Read Online Crossing the Line by Malín Alegría - Free Book Online

going?”
    Alexis just shrugged her shoulders, waving her friends to go on ahead. “Okay, I guess. I can’t believe I missed the first high school football game of the season. Sounds like everyone was there.”
    Fabi couldn’t believe her ears. “What?”
    â€œYou know what I mean.” She squeezed Fabi’s hand. “If Mom hadn’t forgotten her wallet, we wouldn’t have stopped at the restaurant. It just kinda sucks, you know — timing.”
    They grabbed their food and headed to an empty table. Fabi struggled with her feelings. How could her sister be so selfish? Chuy had been mugged, and by someone they probably knew. Wasn’t that freaky? Shouldn’t everyone be worried that there was some crazed mugger among them? And wasn’t it actually good timing that they’d found Chuy before his injuries had gotten much worse?
    Fabi shook her head to clear it. She just wanted to be normal for a second, so she tried to change the subject.
    â€œDo you need a ride to your voice class today? I think Santiago is —”
    Alexis was staring over Fabi’s shoulder. A sly smile danced on her face. “I think I have a ride.”
    â€œHey, Alexis.” Dex Andrews leaned on the table, gazing at Alexis and of course completely ignoring Fabi. “Missed you at the game last Friday.”
    Alexis blushed, tossing her hair flirtatiously. “I know. I hate myself for missing it, but I had this family emergency.”
    â€œEverything okay?” Dex asked.
    She waved her hand in a “forget it, it’s nothing” gesture. “Don’t worry about it.”
    â€œI know what you need,” Dex said as he pulled a yellow rose from behind his back and offered it to Alexis with a great flourish.
    Alexis giggled as she accepted the rose.
    Dex smiled, looking relieved. “Would you like to join me for lunch?” He motioned toward the jock and cheerleader tables. Then he put his hands together in a pleading gesture that obviously made Alexis weak in the knees. Before she’d actually managed to say anything, Dex grabbed Alexis’s lunch tray and started for the other side of the cafeteria.
    Fabi watched in shock as her sister crossed into jock territory. Alexis couldn’t care less about the rules . She did as she pleased — just like she always did .
    â€œHey, can I sit here?” a familiar voice asked. Fabi looked up at a blue lunch tray. Milo stood there, bobbing his head to some music on his iPod. Fabi wanted to tell him to leave her alone, but before she could, he plunked down across from her. Milo dug into his messy chili and cheese dog with gusto. But Fabi had lost her appetite and threw the baby carrot that she’d been holding back onto the tray in front of her.
    Milo noted Fabi’s silence. “Are you okay? That was crazy about your friend the other day. It reminded me of some of the hate crimes I saw in Phoenix. But I never saw nothing like that, you know, up close.”
    â€œHate crime?” Fabi asked, startled. “Who would hate Chuy? He doesn’t do anything but work hard. He goes to school. And he’s supporting his family in Mexico.”
    â€œWhere I’m from,” Milo said between bites, “being brown is reason enough for getting jumped.”
    She flinched. “Really? That wouldn’t happen here.”
    â€œNo? Why not?”
    â€œâ€™Cause we’re all Mexican,” Fabi said, motioning around the room. Anyone could see she was right. The school was 80 percent Hispanic, with just a sprinkling of whites and a few other ethnicities. Despite Milo’s comment, she refused to believe that Chuy was the victim of a hate crime.
    Sure, she was aware of the anti-immigrant and anti-Mexican attitudes across the country. She saw lots of it on TV. And people were getting hurt. But that kind of stuff never happened in the Valley.
    â€œHey, Fabi, I need to ask you a favor,”