak with her parents. They must know what you two are up to. I shouldn’t have to carry this cross alone while that girl gets away with everything. She’s the one who wrote the texts and you get in trouble?”
    I grab my favorite red tank—the one I wear to sleep—from under my pillow, and slide it on. I sit on my bed with my head lowered. I hear you never look into a barking, rabid dog’s eyes or it’ll get more vicious and could attack and rip you apart.
    My mother breathes fast and heavy. “My friends’ daughters are all normal. It’s humiliating to be the only person I know whose child was thrown out of private school . . .”—she clears her throat—“because of explicit texts with another girl. That will go down in your records for life.”
    “Let’s forget about it, Mami, please.” I can’t lift my head to look at her. I wish I hadn’t called Marlena till my mother was asleep, in bed with Jaime. I’m empty-headed, brainless, idiotic, stupid!
    She points in the direction of the front door. “If you won’t tell me, then leave.”
    “Mami, no. Please,” I beg.
    “Go! Get out of here until you decide to let me know who the guilty party is. Your teachers need to know who she is and forgive you. I want you back in that school and her thrown out.”
    I stay quiet.
    “If you don’t tell me who the girl is right now, leave. Go. Get out!”
    Like a crazed animal she tears my clothes and shoes from my closet, and throws them on my bed. My laptop gets stashed in my closet. She opens all the drawers and piles my underwear, CDs, MP3 player, Kindle, some ancient vinyl records, and shoulder bag, on top of my art things.
    “I’ve begged enough for you to tell me who the deviant is. I don’t want you living in this household until you come clean.”
    “Mami, por favor, por favor.” I walk around after her. She stuffs all my things in my shoulder