Chapter Four: Mia

I feel a lot of pressure about school starting today, but I'm confident I can handle it. I made an Λ in every subject every year in middle school. The pressure comes from my parents; their parents were immigrants, and Mama and Poppa never let me forget that or our Hispanic heritage. They say I have to make an Λ in every subject to prove that we belong here. That I have to be valedictorian. That I have to get a scholarship. I know that I belong here, that we belong here, and I don't feel that I have to be the top student in my class...just one of the best ones. I have faith in myself, that I will get a scholarship

My grandparents were illegals, but both my parents were born here. Poppa works on a construction crew and Mama is a nurse at the hospital. Poppa has a part-time job there on weekends that Mama found out about and he applied and got it. I really admire my mama and want to be like her. She worked her way through nursing school, and now has this really neat job and she says the doctor is really great to work for. She and the doctor work with little kids.

We've moved a lot over the years, but now we live in the best place we've ever had. It's got a really nice backyard where Mama and I can have a flower garden and raise vegetables and have chickens. Mama knows everything about plants and she's teaching me. We grow tomatoes, squash, beans, gourds...all kinds of neat stuff. Mama has the prettiest flower garden in the neighborhood!

I don't know exactly what I want to do with my life. Mama and Poppa want me to be a teacher, and I could see me doing that. Mama likes being a nurse so much, maybe I could be a doctor. That would take a lot of money and a lot of years, but I could do it. I really think I could. I like science, I like English and history and art and health, everything except gym.

Poppa already has told me that I can't date this year. He said he'll have to wait and see if I can go out my sophomore year. He said there were some nice Hispanic guys at the middle school, and those boys will be at the high school this year. That I should look them over. I could see myself going for a Hispanic boy, but I could also see going out with a white boy or a black one and there will be some Asian boys at school, too, like there were in middle school. I think a lot about the type of boy I want to marry, and I want him to be nice and treat me right and make me feel safe. And I want us both to have nice jobs and get really situated in a nice house and a nice community before we start having kids.

Poppa and Mama are very religious, and we go to mass every Sunday, and sometimes during the week. I think we go too much. I know it's important, but I always have so much school work to do and chores around the house and yard that sometime I feel stressed and I don't have time to do everything. I'm not sure I'd have time to date this year anyway.

Poppa and Mama want me to get a part-time job next year, maybe working no more than two evenings after school...nothing that would interfere with my schooling or grades. I could save that money for college. They said they could pick me up after school let out, that I could get some of my school work done while I was waiting for them to get there with our car. Then one of them could come pick me up from work after it was over, and I could eat after I got home. I think all that could work. My parents are really good about making things work out.

I watch how they go about deciding things. Poppa acts like he is in charge, but I notice that he usually never makes a final decision until Mama tells him what she thinks. And lots of times, it seems like she is the one making the final decision. I want my husband and me to be partners, and I told Mama that one time. She smiled and nodded. Mama and I talk all the time. A lot of my girl talk is with Mama. We talk almost every night after we put Isabella and Emma to bed. They're six and eight. I want to be the type of mother to my kids that Mama is to my sisters and me.

I talk a lot with camila and Hannah, too. We've been best friends since my family moved here part way through sixth grade. We've already checked our schedules and we're in some classes together. We're all in first period English 9 Honors and in second period French. It would be a joke if I took Spanish. I guess English is my favorite class. I like to read novels and plays, some poetry if it's about love and feelings. I like to write, but not that boring type writing that we have to do for the state tests. I like to write about how I feel about stories and life and the world. What stories mean or something that I can give my opinion on. I can hardly wait for the day to begin.