I meet up with Carlos after he serves detention. We walk and talk and even buy tacos from the Mexican restaurant down the street. Somehow we end up talking about prom. Prom is this Friday and I have nothing prepared.
" So are you going to prom? he asks me.
" Yes" I say.
" Que?" he says.
"You know I don't understand Spanish,Carlos" I say.
" Sorry, I was just shocked"he says.
" I don't have anything prepared" I say.
" I could help you" he says.
" You're always willing to help me" I say which is true.
" Because we are best friends , remember he says.
" You excited for graduation?" he says.
" Very" I say. He doesn't know about my escape plan but I have to tell him soon. Very soon. I just have to figure out the right time.
" Isabel is gone. Do you want to come to my house?" I ask him.
" Sure." he says.
We walk in silence to the house. We have one hour until she gets back. We go inside the house.Carlos starts to explore the house while I eat a bag of potato chips. He goes all over the house searching for nothing in particular. I see him go inside Isabel's room. He comes back with the most beautiful dress I ever seen. It was a teal knee-length strapless dress. I am speechless. I love the dress.
" Are you thinking what I am thinking?" he says with a smile. I do know what he is thinking. He thinks I should wear it to prom on Friday.
" Where did you find that?" I say angrily.
" Under Isabel's bed in a box" he says." You should wear it on Friday."
" I can't wear that" I say.
" Why not?" he says. "It is not like you have enough money to buy a dress." I ponder his statement. It is true. I don't have enough money to buy one but I need the dress. Besides, it is not like I am keeping the dress forever and wearing this dress will be another part of my revenge for Isabel.
" Fine. I'll wear it for prom" I say.
I hear Isabel's footsteps come up the front porch. " She is early" I say to him. "Go out the window."
"Bye" I say in a low voice.
" Bye" he says back to me.
He hurries out the window and I realize that I have not cleaned the house. "Another day. Another beating." I say to myself.
The beating she gives me is shorter than usual. I don't know why. Maybe she is taking it easy on me. I laugh at the thought. She doesn't have the heart to take it easy on me. That is a fact not an opinion. There are some rare times where she will beat the kids but for big things but if I do something small that is bad I would get an extremely bad beating. But I have learned a lesson here. I learned that life is just not fair.
