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Authors: Allison Wettlaufer
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James.
He comes strolling down the hallway. I ask him if he wrote the graffiti on the wall.
He asks, “What graffiti?”
When I show him he just shrugs and says, “You and Ducky? Who would even imagine
such a ridiculous thing? Too bad you're not still going out with me. Then no one would even suspect it was true.”
I want to scream at him. I want to kill him.
But the words get stuck in my throat. And he walks out of the building.
9:47
When I ask Mami and Papi about going to Rico's, they seem cautious. Papi still thinks James is a dangerous psycho. Mami worries about what Rico said. To her, “solve your problem”
could mean something threatening, like a fight.
Isabel to the rescue. She insists on going along. She promises to whisk me away if anything bad happens.
Fine with Mami and Papi. Fine with me.
Isabel drives me to Rico's. Everyone's there. Except James.
Right off the bat, Isabel asks if this is a revenge meeting.
Rico shakes his head. “It's a strategy meeting. Family strategy. That's how I see Vanish.
Either we stick together as a family, or...”
“We vanish,” Bruce remarks.
“But James is a part of the family too,” I say. “He's an original member. He brought me in.”
“You're our manager,” Patti speaks up. “We're all equal.”
“I think we ought to talk to him,” Rico says. “Let him explain himself—why he started those rumors, why he's treating Amalia so badly--”
“He's been acting like a jerk for too long,” Bruce cuts in. “We don't need him. Kick him out.”
“That's what I say!” Maggie blurts out.
“Be fair,” Patti says. “I agree with Rico. Let's call him now and ask him to come over.”
Everyone (except Maggie and me) is mumbling in agreement.
“Don't bother. He's here.”
The voice comes from the garage door. It makes me freeze up inside.
It's James.
He strolls through the garage door. Smiling.
It's that evil smile of his. Right away I know he's heard the conversation.
No one speaks. We're all too shocked.
“What's the matter?” James asks. “You only kick people out behind their backs?”
Rico steps forward. “We're not doing that. We wanted you to explain yourself first--”
“And then you'll kick me out.”
James is glaring at Bruce. “That's the thanks I get for bringing you into this group, even though you can't play?”
Bruce turns red. He starts sputtering. But James is moving on to Maggie now.
“And you,” he says. “You think you'd have gotten into this group if my sister hadn't begged me--”
“Shut up, James!” Patti blurts out.
“You're killing it for yourself, man,” Rico adds. “We wanted to give you a chance--”
James laughs. He says he doesn't need the group. He says we're all a bunch of tone-deaf amateurs. He turns away and calls out, “Come on, Amalia.”
Come on, Amalia! I'm supposed to follow after him like a little chihuahua?
I want to throw something at him.
I'm about to yell, but Isabel beats me to it. “Don't you talk to her like that,” she says.
“Oh, I'm scared,” James replies, laughing. “Big sister's going to beat me up.”
“Big sister and friends,” Bruce says through clenched teeth.
“Hit me with the bass,” James remarks. “You might make a decent sound for once.”
That does it.
Bruce is ready to fight.
Maggie is in tears.
Patti is furious.
Rico is telling James never to set foot in his garage again.
And I'm ready to kill him.
Rico, Bruce, and Patti are advancing on James. His eyes are on me. I see fear in them.
But I also see mockery. And anger.
“You have a lot of people fighting your battles, Amalia!” James shouts scornfully.
I'm thinking, this may be the first and last time I am agreeing with James Kodaly.
This is not Maggie's battle. Or Isabel's. Or Rico's.
It's mine.
Suddenly Bruce lunges. James ducks aside and holds up his fists.
“Knock it off!!” I shout.
Both guys turn toward me. Bruce mumbles something under his breath and backs off.
I am
He comes strolling down the hallway. I ask him if he wrote the graffiti on the wall.
He asks, “What graffiti?”
When I show him he just shrugs and says, “You and Ducky? Who would even imagine
such a ridiculous thing? Too bad you're not still going out with me. Then no one would even suspect it was true.”
I want to scream at him. I want to kill him.
But the words get stuck in my throat. And he walks out of the building.
9:47
When I ask Mami and Papi about going to Rico's, they seem cautious. Papi still thinks James is a dangerous psycho. Mami worries about what Rico said. To her, “solve your problem”
could mean something threatening, like a fight.
Isabel to the rescue. She insists on going along. She promises to whisk me away if anything bad happens.
Fine with Mami and Papi. Fine with me.
Isabel drives me to Rico's. Everyone's there. Except James.
Right off the bat, Isabel asks if this is a revenge meeting.
Rico shakes his head. “It's a strategy meeting. Family strategy. That's how I see Vanish.
Either we stick together as a family, or...”
“We vanish,” Bruce remarks.
“But James is a part of the family too,” I say. “He's an original member. He brought me in.”
“You're our manager,” Patti speaks up. “We're all equal.”
“I think we ought to talk to him,” Rico says. “Let him explain himself—why he started those rumors, why he's treating Amalia so badly--”
“He's been acting like a jerk for too long,” Bruce cuts in. “We don't need him. Kick him out.”
“That's what I say!” Maggie blurts out.
“Be fair,” Patti says. “I agree with Rico. Let's call him now and ask him to come over.”
Everyone (except Maggie and me) is mumbling in agreement.
“Don't bother. He's here.”
The voice comes from the garage door. It makes me freeze up inside.
It's James.
He strolls through the garage door. Smiling.
It's that evil smile of his. Right away I know he's heard the conversation.
No one speaks. We're all too shocked.
“What's the matter?” James asks. “You only kick people out behind their backs?”
Rico steps forward. “We're not doing that. We wanted you to explain yourself first--”
“And then you'll kick me out.”
James is glaring at Bruce. “That's the thanks I get for bringing you into this group, even though you can't play?”
Bruce turns red. He starts sputtering. But James is moving on to Maggie now.
“And you,” he says. “You think you'd have gotten into this group if my sister hadn't begged me--”
“Shut up, James!” Patti blurts out.
“You're killing it for yourself, man,” Rico adds. “We wanted to give you a chance--”
James laughs. He says he doesn't need the group. He says we're all a bunch of tone-deaf amateurs. He turns away and calls out, “Come on, Amalia.”
Come on, Amalia! I'm supposed to follow after him like a little chihuahua?
I want to throw something at him.
I'm about to yell, but Isabel beats me to it. “Don't you talk to her like that,” she says.
“Oh, I'm scared,” James replies, laughing. “Big sister's going to beat me up.”
“Big sister and friends,” Bruce says through clenched teeth.
“Hit me with the bass,” James remarks. “You might make a decent sound for once.”
That does it.
Bruce is ready to fight.
Maggie is in tears.
Patti is furious.
Rico is telling James never to set foot in his garage again.
And I'm ready to kill him.
Rico, Bruce, and Patti are advancing on James. His eyes are on me. I see fear in them.
But I also see mockery. And anger.
“You have a lot of people fighting your battles, Amalia!” James shouts scornfully.
I'm thinking, this may be the first and last time I am agreeing with James Kodaly.
This is not Maggie's battle. Or Isabel's. Or Rico's.
It's mine.
Suddenly Bruce lunges. James ducks aside and holds up his fists.
“Knock it off!!” I shout.
Both guys turn toward me. Bruce mumbles something under his breath and backs off.
I am
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