Mia's Golden Bird

by Lisa Schroeder

  Salina crossed her arms. “Yeah. It was. I don’t know why you were so mad about that whole thing. You obviously had better things to do anyway.”

  Furious, Mia squeezed the handle of her bag tightly. She tried to keep her voice low and calm as she said, “It’s still nice to be invited.”

  “Come on, you guys,” Josie said. “Make up already. Salina, I thought you were going to apologize.”

  “Okay. I’m sorry,” Salina muttered, her voice so quiet Mia could barely hear her. It was the most pathetic apology in the history of disagreements.

  “Great. Thanks,” Mia said, not too convincingly. “Look, I gotta go. I’ll see you at school on Tuesday, since tomorrow’s a holiday.”

  She walked toward the door of the café. “We want to hear all about it, you know,” Josie said. “What Lacy’s house is like. What you guys did. If she’s as in love with herself as she seems to be. That kind of stuff.”

  Mia didn’t respond. She kept walking until she was inside the quiet, and thankfully empty, café.

  Her mother smiled, happy to see her. Mia rushed over, dropped her bag, and fell into her mother’s loving arms. It made Mia feel better. At least a little bit, anyway.

  * * *

  Mia tried calling Lacy approximately seventeen times. She texted her three times.

  The first time: Please let me explain. Please? Call me.

  The second time: I’m so sorry. I want to talk to you about it.

  The third time: Lacy, I feel horrible. I didn’t mean it. Please believe me!

  Maybe Lacy’s assistant still had her phone. Or maybe she was busy practicing lines for work. Or maybe she never wanted to speak to Mia again. How could Mia blame her, really?

  After dinner, Mia went to her room and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and began writing.

  DEAR LIBBY,

  THANKS FOR YOUR LETTER! I LOVE HOW HARD YOU WERE TRYING TO CHEER ME UP. I MISS YOU SO MUCH.

  I HAVE A LOT TO TELL YOU, BUT I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START. I KNOW, I KNOW, I SHOULD START AT THE BEGINNING.

  DO YOU KNOW WHO LACY BELL IS? SHE’S A FAMOUS TEEN ACTRESS HERE IN AMERICA. WELL, SHE CAME INTO THE CAFÉ ONE SUNDAY MORNING WITH HER GRANDMA, AND WHEN SHE SAW MY CAMP PHOTOS, SHE ASKED IF I’D GO WITH THEM AND TAKE PHOTOS WHILE THEY WATCHED FOR BIRDS. I KNOW, IT SOUNDS CRAZY. BUT SHE PROMISED TO PAY ME, AND SO I WENT, AND I ACTUALLY HAD FUN. IT’S PRETTY COOL, SEEING THE DIFFERENT BIRDS AND IDENTIFYING THEM AND LOOKING FOR THE ONES THAT ARE HARDER TO FIND. I’VE GONE WITH THEM THREE TIMES NOW AND EACH TIME IT GETS BETTER AND BETTER. IT’S REALLY PEACEFUL OUT THERE WITH NOTHING BUT NATURE ALL AROUND YOU. I KNOW YOU’LL UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE I REMEMBER HOW MUCH YOU LOVED THE NATURE HIKES AT CAMP.

  ANYWAY, I STAYED AT HER HOUSE THIS PAST WEEKEND, AND I GOT TO KNOW HER BETTER. SHE’S REALLY NICE AND WE HAD A LOT OF FUN. I PROBABLY HAVEN’T HAD THAT MUCH FUN SINCE CAMP BROOKRIDGE. SHE SAID I COULD COME BACK WHENEVER I WANTED.

  SO BASICALLY, WE BECAME FRIENDS.

  THE SAD THING IS THAT I DIDN’T WANT TO ADMIT IT. KIDS SAY MEAN THINGS ABOUT HER, LIKE THEY DO ABOUT A LOT OF CELEBRITIES, YOU KNOW? AND I DIDN’T WANT THEM SAYING THOSE THINGS ABOUT ME.

  BUT NOW I KNOW THAT WE’RE FRIENDS. OR WERE. I’M NOT SURE. BECAUSE I’VE DONE SOMETHING HORRIBLE. I TOLD A BUNCH OF KIDS FROM SCHOOL THAT WE AREN’T FRIENDS, AND SHE HEARD ME SAY IT.

  LIBBY, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? SHE WON’T ANSWER MY CALLS OR TEXTS. MY MOM SAYS MAYBE AFTER SHE HAS TIME TO COOL DOWN, SHE’LL CALL ME BACK. SHE TELLS ME I JUST NEED TO GIVE HER TIME AND SPACE. BE PATIENT. BUT IT’S SO HARD.

  I WISH I COULD GO BACK IN TIME AND DO THE WHOLE THING OVER. THERE REALLY SHOULD BE A REWIND BUTTON FOR LIFE.

  I NEED THIS LUCKY BRACELET TO WORK NOW MORE THAN EVER. I DON’T WANT TO LOSE MY NEW FRIEND, LIBBY. LIKE CAITLIN SAID IN HER LETTER TO ME A WHILE BACK, SOMETIMES AWESOME SHOWS UP WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT.

  I DIDN’T EXPECT LACY BELL TO BE AWESOME, BUT SHE IS, AND SHE CAME ALONG AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME — WHEN I REALLY NEEDED A FRIEND. I HOPE I CAN MAKE THINGS RIGHT.

  I KNOW THIS LETTER IS ALL ME, ME, ME, BUT RIGHT NOW, I DON’T REALLY HAVE ANYONE TO TALK TO ABOUT THIS. THANKS FOR LISTENING.

  YOUR CABIN 7 BFF,

  MIA

  PS. WHAT’S YOUR FRIEND’S NAME? THE ONE WHO OWNS GOLDIE? YOU TOLD ME THE DOG’S NAME BUT NOT YOUR FRIEND’S. I DON’T KNOW WHY, BUT I FIND THAT REALLY FUNNY.

  After she finished getting the letter ready to mail, Mia went and asked her mom if she could use her printer to print out a few photos. Her mom preferred going to the drugstore, because ink for her little printer wasn’t cheap, but she did have some photo paper and said it would be okay this one time as long as she didn’t do too many.

  Mia hooked her camera up to the computer and browsed the pictures. She stopped when she came to one where Lacy had looked right at the camera and put her hands together in the shape of the heart. The soft blue sky and bright green vegetation was behind her, making it a visually pretty picture, but the main thing Mia noticed was how truly happy Lacy looked. How many moments did she get like that, in her busy and lonely life?

  Mia knew the answer to that. Not many.

  Mia suddenly wished she had one of her and Lacy together. Why hadn’t she asked Gail to take one of the two of them?

  She printed out the photo of Lacy making the heart, along with one of her and her grandma as they watched the clapper rail with pure joy on their faces, and finally, the best one of the clapper rail she’d taken, as it stood in the water, taking a bath.

  Back in her room, Mia took a frame from her dresser that held three pictures of her with her mom and went to work putting the three pictures she’d printed out into the frame instead. When she finished, she stood back and admired it. She’d get the rest of the photos developed at the drugstore, like always. But in addition to what she normally gave to Lacy, she’d have something extra special to give to her as well.

  She could only hope it would be enough to fix the mess she’d made.

  Monday was Columbus Day, so Mia didn’t have school. Her mom had to work though, so she took her scrapbook and supplies to the café along with her camera, for a walk on the beach later.

  Lacy still hadn’t returned Mia’s calls, and Mia had decided it was probably best to do as her mom had suggested and back off for now. She didn’t want to annoy her any more than she already had. Hopefully by Sunday Lacy wouldn’t be as hurt, and Mia could explain and give her the framed photos as an apology gift.

  The café was pretty busy. Mia offered to help her mom, but she told her to sit and relax. So Mia worked away on her scrapbook while her mom worked away serving up coffee and muffins.

  And then, they had a surprise customer. Salina. Except she didn’t appear to be there for drink or food.

  “Hi,” Salina said, standing at Mia’s table. “I thought I’d probably find you here.”

  “Yep.”

  “What are you working on?”

  “I’m trying to finish up a scrapbook.”

  Salina picked up a photo of Libby, Hannah, and Caitlin standing in front of the Pink Giraffe, the day they found the charm bracelet. “Is this from camp?” she asked.

  “Yes. They all are.”

  “Looks like fun,” she said, setting the photo back down.

  “It was,” Mia said, kind of wondering when Salina was going to tell her what she was doing here.

  Salina looked around at the bustling café and said, “Could we maybe go for a walk? On the beach?”

  “Okay. Let me put this stuff away first.”

  With the table cleaned up and the supplies stored away, the girls headed off toward the beach. Outside, it was a bit cooler than it had been lately, and Mia was glad she’d brought a jacket along. Salina zipped up her yellow hoodie.

  “I wanted to tell you, I kind of figured out something this weekend,” Salina said.

  Mia looked at her. “What?”

  “Wait,” she said. “Maybe I figured out a couple of things. Anyway, the f
irst thing is that, you were right. I was wrong. I was leaving you out of things. Not on purpose though. Like, I didn’t set out to hurt your feelings or anything. It just sort of … happened. Things were suddenly so different, with your foot in a cast, and yeah, I didn’t think about how hard on you it must have been. And I’m sorry.”

  “You are?” Mia asked, wanting to hear it again.

  “I really am.”

  It felt like a bunch of bricks were lifted off Mia’s shoulders. Finally, they were talking again. Maybe, just maybe, things were on the right track. “What’s the other thing?” Mia asked.

  They got to the beach and just like before, it was hard for Mia to walk in the soft sand.

  Salina watched Mia struggle. “You must be so sick of that thing.”

  “Eight more days,” Mia replied. “I can’t believe it. For so long, it felt like it was a hundred years away. I guess staying busy with Lacy has helped the time fly.”

  The girls made their way toward the water. Mia took in a deep breath of sea air and felt herself finally relaxing after all of the stress from the past twenty-four hours.

  “So the other thing,” Salina said as they walked, “is that I’ve missed you. When I heard you had a sleepover with Lacy, I kind of got … jealous. Like, I kept wondering, why wasn’t it me who was having a sleepover with you?”

  “Maybe because you didn’t invite me?” Mia asked with a hint of a smile, trying not to sound too smug.

  “I know, I know, it’s crazy, because you’re right,” Salina said before she laughed. “And now I feel silly that I felt jealous at all since you two aren’t really friends, just like you said yesterday.”

  Oh no, Mia thought. Here we go.

  They reached the hard, wet sand and Mia saw a sand dollar sticking out of the sand. She reached down and gave it a soft, careful tug.

  Usually Mia found broken ones, so what a surprise when she discovered that this one was almost perfect.

  “Wow,” Salina said, looking on. “It’s hard to find ones that look as good as that.”

  Mia brushed off the sand as she turned it over in her hands. “What a treasure,” she whispered. It made her think of what her mother had said after Caitlin had mailed Mia the bracelet along with homemade cookies.

  Good friends are a treasure.

  “I think there’s something I realized this weekend too,” Mia said, turning and facing Salina.

  “Yeah? What’s that?”

  “I realized I like having friends. Different kinds of friends, for doing different kinds of things. And maybe Lacy is different than most girls in a lot of ways, but she’s also the same in some ways too. I was embarrassed to say it yesterday, with everyone standing there, but she is my friend.”

  “She is?” Salina asked.

  “Yeah. She is. And there’s something else. The bird books I checked out, at the library? They weren’t for my mom, they were for me. Lacy and I have been going bird-watching together, and it’s fun. I know it probably sounds kind of strange, but I really like doing it, and I want to keep doing it. I hope you can be okay with that.”

  Salina turned to walk down the beach, and Mia did the same. “So Lacy’s nice?” Salina asked. “Not stuck up or whatever?”

  “She’s super nice. And lonely, because it’s hard for her to make friends. Salina, she lives in this incredible mansion with all these cool things, and she’s actually jealous of me. Do you know why?”

  Salina shook her head. “No. Why?”

  “Because I play soccer and have friends and can go to the mall anytime I want without being mobbed by people.”

  “Really? Wow. I guess I never thought of it like that.”

  The two didn’t say anything for a while. They just walked along, scanning the sand for more treasures.

  Salina reached down and picked up a shiny golden agate with little black specks.

  “It’s pretty,” Mia said.

  “Not as cool as yours,” Salina replied.

  “They’re different,” Mia said. “That’s all. Just think how boring the beach would be if all you found were sand dollars.” She paused. “And how boring the world would be if all you found were girls who like to surf.”

  Salina stopped. “Wait. What? That’d be pretty awesome, wouldn’t it?”

  “The ocean would be way too crowded,” Mia said. “It’d be horrible.”

  Salina gave Mia a little shove. “Okay, okay, I get your point.”

  Mia laughed, and Salina joined in.

  “I’m so glad we’re here,” Salina said. “Doing this. Looking for treasures. Talking. Do you think — I mean, would you want to sleep over this weekend?”

  “Sure, if it’s on Friday night,” Mia said. “I have plans on Sunday, so Saturday wouldn’t work. Well, at least I hope I have plans on Sunday. I may have messed everything up with Lacy now, after she heard what I said. I think I really hurt her feelings.”

  “Welcome to the club.”

  “The club?”

  “The club of hurting people’s feelings,” Salina said. “It’s not a fun place to be.”

  “Well, you’re out of the club now,” Mia said. “Since everything’s better between us. You need to start a new club now. Something more fun.”

  “Pigs-in-a-bunk bed club?” Salina asked.

  It sounded so ridiculous, Mia couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes. Perfect. Hopefully I can join you there soon.”

  “We’ll go out for breakfast to celebrate,” Salina said. “How’s that sound?”

  “Awesome,” Mia said.

  And she really meant it.

  Mia and Lacy Bell were the talk of the school on Tuesday.

  Kids wanted to know everything.

  And Mia didn’t want to say a thing about it.

  Fortunately, Salina and Josie stuck close to Mia, and together the three girls got the word out that Mia wouldn’t be talking about Lacy. At all. They could ask all the questions they wanted, but that didn’t mean Mia would be answering them.

  Eventually, the whole thing died down and things were back to normal.

  When Sunday arrived, Mia woke up extra early, too nervous to sleep. She’d gotten last week’s pictures developed and there were some really great shots. She sat on her bed, flipping through them, remembering how much fun they’d had. As she stared at one she’d taken of an osprey in flight, she thought of Lacy, wanting to be free like that but feeling so trapped in her life.

  It made Mia’s heart ache even more, thinking about how she’d hurt Lacy. She became more determined than ever to make everything right.

  After she showered and got ready, she waited for her mom in the family room.

  “Excited to see your friend today?” her mother asked her as she gathered her purse and keys from the coffee table.

  “I guess you could say that,” Mia said as they left the cottage and walked out to the car. “Nervous too, though. She might still be upset about what happened. I just hope I can make things right.”

  “I’m sure you can,” her mother said. “I’m glad this job has worked out so well for you,” her mother said.

  They got in the car and buckled up. “Well,” Mia said. “It’s not going to be a job any longer. I’m going to tell Lacy today that she’s my friend and that means I can’t take her money anymore. I want to keep bird-watching with her, but not to get paid. It’s fun, and I don’t mind taking photos.”

  Her mom didn’t say anything.

  “Hopefully, I can find another way to pay for camp,” Mia said. “It’ll be okay.”

  “Sí,” her mother said. “It’s the right thing, what you’re doing. I’m proud of you, Mia. It’s not always easy to do the right thing.”

  Mia sighed. “You don’t have to tell me that.”

  * * *

  She waited and waited for Gail and Lacy to arrive. Just when she thought they wouldn’t be coming, she saw the town car pull up in front of the café. Unable to contain her excitement, she got up and hobbled to the front door and opened it,
ready to greet Gail and Lacy.

  Gail got out of the car and waved. Mia waved back. Gail didn’t wait by the car, and the driver didn’t get out to open the door like he usually did for Lacy.

  That’s when it hit Mia — Gail had come alone.

  Mia didn’t even try to hide her disappointment.

  “So sorry, my dear,” Gail said after she stepped inside the café. “Lacy isn’t feeling well, so she stayed home today. I stopped by to get the photos because we’ve both been looking forward to seeing them.”

  Mia swallowed hard, taking in this news. Lacy had made up an excuse so she wouldn’t have to come. Mia reached for the bracelet she wore and rubbed the flower charm, hoping it would make her feel better.

  “The photos are over here,” Mia said softly, “At the table. Let me get them.”

  As she handed the envelopes to Gail, Mia said, “Did she say anything else? Like, did she have a message for me or anything?”

  “I’m afraid not, no,” Gail said. Her brown eyes looked kind. And maybe a little concerned.

  Mia plopped down in the chair. “I can’t believe this.” Her eyes filled with tears but she blinked them back. “She’s upset with me. And I need to talk to her. Explain things, you know? I even have a special gift I want to give her. I can’t believe she didn’t come with you.”

  “I’m sorry it’s such a pickle,” Gail said as she reached out and rubbed Mia’s back.

  Mia had an idea, but she wasn’t sure Gail would go for it. Or even her mother, for that matter. Still, it seemed like her only chance, so she had to try.

  “Could you take me to see her?” Mia asked. “Please? I know it would probably mean no bird watching for you today, and I’m really sorry.”

  Gail nodded, the lines of her eyes crinkling again as she gave Mia a smile. “We had such a fine time last Sunday, I suppose today was bound to pale in comparison anyway. I would be happy to take you to see Lacy. I hate to see her unhappy, and she has seemed pretty miserable all week. Shall we check with the mother hen to make sure she’s agreeable to the idea?”

  “Let me go and ask her,” Mia said. “If I need your help, I’ll let you know.”