How To Salsa in a Sari by Dona Sarkar

Author:Dona Sarkar
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kimani Press
Published: 2008-08-28T04:00:00+00:00

“It was good to meet your new friends,” Alisha commented as she passed the chicken tikka masala to Issa. In honor of the Hindu new year, Diwali, Alisha had insisted that Diego stay out of the kitchen. That night she had prepared the one meal she had perfected, the chicken in a curry cream sauce, pulao—a rice dish with mixed vegetables and channa masala, a garbanzo bean curry.

“They’re totally awesome, right?” Issa watched for Cat’s reaction out of the corner of her eye. It was amazing to her how easy it had been to slip out of her old “downtown girl” skin and turn into this new uptown “like, totally awesome” East Coast princess.

Cat rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything, as Issa expected. Cat wouldn’t dare bad-mouth her almost sister’s new friends in front of Diego.

“Catalina always has her friends—Sunshine and Jewel, is it?—over, as well. Perhaps one day, all of you can spend time together.” Diego took a bite of rice and chicken curry. “Alisha, I will dream of this cooking tonight. You are, as always, amazing.”

Alisha blushed.

Issa nearly gagged. Everything seemed normal until Diego made a comment like that and Issa realized how desperately she missed her father. She thought of her father’s card, still hidden in her wallet. She would call him tonight and wish him a happy Diwali. Even though he wasn’t Indian, he loved celebrating the “Festival of Lights.” He was always the first one to bust out the illegal fireworks.

“Issa, what do you think?” Diego asked her. “Would you like to have a girls’ night with your friends and Cat’s friends? Perhaps next weekend?”

Cat scoffed, earning a sharp look from her father.

Issa stopped chewing. Suddenly she had an idea. Serena had made it clear that hating Cat and inviting them over to her house didn’t make Issa a Belle. The only way into the clique was a drastic measure. Something the other Belles hadn’t been able to do.

Something like taking away Cat’s active social life.

Something Serena had said popped into her head.

Sunshine and Jewel are about as intelligent as boxes of hair. They’re probably doing serious illegal stuff in their powder-pink bedrooms.

Hmm, so what if it was just a speculation? Diego had full rights to hear what kinds of people his daughter hung out with.

“I would love to hang with Sunshine and Jewel sometime, Cat. I mean, I don’t believe a word of those glue-sniffing rumors!” Issa gave Cat her sweetest smile.

Alisha looked curiously at Issa. “Glue-sniffing rumors?”

“What the hell—” Cat’s fork clattered to the table.

“Cat’s friends?” Diego’s voice could have cut glass.

Issa pretended to shift nervously in her seat. “I don’t know if it’s any of my business to tell. I mean, they are just rumors, and—”

“You’re such a lying bitch!” Cat clenched her fist around a glass of water. “Papi, do not listen to—”

“Catalina Santiago Morena! New house rule! We never use that kind of language in this house. Do you understand me?”

“Papi!”

“Not another word! I want to hear what Issa has to say.

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