Stay

Alexi narrowed his eyes. He put his mouth to her ear. “There’s a lot of flowery bath stuff in my bathroom.”

Mia giggled and bit her lip.

“It’s nice to speak to someone who knows Italian.” Kristnaldo gestured to the girls on either side of him. “No one else here speaks anything but Spanish or English.”

“Mia speaks—” Alexi said.

Mia gave Alexi a kick under the table, hoping the action was universal for shut up. She may speak a little Italian, but Kristnaldo was the last person she wanted to know that information. Her fondness for languages had its limits.

***

When they got home from school, Alexi tossed his book bag on one of the desks in the recreation room. “I want my welcome present.”

Mia had been hoping he’d forgotten. She tried for a distraction. “The last movie we watched was gory action, and you slept through it. It’s my turn to pick.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.”

“No.”

“Then no gift.”

From his expression, wheels were turning in his mind as he tried to find a way to get the present and his pick of a movie.

“No? I don’t get the welcome gift because I’m not welcome?” Alexi asked.

She shifted in her seat.

“It’s mine,” he insisted.

“It was Sacha’s.”

“I’m Sacha.”

“Fine.” Mia walked into her room, went into her closet and returned with the iridescent pink box she’d hidden the day he arrived. Next, she stopped by the media center and grabbed the girly movie disc. Standing before him, she held aloft the girly movie disc in her left hand and the pink welcome box in the palm of her right. She raised her eyebrows then raised the pink welcome gift in the air. After Alexi nodded his acceptance of her terms, she tossed the gift to him and sat down with one leg tucked beneath her. Grinning, Alexi placed the box on the coffee table and untied the large bow. He pulled off the lid, set it aside and lifted out the first item: a black eyeliner pencil. Alexi frowned.

Mia smiled. “I like guys in black eyeliner. You’ll be like a rock star.” She was only half joking.

The pencil clinked against the tabletop when Alexi sat it beside the box. “No. Girls shouldn’t wear so much makeup, and guys never should wear any.” He eyed her face. “You don’t need any makeup.” So firm with his opinions. “But when you do wear it, you wear just enough.”

She’d do as she liked, so she rolled her eyes, but was rather pleased at the compliment. Another layer of tissue paper flew away, revealing a micro-mini skirt. He looked between it and Mia.

“I’m guessing that’s mine now?” Mia asked.

“Did you think I would need to earn extra money on the streets?” Alexi tossed it to her and removed more tissue paper. Cautiously staring at what it revealed, he stuck his hand into the box and lifted out the pile of wobbly lace in his big hand. The water bra.

Chapter 10

“What?” Alexi held up the bra. His eyes widened, erasing his frown. After shaking it, he squished it between his fingers. He repeated this several times, becoming rather focused. “How do you…”

Ms. Joellen entered the room, setting down a tray of small sandwiches and cut fruit. She nodded at them.

Alexi stopped talking, dropped the bra back in the box, slammed the lid, and shoved it toward Mia.

“Are you sure, Pandora?” Mia didn’t try to contain her smirk.

“It’s girl stuff.”