Ailana’s Journal—2026-05-01 (Island Kids) (Patreon)

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NO DANCE by Mateo Alvarez

After school, I hit a few yards that only needed a little work. Mom texted that she had worked late and had just made sandwiches, so I decided to grab something on the way home.

By the time I got to Whataburger, I was tired in that good way where you know you actually got something done. I still had grass dust on my jeans and a little dirt everywhere else.

I kinda knew the girl taking orders—Brooks from school—we ride the same bus, so she waved when she saw me come in.

“Hey,” she said. “So, not going to prom tonight?”

I gave a little shrug. “Nah. I don’t really have a girlfriend.”

That made her laugh, and she shook her head. “You don’t really have a girlfriend? Do you sometimes pretend to have one or something?”

I laughed with her. “Okay, fair point. I don’t have a girlfriend at all. I don’t know why I said ‘really.’ But, anyway, no prom for me… I wasn’t trying to spend that much money to listen to music I probably won’t like.”

“Same… Of course I couldn’t have gone unless a junior or senior took me…” she said. “But, I’d rather work a shift than spend the money.”

“Yeah,” I said, pointing at my dusty jeans. “Me too.”

“What can I get for you?” she asked. “For here or to go?”

“To go…” I ordered a combo meal, and she rang it up and took my payment.

“Well, we only have a few weeks left until summer vacation,” she said. “Then, I’ll have some time off between shifts, I guess. You’re a junior, right?”

“Yeah,” I said. “You’re in tenth?”

“Yeah.”

She nodded. “Do you know the grades of all the kids on the island?”

I smiled a little. “Nah… Most of us on the bus, though.”

She smiled and said, “I don’t know everyone, either. And low-key, I think it’d be nice if some more kids moved onto the island. Get to know some new people…”

“Yeah,” I said. “Not a lot of kids our age move in. It’s kind of like you either grew up here or you’re a tourist, right?”

“Pretty much.”

The rest of this chapter is exclusive to Patreon.

Growing up in South Padre Island—living here year-round—you kinda know everyone. The total population is like around 2,000. There’s maybe 70 of us that go to the high school.

Brooks glanced toward the back to check on my order, then she looked back at me. “So who do you usually hang out with when you’re not working?”

I smiled. “Last summer, I worked a lot. But do you know Eli Garza and Tomas Vela?”

“I know who they are.”

“Yeah, mostly them. Sometimes we just walk around or play video games. Swim on the beach sometimes. Stuff like that. Just to pass time.” I could see the guys in the back getting my order ready, so I kept talking. “How about you?”

She nodded. “Last summer, after freshman year, not many people for me. Mom and Dad thought they needed to keep tabs on me, so I didn’t go out much.”

I smiled a little. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Mostly I just hung out with Cami and Reese some.”

I nodded like I knew exactly who she meant, even though I don't know anyone named Cami or Reese. I’d probably recognize them by sight, though.

“I’ve seen you at Island Baptist Church. I guess with your mom and dad.”

“Yeah, we started going there like when school started.”

“You should come to youth group. I’m not super involved because of work, but the kids there are nice, you know. Cami and Reese go there, too.”

I smiled. “My mom and dad would be real happy if I did that.”

“Then you should. Whenever I get to go, it’s fun.”

“I’ll look at the church calendar and maybe I’ll check it out.”

Then she glanced back and saw my order was ready. She bagged it up and gave it to me, then said, “Well, I guess I’ll see you on the bus Monday.”

“For sure,” I said. “Nice talking to you.”

“Yeah,” she said, smiling a little. “Same.”

I stepped away from the counter and headed for the door with my food. I guess you can say that’s kinda how it goes for us kids that live here. We know who we are. And we know our places. We aren’t rich tourists or retired folks. We’re just kids growing up in a resort town.

I wouldn’t say we stick up for each other like a clique, but I’d say most of us try not to make things hard for each other. I kinda think it’s pretty nice.

And I can add that Mom and Dad would be really happy for me to start going to youth group. They have a little Bible study group they go to, and they keep saying I should get involved, too. I guess that wouldn’t hurt me.

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