it’s enough to know I don’t want to live there.
“Don’t tell Kenny,” she continues. “Let me and your father do it.”
I shake away the blur of noise, colors, people, and smells. Why would anyone want to be there, when they can be here, where the air is clean and you can breathe? “Do you have to tell him tonight? He’s in such a good mood. I was too.” I almost don’t want to share the news with her after what they did, but she’ll find out eventually. “We found a possible signal today. In Alien Central.”
“You did? That’s wonderful! What happens now?”
“They said they’d let us know if the signal is real or not.”
“Well, that’s very exciting,” she says.
I don’t answer. It’s hard to feel excited about anything right now. I cross my arms tight, trying to hold myself together.
“I’m really sorry, honey,” she says, stroking my hair. “This will be a good thing, you’ll see. I do think we need to tell Kenny tonight though, so try to steer clear of him if you can.”
One look at my face and Kenny would know something was very wrong. I’ve never been good at hiding my feelings. I’ve never had to.
Before Mom can say anything else, Mrs. Holden comes back into the office with her older daughter, who has a name I’ve never heard of before, rhymes with
knee
?
“We’re sorry to bother you,” she says. “But my daughter is anxious to find out about those boxes. She’d like to change her clothes.” The woman says the last part apologetically, with a “you know teenagers” kind of grimace.
I take in the short, wavy skirt, the sandals, the hot pink tank top. Definitely not the usual camping attire. She looks like she stepped out of the pages of
Teen
magazine. One of our guests left a copy here a few years ago. When I looked at it, I felt like those girls were a different species from me. The pretty girl pulls at the top with obvious disgust. “I’ve been wearing these clothes all day,” she complains. “The taxi, the airport, the plane, the van, the diner, and now this place with all the dirt flying everywhere. A shower wouldn’t hurt either. I feel totally gross. How can you stand it, Mom?”
Her mother leans her head in toward my mother’s and says, “Bree isn’t taking the move so well. You have to forgive her.”
Bree’s lips form a straight line and she glares at her mother. I actually feel sorry for the girl. She apparently didn’t ask for this any more than I did.
“Ally,” my mother says, “perhaps you’d be kind enough to take Bree up to your room? She can use your shower, and I’m sure you have some clothes you can lend her.”
Doesn’t she see that Bree is about a foot taller than me? And thinner? And somehow I don’t think she’s going to be too excited about my clothes. Bree starts to say something, but her mother shushes her and says to me, “That would be very kind. Thank you, Ally.”
I didn’t realize I had agreed to anything. The two mothers turn toward the bulletin board to look at the chart of available high-end cabins, ignoring us both. I can’t believe that in the span of half an hour I went from jumping for joy over the possibility of discovering that we are not alone in the universe, to feeling like all the air has been sucked out of my body. I know I should cry, should be screaming to the rafters at the unfairness of it all, but I’m just numb. It feels so unreal.
I turn on my heel and Bree follows me. We don’t speak as I lead her around to the front of the house. As we’re about to enter, Ryan approaches from the other side. “Hey, Ally!” he says, heading toward us. He stops short when he sees Bree. I swear his mouth drops open a bit. Bree just stands there, lids half closed like she’s bored, while he looks her up and down. I guess Bree is what a hottie looks like. She probably doesn’t realize how pretty she is. Ryan doesn’t even notice that my hand is shaking so hard on the doorknob that the whole door rattles
“Don’t tell Kenny,” she continues. “Let me and your father do it.”
I shake away the blur of noise, colors, people, and smells. Why would anyone want to be there, when they can be here, where the air is clean and you can breathe? “Do you have to tell him tonight? He’s in such a good mood. I was too.” I almost don’t want to share the news with her after what they did, but she’ll find out eventually. “We found a possible signal today. In Alien Central.”
“You did? That’s wonderful! What happens now?”
“They said they’d let us know if the signal is real or not.”
“Well, that’s very exciting,” she says.
I don’t answer. It’s hard to feel excited about anything right now. I cross my arms tight, trying to hold myself together.
“I’m really sorry, honey,” she says, stroking my hair. “This will be a good thing, you’ll see. I do think we need to tell Kenny tonight though, so try to steer clear of him if you can.”
One look at my face and Kenny would know something was very wrong. I’ve never been good at hiding my feelings. I’ve never had to.
Before Mom can say anything else, Mrs. Holden comes back into the office with her older daughter, who has a name I’ve never heard of before, rhymes with
knee
?
“We’re sorry to bother you,” she says. “But my daughter is anxious to find out about those boxes. She’d like to change her clothes.” The woman says the last part apologetically, with a “you know teenagers” kind of grimace.
I take in the short, wavy skirt, the sandals, the hot pink tank top. Definitely not the usual camping attire. She looks like she stepped out of the pages of
Teen
magazine. One of our guests left a copy here a few years ago. When I looked at it, I felt like those girls were a different species from me. The pretty girl pulls at the top with obvious disgust. “I’ve been wearing these clothes all day,” she complains. “The taxi, the airport, the plane, the van, the diner, and now this place with all the dirt flying everywhere. A shower wouldn’t hurt either. I feel totally gross. How can you stand it, Mom?”
Her mother leans her head in toward my mother’s and says, “Bree isn’t taking the move so well. You have to forgive her.”
Bree’s lips form a straight line and she glares at her mother. I actually feel sorry for the girl. She apparently didn’t ask for this any more than I did.
“Ally,” my mother says, “perhaps you’d be kind enough to take Bree up to your room? She can use your shower, and I’m sure you have some clothes you can lend her.”
Doesn’t she see that Bree is about a foot taller than me? And thinner? And somehow I don’t think she’s going to be too excited about my clothes. Bree starts to say something, but her mother shushes her and says to me, “That would be very kind. Thank you, Ally.”
I didn’t realize I had agreed to anything. The two mothers turn toward the bulletin board to look at the chart of available high-end cabins, ignoring us both. I can’t believe that in the span of half an hour I went from jumping for joy over the possibility of discovering that we are not alone in the universe, to feeling like all the air has been sucked out of my body. I know I should cry, should be screaming to the rafters at the unfairness of it all, but I’m just numb. It feels so unreal.
I turn on my heel and Bree follows me. We don’t speak as I lead her around to the front of the house. As we’re about to enter, Ryan approaches from the other side. “Hey, Ally!” he says, heading toward us. He stops short when he sees Bree. I swear his mouth drops open a bit. Bree just stands there, lids half closed like she’s bored, while he looks her up and down. I guess Bree is what a hottie looks like. She probably doesn’t realize how pretty she is. Ryan doesn’t even notice that my hand is shaking so hard on the doorknob that the whole door rattles
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