They roll their eyes and disappear into the crowd.
Diego reaches me first, helping me up while scooping my fallen notebooks off the floor.
"Those guys are fucking assholes," he says under his breath. "You okay?"
"Yeah. You didn't have to do that."
"Yeah, I did." He squeezes my shoulder. "You're like my brother. Come on. I want you to meet some people."
He leads me into the cafeteria, where voices bounce off the walls and fluorescent lights make everything look harsh andwashed out. A group of maybe fifteen kids seems to already be waiting for Diego. He introduces them one by one, and three of them stay near me once the lineup is done.
Nico, Marcelus, and Leo.
Nico has dark hair and a freckle under his left eye. Marcelus wears his long black hair pulled back in a ponytail. Leo has piercing blue eyes and short blond hair.
Marcelus nods at me while Diego gets pulled into another conversation. "You smoke?"
"Yeah, man. You got any?"
"Not today," he says, leaning in a little. "But I got something better."
"Better?" I raise an eyebrow.
"I got some X." His voice drops. "You down to party?"
"I wish, man. I don't have money to buy right now."
"Then we'll party after school. No cash needed."
"Hell yeah." I bump his arm lightly.
We swap numbers and make plans for after school.
By the time the final bell rings, my leg is throbbing and my nerves are shot. The stairs from earlier left a deep ache in my shin, and every time I shift my weight, pain shoots up my calf. I keep my face blank as students flood the hallways in loud waves, backpacks swinging, voices bouncing off the lockers, everybody talking over everybody else like the whole school is trying to escape at once.
Diego finds me near the front office before I can disappear into the crowd.
"You still good for after school?" he asks, falling into step beside me.
I nod, though my stomach does a weird little flip. "Yeah. I told Marcelus I'd come."
"Good." He glances at me. "Just don't do anything stupid."
"That's rich coming from you."
He laughs. "Fair."
Outside, the heat hits us like a wall. The parking lot shimmers in the sun, and the humid air feels thick enough to chew. Car horns bark from the street, someone's trunk shakes with bass, and a group of girls in cropped polos and hoop earrings crowd around a silver Lexus near the curb, laughing like they've never had a bad day in their lives.
Marcelus is waiting by the edge of the lot with Nico and Leo. Nico's got a bottle of orange soda in one hand, Leo's leaning against a beat-up Toyota, and Marcelus is scanning the crowd like he's looking for someone or something.
"Yo," Marcelus calls when he spots us. "You coming?"
"Yeah," Diego says. "Raul's with me."
Marcelus looks me over fast, like he's measuring how nervous I am. "Cool."
We pile into Leo's car and take off through the neighborhood, windows down because the AC can't catch up. The ride is loud and hot and chaotic, with bass thumping from the speakers and everybody talking at once. We pass stucco houses with rusted security bars and palm trees bent from the wind. Miami in the afternoon always looks like it's melting a little.
