Okay. So, I'm only saying this because I'm supposed to. No, that's a lie. I'm only saying this 'cuz it's freaking me out and I need it to stop. And Manny said that talking is supposed to help, but I'm not going to be stupid and talk to him about it. So now I'm the idiot who's talking to herself.

Whatever.

I hate rules and I love breaking things. And 'rules' is numero uno on the list of stuff to break.

Examples? Geez, how about yesterday, when I graffiti-ed my house?

…

It's not enough for you? It said Manny plus Frida. Only the plus sign looked like an 'x' and his name is only first 'cuz he's El Tigre and could reach higher. Ohmygosh, you should've seen mi papá's face! He was all red and screaming and everything! And, this I swear, there was smoke coming out of his ears and he was all like "Rivera!" and Manny was running in circles away from the dogs that only appear when he's—

Oh, right. Oh, how about when I wore yellow to that one thing. What was it? That black-dress only thingy?

I don't remember, so forget that. The point is that it's a point of my life to break everything humanly possible.

And today I realized that I've been following that one little saying that everyone else has been saying and me and Manny laughed about 'cuz there was no way it was going to happen.

Well, actually, it was like, let's see, two months ago that I started noticing.

Noticing what?

Noticing that El Tigre was extremely hot.

And by 'hot' I don't mean sweaty. I mean churro-tastic and sexy. And Manny, apparently, is the only person I find hot.

Yeah, I know. It's stupid. But what am I supposed to do about it now?

I told myself that it was just the heat getting to me. ('Cuz, hello? Miracle City is the friggin' hottest place en todo el mundo! Hello! We have a giant volcano! We're a spicy cesspool of crime and villainy!) Because Manny sure as hell ain't hot.

But then the one time after that, where he totally stopped me from getting covered in monkey saliva— 'accidentally' throwing me into a building, but I'd rather not get into that—and I was holding onto him for dear life because, hello, the ground was reeeeeeeeeeally far down, and I suddenly noticed that he was really soft.

See, I was holding onto him, and he was laughing at me. I looked up at him, ready to throw a comeback at him, when the sun shined on his face and made him all. . . Damn it. I can't do this. First he's hot, then he's soft.

Of course, that kinda threw me off. Because when I started thinking that my best friend of forever is cuddly and warm, I needed my head checked.

Then that time after that—okay, seriously, Miracle City has too many villains and crap, because he's needed to be El Tigre a lot. I had this thought that his growl—YES! I know he has a growl, damn it—was really ferocious (haha, big word) and manly, and that Manny sounded like 'manly', and somehow that led to me thinking that our names together would either be 'Franny' or 'Marida,' which sounds like married, even though both names are just stupid. . .

But man, he is some damn fine churro.

And then today, dude, I just went through the volcano and back, 'cuz me and Manny were talking, and suddenly, please realize this, suddenly, I was wondering what it would be like to kiss him.

It makes me feel all warm inside, imagining what it would feel like to just press my mouth to his. . .

Crap.

I don't kiss best friends of forever. I just don't. I mean, I know I'm thirteen now, and I didn't really kiss him—though I have dreamt about it—but thinking about it would be virtually the same thing.

And Manny said that I zoned out and was staring at his nose for too long and it was creeping him out.

I really really really hope he never figures that I was staring at his mouth and not his nose. (Because, eew!, why would I want to make out with his nose?)

Because now I'm following the whole 'best friends falling for each other' thing. I hate this. I shouldn't suddenly like Manny like that. It was only last year that I didn't even wanna hug him.

I'm following the one rule that is never supposed to be followed. Especially by a certain Frida Suarez. It's so wrong.

I'm not supposed to like him. He's Manny!

I'll hafta wait it out and claim it never happened, 'cuz this is too much. Seriously. Manny. Manny Rivera and me.

I don't like him. At least not like that.

I'm not ever, and I repeat ever, letting anyone know about this. Imagine the awkward silences. Or him having to fake like me so I won't get hurt. Or, if he does like me like I like him, things are definitely not going to work out.

'Cuz with mouth to mouth all the time, the hero-villain thing could be forgotten. Or maybe other villains'll catch on, like the dude who used to be White Pantera's friend but for the life of me I can't remember his name (like that other guy, Dr. Churizo, or Jalopeño or something). Poor Manny.

Best friends who date have the worst relationships.

Especially those best friends that have a super macho superhero guy.

I can't risk anything. I don't want to get cheesy, but it hurts. I've never really liked anyone like this.

It sucks knowing that the only person I can talk to about crap like this is the guy I'm fantasizing (ooh, I'm on a roll today) about.

I hate this. Love sucks.

And mi corazón, it's just another thing that I have to break.