Stranger Danger Read Free

me your watch,” one of the boys said.   His lean face had reminded her of a wolf and
he spoke with a distinct Hispanic accent. “The earrings, too, chica .”
    “No!” Sara’s dad bought her the watch and she wasn’t
handing it over. “I’m not giving you my things.   Leave me alone.”
    One of the girls in the group had mocked her,
repeated what she’d said in a falsetto tone.   Another joined in and Sara whirled around to slap her.   It felt good, but the last little flicker of
teasing had faded out of their faces.  
    “You made a big mistake, little girl,” the boy who’d
first spoken said.   He reached for her
wrist and locked his grasp around it so tight it had hurt.   Another of the boys had stroked her breasts
through the tight t-shirt.   She had tried
to get away.   No one had seemed to hear
her struggles or cries for help but then, she had realized, twenty-five
thousand people were crammed into the stadium, all of them adding to the
deafening roar of noise.
    “ Basta !”
    Sara had turned to see who spoke.   He looked older than the others, older than
her.   He carried himself like a man, not
a high school kid.   He had rattled off a
long tirade of Spanish and although she understood a little, he’d spoken too
fast for her to follow.   After he
finished, though, he’d glared at the kids who surrounded her.   “ Vamos ,”
he’d said to the wolf-faced boy and they’d all gone.
    “I’m Santiago,” the young man had said.   He’d held out his left hand to her and
displayed a knife, sharp and lethal.   “Don’t worry.   I had your back.”
    Then or now, she’d never doubted he meant to use it
if necessary. From that night, they’d been friends, then more.   They’d remained inseparable for the rest of
high school.   Her family moved and she’d
attended Garfield her last two years.   Her junior year had been Santiago’s senior one.   They’d been together, deep and close. They’d
even stayed together after he graduated…until he’d shattered her heart.   Their break-up had splintered her heart into
pieces and changed her world forever.   I can’t think about that part, not now .   Aloud, she said, “I remember and I do trust
you, Santiago, but I don’t understand any of this.”
    “I’m sorry,” he told her.   Something in his eyes was so vulnerable, she
believed him. “But I can’t tell you the details.   If I tell you, I put you at risk more than
you already are.”
    All of a sudden, she understood. “It’s M13 after
you, isn’t it?”
    “Don’t ask, Sarita, please don’t.”
    His expression darkened and she noticed, despite his
sleep, how haggard he remained.   He’d
shaved, though. Fear shadowed his eyes and that scared her, because Santiago
had feared nothing – then.   “If you stay,
you’re going to have to tell me sooner or later,” she said. “But I won’t ask,
not tonight.   I’ll give you that.   Are you hungry?”
    He still held her hands in his, but he let go and
offered her a tiny grin. Then he reached for a white T-shirt and pulled it over
his bare chest. “ Si , I’m
starved.   I haven’t eaten for two and a
half days, I think. Tell me you’re making tamales or at least burritos
tipicos?”
    No one else she knew except Santiago would tease
when his life was endangered.   “No,
hamburgers and frozen fries, but I did buy some beer.   Do you want one?”
    Santiago grinned. “ Que bueno ! I hope its Corona.”
    “It is,” she said. “I remembered. It’s cold,
too.   I bought it chilled.”
    Sara toted the bags the few steps to the kitchen
area.   She unpacked them on the counter
and opened him a beer. “ Aqu í Tiene !”
    “ Gracias, la muñequita .”   He pulled out a chair, turned it around, and then sat backwards.   She watched as he lifted the bottle to his
lips and drank with obvious pleasure. A thought struck her and she spoke it.
“You’re legal, now.”
    He paused with the bottle in hand.