14Javi was polite and gentlemanly and truly interested whenever Mom talked. He charmed her so much that she finally let us hang out in my room, as long as we left the door open. He didn’t seem to mind that my bedroom was filled with embarrassing stacks and piles.
“If there was an earthquake, you would be buried in books,” he said and laughed.
“There are worse ways to die.” I thought of George, but I didn’t tell Javi. It was just too gruesome a story. Certainly not sexy.
Javi pulled me down on the bed with him. I lay my head on his shoulder. It was the first time we’d ever been horizontal together.
“Reading a lot makes you such a good writer. I mean, I only know your poetry, but I bet you write other things,” he said. “Will you read me something?”
“Maybe.” I grabbed my journal from the
