We don’t say anything the rest of the walk home. Even when we get into the small elevator that always smells of old pizza boxes, we don’t speak. The elevator groans to the second floor. I think of making a joke. Maybe something about stale cheese farts. But I can’t think of nothing.

Teri’s brother is standing near the front door when we get in, hands stuffed into his too-tight jeans. His hanging around waiting for us isn’t unusual. Unless he’s got a friend, he’s always hanging around, looking for someone to bother. But him following us into Teri’s room? That be unusual.

“How you girls doing?” He says it like he’s an Italian mobster. He lived in Santo Domingo for his first ten years, but he’s obsessed with The Sopranos.

“Flaming idiot,” I mumble, turning my back to him.

“What you say?”

“Fine, we’re fine!” I smile at him. Since I’ve never done this before, it confuses him.

“Nah, I think you said something.” He looks too big for Teri’s room. Like he wouldn’t ever fit in her bed. Like if he leaned on her desk, it’d crack in two. He’s wearing a T-shirt. Which is funny, ’cause it’s cold in here. Teri’s mama keeps the heat off, relies on the neighbors’ radiators to keep us warm. I get it. Good way to save money.

“What do you want, Carlos?” Teri flops down on the bed and glares at the ceiling. She’s tired out from our fight. She’s not like me. She don’t like confrontation. Her fingers flit over the end of her ponytail, pulling the strands straight. I sit by her shoulder. I don’t take my coat off.

Carlos goes to the door and looks down the hall.

“What are you doing?” Teri asks at the same time I say, “Who are you looking for?”

“Mami. Y Pedro,” he answers closing the door. I stand up. I don’t like being shut in rooms with boys I don’t want to have sex with.

“Mami won’t be back until nine. Her shift ends at eight-thirty. Every day. Remember? And Pedro’s probably with Leeza. Like he always is.” Carlos has their mama’s brain genes. Not much going on up there. With either of them. Teri’s mama is a medical assistant at the hospital. She’s why I don’t let nobody but a doctor or a nurse touch me when I go there. Luckily, she’s in colorectal and has nothing to do with me. We joke about how all she does is wipe old people’s asses all day. Part of me feels bad making fun of Teri’s mama. At least she’s still around, working, bringing home food for her kids. Teri and Pedro, they take after their papi. They’re smart. Smart enough to split from this place or spend as little time here as possible. Only reason Teri’s home every afternoon these days is on account of me. And it’s not like Teri’s papi is totally checked out either. He runs a car service in DR. Every summer, he flies Teri and Pedro down to visit him. Teri got lucky in the parent department, even if she got the mala pata with her half brother.

“Come on, Teresa, why you have to talk to me like that? I’m no pendejo, you know? I sees things. I hears things.” He looks at me as he says this. He crosses his arms. His T-shirt looks like it’s gonna rip. Like someone stuck it in the dryer too many times.

I grab one of the pillows off Teri’s bed. It’s purple with lace all around. I hold it against me so I can turn and face him. I don’t like how he’s talking.

“I know she been sleeping here,” Carlos says. “Every night.”

Teri sits up real quick.

“Yeah, Mari, you think you so smart, huh? So tough, huh? How come you no with Bertie no more?”

“That’s none of your business, dipshit.” I say it with a smile.

“Yeah, well I heard you was botao. He threw you out. ’Cause you wasn’t puttin’ out no more.”

My fingers dig into the pillow. Bertie wouldn’t say that. Even if it was true.

“Tú sí eres baboso,” Teri says. “You’re crazy.”

“Uh-oh. ¿Te vas a fajar conmigo? You gonna beat me up?” Carlos is looking at me, his eyes all wide, pretend-scared.

I unclench my hands. I move the purple pillow down over my belly. If it weren’t for Angelo—and Teri—I would beat Carlos up. Muscles don’t scare me. “Who’d you hear that from?” I keep my voice real sweet. My bet’s on Skinner. Or one of his manin. The man’s not dumb. Sure he knows I been dragging his name through all sorts of ratreria every chance I get.

Carlos loosens his arms. That ugly T-shirt still looks too tight. “Don’t matter how I know. But I know.”

Teri grabs up a small stuffed bear. Buttercup. Her papi got it for her for her tenth birthday. She’s holding it in her lap. She’s rubbing its nose over and over, even though the thread’s all gone. The nose got rubbed off years ago. “What do you want?” she asks.

“I’s just saying, it look like Mari need a place to stay.” He shrugs. He sniffs real loud and his chin juts up. “She could stay with me. In my room.”

“Carlos. No.” Teri lets go of Buttercup. Her hand slices the air.

I want to yuke.

“You want Mami to find out? That she been staying here? Eatin’ all our food? ’Cause I’m gonna tell her. I tell her tonight.” He’s smiling like a kid who won a street-fair prize. Only he don’t know it’ll come apart and spill Styrofoam peanuts everywhere as soon as he gets it home.

“If she no want to be with me, she can always pay. Fifty bucks. Like at a hotel.”

I’m about to rip the lace off the pillow. I want to scream that he’s a dipshit pendejo and if I had money I’d be in a hotel and not their dirty, stinking apartment. But I don’t want to hurt Teri. And screaming won’t work. Not this time.

I take a breath. Calm myself down. Angelo is turning over inside me. He’s as disgusted as I am. Don’t worry, baby boy. Mama’s going to take care of this.

“Okay.” I say it slow, like I’ve been considering it.

“What?!” Teri’s head jerks to me.

“Really?” Carlos grins. I want to smack that smile off his face so hard his teeth come with it. But that won’t help anything.

“You can’t be serious.” Teri grabs my arm but I give her a look. Wait.

I lift my nose and breathe in. “¿Qué grajo? What’s that smell?” I smell my armpit. I smell Teri. “Nope, not us.” I look at Carlos. “Must be you.” I say it real pleasant. I take the corner of my shirt, twist it in my hand. This makes my collar go down. Carlos is staring at me. His mouth is open. But not like Bertie. He is nothing like Bertie.

“Do you think you could take a nice, long, hot shower for me? You know, before . . . ?”

Carlos nods, real eager. He goes to the bathroom. This is going to be easier than I thought.

“What are you thinking?” Teri whispers at me as I beeline for Carlos and Pedro’s room. Carlos really is a pendejo. He shares a room with his brother. I mean, come on. Where does he think he’s going to hide me in here?

His phone is on top of his nightstand. He’s an even bigger idiot than I thought. His password is CARLOS. Quick before he’s out, I delete a bunch of contacts and post pics of naked-chest underwear guys on his social-media sites and “like” them. Teri’s looking over my shoulder.

“You are so evil.” She’s trying not to laugh.

I go back to Teri’s room, stuff my things in my ripped bag.

“Mari, no. Where will you go?” I knew she’d fight this. But there’s no way I’m getting her in trouble on account of my trouble.

“I’ll go to Heavenly’s. She’s already offered.” Heavenly did offer. But seeing as Teri’s mama is not as swift as Heavenly’s, I thought Teri’s was a safer bet.

“Are you sure?”

“Listen, Heavenly’s mama hasn’t had a boyfriend since we got rid of that last one. I’ll be good.” I pick up the purple pillow from the floor, put it on the bed. I scan Teri’s room, making sure I’m not leaving anything behind. Who am I kidding? All I got is the one small bag.

I head for the door. Teri stops me, her hand on the door frame. Her fingers cover part of a date scratched in pencil. Teresa Vargas, 10 años, 105 cm, 11 de abril 2—. I never noticed it before. Thought that was only something families on TV did.

“What should I tell Carlos when he gets out?”

“Tell him whatever you want. He’s not that dumb. He’ll figure it out. And he won’t tell your mama.”

Teri nibbles at her lower lip. “How do you know?”

“I changed the passwords on his accounts. And linked them all to my email. If he wants to know what they are, he’s going to have to behave. If he doesn’t, I’ll post more stuff. Real guy-onguy action this time. That you can tell him.”

I hug her quick, slam the door, and make my way downstairs. I take out my phone, text Heavenly, then type Carlos’s new password into my notes. Not that I’m going to forget it: *CARLOS*isaDUMBASS*!