Page 179 of Pride High 2: Orange

“I never minded,” Omar said. “Funny how much trouble it can cause, just because you love someone. And I do, man. You know that, right?”

“Yeah,” Anthony said. “I love you too.”

“Good. Because I think we fucked up.”

Anthony was quiet before he sighed. “Do you think he’ll ever forgive us?”

“Probably not.” Omar stood and offered his hand. “All we can do is promise to always be there for each other. No matter how bad it gets. No matter what it costs.”

After he was pulled to his feet, Anthony wrapped his arms around Omar. “I’ll never turn my back on you. Ever. I’ll always be there when you need me.”

“Best friends for life,” Omar said when hugging him back.

“And whatever comes after,” Anthony replied, taking a step back.

They bumped elbows with each other, their expressions remaining solemn as they went inside and closed the door on a past they couldn’t heal.

* * * * *

“If I ever get hurt again, you should leave me in the hospital. I would have been fine.”

Silvia glanced over at her father as they drove home. Miguel looked ridiculous. From the waist up, he was wearing the thick layers that kept him warm on a winter roof. His pants were folded over his lap, two bare legs leading down to a cast and a single boot.

“Do you want me to turn the truck around?”Silvia teased.

“I mean it,”her father said.“They didn’t know my name. I told them I was uninsured. They would have let me leave today. They only made me stay overnight in case I had a concussion.”

She glanced at the bandage on his head.“Is it serious?”

“No. Just a little sore. When you showed up last night, I wasn’t myself. I never would have agreed to let you smuggle me out of there. I had no idea what you had planned.”He grinned suddenly.“You have good friends though.”

“I really do,”Silvia said, feeling a surge of gratitude toward Omar and Anthony in particular. Ricky and Diego had helped too, although she hoped they could keep a secret. Speaking of which…“Do we have to tell Mom the details? Can’t we just say that I wheeled you out of there when nobody was looking?”

“That’s fine,”Miguel said with a wink.“I’ve already given her enough to worry about.”He sat up straight in anticipation when the trailer park came into view.

Silvia parked the truck in front of their home, and it was like a repeat of yesterday. The front door swung open, her mother standing there with tears in her eyes, but this time they were of the joyful variety. Elena covered her mouth with her hands to stifle a sob. Then she used them to blow a kiss to her husband before rushing to the truck, throwing open the door, and crawling into the seat to kiss him for real.

“Oh you silly man!”she said while fussing over his injuries.“Was it a clean break at least? What happened to your head? I can’t wait to get you inside! Are you hungry? I made your favorite.”

Silvia gave them space. She walked around to the back of the truck, where they’d tossed a folded-up wheelchair branded with the hospital’s name. She would return it eventually, although she was already wishing she had stolen crutches instead. She unfolded the wheelchair in the snow just as Hugo arrived, so of course he sat in it and asked to be pushed around. She ignored him and went to the passenger-side door.

Elena climbed out and hugged her.“Thank you!”she said.“I’m so glad he’s safe. Is everything okay?”

That was a loaded question, but Silvia felt secure enough to nod. They were fine. For now. She helped her father out of the wheelchair so he could hobble up the steps to the door. Soon they were all shut inside. Miguel settled down on the couch, Hugo bouncing around him while asking questions. Elena went to the kitchen, but only long enough to turn on the stove. Silvia took her place and used the opportunity to watch her family celebrate. Hugo had a marker in his hand and was trying to decide what he wanted to write on the cast. Elena was sitting next to her husband while clutching his hand.

Silvia felt like crying. Out of relief mostly. Five more years. They only had to make it that far. As soon as she turned twenty-one, Silvia would be old enough to petition for legal status on her parents’ behalf. There would be plenty of hoops to jump through and pitfalls to avoid. And she would need to be earning a decent amount of money, but with enough caution and luck, her fears would become a thing of the past. If her parents were caught before then, those plans evaporated. Permanently. They were playing a dangerous game, but also a necessary one if they wanted to remain a family.

Elena noticed her watching. “Come join us, honey!”

Silvia turned off the stove. She squeezed in next to Hugo on the couch, not an inch of distance left between them as they snuggled up against their father. Miguel put an arm around them both to squish them even closer and did the same for his wife on the other side. They were together again. And they were happy.

CHAPTER 39

January 26th, 1993

Keisha pressed her back to the record store door. She had promised herself she wouldn’t do this. A subtle hint was usually enough for her to back off, but the whims of her heart had invaded her mind and set up camp there. All she could think about was Silvia, who had all but disappeared from her life. Which meant that she was just another straight girl who had tried on lesbianism like an amusing new hat before taking it off again. Except that didn’t mesh with her perception of Silvia, who seemed to have real substance. Bracing herself for disappointment, she shifted her weight, the door opening behind her.

Keisha stepped backward into the store. She was hoping for a sign and got one, because the Indigo Girls were playing over the store speakers. Better yet, her unorthodox entry method meant she was facing the counter, where Silvia stood while looking both surprised and slightly embarrassed.