Delia's Crossing (Delia 1)

“She doesn’t like talking about it, but I doubt it,” Sophia told them. “He depended on me for that sort of thing. She’s so…naive.”

They all looked at me as if I were from another planet, and then their attention returned quickly to the house and the boys.

Ignacio and his friends moved up the driveway and around the side of the house like shadows cut loose in the moonlight, hovering close together, a monster with four heads.

“Bradley is about to get the shock of his life,” Sophia said. “I hope they rearrange his face.”

No one spoke. Suddenly, Trudy realized the seriousness of what was about to occur.

“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. That short Mexican boy looked like he could kill someone, Sophia,” she said.

Sophia looked at her and then at the house.

“Trudy’s right, Sophia. These Mexican boys carry switchblades and stuff. Maybe we should follow them in and make sure they don’t go too far,” said Delores, who was sitting next to me.

“I’m not going in there,” Sophia said. “Don’t be stupid. That would be exactly the wrong thing for us to do.”

“Why?” Delores asked.

“Why? Right now, we can’t be blamed for anything that happens. We’ll say we followed them because we were afraid they might do something, understand? But we became afraid and stopped following them.”

No one spoke.

A part of me wanted me to get out and run up to the house, shouting warnings and screaming at Ignacio to stop before he got himself and his friends into big trouble, but I was too frightened to move.

“Bradley’s father is a pretty important man around here,” Delores said. Her words hung in the air like a threat.

“We haven’t done anything,” Sophia reminded them. “We can’t make boys that age do what we want, can we, especially Mexican boys? Maybe they’re all illegal or something, too. You going to get between them and their revenge?”

“Yes, but what if there really was no need for revenge?” Alisha asked her.

“What do you mean?”

“Except for your brother, you, and your mother, no one knows what Bradley supposedly did to her,” Alisha said. “And your mother didn’t go to the police.”

“So?”

“Why wouldn’t she?”

“Ask her when you get the chance,” Sophia said.

“Are you absolutely sure that Bradley raped her? You said she won’t talk about it.”

They all looked at me.

“Go on, tell them what he did to you, Delia. You can’t be bashful anymore. It’s too late. Talk.”

I shook my head.

“Alisha’s right, Sophia. What if she is lying?” Trudy asked.

“Shut up, Trudy. You’re just making everyone crazy.”

“Did your mother take her to a doctor, at least?” Delores asked. “And have her examined? They can tell if you’ve been raped.”

“No. I told you my mother didn’t do and isn’t doing anything about it. That’s why Edward got so angry and why we’re here. Which reminds me…what about my brother? Forget about Delia for a moment. What about what happened to him? He lost an eye, Delores, and you know who’s responsible. What if that happened to your brother, huh?”

“All right, all right. We’re just asking, Sophia. Don’t burst a blood vessel.”