—It’s just Dallas being stupid, Bobby said.

—I’m being stupid? Bobby hit me for no reason.

—Ay, Dallas, calm down and come help me fix dinner. Hush must be exhausted.

—I hate you. I hate you all.

All those years, Hush had always done well in school, prompting Esperanza to say things like, —Why can’t you be more like Hush? Why can’t you win awards like her? And now Esperanza’s idea of the perfect child was pregnant at sixteen. Even Hush’s mother turned her away because she thought Hush was possessed by the devil and all that evil should walk the earth alone. When had Esperanza become so generous? Dallas wondered.

—You should start reading like Hush does, instead of listening to that CD player all the time. You’ll never do well in school, listening to esos tígres.

—You rather me get pregnant, sit around all day, and read books?

—Shut your mouth, Dallas Colón. I’ve had enough of you talking back to me.

—I can return those books for you at the library, on my way to work, Bobby offered Hush.

—But they’re way overdue.

—So what? I’ll take care of it.

—Can you get me some more? Hush asked him.

—Which ones?

—I like stories, mostly. Something to help me escape.

Hush refused to leave the house because she didn’t want people to stare at her. She felt safe in the Colón household, sitting under the lamplight, watching the Colóns enter and exit.

—Sit on the floor, Dallas. Hush pulled on her arm to get her to sit in between her legs. Hush pulled off the bandanna Dallas wore to cover up the nub.

—What the hell are you doing? It took me forever to get it on right.

—Relax…I’m gonna make it look cute. You’ll see. Hush combed her fingers through Dallas’s hair. She tugged gently at the roots. Dallas liked the way it felt. She reached out for the remote control and flicked on the television. She changed channels, but wasn’t watching anything.

—If I braid it, it will grow faster. Hush took some of the oil she was rubbing on her belly and combed it into Dallas’s hair. —Your mother must’ve been mad at you.

—Whatever, Dallas said, still pissed because she was being punished when everyone else was messing up.

—Imagine if she had caught you with Peter. She would’ve shaved your eyebrows off or something.

—Don’t even mention his name. Wack wanna-be DJ who gonna be working in Tower Records all his life because he’s so stupid.

—Damn, Dallas. You liked him a minute ago. Hush laughed. She understood how it went. Sometimes guys went ugly fast, especially when they messed up.

—I hate my life. I got nothing, Hush. No boyfriend, no summer job, no hair.

—You’ve got a family. You should be grateful for that. Hush wove in small strands of Dallas’s hair inside the longer strands.

—It’s ’cause you’re not related to them, Dallas said, envious because it was so easy for Hush to be around them. They weren’t in Hush’s way. Hush wasn’t in theirs. Everyone catered to her.