The Pool Party Read Online Free PDF

Estela’s face was sweaty. Her knees were grass-stained, her hair tangled from the leaf blower, and her once-polished fingernails were chipped. They looked like broken eggshells to her.
    The Oldsmobile rattled up to the Ramirez house, a stately structure that stood tall as a ship.
    “Estamos aquí,”
Father said, and cut the engine. The engine rocked and shuddered, then sighed to a quiet end. They all climbed out. Feeling stiff, Father did a deep-knee bend and stretched hisarms skyward. “Let’s start with the front lawn.”
    “Dad, can I edge this time?” Rudy pleaded. “Come on, Dad.”
    “Okay, but only if you steer right. I don’t want you to mess up.”
    Grandfather unloaded the mower and edger. Estela took out the brooms and rakes as she moaned to herself. “I can’t believe I’m cutting the lawn of one of the most popular boys at school. If Eric sees me I’ll die.”
    Mindy, parting the curtains, looked out the front window. She came out to the front steps and said, “Mom says not to forget the lawn on the side of the house.”
    “Hi, Mindy,” Rudy called.
    “Rudy Herrera, is that you?”
    “The one and only. I get to edge your lawn. How do you want it?” He pulled the starter on the edger, which coughed blue smoke but didn’t start. “You going to Tiffany’s party?”
    “You mean you’re invited?” Mindy asked.She had a surprised look on her face. Mindy was known to be stuck-up at school. Now Rudy thought she was stuck-up at home too.
    “I got an invitation.”
    Mindy looked at Estela and asked, “Is that your sister?”
    Estela pretended to look busy. She lowered her hat over her face.
    “Yeah, that’s Estela. She’s in one of your brother’s classes.” He turned to Estela and shouted, “Huh, Estela?”
    “Rudy, be quiet,” Estela snapped. “I’m going to wring your neck when I get home.”
    Mindy went back inside the house and Rudy pulled the starter on the edger once again. This time, the coughing edger whined into action and the blade spun like the propeller on a helicopter. Rudy lowered his safety goggles and started edging the lawn, orange sparks kicking up against the cement. He edged the front and then the back. He stopped at the pool, next to his grandfather. He shut off the engine and started sweeping.
    “Yeah,
es linda,
” Grandfather said of the house. He wiped his brow and looked down at Rudy. “You say she owes you a quarter.”
    “Yeah, plus interest, I guess,” Rudy said. Rudy looked up and saw Mindy peeking from behind a curtain. He waved and she ducked out of view.
    Grandfather thought a second. Then he asked, “And she’s going to the party?”
    Grandfather thought even longer. He took off his work gloves and swatted grass from his knees. “Her
hermano
is in Estela’s class?”
    “That’s right.”
    “Hmmm, well, Little Rudy, I think you should let that quarter pass,” Grandfather finally said. “It’s too much trouble.”
    “You’re right. You know, after I lent her a quarter, I found a dollar bill at the canal. Me and Alex were looking for frogs. You ever do that, Grandpa?”
    “All the time. Back when I was young we had frogs big as baseball mitts.”
    “¿De veras?”
    “Pues sí. Es la verdad.”
    Grandfather smiled and laughed a deep laugh that made his belly jiggle. He bent down and washed his face in the garden hose. Rudy did the same. When he looked up with water dripping from his eyelashes, Mindy was once again looking at him. Rudy waved again and Mindy ducked behind a flowery curtain.

Chapter 7
    A n electronic beep sounded when Rudy and Alex entered Everyman’s Coin Shop. They closed the door and looked back at their inner tube, which Rudy had chained to a parking meter. Rudy and Alex had debated whether to put money into the meter because, in a way, the inner tube was parked. But they decided to live dangerously and left it chained to the expired meter.
    The owner of the coin shop looked up, his eye hideously magnified behind a