Salted Caramel Dreams Read online

  “Guess it’s now or never,” Courtney says.

  The list turns out to be two sheets of yellow paper taped up to the glass wall in front of the cafeteria, surrounded by a crowd of students. As we make our way to the front, I hear some cheers and sighs of relief, along with a few whimpers and “oh wells.”

  Ava finds her name first. “OhmiGod!” she screams, then stops, bringing her hand to her mouth. “I got it!” she mouths to us. “Cinderella!”

  “Yes! I knew you would,” I say.

  Courtney gives her a hug before scooting in next.

  “Guess who’s gonna be your evil stepmother?” she says.

  “You didn’t?” says Ava.

  “Yes! I did!”

  “OhmiGod congrats! That’s the other lead! I can’t believe we did it. We took both the leads!”

  As they embrace again, I turn to the second sheet, my eyes scanning for the Ws. After a moment I find my name near the bottom.

  Jasmine Wilson—Dove, it says.

  “Huh. I guess I’m a dove,” I say.

  Ava turns to me. “That’s awesome! You got a real part—not just the ensemble! On your first try!”

  I smile as the news sinks in. “Oh my goodness you’re right. I’m the dove!”

  “That’s not a nothing part either,” says Courtney. “There’s a lot of singing involved. See, told ya you have a good voice.”

  I blush as Ava looks back at Henry and Joseph.

  “How’d you guys make out?” she asks.

  Joseph speaks first, his face all smiles. “King Maximilian.”

  “And I’m Prince Charming,” says Henry.

  At this, we all laugh.

  “Wow, it looks like we really cleaned up,” says Ava. “We took, like, all the best parts!”

  “We need to celebrate,” says Courtney.

  “Let’s go downtown,” says Joseph. “Maybe ice cream? Or something warmer?”

  “How about Dolce?” I say, then stop. Do I really want to go back there without Kiara? Before I can suggest something else, I hear the group agreeing.

  “Oh I love Dolce, they have the best hot chocolate!” says Ava.

  “Yeah and they make this white chocolate one too,” says Courtney.

  “And don’t forget the salted caramel,” says Joseph. “I get it every time.”

  I bring my hand to my mouth as we grab our bags and slip out the front doors, wondering how many times Joseph has stared up at the Dolce chalkboard and ordered a salted caramel steamer, never even knowing the two girls who created it. For a moment I debate telling him the drink’s history, but by the time I’m back in the conversation, the moment has passed. Joseph is talking like King Maximilian, chasing Henry down the sidewalk. Ava’s on the phone with her mom, Courtney’s head is buried in a text. I decide to do the same, writing to Mom that I scored a small part. And then I savor the moment, smiling wide as we follow the road under the highway, over a creek, and then back under the train tracks before reaching downtown.

  When we arrive, Dolce is empty, giving me little time to think about my order. I let the others go first, my heart pounding as Joseph orders the salted caramel steamer. But I decide not to follow suit. Today is about new friends and new adventures. So I order the mocha mixer and a chocolate chip cookie instead. The girl behind the counter, a high schooler who’s been working this shift for years, does a double take but doesn’t question me. I’m grateful. There are parts of Dolce that will always be just for me and Kiara. That drink is one of them.

  Though it turns out the mocha mixer isn’t too bad. I down it in minutes, amazed by how a drink can sweeten my mood. Everyone is still talking about the play, discussing Monday’s first song practice—we need to learn the music before we can start learning lines—and analyzing who got which part. Henry was smart enough to snap a picture of the whole list, and we go through it part by part, talking about how it’s going to be the best performance yet.

  “The Kapoor sisters won the other animal roles,” says Ava, turning to me. “They’re both great singers, and really sweet too. You’ll love hanging out with them.”

  “Oh cool,” I say, still a little unsure how this whole rehearsal thing works. “Will I just be with them, or will I see you guys too?”

  “Don’t worry, we’re all gonna see each other until we’re sick of it,” says Henry. “You’ll just hang out with the people in your scenes the most.”

  “Usually they break us into groups for rehearsing and stuff,” says Joseph. “But that won’t be for a few weeks yet. Once we finish with the songs.”

  “Right. Songs first.”

  He nods, and I can feel my face burning as I try to think of what to say next. Joseph is right there across the table, looking at me and leaning back in his lime green metal seat. But nothing comes to me. It’s like my brain decides to shut down every time his bright eyes shine into mine.

  Luckily, Ava saves me. “So, enough with the play. Anything fun going on this weekend?” she asks.

  Joseph shakes his head. “Catching up on some video games?”

  “Yes! I am way behind on War Tales,” says Henry.

  Courtney laughs. “Seriously? You guys are gonna celebrate with video games?”

  “What? It’s, like, two degrees out. And with rehears-als starting, who knows when I’ll have another free weekend,” says Joseph.

  “True,” says Ava. “Though I was thinking more along the lines of a movie. I saw that Crushed is playing at the theater downtown.”

  “Oh, I’ve wanted to see that,” says Courtney. “It looks super cute.”

  “Ugh. Total chick flick,” says Henry.

  Courtney sticks out her tongue. “Well, if you go, I’m totally in,” she says to Ava.

  “Great, let’s do it!”

  And then for a moment, everyone stops talking. I know that this is when I should invite myself along, to say that I’ve been dying to see Crushed too. Only I’ve been knocked off balance by a wave of sadness, my mind all tangled up in thoughts of Kiara and me and Dolce, planning our own weekend adventures. As great as it feels hanging out with Ava and Courtney, it’s just not the same.

  “So Jas, are you free? Any interest in Crushed?” asks Ava, her voice unsure.

  And it’s then that I realize I’ve been frowning, staring at the door.

  I blink once, then smile. “Oh yeah, that’d be great! I’d love to,” I say.

  “Good. Let’s text tomorrow,” says Ava.” We can figure out a time to meet then.”

  The weekend planned, we all part ways. Once I’m alone, thoughts of Kiara come flooding back. As I pass by our old corner meeting spot, I can’t shake the feeling that my current happiness would be sweeter if I could share it with my old best friend.

  When I open my front door, I’m surprised to find streamers overhead and my entire family buzzing in the kitchen.

  “Congratulations Jazzy!” says Mom, running over to give me a kiss. “I couldn’t be prouder!”

  I drop my bag by the front door before following her into the kitchen. “Thanks, Mom. Is all of this for me?”

  “Of course,” she says. “Getting a part in your first play is such a big deal! It deserves a celebration.”

  And then for the next two hours Kiara is the farthest thing from my mind as I eat, laugh, and talk with my family. Mom has made my favorites tonight—empanadas, arepas and fried plantains, served with a side of Dad’s special French fries and gravy—and I dig in, devouring a huge plateful. About halfway through the meal, Michael and Edwin start a game of Pictionary, drawing animal shapes in their gravy, and holding up their plates for all to see. At first Mom rolls her eyes and asks them to stop, since gravy spills off their plates every time they lift them up, but then Dad starts shouting answers, and soon we’re all laughing and playing along.

  “Lion—no, jaguar—no, cheetah! No, no it’s a . . . oh I don’t know, it’s a jungle cat!” Dad yells as Michael draws.

  “No, it’s a fox!” says Mom. “Definitely a fox!�
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  “Lobo! Lobo, lobo!” yells Abuela, baring her teeth like a wolf.

  Michael shakes his head before editing his picture, a glob of gravy hitting me in the chin as he adds stripes to the animal’s torso.

  “Horse!” says Mom. “That’s a horse!”

  Another shake.

  “Zebra!” I yell. “The stripes! It’s a zebra!”

  Michael nods, then grabs my hand and raises it with his. “We have a winner!”

  “Woo!” yells Edwin.

  “I still think it looks like a cat,” says Dad.

  We all laugh.

  “All right, all right,” says Mom. “It’s time for the coconut pudding!”

  She throws two towels at Michael and Edwin, who get to work sopping up the gravy. We dig in to dessert, and I’m reminded that this celebration is for me. And that, unlike dinner after that first drama club meeting, this time I’ve earned it. It feels good and overwhelming all at once to think of the many new things I’ve done in just one month—and of all the new possibilities still lying ahead.

  Chapter Eleven

  LUNCH BUNCH

  “So, oh my God, did you see how cute Henry looked yesterday?” says Courtney between bites of popcorn.

  Ava rolls her eyes. “Girl, Henry might be nice to look at, but he’s totally wrapped up in Henry. Ugh. The last thing that boy needed was to win the lead.”

  “I know, I know,” Courtney says. “But seriously, I don’t care. I mean, he’s funny and cute and totally stuck in my head. So he’s a tiny bit into himself? It’s a speed bump, not a road block.”

  Ava shakes her head. “I think you’ve gone crazy.”

  Courtney giggles. “Hey! That’s not fair. Henry is nice . . . sometimes. And he’s super funny in class. And I mean, he’s going to make such an adorable Prince Charming . . .” She drops her voice to a whisper as the lights dim and the previews fill the screen. “And it’s not like I’m the only one with a crush.” She gives me a nudge and a smile.

  “Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?” I say. I can feel my heart start thumping.

  Courtney looks at Ava.

  “Don’t blame me, I didn’t say a word! She figured it out herself,” says Ava.

  “But there’s nothing to figure out,” I say.

  “Right,” says Courtney.

  Ava pats my back. “No worries, Court’s not a gossiper.”

  “Obviously,” says Courtney. “You think I’d say anything about you with all you know about Henry? Geez, can you imagine if he ever found out how much I talk about him?”

  Even in the dim theater, I can see her cheeks turn red.

  “I think he’d see it as a compliment,” I say, and they both laugh just as the opening credits of Crushed fill the screen.

  After the movie, we decide to go to Dolce while we wait for our moms to pick us up. But it’s closed, so we end up at the ice cream shop next door instead.

  “So how tough are these rehearsals gonna be?” I ask after Courtney finishes comparing Henry’s hotness to that of the main guy in Crushed.

  Ava smiles. “Finally! A conversation where I can add value,” she says. “The next few weeks should be pretty easy as we work on the songs. I mean, don’t get me wrong, there will a lot of hard work, especially for you practicing your solo and stuff.”

  “Solo!” I blurt, my eyes wide. I didn’t quite realize a solo would be involved in the part of the dove.

  Ava shoots me a smile. “Don’t worry, Jas. You’re going to do great! Miss Tabitha is always so nice in rehearsals. She’s not intimidating at all. After songs, we practice the scenes, and then the last week, with dress rehearsals, gets pretty crazy. And then we have the performances. They’re definitely the best part.”

  “I can’t wait,” I say, trying to stay optimistic and ignore the lump forming in my throat related to my surprise solo. Miss Tabitha is sweet, and she’ll go easy on me, I tell myself. I cling to this thought until Mom picks me up.

  Back home in my room, Ava texts good night, and I replay the evening in my head. I really do have new friends! Despite Courtney’s quizzing me on Joseph, I had a fun time tonight.

  As rehearsals for the play begin, my nervousness quickly turns into excitement. The next few weeks pass just as Ava described. We focus first on singing the ensemble songs before breaking into groups to work on smaller scenes. I get to know the other girls playing the animals, Ana and Samira Kapoor. They’re both excellent singers, and very sweet, just as Ava described. We practice our scenes during each rehearsal, and sing the song with my solo so many times that by the end of each rehearsal, the words all jumble together in my head. After a few weeks, we start calling ourselves “the animal squad,” and then others catch on too, calling us “the squad” for short. It feels good to be a part of the squad, and I smile every time I hear someone say it.

  In addition to all the rehearsals, I run through my singing and speaking parts in the evenings for Mom and Abuela, and sometimes even during lunch with Ava and Courtney. Three weeks into rehearsals, Henry and Joseph join us, squeezing two extra chairs between Courtney and Ava at our already-crowded lunch table. This causes quite a bit of whispering among the other girls—none of us has ever sat at a lunch table with boys before!

  Having Joseph at our table is an extra challenge for me when we start running through our lines. I can feel Lori’s eyes on me as I sneak a peek at Joseph during my turn and then miss a word, my cheeks growing hot. Can she tell I have a crush on him? I worry about it all through lunch—I don’t want my name to be added to her crush sheet. Luckily, she doesn’t seem to notice.

  Ava smirks at both me and Courtney as we leave the cafeteria. “Girls, you need to get it together, or Lori is going to have a field day!” she says.

  “I know, I know,” I say, blushing.

  Courtney giggles. “Sorry. We were unprepared. Having them at our table is just so . . . public. But next time we’ll do better. We’ll be very professional.”

  Ava rolls her eyes. “Okay . . .”

  But Courtney is right—each day they’re at the lunch table is more comfortable. I get very good at saying hello when Joseph shows up, and even find myself laughing with him when we bring almost the same lunch from home. And while I never muster up the courage to have an actual conversation with Joseph, I find that as the days pass, I’m more relaxed about having him sitting across from me. And all the practice really does help with my lines.

  Which is a relief, given that the play is now only two weeks away.

  “You did great today,” says Ava as we grab our bags and head out to the high school lobby to wait for our rides home. It’s February now, and the cold has made walking home almost unbearable, especially as rehearsals are now dipping from afternoon into evenings. Though according to Ava, the next two weeks are when things get serious. This week we’re adding a special Saturday rehearsal. Then next Monday we start dress rehearsals. Then Friday, March 9, is opening night. It’s all a little overwhelming, yet exciting too. After all our hard work, I’m eager to see everything come together.

  “Yeah, you were awesome,” says Joseph coming up from behind.

  I feel myself tense as he smiles at me, his eyes meeting mine.

  “I—uh, thanks,” I say.

  “Of course. Anyway, I’ll see you later. That car’s mine,” he says, pointing at the latest set of headlights.

  As soon as he leaves, I breathe. “Geez, when’s it gonna get easier? Talking to Joseph’s harder than singing in the play!”

  Ava laughs. “We seriously have to work on this. Seeing the two of you just smiling at lunch and tiptoeing around rehearsals is killing me,” she says. “He obviously likes you, and you like him. Like, all you have to do is talk to each other!”

  “I know, I know. But I can’t. Every time he’s around, my brain just malfunctions.”

  “Well, I guess I know what we’ll be doing at Friday’s sleepover then,” says Courtney, joining us.

  “And what’s that?” I say.r />
  “Practice!” they both shout.

  “More play practice?” I say innocently.

  Ava rolls her eyes. “No! You know exactly what we’ll be practicing.”

  “All right, all right,” I say, just as Mom pulls up. “So you still up for the concert beforehand?”

  Both girls nod and I smile back. I’m happy they agreed to go to Lori and Cam’s band concert when they asked us last week, and even happier to be having a sleepover. I haven’t had one since my last sleepover with Kiara, and that was months ago. Having one with my new friends makes me feel like I’ve really moved on.

  “So I’ll see you tomorrow then,” I say, reaching for the door. Ava stops me before I can exit.

  “You know, Joseph’s little sister is in the band,” she says. “He might be there too. Should I ask him to sit with us?”

  My stomach swirls. “I . . . uh, I’m not sure,” I say. Having him across the table at lunch is one thing, but sitting with him at a concert feels almost like a date. Especially since Lori only asked the girls.

  Ava smiles. “Why don’t I just ask him? It might be weirder if he sees us there and no one mentions it.”

  Still unsure, I nod. “Okay, unless . . .”

  “Unless what?”

  “Well, I don’t want him thinking I’m stalking him or anything . . .”

  “Don’t worry, Jas,” she says. “I’ll just tell him the truth. That we’re going to hear Lori and Cameron play and I remembered his little sis. Trust me, it’ll be fine.”

  “Well, keep me posted then.”

  “I’ll text you after I talk to him,” she says with a wave.

  For the next twenty-four hours, she leaves me waiting for that text. At lunch, the boys don’t show—they still spend some days sitting at their old table—and when I ask Ava about it she just shrugs.

  “Don’t worry, he’ll write back,” she says.

  But I do worry. All day long. Every class feels twice as long, and every muscle feels tense as my mind keeps circling back to Joseph.

  I chat with Lori on our way out of English. “So, I’m excited for the concert tomorrow,” I say as we pour into the hall.

  Lori smiles. “Me too! We’ve been working so hard, it’s really gonna be an awesome show!”