Chantel Acevedo - Muse Squad: The Cassandra Curse

Launch out on this story, Muse, daughter of Zeus,
start from where you willsing for our time, too.

Homers The Odyssey, Book I

Emily Wilson, translator

JORDAN!!

I shouted so loudly it felt like Id swallowed the steel wool my mom uses to scrub the sink. Beside me, my best friend, Raquel Falcn, was red as a stop sign and screaming her head off, too.

We couldnt help ourselves. There, onstage and in the flesh, was superstar singer Jordan Miguel, and he had just pointed straight at us and blown us each a kiss.

Raquel and I had won front-row tickets on Y-100s Guess That Sound contest. We called in and guessed the noise correctlyrestaurant chopsticks breaking apart. Now we were at the concert, and Jordan Miguel had made actual eye contact with us.

Raqui! I squealed, clinging to my best friends arm.

I know! she shouted back, her eyes locked onto Jordan Miguel as he danced up and down the stage. He sang all his hits, and we knew every word. By the time the arena lights finally came back on, wed lost our voices. Then we went to go spend all our money on concert T-shirts.

My phone rang while we were in line for the shirts. I dug it out of my pocket. Its probably my mom, I said to Raquel before looking down.

I must have made a face at the screen, because Raquels eyes widened. I mouthed the words my dad to Raquel, and she nodded.

Hello? I answered the call.

Callie, mi nia! How was the concert?

Fun, I said. Papi lives in New York City with my stepmother, Laura.

Guess what? Papi asked. It was hard to hear him over the people shouting their souvenir orders. I thrust my money into Raquels hands and she bought our T-shirts while I talked with my dad.

Guess what? he asked again.

Chicken butt, I said, rhyming with him like I always did.

Papi laughed. Youre going to have a baby brother or sister soon! he announced the way the DJ said, Youve just won tickets to the Jordan Miguel concert! Except it wasnt anything like that.

Oh, I replied. I curled my fingers tighter and tighter around my cell phone as he talked. Are you happy, Callie? Arent you happy? Papi asked me.

I didnt know if I was happy or not. I already had brothersolder twin brothers, to be specificand they were as annoying as allergies. Why did Papi have to call now, anyway, on the best night of my life? I shouldnt have been surprised. His timing was always bad.

Papi married Laura a year ago, and six months after the wedding, they moved over a thousand miles away. We hadnt seen him since he left. When he lived with us, Papi was always tired. Id like to think that he wasnt tired of us, that thats not the reason he left. Add a new baby to the equation and, well, if the universe ever invented a better way to tire out a grown-up, I dont know what it is.

I try not to think about that at all.

Im happy, Papi, I said.

You okay? he asked. You sound funny.

I lost my voice at the concert, I said quickly.

Ah. I remember those days. Well, big sister, well talk soon. Laura sends her love.

Love you, Papi.

Love you, kiddo, he said.

Just as I ended the call, Raquel appeared with T-shirts in hand, holding them up like trophies. Jordan Migueeeeeeeel, she said for the billionth time that night.

Outside, my mom and Raquels mom were waiting for us. It had been pouring rain, but theyd stayed under an umbrella the whole concert. In the period between when the music ended and when we exited the building, Mami had texted me five times. Her last text read: Did you hear from your dad?

I texted back Yep, and I was grateful that she left it at that.

We rode the Metrorail back home, fighting the crowds of concertgoers to get on and find seats. It was an elevated train, and we watched through the windows as Miami zipped by. The rain had cleared up, and the city was all shiny and wet. Raquel leaned her head on my shoulder. Id give anything to be onstage like that, she said, her voice scratchy.

Not me. Having all those eyes pinned on you? No thanks, I said.

Raquel laughed, and put on her concert T-shirt over her tank top. On the front, Jordan Miguel was standing in a spotlight, with giant wings sprouting from his shoulder blades like an angel. On the back, the cities and venues of his tour were listed, with Miami right at the very end.

I slipped my shirt on over my clothes too, but Raquel had gotten me a size too small. Sorry. They ran out of size large, so I got you a medium. It looks good, she said.

I smoothed the shirt down. It was too tight across my stomach. No, it doesnt. But Im still wearing it, I said. The tag on Raquels shirt was sticking out. Size small. I tucked it in for her and tried not to think about how well her shirt fit compared to mine.

Raquel hummed sleepily. She was my best friend in the world and had been since the third grade, when one of our classmates, Violet Prado, had decided to play superheroes at recess. Violet claimed the role of Wonder Woman, named her best friends, Alain Riche and Max Pascal, Superman and Batman, then pointed at me and Raquel and said, You two losers have to be civilians. We may or may not decide to save you. Raquel and I stomped off and sat in the shade for the rest of recess.

Theyre the worst, Id said.

Raquel had agreed. We can be better best friends than they are, shed said.

Deal, Id said, and we shook on it.

The rest was bestie history.

The train rumbled on, stopping every so often to pick up or drop off passengers. At every station, handfuls of people loaded on, while only a few got off. The train was very full. I nudged Raquel in the ribs when an elderly couple walked on and made eye contact with me. We stood and gave them our seats. The lady tried to give us strawberry candies from her purse to thank us, but we declined.

Please have some, she insisted.

Theyre delicious, her husband added.

No thanks, Raquel and I both said at the same time.

Dont be shy, the woman said, and tried putting a piece of candy in my hand. Alarmed, I jerked out of reach.

Honestly, no thanks, I said, walking away.

We took a spot near one of the doors. It was late, and the city twinkled like it was lit with a million birthday candles. Someone at the front of the car was playing a Jordan Miguel song on their phone, and Raquel and I bopped to it where we stood.

It was the perfect night.

That is, until we heard a loud crack and a whoosh. My hair blew into my face. The train car rattled. Raquels nails dug into my arm, and I heard my mother scream, Ay!

The door at our backs had flown open thirty feet in the air. My stomach felt like it dropped just as far. I lost my balance and reached out to grab Raquels arm.

Raquel cried out and her knees buckled. She didnt do heights. Even climbing the stairs at school she held on to the handrail harder than she had to.

Callie, move, move, move, Raquel shouted, pushing hard toward the center of the train, but we couldnt get very far from the open door. One shove in the other direction and we would go flying.

Our moms were on their feet, trying to reach us, but the crowds were thick and everybody was panicking, including me. US 1 rushed by beneath us. Did this train always go