Outside Beauty by Cynthia Kadohata

it’s kind of cool
.
    Marilyn, don’t stare at Mom’s face! I know it’s hard but you have to try
.
    Okay, that’s it from me! I hope you’re all doing okay
!!!
    Love,
    Shelby
    P.S. Wait, now that I think about it, I won’t see what Maddie and Lakey add to the letters, because they’ll write after me. I think we should keep sending the letters around until everybody has read them, and then send them to Maddie in the end. Or is that what we already decided and I just don’t understand
?

    P.P.S. Jiro has the smallest TV I’ve ever seen. He says he hardly watches
.
    P.P.P.S. Marilyn, I think you should date the boxboy if you like him
.
    I always hoped Marilyn would date boys she liked, not boys with money or status.
    Our plan to send our letters to each person in turn got messed up really quickly. It was confusing, and pretty soon we were breaking the rules all the time. A letter from Lakey was the next to arrive.
    Dear M, S, and M
,
    It’s okay so far. It’s hard, though, because Larry doesn’t spend as much attention on me like he used to. His wife is pregnant so I guess he’ll have another child, and he is already thinking a lot about the baby and all. We went for a vacation at the cabin where he got married. Shelby, I know what you mean by saying nature is kind of cool when you get used to it. I saw a raccoon! He walked right up to me and I ran away, but still it was kind of cool
.

    His wife is really different from Mom. It seems weird
.
    Love,
Lakey
    And finally, Maddie.
    Dear Everybody,
    Mr. Bronson told me to stop calling him Mr. Bronson. He wants me to say dad. But I don’t want to say dad because it fells funny. He says I should say dad anyway so I do but it fells funny
.
    He wants me to make fiends but I don’t see any kids around. You are my best fiends so why should I try to make more. Also I won’t be here long. So if I played with someone in the neighborhood I would leave soon anyway. Does that make sense
?
    Love,
Maddie

    P.S. I’m scared of raccoons
.
    So Marilyn was thinking about city boys and Lakey and I were making friends with nature. There was no denying it: I liked nature. I mean, I knew everybody liked nature, but I hadn’t realized I liked it. I hadn’t thought much about it. But in this little town it was all around. Every single house had really big trees, like, right next to them. I couldn’t remember ever seeing that before. The modest wood houses fit right into the setting.
    One morning during breakfast as Jiro and I ate cereal, I asked him, “What’s it like in southern Arkansas, where Maddie is?”
    He shook his head sadly. “South filled with new pine forest. Oaks cut down for timber,” he said. “I take you down to visit your sister.”
    My head shot up. “What?” I said. Milk spewed out of my mouth, and I waited for a demerit for bad manners. But no demerit came. “Really? When?”
    â€œAh, when. I promise I will. Not sure when.”
    â€œCan I call her and tell her?”
    â€œYou can call anytime you want, but don’t tell yet. Tell when we know when.”

    â€œBut can’t you tell me when?” Impatience rose in me.
    â€œI figure out and tell you soon.”
    When Jiro left for work, I peeked out the window and watched him go. The second his car disappeared past the curve in the road, I ran into his office and dialed Maddie. She answered the phone.
    â€œHello?” she said.
    â€œMaddie!”
    â€œShelby!”
    â€œWhat are you doing answering the phone?”
    â€œHe’s at work, and Mrs. Bronson is taking a shower.”
    â€œMaddie, I’m going to come down and visit you.”
    â€œWhen?”
    â€œSoon. Jiro said soon.”
    â€œHurry! Maybe Jiro can make Mr. Bronson give me my money back. He found it and took it. Shelby, I want to go home! Please come get me. I’m so lonely! Please?”
    â€œOkay,” I