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Back Salt and Sugar Save as PDF
Chapters (56)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. About the Author
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. EPILOGUE
  56. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

And instantly I know I’ve got his attention.

“What’s that?” he says behind me.

I inhale sharply, but Pimentel reprimands him before I can say something.

“Pedro, go to the principal,” she says. “What you did is unacceptable! You could have fallen and broken your neck!”

“If you answer the equation, you can get extra credit,” Luana tells him, and he flashes her a smile.

“Go to the principal,” Pimentel repeats, but Pedro is still staring at the equation above my head. Now that he doesn’t have cake all over his face, I realize he’s changed a bit. Those Molina light brown eyes are usually bright and mischievous, like his brain is constantly looking for a good comeback. But now they’ve cooled off. Hardened. There’s a general tiredness in those eyes, the type that maybe isn’t just physical. Like wherever he went these past few weeks, maybe it wasn’t a good trip.

When he pushes his bangs off his forehead—he’s in serious need of a trim—his gaze flickers back to me. I look away before he thinks I was staring.

“May I answer it?” he asks our teacher.

“You want to answer the challenge?” Pimentel sounds pleasantly surprised.

“I missed some quizzes and I really need extra credit. May I answer it?”

He makes puppy eyes. The others back him up, begging her to let him. A flash of vanity crosses her face when she adjusts her glasses. She seems to forget his rude interruption for a second and looks proud of herself for finally getting everyone interested in mathematics. “Well,” she hesitates, and then smiles, “go for it.”

Pedro grabs a marker and scoots next to me to start working.

“But you’re headed to the principal as soon as you’re done—” Pimentel’s voice gets drowned out with the cheers that erupt from Pedro’s friends.

His hand flies on the whiteboard as he answers line after line. He’s as sharp as always. Even Pimentel is starting to look dazzled. It reminds me of all the times she’s tried to convince him to join the mathematics club. Thankfully, he didn’t. He knew I’d be there.

“I bet I can finish it before you, even though I got here late,” he whispers to me.

So he thinks he can challenge me?

“Bring it.”

Behind us, our classmates start placing bets, and just like that our rivalry is back, as if he had never left.

11

MONDAY, APRIL 25

School is how Pedro and I deal with our families’ feud.

On test days, we compete to see who gets the highest score. We’re always on opposite teams during gym. Even during lunch, we’re vying to see who gets to the line at the cafeteria first. Always competing. Always trying to make a point.

Today’s battlefield is the whiteboard.

“You sure know how to cause a scene...” I say under my breath.