When Elle first started noticing boys, her father took her aside to tell her about his courtship with her mom. “Do you know that it used to take me over six hours each way to go on a date with your mom? I had to get on a bus in Can Tho that then boarded two ferries to cross two different sections of the Mekong Delta. And once I got to the other side, I had to hire a cyclo driver to take me to your mom’s house in this out of the way district of Sàigòn. When I finally arrived, we would sit in the living room drinking tea under the supervision of her parents.” Yet he told the story with a smile on his face.

Maybe that’s why Elle couldn’t go anywhere past first base unless she thought the guy respected her. She also had to respect the guy. If she even kissed someone and later learned he was an idiot, it made her feel sick inside like she had been polluted. Elle wondered if it was different for Sophia because her dad wasn’t around. There was nobody to tell her these old-fashioned love stories.

Sophia said, “Chile Relleno,” and slid back under the covers. A draft settled in the space between their bodies. Elle curled up like a shrimp and pulled the blanket over her shoulder.

Elle made a shivering noise and said, “It’s so cold it’s Chile con Carne.” This word-game was an ongoing joke they shared. She added, “It’s so freezing, it’s Chili Davis,” for the Giants baseball player. They both cracked up.

Sophia asked, “Should we put our clothes back on?” She said it into the back of Elle’s neck so close that her breath tickled. Her new breasts flattened into Elle’s back. Elle wondered what it would be like to press her face into them, between them. They reminded her of fresh baked bread loaves, full and hearty. Elle ignored Sophia’s question and hoped to fall asleep with them resting warm, soft, and safe behind her.

That spring, temperatures hit record highs with days that matched Sacramento and Fresno. Everyone wore less clothes. There was an electric buzz in the air. Elle’s skin tingled beneath the sunlight. Her favorite dress was a backless fluorescent orange spandex tank dress. Sophia told her, “It forces everyone’s line of vision to automatically drift down to your butt. That’s your best asset, you’ve gotta work it.” Sophia was younger but she had a knack for these things. She of course, knowing her best assets, relied on her usual outfit, the white t-shirt. Weekends were the best. They liked to get dolled up and see how much free stuff they could get.