The Spanish Club

Chapter 2

“Maybe later. I’m not really in the mood to listen to anything right now.”

“Did you happen to bring that crossword book with you?”

Brianna shook her head and mentally kicked herself for ever buying that stupid book at the airport. Why didn’t she get something cooler instead, like one of those celebrity gossip magazines? Because, of course, she considered them a waste of money, and she loved word games. Still, maybe she should throw the book away before Enrique saw it.

“That’s too bad,” Stacia said. “I’m bored.”

“You could try counting the lines on the road and see how high you can go,” Dana said with exaggerated enthusiasm.

“Oh, I hate stuff like that,” Stacia replied. “It puts me to sleep.”

A broad, saccharine smile took over Dana’s face, but Brianna pretended not to notice.

“Hey,” Stacia said, her eyes growing wide, “you guys wanna play Truth or Dare? We can probably get everybody to join in.”

Dana threw another readable look at Brianna. Clinique for brains. “I’m going to take a nap.” Without another word, she moved into the empty seat across the aisle and laid down, sending a clear message. If Stacia wouldn’t shut up, Dana would shut her out.

They’re like magnets that naturally repel each other, Brianna thought. Maybe it was a good thing Dana would never get a chance to watch a dance team halftime performance.

“You guys didn’t get much sleep?” Stacia asked Brianna.

“We stayed up talking for awhile.”

“Katie and Lil’ Bit went to bed as soon as we got to the hotel.” Stacia dropped her voice to a whisper. “They have special silky blindfolds and matching hats for sleeping in.”

Brianna stifled a giggle and peered around Stacia at the two sisters seated in front of her. It seemed like a mirror divided the aisle between them and their game of Go Fish; each sat Indian-style, their long, mahogany hair pulled back in identical ponytails. For the past two years, Brianna had shared history class with Katie, the older one, without ever exchanging a word with her. Unmoved by their teacher’s non-textbook knowledge of historical gossip, Katie spent most of the class writing notes to pass to her friends in the hallway. When she did bother looking up, she sat erect as if balancing a stack of books—or a tiara—on her head. Dana often called the Homecoming Princess the very reason popularity contests shouldn’t exist.

“It took them almost two hours to get ready this morning,” Stacia said. “They had to wash their faces with three different creams and put on five layers of makeup.”

Brianna felt embarrassed by her own long morning routine, which produced nowhere near the result of the sisters’ efforts.

“And then after all that, their parents called and riled them up. Katie said her folks were afraid they’d skipped out on the flight. Unbelievable, right? I mean, how does it get flipped so that your parents force you to go on a vacation without them?”