Here, honey, would you like some?”
She frowned. “No.”
Evie blinked. “No?”
“I don’t want it.”
Hannah turned pink, like watermelon ice. Taryn felt bad but her words were slippery. She looked at Evie, pleading.
“Later.”
“You’re probably full from lunch, right? We can put it in the freezer and then see if you’re more in the mood in an hour or so.”
“Good. Yeah.”
“I’m just going to put this in one of the cups from the kitchen and rinse yours out so you can take it home. Will that work?” Evie asked Hannah.
“That would be good. My mom takes that one to work at the grocery store. She might be mad if she can’t find it.”
“Why don’t you two have a visit for a minute and I’ll run to the kitchen to take care of this?” Evie said.
Taryn wanted to yell at her, tell her to stay so someone would talk to Hannah but Evie left too soon.
Hannah looked down at her legs. They were chubby but tan. At least her brain could make them work. Finally she looked up. “Your dad said it was okay if I came to visit you, but you don’t really want much company, do you?”
No. Go away. She shrugged.
“I know we haven’t really been friends since about sixth grade. I understand. You’re smart and pretty and popular and all that stuff. I’m, well, not. But even though we haven’t been best friends in a long time, I’m superglad you didn’t die in the accident. Everyone is.”
She wasn’t. She should have died.
Taryn frowned. Lots of words crowded her throat but she couldn’t say them. Hannah was still pink. She looked at the door but Evie didn’t come in.
“This is a really nice room,” she said after a minute. “I love the view. You can see all of Hope’s Crossing from here.”
Taryn didn’t pay it much attention most of the time, except at night when she saw the lights.
“I’ve never been up here to your house before. It’s a lot bigger than the house you lived in by us on Glacier Lily Drive, isn’t it? It’s nice.”
Taryn remembered her old house. Her little bedroom, the swing set in the backyard, Hannah just across the street. They’d played Barbies and listened to music all summer long.
Fun. Hannah was always fun.
“Do you remember how you used to stay over at our house and we would dress up in my mom’s clothes and make up dance routines to old songs? And we were going to have our own band, remember? You were going to be the lead singer and I was going to play the drums. We called ourselves the Danger Girls and we even painted a sign to put on the bass drum of the set I planned to learn how to play. I found it the other day in the back of my closet. I should bring it over sometime for you to see. It was really terrible.”
Taryn laughed out loud, even though her heart hurt a little. She missed that time when she could dance and sing and be silly. She missed it so much.
Hannah laughed with her but then her smile died. “I guess you probably heard my dad moved out earlier in the summer. He’s living in Steamboat Springs now.”
“Sorry.” She wanted to say more but the words weren’t there.
“I know. It sucks.” Hannah’s chubby chin quivered a bit and Taryn wished she could help. “I’m doing okay but it’s been hard on my brothers. My little brother Jake—remember what a cute baby he was and how we used to push him up and down the street in his stroller so my mom could have a rest—he’s six now and he cries a lot more than he used to. It really gets on everyone’s nerves. Caleb is even more of a pill than ever. He’s nine. Daniel thinks he’s too cool to be upset but he’s grouchy all the time.”
Even though she was talking about sad stuff, Taryn thought it was nice to have Hannah here.
“My mom. She cries a lot. She had to get a job and it’s been pretty hard. I have to watch my brothers a lot more and cook dinner and stuff. That’s why I’ve been working so much at the Snow Chalet, so I can help out a little.”
She was quiet
She frowned. “No.”
Evie blinked. “No?”
“I don’t want it.”
Hannah turned pink, like watermelon ice. Taryn felt bad but her words were slippery. She looked at Evie, pleading.
“Later.”
“You’re probably full from lunch, right? We can put it in the freezer and then see if you’re more in the mood in an hour or so.”
“Good. Yeah.”
“I’m just going to put this in one of the cups from the kitchen and rinse yours out so you can take it home. Will that work?” Evie asked Hannah.
“That would be good. My mom takes that one to work at the grocery store. She might be mad if she can’t find it.”
“Why don’t you two have a visit for a minute and I’ll run to the kitchen to take care of this?” Evie said.
Taryn wanted to yell at her, tell her to stay so someone would talk to Hannah but Evie left too soon.
Hannah looked down at her legs. They were chubby but tan. At least her brain could make them work. Finally she looked up. “Your dad said it was okay if I came to visit you, but you don’t really want much company, do you?”
No. Go away. She shrugged.
“I know we haven’t really been friends since about sixth grade. I understand. You’re smart and pretty and popular and all that stuff. I’m, well, not. But even though we haven’t been best friends in a long time, I’m superglad you didn’t die in the accident. Everyone is.”
She wasn’t. She should have died.
Taryn frowned. Lots of words crowded her throat but she couldn’t say them. Hannah was still pink. She looked at the door but Evie didn’t come in.
“This is a really nice room,” she said after a minute. “I love the view. You can see all of Hope’s Crossing from here.”
Taryn didn’t pay it much attention most of the time, except at night when she saw the lights.
“I’ve never been up here to your house before. It’s a lot bigger than the house you lived in by us on Glacier Lily Drive, isn’t it? It’s nice.”
Taryn remembered her old house. Her little bedroom, the swing set in the backyard, Hannah just across the street. They’d played Barbies and listened to music all summer long.
Fun. Hannah was always fun.
“Do you remember how you used to stay over at our house and we would dress up in my mom’s clothes and make up dance routines to old songs? And we were going to have our own band, remember? You were going to be the lead singer and I was going to play the drums. We called ourselves the Danger Girls and we even painted a sign to put on the bass drum of the set I planned to learn how to play. I found it the other day in the back of my closet. I should bring it over sometime for you to see. It was really terrible.”
Taryn laughed out loud, even though her heart hurt a little. She missed that time when she could dance and sing and be silly. She missed it so much.
Hannah laughed with her but then her smile died. “I guess you probably heard my dad moved out earlier in the summer. He’s living in Steamboat Springs now.”
“Sorry.” She wanted to say more but the words weren’t there.
“I know. It sucks.” Hannah’s chubby chin quivered a bit and Taryn wished she could help. “I’m doing okay but it’s been hard on my brothers. My little brother Jake—remember what a cute baby he was and how we used to push him up and down the street in his stroller so my mom could have a rest—he’s six now and he cries a lot more than he used to. It really gets on everyone’s nerves. Caleb is even more of a pill than ever. He’s nine. Daniel thinks he’s too cool to be upset but he’s grouchy all the time.”
Even though she was talking about sad stuff, Taryn thought it was nice to have Hannah here.
“My mom. She cries a lot. She had to get a job and it’s been pretty hard. I have to watch my brothers a lot more and cook dinner and stuff. That’s why I’ve been working so much at the Snow Chalet, so I can help out a little.”
She was quiet
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