chapter twenty four

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2003

Camila

For once in her life, Camila is excited for school. Yesterday, a little Spanish speaking angel had saved her, and Camila is determined to see her again. She's told her mami all about her, about how a pretty girl had rescued her from a bully, and how they're best friends now, and how she can't wait to see her again. Sinu had said it was sweet, but she didn't want Camila to end up disappointed.

She knows the other girl is in the grade ahead of her, so Camila decides she's going to stand by the classrooms when they're let out for break, and see if she can find her. Unfortunately for her, her class gets out late for recess, so when Camila toddles over to all of the other classrooms, they're already empty.

She sighs, and walks out onto the playground by herself, looking around in all of the crowds for the pretty girl, Lauren, and she wonders if Lauren had only said they could be friends to be nice. Maybe she felt bad that Camila couldn't speak to anybody else, so she entertained her for that one recess and that's all.

She sighs, and after looking around for the girl a little more, she can't find her. Pouting, Camila walks over to the little corner she always stays in, her eyes widening when she sees the girl already sat there, munching on a bag of animal crackers.

She breaks out into a run and almost trips as she sits down in front of the girl, waving excitedly. "Hola, Lauren!"

"Hola, Camila," Lauren smiles holding out the bag of animal crackers, "you can have the rest. I was saving them."

"Gracias," Camila smiles, taking the animal crackers, looking up at Lauren with adoring eyes. One day, Camila hopes to be as big and strong as Lauren is. "Estoy feliz de que usted está aquí."

Lauren crinkles her nose in confusion. "I'm so- uh, lo siento. I don't, um... understand. I mean, I don't... hold on, my mami taught me this... No compredo- uh- lo que estás diciendo."

Lauren's words are shaky and stammered, but Camila understands, nodding quickly. She sighs, because she wishes it was easier for her to pick up English. She knows what people mean, mostly, but she can't seem to get the words to connect in her head, or get them in the right order. She hopes that one day she'll be good at it.

"You here, happy," Camila tries to explain, "me happy."

Lauren seems to get it. "You're happy to see me?"

"Si!" Camila exclaims, clapping her hands excitedly. "I happy to see you!"

Lauren smiles. "I'm happy to see you too."

"Somos amigas?" Camila questions, just to double check, pointing to herself first and then to Lauren. "We friends?"

"Yes! Uh, wait, I mean, si!" Lauren announces, and copying Camila questioningly, she adds, "Amigas."

Camila bites down on her bottom lip, not sure what to say. She's never had a friend before; even back home in Cuba, she always stayed by herself in school, frightened of how loud the other kids were. "Cuál es tu película favorita, Lauren?"

Lauren picks at the fabric on the leg of her dungarees. "Um, no comprendo... I'm sorry, I don't know much Spanish yet. I tried to learn so much last night, I wanted to know more when I got here to impress you, so we could talk properly, but I didn't remember a lot of the stuff I asked my mami to teach me and I'm sorry, I'm so stupid!"

Camila blinks in surprise when Lauren bursts into tears, and her first emotion is one of shock. If there's anyone she didn't expect to cry, it was Lauren. Yesterday, when she'd fought off Camila's bully, she seemed so big and tough, but now she looks so little and sad.

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