“I’ll ask Dad for the check,” I told her.
“Thanks, sweetheart,” she said. “You have a great smile already. It’ll be even better.”
When she left, I turned back toward my rabbit, sitting on my belly. We locked eyes and stared at each other, like one of those staring contests Lia and I used to have when we were little, to see who could go the longest without blinking. I knew Cappy had a slight advantage, because of his third eyelid. I tried my hardest not to blink, but my eyes started to ache. Blink, blink. “I guess I lose,” I told him.
CHAPTER 16
Lucy hadn’t heard anything back from Mrs. Gallagher, she told us at lunch the next day. She and Theo were both eating cheeseburgers and tater tots. I had my usual, a turkey sandwich. Even though I wasn’t sitting with the It Girls, I knew they were watching, and I wanted to do the right thing. “But I did some supplemental work of my own, in the meantime,” she said.
Theo chewed and swallowed. “Details?” he asked.
“I’m getting to them,” Lucy told him. “I knew my grandmother had a really busy day. Monday is one of the days she volunteers at the food pantry. Plus my dad’s assistant at the bowling alley—”
“Your dad has a bowling alley?” I asked.
“Yup, Tanaka Lanes,” Lucy said proudly. “Make a left on Main Street, and a right on Sheridan, and you’re there!”
“Wow, everyone’s parents have the best jobs,” I said.
“You can come anytime you want,” Lucy said.
“Thanks.”
“You guys always seem to get off topic,” Theo said. “Can we get back to your supplemental work?”
“By the way, Theo,” Lucy said. “You’re invited to Tanaka Lanes anytime, too. But as I was saying, my grandma had a busy day, because she volunteered and filled in at the bowling alley. The manager cut back on his hours, so that’s why. She left a note that she’d be home a little bit late. I saw a pile of laundry in the basket in the hall, and I decided to help her out. I’d never used the washing machine before, but I thought to myself, Lucy, how hard can this be? And the answer was, Not too hard. I lugged the basket over to the machine, and threw the clothes in. The cap on the soap stuff doubles as a measuring cup, so it was easy to figure out how much to pour in. I wasn’t exactly sure what buttons to press, but somehow I got it working. It was really fun. I never thought laundry would be so fun, but it was.”
“Serotonin at work,” Theo said.
“Your grandmother must’ve been happy,” I said.
“Well, that’s the thing,” Lucy said. “When I pulled everything out to put in the dryer, it had changed colors. I thought maybe it looked a little, like, bluish, because it was all wet, and sometimes water is blue.”
“No, it’s not,” Theo said. “It’s just that the other colors are absorbed more strongly by water than blue is. Same with the sky.”
“Anyhoo,” Lucy said. “I put it in the dryer, and when it came out, the white things were still a bit blue. Turns out you’re not supposed to mix colors like that.”
“Oh, no!” I said.
“My dad was really mad when he saw—like really mad. I tried to explain I’d just been trying to do a kind thing and I’d made a mistake, but he said I shouldn’t have helped if I didn’t know what I was doing. He said it’d cost a lot of money to replace things I’d ruined. My grandmother was great about it, though. She told him to go start dinner. I’d already set the table, and at least I hadn’t messed that up, and he calmed down and said he knew I had the right intentions. Then my grandmother showed me how to separate clothes, and use bleach for the white things. She managed to get all the blue out, so our stuff looks normal again. Plus she seemed to appreciate what I’d tried to do. I think it still counts, don’t you?”
“Definitely,” I said.
“Yes, I think so,” Theo said. “Because the act was perceived as kind. Which is our problem with Mrs. Gallagher.”
“More like Mrs. Gallagher’s problem with us,” Lucy said.
“Po-tay-to, po-tah-to,” Theo said. “Either way, we put all our eggs in one basket, and we need to diversify.”
“I don’t know why you’re talking about eggs and baskets.”
“It’s a metaphor,” Theo said. “What I mean is, we left her a note and that’s the only thing we did.”
“Plus the supplemental stuff,” Lucy reminded him. “We’ll have plenty of things to write up in our report.”
“Are we supposed to write a report?” I asked. “Or is it just a presentation to the class?”
“Mr. Dibble didn’t specify,” Theo said. “Sometimes I wonder about his teaching skills.”
“Be kind,” Lucy chided.
“I’m not saying anything unkind,” Theo said. “I’m stating a fact: I wonder.” It was like the summer reading. Those details hadn’t been specified, either. But I doubted that Mr. Dibble had been trying to trick us into work. Not that I knew him well, but that didn’t seem to be his style.
“Let’s ask him after class,” I said.
“All right,” Theo agreed. “Now back to Mrs. Gallagher. It occurs to me that when we left the letter we didn’t take into account all the things that could go wrong. She could’ve thrown it away accidentally. Or maybe she read it, but she didn’t think cleaning her yard was a kind thing to do.”
“How could she not?” Lucy asked.
“I guess it’s possible she likes things messy,” I said.
“Precisely,” Theo said. “So this is what I think we should do. I think we should leave her another note.”
“But she could throw that one away, too,” I said.
“No, she won’t because we’ll put it in a care package.”
“What kind of care package?” Lucy asked.
“We’ll have to brainstorm on that,” Theo said. “And then we’ll put everything in a box or basket or something, and put a note on top, offering to clean her yard, if she wants. We can do it this afternoon.”
“There’s only one problem,” Lucy said. “Wednesday is my piano lesson day. I won’t be home till later.”
“And I have dinner at my dad’s tonight,” I added. “But I can think of things and e-mail you.”
“All right,” Theo said. “And then we’ll put the care package together tomorrow after school.”
“Works for me,” Lucy told him.
I turned around. Monroe was staring at me. She caught my eye and nodded. I turned around again. “I have an It Girls’ meeting, and I missed it yesterday, so I can’t miss another.” I paused. “Hey, Lucy. Can I give you something?”
“Oh my goodness, you have a present for me?” Lucy squealed.
“Hold on,” Theo said. “We need to figure this out.”
“It’s already figured out,” Lucy said. “We’ll each brainstorm care package ideas for Mrs. Gallagher, and Chloe can bring whatever she wants to add to school tomorrow, and then you and I will drop it off. Okay?”
“Okay,” Theo said.
“Okay,” I said.
“Okay,” Lucy said. “Now, what do you have for me?”
“Um,” I said. I pulled my backpack onto my lap, and unzipped the small pocket. The patch was right there.
I knew Monroe was watching, but she couldn’t see exactly what I was doing, since the backpack was in my lap, and my back was to her. I pulled out the sunshine pocket mirror from Lia’s sister’s party, and handed it to Lucy. “Here,” I said. “Because it’s your favorite color.”
“Oh my goodness!” Lucy said. “You’re so kind! This should count as supplemental work because it’s definitely giving me more serotonin. Thanks, Chloe!”
I shifted my body closer to her, blocking Monroe’s vision even more. “You’re welcome,” I said. Then I raised my hand, and scratched my head, and gave the signal.
CHAPTER 17
At the end of science class, Lucy, Theo, and I went to talk to Mr. Dibble. “What can I do for you?” he asked.
“We have a question about our projec
t,” Theo said. “Do we give an oral report, or hand in something written, or both?”
“What?” Mr. Dibble asked, looking confused for a moment. “Oh, right. You know, the truth is, I didn’t have anything specific in mind. So whatever works best for the three of you, works for me.”
“If we do both, will we get extra credit?” Theo asked.
“Hmm,” Mr. Dibble said. “I suppose that would be all right. Sure thing.”
“Thanks,” we told him.
He fist-bumped each of us. “You’re a terrific trio,” he said.
“We prefer to call ourselves the Kindness Club,” Lucy told him.
“I like that,” Mr. Dibble said. “I’m expecting great things.”
Monroe was standing outside the classroom when we walked out. “Hey, Chloe,” she said. “I waited for you.”
“You didn’t have to do that. I can’t even really hang out today, because I have work to do, and then I have to go to my dad’s.”
“I know,” she said. “I’ll walk you home.”
“But my house isn’t on the way to your house,” I said.
“I’ll walk with you anyway,” she said. “I just have to go to the bathroom first.”
“Oh, sure, of course,” I told her.
I said good-bye to Lucy and Theo, and followed Monroe down the corridor. She pushed open the door marked “girls.” It was a small bathroom, only two stalls, and they were both empty. But Monroe didn’t go in either of them. At first I didn’t think anything of it, because she stood in front of the mirror and fixed her hair, while I went into the one on the left. “I heard what Lucy said to Dibble,” she called to me through the stall door.
I could tell by her voice that it was something she disapproved of, and scrunched up my eyes, trying to remember what Lucy had said, what Monroe could possibly be talking about.
She said the words the very same instant that they popped into my brain: “The Kindness Club,” she said. “Even though you told me that you told her you didn’t want to be in it.”
“I did tell her,” I said. “Like I told you before—I told her that I didn’t think I’d have time to be in it, once I got into the It Girls.” I’d finished in the bathroom, flushed, and I pushed open the stall door. “It’s just for this project. Just until Monday. I promise.”
I watched Monroe’s face to see what she was thinking, but it was hard to tell. She certainly didn’t look happy with me. But she didn’t necessarily look that mad, either. She stepped aside so I could wash my hands.
“I like your hair like that,” I said, watching her in the mirror, hoping my compliment would work some kind of magic—or at least some kind of science.
“Thanks,” she said. “I guess you did give the patch back, since I saw you give the signal at lunch today.”
I pulled a paper towel from the dispenser and dried my hands.
“And your project is done on Monday,” she said.
“That’s right.”
“But trust me, Chloe, you don’t want to be seen doing things with them any more than you have to. I’m just looking out for you.”
“I know you are.”
“Good.” She gave herself one last glance in the mirror. “I think it’s safe to go now.”
“Don’t you have to go to the bathroom?” I asked.
“Oh, no,” she said. “I just said that so Lucy and Theo would get a head start walking home and wouldn’t try to walk with us.”
We headed out to Braywood School Road. At the crosswalk, Monroe made a left with me, toward my house, instead of going straight toward hers. She pulled a disposable water bottle out of her bag and took a swig. “Want some?” she asked. I shook my head and she put the cap back on. “Have you noticed what close friends Anjali and Rachael are?”
“Sure,” I said. “The three of you are really tight.”
“We are,” she agreed. “But the two of them, well, the thing is, I’ve always been the head of the It Girls, so I know everyone likes me and looks up to me. But when there were four of us, it was better. Rachael and Anjali were a pair, and I was a pair with Haley. The other two were still my friends—they’re like tied for second-best-friend in my life. But Haley was my best friend. It was totally unfair when she moved away.”
“I understand,” I told her. “When we moved this summer, I had to leave my best friend. Her name is Lia, and we’ve always had each other, ever since the first day of kindergarten. She dropped her cream cheese bagel on the ground and I offered her half of my peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and that was it, we were best friends.”
“Haley and I were best friends from the first day of kindergarten, too. Our teacher, Mrs. Tilly, kept mixing our names up. I think because we were the only two kids in the class who had a french braid.”
“Is that why the It Girls wear french braids on the first day of school?”
“Yup,” Monroe said. “It became our tradition, and when we started the club, Anjali and Rachael wore them, too. I figured it would always be like that, but then Haley’s mom got a new job last spring, in New York. It was for a lot of money. I told my dad to offer Mrs. Booker a job for even more money. My dad owns his own company, so he can do things like that. But he said no. Even when I begged. He said kids shouldn’t meddle in adult decisions. I don’t think that’s fair, since kids have to live with the decisions the adults are making.”
“That’s exactly how I felt about it when my parents said they were getting divorced,” I told her. “They said they were selling my house, and I’d be switching schools. They didn’t ask me what I thought about it.”
“Of course they didn’t,” she said, and she shook her head. “Parents.”
“I think I’ve found the best friends in my new school, though,” I said. It was the closest I’d come to saying my affirmation out loud; well, except to Captain Carrot. “I always try to find the bright side of things, and that seems like a pretty bright side, don’t you think?”
Monroe didn’t answer right away, and I was afraid I’d said the wrong thing. It was hard, waiting to see if I’d get to be an official It Girl. I always felt like I was in the middle of a test. But then Monroe linked her arm through mine, and I felt relieved, as if my whole body had just exhaled. “Let’s skip,” she told me.
We skipped down the next two blocks, until we had to stop for a red light. Monroe chucked her water bottle into the garbage can on the corner. “Wait,” I said. “There was still water left, right?”
“Oh, sorry,” she said. “I thought you said you didn’t want any.” She plucked it off the top of the garbage. “I don’t think it touched anything gross.”
I unscrewed the cap, walked over to the tree on the corner, and poured the leftover water around its roots.
“It was for the tree?”
“I’m not thirsty,” I said. “But trees always are, right?”
“OMG, Chloe. Only you,” Monroe said, but she had a smile on her face, and I was pretty sure it was a compliment. I smiled back and swung my backpack around to unzip the front pocket. “Now what are you doing?”
“I’m putting the bottle away to recycle it at home.”
“Only you,” Monroe said again. “Here, I’ll unzip it for you.” I could feel her fiddling with the zipper, and sticking a hand in the front pocket. “What’s this?”
“What?” I said.
She pulled away from me, Lucy’s patch in her hand.
“Monroe, I can explain,” I said. “Lucy had just said something really nice, and well, you know . . .” My voice trailed off. “I wanted to be kind.”
“God, you’re so obsessed with that,” Monroe said. “The whiny kid at the food court, and the water for the trees, and Lucy’s patch. But what about how you lied to me? Doesn’t keeping this when you said you wouldn’t count as being unkind?”
“I guess I just didn’t know what was so bad about keeping a patch,” I told her.
“I’ll tell you what’s so bad,” she said, shaking her head. “There are p
eople who do what they say they’re going to do, and then there are people who say they’ll do something but they’re just lying.”
“I didn’t want to upset you,” I told her.
She shook her head. “Here, take your stupid patch. I’ve got to go.”
CHAPTER 18
When I got to Dad’s, the first thing he told me was that Gloria had a great idea for a special dinner for us. “Us, meaning you and me?” I asked.
“Of course you and me. And Gloria and Sage, too.” He took my backpack from my shoulder. “Why the glum face, Chloe?”
“I thought I’d get to spend a little time with you tonight,” I told him.
“You will, bear,” he said. “I’ll be there, too. Besides Gloria’s the one who had the idea for dinner. It’s gluten-free, so Sage can eat it. It’s the right thing to do to include them, don’t you think?”
“Yes,” I admitted.
“I knew you’d want to do the right thing,” he said, though I’d said nothing of the sort. “You’re my girl. No one is as important to me as you are.”
“Really?”
“Of course. That’s why I want you to spend time with Gloria and Sage. They’re important to me too.”
I felt tears prick my eyes, but I blinked them back fast. “I have homework to do,” I said.
“I thought the deal was you do homework before you see me on Wednesdays.”
“I didn’t finish yet,” I told him. “I have a big science project, and I might have to work all through dinner.”
“Do you need my help?” Dad asked.
“No, thank you,” I said.
I headed to my room and sat down at my desk, thinking about what to do for Mrs. Gallagher’s care package. I wasn’t in the mood to be kind to anyone, especially since being kind didn’t seem to be working out the way I wanted it to. I tried to think back to when that had changed, and I was pretty sure it was when I told Dad to get yellow roses for Gloria. Or maybe it was before that, when I gave Lucy the pencil case.
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