right?” Bernadette directed this at Piper. I caught Piper shoot Bernadette a look.
“Bernie, do you know him?”
Bernadette started organizing her backpack. “Oh, uh. No. Not really.”
“We know him through tennis, right Bernie?” Piper’s voice sounded too high.
Bernadette nodded her head slowly. “Oh yeah. That’s it. Name sounded familiar.”
“Sounds like you both know something about Caleb that I don’t.” I looked from Piper to Bernadette. Bernadette blanched. Piper pretended she didn’t hear me and shrieked.
“I forgot to tell you! Wyatt got hit in the face with a lacrosse stick and had to get sixteen stitches on his eyebrow. Look at this!” She pulled out her phone and showed us photos of a swollen and bloody Wyatt.
“There go your prom photos,” I said.
“Lana, is that all you can think about? My poor baby!”
“All I can think about is I’m a little low on clothes for Hawaii and I need you to go shopping with me in the city on Saturday. I need resort wear.”
“More like, cavort wear,” Bernadette interjected.
“Done!” Piper cried. “I’ll come get you in the morning.”
Bernadette bent down to tie her tennis shoes. “Don’t forget to pick up some garlic.”
***
“Kind of short notice, isn’t it?” The chicken tacos I made sat untouched on the table.
“He only asked me a few days ago.”
“Have you even met his parents?”
“Well…no. His dad is something called a ‘venture capitalist.’ His mom’s a psychologist. They’re super responsible.” He took a long swallow from his bottle of Dos Equis while I continued my pitch. “Anyway, I think it would be good for me to get out of town, just go somewhere? For once in my life?”
He shot me a piercing look and cleared his throat.
“Lana, do Mr. and Mrs. Weaver expect you to share a room with their son?”
I almost choked. “No! I get my own room, duh!”
“With a lock on the door?” He glared at me like he had already caught me alone with Caleb in a hotel room. I piled guacamole onto my plate. I tried to think about anything but Caleb in a Speedo, lounging on a gauzy bed in a tropical paradise. Think about puppies.
Puppies in tiny Speedos.
“Maya said she could fill in for me over break at the shop. She’s better than me, anyway.”
He nodded and rubbed his chin. “You might need some spending money in Hawaii.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the silver money clip I gave him for Christmas. It held an unfamiliar sight: a thick wedge of cash. He peeled off a few crisp bills and tossed them on the counter. I stared at them, dumbfounded. Three hundred dollars! It would take me months to earn that much in valet tips.
“But what about Victor? I thought things were going badly?”
“I told you I’d work it out. And I did, as you can see.” He took a sip of his beer. Then another.
“So—I can go on the trip?” He shrugged and smiled. I gave him a huge hug. “Yes! Thanks, Dad. You’re awesome.”
He stroked the back of my head. “Now promise me you’ll quit worrying. All you need to think about is getting through senior year. So go and have a wonderful time with Kevin.”
“His name’s Caleb, Dad. But you can call him whatever you want!” I scooped up the cash and headed to my room before the spell broke and the loot vanished.
I pulled a small metal cash box out of my new hiding place under the loose plank in the floor. Next to it, the diary was already acquiring a new layer of dust. I unlatched the lid and dropped the money on top of the small stack in the cash box. My life savings: a little over thirteen hundred dollars. Not enough for even a month in New York. But plenty for some new clothes. Cavort wear.
***
I was alone in the art studio the next day packing up when the door opened. A little head popped in.
“Hi Lana.” Eden smiled up at me through her long bangs. They needed a trim.
“Eden! Hey, I haven’t talked to you in ages.” She crept in,
“Bernie, do you know him?”
Bernadette started organizing her backpack. “Oh, uh. No. Not really.”
“We know him through tennis, right Bernie?” Piper’s voice sounded too high.
Bernadette nodded her head slowly. “Oh yeah. That’s it. Name sounded familiar.”
“Sounds like you both know something about Caleb that I don’t.” I looked from Piper to Bernadette. Bernadette blanched. Piper pretended she didn’t hear me and shrieked.
“I forgot to tell you! Wyatt got hit in the face with a lacrosse stick and had to get sixteen stitches on his eyebrow. Look at this!” She pulled out her phone and showed us photos of a swollen and bloody Wyatt.
“There go your prom photos,” I said.
“Lana, is that all you can think about? My poor baby!”
“All I can think about is I’m a little low on clothes for Hawaii and I need you to go shopping with me in the city on Saturday. I need resort wear.”
“More like, cavort wear,” Bernadette interjected.
“Done!” Piper cried. “I’ll come get you in the morning.”
Bernadette bent down to tie her tennis shoes. “Don’t forget to pick up some garlic.”
***
“Kind of short notice, isn’t it?” The chicken tacos I made sat untouched on the table.
“He only asked me a few days ago.”
“Have you even met his parents?”
“Well…no. His dad is something called a ‘venture capitalist.’ His mom’s a psychologist. They’re super responsible.” He took a long swallow from his bottle of Dos Equis while I continued my pitch. “Anyway, I think it would be good for me to get out of town, just go somewhere? For once in my life?”
He shot me a piercing look and cleared his throat.
“Lana, do Mr. and Mrs. Weaver expect you to share a room with their son?”
I almost choked. “No! I get my own room, duh!”
“With a lock on the door?” He glared at me like he had already caught me alone with Caleb in a hotel room. I piled guacamole onto my plate. I tried to think about anything but Caleb in a Speedo, lounging on a gauzy bed in a tropical paradise. Think about puppies.
Puppies in tiny Speedos.
“Maya said she could fill in for me over break at the shop. She’s better than me, anyway.”
He nodded and rubbed his chin. “You might need some spending money in Hawaii.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the silver money clip I gave him for Christmas. It held an unfamiliar sight: a thick wedge of cash. He peeled off a few crisp bills and tossed them on the counter. I stared at them, dumbfounded. Three hundred dollars! It would take me months to earn that much in valet tips.
“But what about Victor? I thought things were going badly?”
“I told you I’d work it out. And I did, as you can see.” He took a sip of his beer. Then another.
“So—I can go on the trip?” He shrugged and smiled. I gave him a huge hug. “Yes! Thanks, Dad. You’re awesome.”
He stroked the back of my head. “Now promise me you’ll quit worrying. All you need to think about is getting through senior year. So go and have a wonderful time with Kevin.”
“His name’s Caleb, Dad. But you can call him whatever you want!” I scooped up the cash and headed to my room before the spell broke and the loot vanished.
I pulled a small metal cash box out of my new hiding place under the loose plank in the floor. Next to it, the diary was already acquiring a new layer of dust. I unlatched the lid and dropped the money on top of the small stack in the cash box. My life savings: a little over thirteen hundred dollars. Not enough for even a month in New York. But plenty for some new clothes. Cavort wear.
***
I was alone in the art studio the next day packing up when the door opened. A little head popped in.
“Hi Lana.” Eden smiled up at me through her long bangs. They needed a trim.
“Eden! Hey, I haven’t talked to you in ages.” She crept in,
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