Accidental Love by Gary Soto Read Free Book Online

school, though Marisa had told her nothing about Rene. "What's your dad like?"
    "Short," Rene answered. "But my parents are divorced." He looked into the distance as if his father was somewhere far away and he was trying to catch a glimpse of him. Marisa sighed and wished she hadn't asked the question. They laced their hands together and wiggled their fingers.
    "What about the play?" Marisa asked. "I don't know any of these characters." She ran down the cast: Mercutio, Escalus, Benvolio, Nurse. Marisa tapped the word
nurse.
    "I'll play the nurse, like you said earlier. I could play a person helping other people."
    "Marisa, it's not like a
nurse,
nurse. This character is sort of like ... a babysitter."
    Marisa wrinkled her forehead, confused.
    "In the play, the nurse is Juliet's helper, you know, like someone who helps her dress and stuff. She's like a confidante."
    "Where did you learn to talk like that?" Marisa asked. "I never use words like that one you said."
    "The word is
confidante.
It means someone you tell your innermost thoughts to without worrying. What you tell that person is kept between you two."
    "Oh, so if I tell you something really private, you'll keep it to yourself?"
    "That's right." Rene tapped the toe of his shoe. "So what are you going to tell me?"
    "I'm not going to tell you anything. You'll tell somebody in your chess club."
    "I won't! I'm your confidant." He made a large swooping crossing motion across his heart. His Adam's apple rode up and down as he waited for her to deliver a secret. "So what is it?"
    Right then the skateboarder rolled back, hands in his pockets, and taunted, "Hey, doofus!"
    Marisa's fists clenched. "What did you say?" She pulled her leg over the bench like she was getting off a horse, ready to smack him one.
    The skateboarder sailed away, shirttail flapping. His greenish hair was like a horn on top of his head.
    "He's a pimply
güey
." Her chest was heaving. She was aware that her new classmates were sizing the two of them up, and earlier in the week she had heard snickers when they'd passed by together in the hallway. But this was the first direct verbal strike.
What is it to him, that ugly fool?
    "I don't care," Rene said. "So what's your secret?"
    Marisa breathed in and out several times as she calmed herself. She assembled nice thoughts and, nervously turning the ring on her thumb, announced, "Well, Mr. Confidence, I have never had a
beso
laid on me."
    "What?"
    "A kiss, homeboy."
    "You mean your grandmother never kissed you?"
    "No, not like that! You know what I mean." She closed her eyes and waited for Rene to bring his face toward hers. She waited and waited, then peeked through the shadows of her eyelashes. Her eyes sprang open. Rene was no longer next to her.
    From the corner of her eye she could see the skateboarder who had taunted Rene. He was on his back, his legs fanning in and out, hurt by a spill. He meant nothing to her. "What are you doing?" she called to Rene, who was at a nearby trash can.
    "Getting rid of my chewing gum," he hollered in return as he tried to shake the gum into the trash can. The gum was stuck to his fingers.
    Oh, he's such a nerd,
she thought, then closed her eyes and waited for him to return.
    Rene tasted of Juicy Fruit when Marisa finally got her first
beso.

    The auditorium was dark and the students were half lit in the stage lights. Marisa's stomach turned nervously. She reviewed the students—one she recognized from her English class—and then the director who had his eyeglasses sitting on his forehead. His shirt cuffs were rolled up. His belly bounced when he took a long step, demonstrating an action.
    "I don't know," Marisa said nervously. Her feet seemed to stick to the floor.
    "Come on," Rene begged, and hooked his arm into hers.
    They read for parts, and they were assigned to be in the chorus. The director, Mr. Mitchell, soothed
them by saying they were stupendous actors but singing voices were also needed.
    "But I can't sing,"