Celebrate friendship! My new novel, Best Amigas, is officially out today.
Juana and Diane will save each other’s lives with a friendship that gets them through everything. Eating goat burritos on July 4th, watching a couple kiss and wonder about romance, surviving the meanest kid in school. Then another summer arrives, and ends in heartbreak and hope for the best amigas.
The Curb
You can see a lot of the world sitting on a curb.
Under the streetlight in front of my house, I sat on the curb waiting for Diane. Not only was she my best friend, but she lived right next door, which was a bonus ’cause I got to see her every day. At that time of night, most of Chihuahua Street was asleep. I couldn’t understand why. Everyone should be outside sitting on the curb. The stars sprinkled over the sky like sugar on a buttered tortilla. The air even tasted sweet. The full moon seemed made just for me.
Inside our house, my little sister Isidra lay sprawled over her bed, dead tired from annoying me all day with dumb questions. “Juana, how come you get to stay up late?” “Juana, how come I can’t play with Diane and you? ¿Por qué? ¿Por qué? ¿Por qué?” I do believe that was her main purpose in life, the reason she was born. Namely, to bother me.
After a hard day of driving Mommy and Pop crazy, my brother Ramón played video games in his room in the basement. He used to be fun. We’d shoot baskets and both dream of playing for the San Antonio Spurs. We’d watch scary movies on TV and eat popcorn greasy with butter. But all that ended two years ago when he went into middle school and he’s ignored me ever since.
My parents snored away in their room—pooped by nine. Good thing I was still young enough to stay awake until ten, at least during the summer, which had just started.
I looked over my shoulder at the house next door. Still no Diane. Funny how the cement curb felt a whole lot harder when I sat by myself.
