—Dallas?

—Yeah, it’s me. You wanna meet at the park by the benches before my mother comes home from work?

—Sure, Hush said, breathing into the phone.

Dallas hung up. She was still angry. But she wasn’t sure why anymore.

Dallas sneaked out of the apartment and walked toward the park benches down Quepasó Street. Hush was already there. Hush pulled out a cigarette from her pocket. It had been a few months since they’d seen each other. There was something different about Hush that Dallas couldn’t place.

—You smoking now?

—Only when I’m nervous.

—What’s making you so nervous? You trying to kill yourself?

—Lots of shit is going on, Hush said and wanted to tell Dallas about her stepfather, Oswaldo. The way he ogled her when she was sitting on the sofa watching television. Sometimes he sat next to her, close enough so his leg touched her foot. It was difficult to hide from him in their small one-bedroom apartment, where she slept in the living room without a door to lock at night. She knew the look he gave her. Mario looked at her in the same way, but Mario asked her permission and he never did anything to Hush she didn’t feel comfortable with. Her mother didn’t understand that. And when she caught Hush and Mario kissing in the lobby of her building, Soraida held up a Bible to her breast like an armor, and called Hush una mujer perdida.

—I gotta get out of my house. I can’t wait till college, Dallas. I’m so outta here. You have no idea how ready I am.

—College? The way my grades are, I’ll never make it to college. We’re still in junior high, and you’re thinking college. Damn, girl!

—Not only are you gonna go to college, we’re going together, Hush said as she inhaled and exhaled away from Dallas.

—You’re the nerd. No college that accepts you will accept me.

Hush was top of her class each semester. Dallas barely passed from grade to grade.

—Shut up. That’s not true. You need to come with me. You’re the only family I got, Hush said, looking away into the weeping willow tree that hung over them.

—But I’m still mad at you, Hush. I don’t think I’ll ever be okay with you again. You think I’ll go to some college with you so you could diss me for a punk-ass guy like Mario? Hell no. For that, I stay here.

—I didn’t diss you. I was going to tell you about Mario.

—But you didn’t. I had to find out like some stranger. That’s messed up.

—You can’t be mad at me forever.

—You wanna bet?

—Well, then we’d be like real sisters. ’Cause family always mad at each other and love each other just the same.

—Let me try that, Dallas said and put her hand out toward the cigarette.

Dallas put it in her mouth and coughed.

—This shit is nastier than I thought.

—You get used to it, Hush said and moved around. Sitting on the bench, then getting up, then walking to hug the tree, then back toward Dallas.