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“MOM!” I gasp. My dad says, “Now Alexis, I think it’s a little too soon to be adding that pressure.”
Mom looks indignant. “What? Mateo’s future path is compatible with Lana’s, and he’s clearly over the moon about her.” She turns to me. “I know you liked that other boy for so long, but he always made you feel so uncertain of yourself, and I never liked that. It wasn’t healthy.”
Narrowing my eyes, I tell her, “Mom, you could have said something before if you had concerns. Why’d you let me keep feeding my crush if you thought it wasn’t healthy?”
She rolls her eyes. “Please, like any college-aged girl is going to listen to her mom try to convince her not to like a boy.”
Touchè.
My dad shrugs his shoulders in silent agreement, and Mom continues. “Mateo likes you for who you are, and he brings out the very best in you. You’re the happiest and most light-hearted I’ve seen you in years. It’s like he gave you permission to enjoy your passions, to enjoy life. Why wouldn’t I want that for my daughter?”
Considering she’s making valid points, I surrender the fight.
CHAPTER TWENTY
My parents enjoy the rest of the weekend in Brooklyn, attending AOPi events and catching up with Teegan, Amaya, and their families over dinner together. The parents lament about their babies growing up, and the Beefs roll our eyes at their sentimentality while secretly feeling the same.
Sunday morning, we hug our parents goodbye, and Amaya immediately cracks the proverbial whip to get everyone’s noses to the homecoming grindstone. Daily events and competitions this week culminate in the announcement of the winning Greek houses on Saturday before the start of the soccer match.
Teegan and the rest of the showcase performers are off to rehearsal, and Amaya has placed me in charge of the underclassmen pomping our parade float. She’s overseeing progress on the yard display since it’s the first thing to be judged tomorrow. I’m always amazed by Amaya, but I’m prouder than ever to be her best friend, as she has organized and delegated like a boss. If AOPi doesn’t win homecoming, it won’t be for lack of whole-hearted effort.
Aside from briefly FaceTiming Sunday evening to hear about their victory on Saturday, I barely get to speak with Mateo all week. It’s all-hands-on-deck between classes to make sure everything looks perfect. Teegan leads our team of AOPis and AEs in a commanding showcase performance, dancing and lip-syncing their hearts out to roars of applause from the crowd. I only feel a brief moment of awkwardness watching Aaron perform with the OGs before I firmly kick the echoes of dancing together out of my mind.
By the time the homecoming parade rolls around Friday night, I’m exhausted. The last thing I feel like doing is walking a mile behind our float passing out candy, but I know this is the crown jewel on Amaya’s Presidency. So, I let Teegan do my hair and makeup, and I plaster on my rush week fake smile. I encouraged Sofia, Clara, and Luisa to invite Shaista to attend with them, so I’m hopeful to see them along the parade route.
“You knowwww,” Teegan says in sing song as she applies her eyeliner. “The soccer team has their own float, so at least you’ll get to see a certain hot soccer captain at the parade.”
Although I roll my eyes at her, I’ve secretly been banking on the chance of seeing Mateo redeeming the parade exhaustion.
The Greek house pairings are judged by the appearance of the physical float in addition to the level of enthusiasm and school spirit shown by the parade participants. I’m standing next to Liz and some other freshmen girls as Amaya gives the crowd of AOPis and AEs an animated pep talk through a bullhorn. Suddenly, I feel a pinch on my waist.
I turn around to find Mateo grinning at me. He whispers hello and gives me a quick hug before falling back with the rest of the soccer team heading to their float. I’m pretty sure they just get to stand on a trailer and wave to the cheering spectators, as opposed to trying to lead the crowd in organized chants, which is a little bit unfair. Still, I’m smiling as I turn back around to the nudges and hushed squeals of Liz and the other girls around me.
Halfway through the parade, I’m starting to buckle under the torture when I spy Shaista in the crowd along with Sofia and Clara. Luisa isn’t with them, but I’m delighted to see Shaista here, smiling widely as she takes in the parade. I catch their attention, and they wave and loudly yell the cheer our group is shouting. I briefly rush over and tell them to meet me outside of Grow Wild at the end of the parade route if they have time.
We finally reach the end of the route, and there’s a collective cheer and sigh of relief. People are dispersing to get a late dinner or a head start at the AE house party. I look around for signs of the soccer team, but I can’t find their float. I need to make my way through the crowd if I have any hope of meeting up with my ELL students, so I reluctantly head that way.
The disappointment of missing Mateo fades when I see Sofia, Clara, and Shaista talking as I walk up to the gift shop. They see me coming and give me huge hugs, complimenting me on our house’s float.
“It was totally the best one, Lana,” Sofia insists.
“Yeah, your team will definitely win,” Clara adds. This leads to us trying to explain to Shaista through simple English and hand gestures what a homecoming competition is, which then leads to trying to explain what Greek houses are. America really does have some funny traditions.
I sense Mateo behind me before he even speaks because of the look on the girls’ faces. They go from lively conversation to starstruck silence like an F1 driver goes zero to a hundred. I feel Mateo’s left arm around my shoulders as he says, “Hey, Lana. Hi there, girls. I’m Mateo.”
He holds out his right hand, and they literally giggle like school girls as they take turns exchanging handshakes. I can’t really blame them, considering that Mateo’s handsome face and dimpled smile make me want to giggle like a school girl too. I introduce each of them, and they are kind enough to go way overboard in talking up how great of a tutor I am. Like, they are really trying to sell me to Mateo. He just keeps grinning at me as they go on and on about all my positive qualities, and I fight the urge to burst out laughing.
I love these sweet girls.
Sofia’s phone rings, and she answers in Spanish. I assume it’s her parents wanting to know where she’s disappeared to. She’s speaking rapid fire with passionate inflection, and Clara is nodding and giggling intermittently as she listens. Shaista just shrugs at me, and I hold my hands up in an “I have no idea” gesture, making her laugh.
Sofia is oblivious that Mateo is following along with the conversation. He catches her off guard when he interjects in Spanish, evidently demanding her phone because she passes it over to him. He chats for a minute with her parents, and I catch a few words here and there about Townsend and fútbol and my name. Sofia and Clara are positively loving their lives right now.
Mateo finishes talking and ends the call, telling Sofia, “You’re supposed to meet them outside the taco shop so they can drive you home.”
The girls are now really starstruck, and gush about how nice it was to meet Mateo. They’re saying their goodbyes, but Sofia leans over to me and not-so-quietly says in my ear, “Chica, you did not tell us that you had a boyfriend or that he is sooo hot!”
Mateo is fighting back a laugh as he tells Shaista that it was nice to meet her. I playfully shove Sofia and tell her, “It wasn’t relevant to our English lessons, you goofball.” She gives me one last hug before the three of them head off to meet her parents.
