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  To Connie, Mom, Kyle, and my hermano

  Chapter One

  It’s been eleven days, and summer is already a slow crawl. Everyone strolls around like they’re floating on an inner tube on a lazy river. No school means there is nowhere I have to be. This can be awesome. Some days, I ride my bike for hours with my best friend, Jenny, or go swimming with my big brother, Nick. Unfortunately, on most days, the only place I am is stuck at home. I’ve got my work cut out for me. It’s going to be hard not to be bored.

  Today I begin by searching the house. I want to find my own mystery caper. It’ll mean a new adventure for me. Then I’d have to spend the entire summer solving it! At least that’s what happens in Nancy Drew.

  I find a few fun things like Journey to the Center of the Earth in español. A book can be an adventure, but the Spanish is too hard for me to read.

  “I’ll read it when I’m older,” I say to myself as I put the book aside.

  In Mom’s bedroom, I find a ring tucked away in the bottom drawer of her jewelry box. Maybe it’s the ring from Lord of the Rings! Then I read the inscription inside. In cursive script it reads “para mi güera.” Güera is Dad’s nickname for Mom since she has light-brown hair. No mystery here. It’s Mom’s wedding ring that she no longer wears since the divorce.

  I spy around Mom’s closet next. Zero luck, but seeing Mom’s “business attire” reminds me of how ocupada she is at work. All I know is if Mom were with me during the day, summer would be more fun and there would be more yummy albondigas. Mom’s meatballs are guaranteed to make any situation better.

  The last place to explore is my big brother’s room. As I approach his room, Nick stops me.

  “Off-limits.”

  Then he walks toward the front entrance of the house.

  “I’m heading to work, sis. Be nice to Linda. She’ll be here in a minute.”

  Not exploring Nick’s room doesn’t bother me too much. I’d rather discover some secret compartments. Not boy stuff.

  With my snooping at an end, I head back to my room. Time for another brainstorming session. Hopefully Jenny can help me brainstorm later when she’s not at dance camp. Then again, if she were here with me now, I wouldn’t need to think up fun things to do.

  Then I look over at Pancho, my betta fish.

  “I know what to do.”

  Time for plan B.

  Chapter Two

  Now plan B is not bad at all. It’s actually great. The “B” in plan B might stand for the BEST idea.

  My plan is to continue what I started in Ms. Bell’s class and study as much marine life as possible. I’m hooked! Like Jacques Cousteau said, “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” Scientists predict that we’ve only seen 5 percent of the ocean floor. It makes sense, since they are miles deep and cover 71 percent of the earth.

  I’ll need to know more about the oceans, too, if I’m able to go to the Shedd Aquarium summer camp. Mom helped me apply a little while ago, but we haven’t heard anything. I even included with my application a persuasive essay on how I wanted to be the next Jacques Cousteau. To top it off I attached pictures of my animal project from Ms. Bell’s class.

  I really hope that I’m accepted into the summer camp. This way I’ll be doing something memorable this summer just like everyone else I know. Like Jenny has her dance camp. She is even going to have a big recital. One of the biggest in town, she says! Then Nick has his first big job. It’s only part-time, but he gets a paycheck like an adult. Mom is so proud of him. She wanted to frame his first paycheck, but Nick said no. He wanted to keep the money more. I want to make Mom proud of me, too, but I can’t get a job. I’m too young to work! All I know is if I don’t have a project or adventure of my own, my summer will be Boring with a capital B. I’ll also fall behind everyone else.

  I’m determined to turn things around so I get to work. I sprawl out on the rug in the center of the living room and start on my project. As I draw, I hear the front door open. Then I feel a gentle lick on my hand.

  The pint-size slobber comes from Biscuit, my neighbor Linda’s Chihuahua. He is brown and white with legs as wide as my thumb. Biscuit and Linda stay with me twice a week in the afternoons whenever Nick is at his summer job.

  “Hi, Stella!” Linda says, shutting the front door. “Is my Biscuit bothering you?”

  I shake my head.

  “I think he just wants to see my drawing,” I reply.

  I like Biscuit because he is curious about everything. He often crawls from Linda’s backyard through a tiny hole in our fence into our backyard. That’s how we were first introduced to Biscuit … and then Linda, when she came to get him.

  “What fish are you drawing today?” Linda asks.

  “A longnose butterflyfish. Did you know their design helps them blend into the coral reefs?”

  “I did not,” she replies. “Thank you for teaching me a new fact.”

  I pause.

  “Linda, would you consider that a ‘conversation starter’?”

  She chuckles. “You know, I just might.”

  A conversation starter is what Mom calls a fun fact you can share when you’re chatting with a new friend. I’m collecting them in my composition book for when I start fourth grade at the end of summer. It’ll help if I’m feeling quiet. Although I may not even need them, especially after what happened last school year with my new friend Stanley.

  Stanley is one of my newest friends. When I first met him, I thought no way would he want to be friends with me. He is extroverted and I can be shy. Not to mention I acted like a total klutz in front of him on his first day! Turns out, I was very wrong. We’ve got a bunch in common and now we’re close buddies.

  Sadly, Stanley is gone for most of the summer on probably the most exciting adventure of everyone I know. He’s in Texas visiting family and going to his own amazing summer camp: NASA Space Camp. He is going to be a Junior Space Explorer for a whole week! He’s going to learn about gravity, program a robot, and maybe even explore a space rocket. I’d rather explore the oceans than outer space. I get motion sickness and those rockets shooting out into space make me queasy. But there is no denying that Stanley is going to have one of the coolest experiences known to humankind.

  Summer would definitely be more exciting if Stanley weren’t away. If Stanley were here, he’d be learning about marine animals with me. He loves the aquarium almost as much as I do. Instead he’s having an epic adventure while I’m just sitting here at home. He promised to email me with his dad’s email account, but I’m afraid he’s going to be too busy to remember.

  I sigh and look at my drawing.

  “If only I could do something big this summer, too.”

  Chapter Three

  As the afternoon progresses, I move on from drawing to reading. The book I’m reading now is the greatest. It’s from the library, and it’s about Sylvia Earle. She’s a marine biologist and the first female chief scientist for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Lately she’s been working to save the oceans through her organization Mission Blue. Reading about her makes me think that girls like me can accomplish big things.

  I close my eyes and daydream of exploring the ocean when I hear jingle-jingle. Clackety-clack.

  I perk up. The sound of keys and high heels lets me know Mom is home. I run toward her.

  “Hi, Perla,” Linda says to Mom. It’s always weird hearing people call Mom by her first name.

  “Hi, Linda. Looks like you’re finishing another fabulous project.”

  Linda smiles as she holds up a Chihuahua-size sweater that she is knitting. Mom wraps her arm around my shoulder.

  “Hola, mi inteligentísima hija,” Mom says. “What amazing things did you learn today?”

  So much, I think, but then I remember the absolute, most fascinating thing. I grab my other book and flip to a page.

  “Did you know there is a volcano in Antarctica?”

  “Wow!”

  “It’s on Deception Island!” I say, pointing to the picture of a black volcano surrounded by icy blue glaciers.

  “¡Increíble! You know, talk of Antarctica puts me in the mood for ice cream. Want to go, mi amor?”

  The day has certainly become exciting now that Mom is home.

  As Linda grabs her tote bag in one hand and Biscuit in the other to leave, Mom asks her, “Linda, would you like us to bring you anything from Oberweis?”

  Mom tried a few times to pay Linda for babysitting me twice a week, but Linda always refuses. She says that’s because she loves my company and “that’s payment enough.” Still, Mom insists on giving her a little something every ti me.

  “One scoop of vanilla with a cake cone on the side, please. Biscuit just loves a bite of the cone.”

  Biscuit barks. I can’t tell if it’s because Linda said his name or if he really wants a cake cone. Either way, by the wiggle of his tail, he looks delighted. Mom changes quickly into her comfy clothes and we head to our local ice cream shop.

  “What ice cream flavor are you going to get today?” I ask Mom as we walk down the street. I’m practically skipping. With her being so busy at work, it feels like a special treat to be able to hang out with her.

  “No sé. I need some inspiration.”

  Mom insists inspiration is important. It’s what gives you an idea or sparks your imagination. For Mom, inspiration at Oberweis comes from sampling a few flavors.

  Right after I order my favorite, lime sherbet with nuts, Mom is immediately inspired. After one look at Cappuccino Chocolate Chunk, she is convinced.

  I’m digging a giant spoonful of lime sherbet when Mom says, “I’ve got some exciting news for mi estrellita. An email.”

  My eyes grow big.

  “Stanley?”

  Mom shakes her head. “No, but still very exciting! We heard back—”

  I interrupt her. “Is it what I think it is?”

  She nods. “You’ve been accepted into the Shedd Aquarium summer camp.”

  I almost drop my ice cream as I squeeze Mom with both arms.

  “When does it start? It’s not too much money?” My mind is filled with questions.

  “A little over a month from now, and not at all. Especially since I saved up for it.”

  I exhale.

  “I’m so proud of you, Stella,” she says, patting my head.

  I grin. Mom is proud of me just like she is of Nick. Better yet, I finally have my own adventure for this summer.

  Chapter Four

  After dropping off Linda’s ice cream, Mom and I play cards, our Friday night tradition, until Nick comes home from work. Covered in splotches of marinara sauce, Nick walks in smelling like yummy garlic. These are the perks of his part-time job at a pizza restaurant. That and the occasional breadsticks.

  “Hola!” he says, tossing his name tag onto the counter. I notice that it says NICOLAS instead of Nick. I hold the name tag in my hands like evidence in a detective show.

  “Nicolas?” I point at the name tag. “But you go by Nick.”

  I don’t bother to mention that I used to call him Kiki. That’s when I was really little and couldn’t pronounce his name.

  “Oh, they just made the name tag based on my application. I thought I’d try it out. Sounds kind of cool.”

  “Weird,” I reply.

  He messes up my curls. “You’re weird.”

  Mom chuckles. “How was work, niño?”

  “Fun. My friend John and I did a competition to see who could make the most pizzas tonight. He barely won.”

  Nick starts stretching. He’s been taking karate classes. That is one reason he has a part-time job. He wanted to pay for them. Because of the classes, he stretches all the time. The bigger reason is that Nick wants to save up money to buy a car one day. It sounds very impressive and hard. He’s going to have to make many pizzas. I’ve seen game shows and I know how expensive cars can be.

  “Well, I found out that I’m going to the Shedd Aquarium summer camp,” I say proudly.

  “Way to go, sis!” Nick replies, while trying to do splits.

  Standing back up, Nick says, “Mom, I was thinking.”

  “Yes?”

  “Do you think I could start driving lessons soon? I’ll be fifteen next month. I’m going to need to learn how to drive if I’m going to get a car.”

  “Posiblemente. Let’s see how much they are.”

  I look at Mom. She quietly gulps. I bet she’s thinking the same thing I am. Nick is turning fifteen years old. That sounds so old. Not as old as my abuelo, but pretty grown-up.

  “But why do you need to drive?” I ask. “You can walk and ride your bike.”

  “Yeah, but then I could drive us to school or maybe do pizza delivery. There are some older kids at the shop who do that. They say they make even more money delivering than just making pizzas. Especially delivering at the big houses.”

  Nick then pretends to drive with a couch pillow as his steering wheel. “Vroom, vroom,” he says, dashing around the living room. “See, I’d be a great driver.”

  I roll my eyes. He’s not that mature.

  Nick looks over at me and winks. “Want a ride?”

  He gives me a piggyback ride around the living room. I laugh so hard that I can barely breathe as he zips around. I guess it’s good that Nick isn’t too mature to have fun. When he drops me off on the couch, he adds, “Don’t forget to rate me and give a big tip!”

  “Five stars,” I reply, still giggling.

  Before going to bed, I go up to Pancho in my room. He swims in his fishbowl happily when he sees me.

  “I’m glad I don’t have to worry about you changing or wanting to be named Francisco instead of Pancho. You always stay the same.”

  I turn off the lights.

  “Buenas noches, my fish friend.”

  Chapter Five

  I wake up the next morning to the sound of the vacuum. It’s a terrible noise, especially when you are trying to sleep. It’s noise pollution for my ears. Whenever I think of noise pollution, I feel bad for the whales. All the noise that people make in the ocean with their boats and oil rigs is driving them crazy! Unfortunately, the noise also stresses them out and makes them sick. Scientists say that may be a reason why whales are beaching themselves more often.

  Thinking of the whales makes me sad, and it’s too early to feel sad. Also, I have no plans of getting out of bed, so I cover my face with my blanket to drown out the noise. The door squeaks open.

  “Oh, are you still sleeping?”

  Mom has the vacuum in her hand. Through the holes of my blanket, I spy that she has a sly smile.

  “Perdoname,” she says, asking for forgiveness. I feel her sit down next to me on the bed, and she starts singing “Duérmete, niña.” I angrily throw off the blankets.

  “First of all, ‘Duérmete, niña’ is for sleepy time.” I sit up in bed and cross my arms. “Not to mention it’s a song for night and it’s now morning.”

  She laughs and kisses the top of my head.

  “Okay, okay. I’m awake,” I say.It’s hard to be too upset with Mom.

  “Buenos días, mi Stellita.”

  I swing my legs around the bed. I rub my eyes trying to get the sleep out.

  “You got an email from Stanley.”

  I leap out of bed.

  “Why didn’t you start with that?”

  Mom puts her hand to her chest.

  “Perdoname.”

  Over pan tostado, Mom and I read Stanley’s email together on the computer.

  Mom moves the mouse around for me because my fingers are sticky from the jam on my toast.

  Hola, Stella!

  How are you? I’m doing great. My dad and I just went to West Texas for a quick trip before my NASA Space Camp. It’s so different from the rest of Texas. There are cacti and mountains. I even saw a jackrabbit! The best part is I saw not just one real-life telescope, but three! They were enormous and weigh a ton! I’d say they’re almost the size of a school bus. It was at the McDonald Observatory. The tour guide let me move it with this remote control. It was so cool! I feel officially ready now for my space camp. I mean, who else there will have operated a real-life telescope?

  What about you? Are you doing anything fun? Let me know!

  Sincerely,

  Stanley

  “Sounds like he is having a great time,” Mom says.

  “Vacations are the best,” I reply.

  Mom nods.

  “They are also inspiring.” I nudge Mom with my elbow.

  Mom chuckles. “Well maybe we could go on our own little vacation before your camp starts.”

  I nod enthusiastically.

  “I’ve been looking into visiting family. I’m just waiting to hear back from work if I can take the time off,” she says.

 

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