I assure him when Rory finishes. “I mean, I’ll be turning thirteen on Friday the thirteenth, so that’s a whole lotta thirteens. I’m not superstitious, but it can’t be
good
luck.”
He shakes his head. Some of his hair is matted together and it doesn’t move. I try not to stare.
“If you weren’t good luck, why would
your
thirteenth birthday and
my
bar mitzvah be the same weekend?”
Amanda and Leo raise their eyebrows at that, then turn and huddle together with their boards. I try to ignore their frantic scratching and reply, “Um, a coincidence?”
Rory makes this strange sound that’s a cross between a chuckle and a snort. Then she says, “There
are
no coincidences in Willow Falls.”
I look at her in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“Leo told me that when we first started becoming friends,” she replies. But instead of explaining it, she turns to the closest unplanted tree and asks, “Hey, Amanda, think this little guy is ready to be planted?”
But Amanda is too busy with Leo to answer.
“Will you come to it?” David asks, ignoring the others. “My bar mitzvah, I mean?” He stands up and brushes the dirt off his knees. “Unless you have other plans. Like, maybe your aunt is planning a birthday party?”
I grimace at the thought that they’d throw another party for me, and shake my head.
“So it’s settled, then. You’ll be my good luck charm. I’ve been practicing for a year and a half, and I’m still not very good. As you can see, I could use all the luck I can get.” He points to his matted hair.
Without waiting for an answer, or for me to tell him I’m really not cut out to be anyone’s anything, he grabs Leo and they run off to see who can push stones the farthestor some other boy-type thing that involves rocks and brute strength.
Amanda and Rory immediately spring into action.
“She’s about Kylie’s size,” Amanda says, eyeing me up and down.
Rory nods in agreement. “Yeah, but no offense, your sister doesn’t seem like the type to lend clothes.”
“She’s actually been a lot nicer lately. Well, when she and her boyfriend are getting along, that is. I’ll ask her on a good day.” Then Amanda turns back to me. “Unless you brought a nice dress with you?”
I’m a bit shell-shocked from all that just happened, so it takes me a few seconds to figure they’re talking about dressing me for the bar mitzvah. I look down at my drab clothes. “Um, this is pretty much as fancy as I get.”
“That’s okay, I don’t usually wear things like this either,” Rory says, lifting the hem of her sundress. “I got it for a birthday party last year that I thought would be a really big deal.” She pauses, and glances at Amanda, who gives her this nod of encouragement, which is weird. Then Rory asks, “You know how sometimes you expect something to go one way, but then things end up being totally different? That happened to me a lot last year. Seriously, a LOT. Most of the time things didn’t turn out so well, but sometimes they turned out way better than I could have imagined. And maybe that’s how it will be for you … or maybe something totally different.”
Rory = Not Making Sense.
“Um, I’m not sure what you mean.”
Amanda lightly touches my arm. “I think what Rory’s trying to say, is that sometimes you wake up in the morning, and things are suddenly really weird. And, well, maybe you don’t understand it right away, or maybe not really ever. But you just have to trust that … oh, I’m not explaining it very well. Maybe I should just ask … is Willow Falls like you expected? What about the people here? Has anyone, you know, surprised you?”
I squirm, not sure what the right answer is and not wanting to insult anyone. Any time we move to a new town, I set my expectations so low that if anyone even smiles at me in the hall it’s a victory. So these people have already surprised me just by saying hello! To say nothing of an Australian personal
good
luck.”
He shakes his head. Some of his hair is matted together and it doesn’t move. I try not to stare.
“If you weren’t good luck, why would
your
thirteenth birthday and
my
bar mitzvah be the same weekend?”
Amanda and Leo raise their eyebrows at that, then turn and huddle together with their boards. I try to ignore their frantic scratching and reply, “Um, a coincidence?”
Rory makes this strange sound that’s a cross between a chuckle and a snort. Then she says, “There
are
no coincidences in Willow Falls.”
I look at her in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“Leo told me that when we first started becoming friends,” she replies. But instead of explaining it, she turns to the closest unplanted tree and asks, “Hey, Amanda, think this little guy is ready to be planted?”
But Amanda is too busy with Leo to answer.
“Will you come to it?” David asks, ignoring the others. “My bar mitzvah, I mean?” He stands up and brushes the dirt off his knees. “Unless you have other plans. Like, maybe your aunt is planning a birthday party?”
I grimace at the thought that they’d throw another party for me, and shake my head.
“So it’s settled, then. You’ll be my good luck charm. I’ve been practicing for a year and a half, and I’m still not very good. As you can see, I could use all the luck I can get.” He points to his matted hair.
Without waiting for an answer, or for me to tell him I’m really not cut out to be anyone’s anything, he grabs Leo and they run off to see who can push stones the farthestor some other boy-type thing that involves rocks and brute strength.
Amanda and Rory immediately spring into action.
“She’s about Kylie’s size,” Amanda says, eyeing me up and down.
Rory nods in agreement. “Yeah, but no offense, your sister doesn’t seem like the type to lend clothes.”
“She’s actually been a lot nicer lately. Well, when she and her boyfriend are getting along, that is. I’ll ask her on a good day.” Then Amanda turns back to me. “Unless you brought a nice dress with you?”
I’m a bit shell-shocked from all that just happened, so it takes me a few seconds to figure they’re talking about dressing me for the bar mitzvah. I look down at my drab clothes. “Um, this is pretty much as fancy as I get.”
“That’s okay, I don’t usually wear things like this either,” Rory says, lifting the hem of her sundress. “I got it for a birthday party last year that I thought would be a really big deal.” She pauses, and glances at Amanda, who gives her this nod of encouragement, which is weird. Then Rory asks, “You know how sometimes you expect something to go one way, but then things end up being totally different? That happened to me a lot last year. Seriously, a LOT. Most of the time things didn’t turn out so well, but sometimes they turned out way better than I could have imagined. And maybe that’s how it will be for you … or maybe something totally different.”
Rory = Not Making Sense.
“Um, I’m not sure what you mean.”
Amanda lightly touches my arm. “I think what Rory’s trying to say, is that sometimes you wake up in the morning, and things are suddenly really weird. And, well, maybe you don’t understand it right away, or maybe not really ever. But you just have to trust that … oh, I’m not explaining it very well. Maybe I should just ask … is Willow Falls like you expected? What about the people here? Has anyone, you know, surprised you?”
I squirm, not sure what the right answer is and not wanting to insult anyone. Any time we move to a new town, I set my expectations so low that if anyone even smiles at me in the hall it’s a victory. So these people have already surprised me just by saying hello! To say nothing of an Australian personal
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