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think?”
    Alexis noted the excitement in his voice. “Not bad,” she lied. “Keep practicing.”
    â€œI will,” Santiago said. “I think I have a knack for this thing. Like it’s in my blood, or something.”
    Alexis thought back to what Justin said about mariachi music being in their veins, and smiled. “Yeah, I think it is.”
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    The group split into the two carloads they’d come in, promising to meet for practice the following day. Alexis lingered a bit in the school parking lot, not wanting to leave. This was her chance to study Christian. She could find out what he did after practice. Did he have a job? Or a girlfriend he walked home?
    â€œHey, fresa , forget something?”
    â€œMy name’s not fresa ! It’s Alexis. I hate it when you call me fresa , okay?” Alexis spat, spinning around quickly. Karina flinched, turning red. She was sitting behind the wheel of a dark blue Ford Bronco monster truck. Marisol and Nikki stared from inside the car, surprised by Alexis’s reaction. Alexis blushed.
    â€œSorry. I didn’t mean to bite your head off. I was just … I was thinking about …”
    â€œShe’s waiting for a guy,” Nikki blurted.
    Alexis shot her best friend a heated stare. How dare she reveal her secret in front of these strangers?
    Karina’s violet eyes lit up. “Boy stalking is my specialty. Hop in.” She motioned with her hand.
    The girls rearranged themselves so that Alexis could sit in the front. Corrido music was playing on the radio. Karina explained that it was an original narcocorrido , a popular northern ballad–style of music that focused on the activities of drug dealers, including beheadings, burning houses, and shootings. This song was written for her boyfriend. He was a narco , Karina bragged. Alexis knew that narco was short for “drug dealer.” Alexis liked the danceable polka-like beat despite the gruesome song lyrics. The singer’s voice sounded familiar. She wondered if she’d heard the song on the radio before.
    Alexis forgot about the narcocorrido when Nikki squealed at the sight of the musicians coming out of the music building. She studied each student as they walked down the steps. What if Christian stayed late or slipped out another door? Then she spotted him walking alone.
    â€œThat’s him! That’s him!” Alexis cried.
    â€œQué chulo,” Karina admired.
    Alexis jerked as if she’d been hit with a jealous stick. Karina noticed.
    â€œDon’t worry, Alexis. I have a boyfriend, remember?”
    Alexis’s cheeks flushed. She felt so childish as she mumbled an apology. Karina gestured for her to forget about it.
    â€œHe won best male singer last year,” Nikki commented from the backseat.
    Suddenly, Alexis noticed that Christian was heading straight toward them. “Duck down! Duck down!” she hissed as Christian passed right in front of their truck. He hurried through the parking lot and disappeared behind a car. Her heart beat wildly. “Do you think he saw us?”
    â€œI doubt it,” Nikki said, grinning. “So … now what?”
    Alexis turned and gave Karina a knowing glance.
    â€œNow this is what I call fun,” Karina said as she pulled into traffic. Alexis couldn’t help but be impressed with Karina’s boy-stalking technique. They followed Christian from a discreet distance down the street, and then for another five blocks. Finally, he headed straight into an older four-plex apartment building. Alexis noticed the gang signs spray-painted on the ground-floor wall. Then she looked at the teen-age boys in front of the complex drinking and playing rap music from a car.
    â€œSo …” Karina said, tapping her manicured nails on the steering wheel. “We could try to climb to the window for a peek.”
    Alexis blushed. “Really? Have you done that before?” Karina was bold and