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But that’s not true, is it? It’s more fragile than you think. When it runs and hides, you have to go and fetch it. You have to let it prove how tough it really is.

Someday maybe I’ll tell Abuela about what happened. She’ll know what I went through. She’s been through everything and she’s risen above it all.

So has Tío Luis. And Papi and Mami. And just about everyone in my family, in their own ways.

I must have gotten the ability from somewhere.

That’s the thing. In a way, I am Abuela. I’m Mami too, and Cristina and Nelson and Aurorita and Tío Luis. I’m also my great-grandfather the farmer, my other abuela who crossed into the U.S. with nothing but a work visa and Papi in a baby blanket.

All the generations — all the dancing and music and thought and love — it’s me. Without them, I don’t exist.

Does that make sense, Nbook? Because I see it so clearly. No person is alone. Everyone’s part of something bigger. Something that came before. Something that has gathered strength over the years, resulting in the person you are.

Nobody can take any of that away. Ever.

So I enjoy the music. I watch my friends having a good time. I dance with Brendan and he tells me how much he loves my family.

He tells me he’ll miss me too. I know I’ll miss him. It’s hard to believe he’s leaving in three days. And that I’ll start work on Maggie’s dad’s film in three weeks.

The summer’s coming up fast.

Life will go on.

I’ll go on.

But right now, it’s just Vargases at the house. Everyone else has gone home. So in the meantime, maybe one more dance before bed. Maybe two.

See you.

About the Author

ANN MATTHEWS MARTIN was born on August 12, 1955. She grew up in Princeton, NJ, with

her parents and her younger sister, Jane.

Although Anne [sic] used to be a teacher and then an editor of children’s books, she’s now a full-time writer. She gets ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences. Others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events.

All of Ann’s characters are made up. But some of her characters are based on real people.

Sometimes Anne [sic] names her characters after people she knows; other times she chooses names she likes.

In addition to California Diaries, Ann Martin has written many other books, including the Baby-sitters Club series. She has written twelve novels for young people, including
Missing Since
Monday
,
With You or
[sic]
Without You
,
Slam Book
, and
Just a Summer Romance
.

Ann M. Martin does not live in California, though she does visit frequently. She lives in New York with her cats, Gussie, Woody, and Willy, and her dog, Sadie. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework — especially making clothes for children.

I will never forget what happened that night.

It makes me want to run.

It makes me want to cry.

It makes me want to FIGHT.