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Chapter Nine
Friday evening, 8:30 p.m., five and a half hours earlier
Sofía, the single mom
The sun finally appears to be as tired as I am. Only the last bit of light outlines the mountains. All I want to do is collapse in my tent beside my son and let this day become the past. I don’t even care how close to me Cassie will be sleeping. That I’ll be able to hear the sounds inside her tent from ours, which I do when I go to grab a layer for the talent show.
“Dave, I can’t sleep next to her. Can’t we camp with Yoo-Jin or something?”
“You really want to cause a scene? To get everyone going?”
Silence, and then Cassie says, “No, I guess not.”
“Ignore her,” Dave says. “Enjoy the trip.”
“If no one tries to push me off a cliff first.”
“What do you mean?”
“Everyone seems to have some sort of vendetta against me this weekend. It’s exhausting.”
“You know how people are, Cass, even somewhere like the Chester School. It sucks, but it’s the cross you bear for being you. Remember, they’re all jealous bitches. Even Sofía.”
Cassie laughs. “I still can’t believe she splashed Lil.”
“I saw it with my own two eyes, and I can’t believe it.”
“Do you think she’s on something? I mean, what would possess a grown adult to splash a child like that?”
“It was completely insane. I’m glad you’re taking some space from her.”
I ball my jacket in my hands and put it to my mouth to silence my scream. I hate that the only coat I have is the fleece Cassie gave me.
“You ready to go back out there?” Dave asks.
“I think I’m going to call it a night. Really, I’m fine. Go. They need you and your superior guitar skills.”
“I could have been a rock star, couldn’t I?” Dave says, and Cassie laughs.
“Then this never would have worked.”
I hear them kiss. That squeaky, sucking sound goes on for a few moments, before Dave whispers, “You’re the strongest person I know.”
“I know,” she says, pretending to sound annoyed. The worst part is, they both believe it. Cassie isn’t strong. She’s rich. They aren’t the same thing.
The zipper buzzes as the tent door opens. Dave asks her one more time if she’s sure she doesn’t want to come. She says, “Go slay some Guns N’ Roses.”
“I think this crowd is a little more Swift than Slash,” Dave says.
“Maybe so.” Cassie laughs.
Momentarily, they fall quiet. Dave tells her he loves her before his footsteps get quieter. I can feel how close Cassie is, can sense her stillness beside me like we’re sitting together. And then I hear a whimper. At first, I think it’s an animal. It’s quiet and desperate. I realize it’s Cassie.
I’m not sure how long I sit there, listening to Cassie cry.
“Mamí! Mamí,” Javi shouts as he approaches the tent. Cassie stops crying. I can practically hear her sit up straighter. “Mamí?”
“Here, mi amor,” I say, because what choice do I have? He’s going to find me in the tent. Cassie will discover I’ve been listening this whole time. I unzip the tent door and see my son standing outside with a mix of relief and impatience across his young face.
