Fortunately, they seemed to gather the money much faster than Javier expected.
"You guys are excellent!"he said, counting the money. "Just look at all this, and me calculating that it would take you all another month! See, what discipline and hard work will do for you!"
"Hard work is right."said Pietro, who was already severely sunburned.
"You could have borrowed a hat."said Javier. "That look really isn't you, Speedy."
Pietro glared at him.
"But never mind. Right now, you guys have just earned a well deserved break. Meanwhile, I have some shopping to do!"
"You! Shopping! Wait a minute, where are you taking that money!"exclaimed Pietro.
"With me."said Javier as he walked out.
Pietro fell back on a beat up chair. It creaked and broke.
"You would think that with so much money as we gathered, we could buy some new furniture for this place! It's falling apart! He's probably going to spend the money on some clothes, or something for himself. He's so vain."
"Look who's talking."said Lance.
"If you had the sense of a guinea hen, you would agree with me, too! But then, you're just sitting here, without doing a hand's turn all day, chatting, aren't you?"
"Well, look, Pietro. I think he does want to help. He's just…too embarrassed to admit it. But I think he's nice, I mean, having a cousin like his, well, she can't have a criminal for a relative, can she? She seems all right. Both of them seem all right."
Later, Javier came with a whole group of boys.
"Okay, look, now, see, aqui esta todo tu mariachi."he told Lance. "Well, let's face it, most of them are in the school band, that's where I got them from, but, they play marvelous. It's a different kind of music, boys, but I know you'll play marvelously."
The Brotherhood stared open mouthed.
"And now, of course, the vocalist must also look presentable."said Javier, as he ran to get a brightly colored suit, and handed it to Lance. "See, I told you guys it was all worth it."he said to the Brotherhood.
"Right,"said Pietro. "Where's mine?"
"Do you play? Do you sing?"
"What's that got to do with it?"
"Everything!"
"You look marvelous!"Ma.del Carmen said to Lance. "If only I had someone to come y llevarme a mi una serenata como esta! You'll do wonderful, I'm sure."
"We will, Caramelo."Javier told her. "Because we've already got our first customer! Someone by the name,"he took out a small notebook. "Duncan something, I didn't get the surname, but he wants it for a birthday, I think he told me."
"Now we're going to do birthday parties?"asked Blob.
"No, you Fatass! You guys are gonna stay here and guard the house while me, Lance and these guys go and get us some money. It's really not much, however, we've got to start somewhere. Some money and some…recognition. Now,"he turned to the Brotherhood. "I don't want to come back and find any of you here missing. Just stay here, we'll be back a little later. And remember, I'll know if you've been in my room."
Javier checked his hair in the mirror, gave it a little brush, and left.
"They looked ready to go to a party."Pietro spat bitterly.
"So exactly where are we going?"Lance asked.
"Here's the address. Here are the song he wants you to sing. They're for his sweetheart, obviously."
Lance nodded, then looked down at where Javier had written the address. He nearly crashed into the car in front.
"Whoa! Watch your driving! Do you want us to have an accident before you make your debut?"
"We have to cancel."
"We can't cancel! He already paid me, good money, mind you."
"You'll have to give it back."
"What!"
"I can't do this. I'll do all the others, just not this one."
"Why not."
"Don't you see the address?"
"I'm not blind."
"It's at the Xavier Institute!"
"So?"
"So I can't do it."
"And that would be because…"
"I have my reasons."
"Listen, with that attitude we are going to get nowhere. You will go through with this. Look, think of it this way, it'll be a way to infuriate them. I mean, they never expected to see you dressed in such fine clothes, and sing such romantic balladas, did they? I expect that little Mr.Summers will be just…jealous. I don't think a mariachi looks good with shades. The lady does have to see your eyes, you know. The point is, we just cannot cancel! At least not the first time! We need the recommendations. Then this guy will recommend us to his friends, etc. Now come on, we're gonna be late. And make sure you put on your best face when you're singing to the lady."
Lance sighed and nodded.
"I still don't like this."
"Don't let them know."
Duncan was waiting for them, with a bouquet of red roses in his hand.
"We're here. Aqui esta el mariachi, joven."Javier said to him.
"My Spanish isn't that good, however Jean's is excellent. She's the best in the class."
"Jean?"asked Lance.
"Yes. The serenata is for her."
"Well, then I will do my best to make sure that this will be one detalle that she will never forget!"
"I expect no less."said Duncan.
Lance put all his best effort into his singing. He was glad that he listened to Javier, and hadn't cancelled. It was worth the look on Summers's face, when he came out to investigate.
"What are you doing here, Alvers?"
"I'm just doing the gentleman a favor, Summers."
"What's going on? Que esta pasando aqui?"Javier stepped up angrily. "Mister, don't you have any manners? Don't you see that the serenata is for the lady, not you?"
"I didn't know you could sing so well, Lance."said Kitty.
"Well, now you see that I do, but I'm really not here to chat."
"You people are distracting."Javier told them.
"You will have to leave now!"said Summers.
Javier and Lance looked at Duncan.
"I think that's not for you to say."Lance told Scott.
Scott raged and left immediately. Duncan was evidently pleased at how well they played, that he gave them an extra tip.
"Now, everybody,"Javier said, as he addressed almost the whole Institute. "If you ever need us, para una serenata, a party, well, just about anything. Just contact us at this number,"he handed each of them cards. "We'll be pleased to serve you. Estamos para servirle."
"You won't get much just trying to make fools of yourselves. After all, your teammates are working mowing lawns and such."Evan told them.
"Oh, really, Negrito Cucurumbe, I wouldn't be so sure. The guy's got talent, see, and besides, when there's a will, there's a way. And anyway, he's got me behind him. Just you wait, but of course, this is probably more money than you've ever seen in a lifetime, right? Come on, guys."
Apparently, Javier knew what he was talking about, because in no less than two months, they had so many bookings, and earned so much money, that everyone at the Mansion was enraged. They all walked around in expensive jeans, boots, and hats. Javier often liked to stop at the high school, and laugh at Scott, saying that he really needed to get a new car. That old thing, as he referred to his car, looked like it hadn't run in years. They also weren't living in the same house, but had remodeled the whole place that it looked like new. Javier had insisted that at least Pietro, Blob, and Toad keep going to school, to keep tabs on what was happening there, and report back to him. He said that whether Lance wanted to go to school, or not, was up to him, but suggested that he finish high school online, on his own time, so it wouldn't interfere.
"Would you believe all this, Caramelo."he was saying to Ma.del Carmen. "Just see, it's just what a little hard work can do."
She nodded.
"Yes, I find it kind of hard to believe that the place was so…worn out, so old, falling apart."
"Well, see it lived through it. And to think that they were complaining."
"So, then, what's next?"she asked.
"Well, for one, I think we'll only be doing the serenatas, and such, here for a little while more, see. I'm sick of Bayville. I hate this town. When do you finish that career of yours? What are you going to do next?"
"I'm not sure whether I'll be going to Boulder, Colorado, or to el D.F. It depends where I get accepted for veterinary medical school."
"Colorado, la Capital, huh, well, we'll either's good. I want to go with you, when you leave. It would be a good idea."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes. Besides, I want to ask you for a small favor."
"It depends on the favor."
"I want you to teach Lance a bailar musica grupera."
"Oh, you know I don't dance very well!"
"Yes you do. It'll be perfect. Besides, I want to be in different genres, you know. Not just el pop latino, no, grupero, ranchero, mariachi, everything. That way we have a much bigger audience."
"He's started going out with that Kitty, hasn't he?"she asked him.
"Yes, quite unfortunately. There's just nothing anybody can do, you know. He just won't hear a word against her, though I say she's with him now that he's got some money, etc. Que es una interesada."
Before he had time to finish, Pietro rushed into the room.
"You wouldn't believe what! They want Lance to sing at the dance next week!"
"What!"
Pietro repeated that everyone wanted Lance to sing at the school dance.
"This would be like, the first concert! You guys have to go and say that he'll do it! Meanwhile, we should get everything ready! This is just great, Caramelo. I only went one dance while I was in high school."
"You were only in high school for one dance."
"Right."
"Do you suppose they might let me go."
"You want to go the dance."
"Well, if he'll sing, then yes."
"Oh, well, that won't be a problem. You'll be there with me."
She smiled.
Ma.del Carmen entered the school gym and attended her first high school dance ever.
"Kind of ironic that the first dance I attend is when I've already graduated from high school."she said. "And I'm only here for the music, not the dance itself."
"Oh, you'll have a good time, I'm sure."Javier told her.
She was always too shy to dance, besides the only music she knew how to dance to was the type of music they had at her quinceañera. Only corridos norteños. And then she would only dance with her father, grandfather, and uncles. Here, she preferred to listen to the music, after all, this music was more calming, not really the kind that make her want to go and dance.
"He would be great on the stage."she told Javier, looking at Lance. "I mean, just see."
She just sat, looking at Lance. To her, he seemed perfect in every way. She thought perhaps that men like him, she wouldn't ever meet ever meet on the street, but rather, see on tv, or hear on cds, like Roberto Palazuelos, Fabian Robles, Christian Castro, and Cesar Evora. He's like, right out of my dreams, she thought to herself. She loved his smile, his voice, his hair, everything. If only she could see like Chris in his video of Azul, bare chested. Oh, Jesus, she though, and crossed herself.
Javier didn't seem to be paying much attention to her. He was chuckling to himself, as he looked at Scott, staring at Lance with an angry look on his face, and his date looking bored. Kitty walked over to where Javier and Ma.del Carmen were sitting.
"I didn't know you went to school here."she said to Ma.del Carmen. "I haven't seen you around."
She knew that Ma.del Carmen like Lance, from the way she looked at him. That was probably why she was here in the first place.
"Oh, she doesn't."said Javeir. "She's my cousin, as you know, I invited her."
Kitty looked like she was about to say something, when she heard screaming. Javier pulled out his gun, and shot what looked like a reptilian creature three times.
"What's going on? What kind of joke is this? Run!"he told Kitty and Ma.del Carmen.
Javier shot every creature he saw as they ran, and Lance used his powers to push them further.
"I can't run in these shoes!"cried Ma.del Carmen and she fell.
He picked her up in his arms, with his gun still in his hand.
"I didn't know you had a gun. That you could shoot."Lance told him.
"Later!"
When they found Blob, Toad, and Pietro, Blob was sitting on one of the creatures. Javier shot it in the head. A guy carrying a strange device, aimed a red beam towards it and it disappeared.
"What was that all about?"asked Javeir angrily as all the X men came. "You were behind all of this, weren't you! You, Summers!"he aimed his gun at Scott, and angrily shot him in the leg.
"SCOOOTTT!"cried Jean.
"You were just jealous! You wanted to ruin everything, didn't you? I did wonder why in the world you had come!"
He put Ma.del Carmen down, and looked ready to kill Scott.
"Oh, don't kill him, Javy!"she cried. "He's not worth it, besides, you know death isn't a punishment!"
"You're right, Caramelo. Come on, Mr.Summers will see that it takes much more than a little joke to stop us."
"Where did you get he gun?"asked Lance.
"It was my father's. He was in the military, see. The Mexican Army, not US. That's also where I learned to shoot, and all that."
He held the fun for them to see the inscription. Colonel Carlos Andres Francisco Medina Estrada. So that must be why he's so disciplined, and strict, thought Lance.
"I was the Colonel's biggest disappointment."he said. "I was never what he wanted me to be. They say I killed him by making him so angry and disappointed all the time. He died de un coraje, you know, he was angry, and he had a stroke, or something, from such…high blood pressure and such, you know. When you're angry your blood pressure rises and such. I must admit, he was quite remarkable. A very great soldier. He should have died on the battlefield, not like that. His death was the only reason he didn't ascend higher."