by Piper Banks
“Thanks, Miranda,” Nora said. She looked up at me shyly. “You’re a really good friend.”
Chapter Ten
The following Saturday, Charlie and I made plans to go to the beach. I was really looking forward to hanging out with Charlie. She’d been spending all of her time immersed in her new art project, and I had barely seen her outside of class all week. I was happy that she’d found a way to channel her unhappiness over the situation with Finn, but I really missed having her around to talk to.
Our plan was that she was going to arrive at the beach house at ten in the morning, and then we’d bring a picnic with us down to the beach. I already had the cooler packed with all of our favorites: Fluffernutter sandwiches, salt and vinegar potato chips, green apples, and, for dessert, chocolate-covered graham crackers, along with enough bottled water to keep us hydrated for a week in the middle of a desert. Which was exactly how hot Florida in the late summer felt.
Five minutes before she was due to arrive, Charlie called.
“Hi! Are you on your way over?” I asked.
“Actually . . . no. I’m sorry, Miranda, but I can’t come over today after all,” she said.
“What? Why not?” I asked.
“I’ve been up all night painting, and I’m having one of the most productive sessions I’ve ever had. Can’t stop now,” Charlie said. “I don’t want to interrupt the creative flow.”
She was talking very fast. Charlie’s bipolar disorder caused her to swing between periods such as this—when she sounded and acted as though she’d been guzzling shots of espresso—and periods where she could barely get out of bed.
“Okay, if that’s what you want to do,” I said, not able to keep the disappointment out of my voice.
“It’s not what I want to do. It’s what I have to do,” Charlie said. “Doesn’t this ever happen to you when you’re writing? Aren’t there times when there are so many ideas inside of you, you feel like you’re going to burst if you don’t get them out?”
“Yeah, I guess,” I admitted.
Charlie paused. “Are you mad at me?” she asked.
“No, it’s okay. I understand,” I said.
“Thanks, Miranda,” Charlie said. “I’ll make it up to you.”
After we hung up, I considered the cooler, which was sitting on the counter. It seemed a shame to waste a perfectly good picnic. If Dex were home, he’d have come over, I thought with a pang. We’d spent a good part of the summer at the beach together, sitting side by side in the hot sun, watching for dolphins. Or, while Dex surfed, I would sit under the shade of a big striped umbrella and work on my short stories, looking up periodically to watch him ride a wave in.
I gave myself a mental shake. There was no point in wallowing over Dex’s absence. It just made it even worse. I padded out of the kitchen and headed to Hannah’s room.
I knocked on her door. “Hannah?”
“Come in,” Hannah said.
She was sitting at her curvy white vanity, examining her skin in a magnified mirror. Her hair was caught back in a stubby ponytail, and she was wearing a red, kimono-style bathrobe.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Trying to figure out what’s going on with my pores,” Hannah said.
“What’s wrong with them?” I asked.
“They’re huge,” Hannah said.
“That’s probably because you’re looking in a magnified mirror. That makes everything look larger,” I suggested.
Hannah gave me a withering look. “I know how the mirror works. But, seriously, look at my pores. Aren’t they gross?”
I peered at Hannah’s face. I couldn’t see what she was talking about. Her pores—which were barely noticeable—looked completely normal. In fact, Hannah had beautiful skin. I’d never even seen her get a zit.
“No. Your pores look fine to me,” I said.
Hannah sighed and shook her head at my ignorance. “I’m going to put on a refining mask. And then I’ll exfoliate. Maybe that will help,” she said.
“Yeah, sure,” I said. “Anyway, do you want to go to the beach with me? I packed a picnic lunch. We can hang out, catch up. I’ll even let you explain eyeliner to me.”
A lot had changed since I’d moved into the beach house. A year ago, I would never have invited my stepsister to go anywhere with me. But over time, we’d actually become friends. It would be fun to hang out with Hannah for the day, even if it did mean I’d almost certainly have to suffer through further discussions of the size of her pores.
“Explain eyeliner? What is there to explain?” Hannah asked.
“I don’t get it. How do you put it on without sticking the pencil in your eye? And how do you manage to draw a straight line? Every time I try, it turns out wonky,” I said.
“Okay, this is a serious problem that we have to address. But not today. Not while I’m in the middle of a complexion crisis,” Hannah said.
“You could do the mask and exfoliator thingy when we get back,” I suggested.
“No. Sorry, Miranda, but this is going to take all of my energy and concentration for the rest of the day,” Hannah said, shaking her head regretfully. “I can’t risk getting an oily T-zone.”
Hannah picked up her mirror and went back to staring at her pores. I sighed and left her to it.
I headed to my room, wondering what I was going to do with my day. Willow was there, sleeping on her round bed. When I walked in, she opened one amber eye, looked at me, then closed it again and went back to sleep. So much for canine companionship. I flopped on my bed, wondering whether I should call Finn, but then remembered that he didn’t like hanging out at the beach. He claimed that sand always ended up in places on his body where sand should never be. And, anyway, Finn would almost certainly be planning to spend the day in a darkened room, playing violent video games and eating Pop-Tarts straight from the box.
I need to find some new friends, I thought.
Then I had a sudden flash of brilliance. Nora.
I called Nora on her cell phone. She answered immediately.
“Hey, it’s Miranda,” I said. “What are you up to?”
“I’m sitting on the balcony of my grandmother’s apartment, watching a group of seventy-year-old women perform water aerobics in the pool. Or, in other words, absolutely nothing,” Nora said. “Why? What did you have in mind?”
“Do you want to come over? I made a picnic, and I thought we could take it down to the beach,” I said.
“I’d love to,” Nora said.
“I’ll come pick you up,” I offered.
“That would be great. Thanks,” Nora said, and I thought I could hear a smile in her voice.
It was yet another hot, humid day. A faint breeze blew off the water, which helped somewhat, although the sand was as hot as an oven. Nora and I were side by side on an old blanket, smeared with high-SPF sunscreen to keep us from turning lobster red.
“Have you ever surfed?” Nora asked. She was sitting back, propped up on her elbows, watching the surfers riding the rolling waves. I had to keep reminding myself not to look for Dex out among them.
I snorted. “No way. I’m such a klutz, I can barely stand up on solid ground.”
Nora laughed. “I’m the same way. I’d probably kill myself out there. Or get eaten by a shark.”
“Dex surfs,” I said. “He parasurfs, too.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s surfing with a big, overhead parachute that lifts you off the water. It’s really hard, but he’s great at it,” I said proudly.
“Wow,” Nora said admiringly. “I’ve always wanted to date a surfer. Those guys are really cute.”
I followed her gaze, taking in the various guys riding waves toward shore. I recognized a few of them from hanging out at the beach with Dex. For the most part, they were a bunch of goofs.
“You think?” I asked.
“Absolutely,” Nora said.
“Does Marcus surf?”
“I don’t think Marcus knows what a sur
fboard is,” Nora said. She pushed her sunglasses back on her head and narrowed her eyes as she considered the surfers. “Do you know the guy in the orange board shorts?”
I squinted at the distant surfer. “I think that’s Colby Jenkins. I can’t tell for sure, though. He’s too far away.”
“Do you know him?”
“We were in the same class before I transferred to Geek Middle,” I said. “But we were never really friends. I think Dex used to surf with him from time to time.”
“He’s really cute,” Nora said. “I wonder if he has a girlfriend?”
I glanced at her. “What about Marcus?”
“What? Oh . . . Marcus. Well. Who knows what will happen with him?” Nora asked. She seemed flustered, and quickly pulled her sunglasses back on.
I remembered what Nora had said about Marcus being uncommunicative when they’d talked on the phone a few days earlier, and wondered if things had gotten worse since then.
“The long-distance thing is hard,” I said sympathetically. “My stepsister keeps telling me that most high school couples break up when they go to college.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard that, too. But Marcus and I are fine. For now,” she added.
I had the feeling that something really was wrong, but Nora didn’t seem as though she wanted to talk about it. I decided I should probably change the subject.
“Have you done the physics homework yet?” I asked.
“I started it, but it’s really hard,” Nora said.
“That’s what I thought, too. Finn is oddly good at physics, even though he basically never studies,” I said. “Maybe we can get him to help us with it. Although this is Finn we’re talking about, so we’ll have to bribe him.”
“With what?” Nora asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe a new comic book. Or a promise to help on a future prank. Finn loves pranks.”
“You mean like putting Saran Wrap on a toilet seat, or putting sugar in a salt shaker?” Nora asked.
“No. He works on a much larger scale. Finn’s not truly happy unless the Secret Service is called in to investigate,” I said. “On second thought, maybe I should just stick with the comic book idea.”
“Yeah. I don’t want to end up with a criminal record just to get a good grade in physics,” Nora said.
“Very sensible,” I agreed, tipping my face back and closing my eyes against the bright sun.
“So, tell me more about Finn,” Nora said.
“Finn? What do you want to know?”
“What’s he like?”
I considered this. “He jokes around a lot. Finn’s almost never serious about anything. And he’s really into computer games. He plays them constantly. Oh, and he’s developed a few games, too, all of which were huge sellers.”
Nora was obviously impressed. She pushed her sunglasses back on her head again and looked at me. “Are you serious?”
I nodded “Finn’s really talented. Most of the kids at Geek High are. Of course, he also has appalling judgment and is dating this complete ditz who goes to Orange Cove High, for no other reason than the fact that she’s pretty and she’ll talk to him,” I said.
I reached into the cooler and pulled out an icy-cold bottle of water, twisted off the cap, and took a sip.
“Does Finn know your friend Charlie likes him?” Nora asked.
I started, which caused me to pour water straight down the top of my bathing suit.
“Ack!” I said as the cold water hit my sun-warmed skin.
Nora handed me a towel, which I used to mop up the spilled water.
“How did you know about that?” I asked.
“It’s pretty obvious. I could tell from the way she looks at him,” Nora said.
“Really?” I asked. I knew Charlie would not be happy to hear that. Not that I had any intention of telling her.
Nora nodded. “Yeah. I’m surprised he hasn’t noticed.”
“I’m not. For such a smart guy, Finn can be completely clueless,” I said. I leaned back on my elbows again. Now that the initial shock of the cold water had passed, it actually felt pretty good to cool off. I eyed the water, wondering if it was time for a dip.
“What’s Charlie like?” Nora asked.
“Charlie? She’s amazing. She’s smart and funny and a really talented painter. You should see her work,” I said. “Lately, she’s been painting on these huge canvases. They’re pretty cool.”
“I like her hair,” Nora said.
“Yeah, she always has it dyed some wacky color,” I said. “She changes it so often, I can never even remember what the color of the day is.”
“Have you been friends for a long time?”
“Four years. Ever since seventh grade, when I transferred to Geek Middle. I met Charlie on my first day of school, and we’ve been best friends pretty much ever since,” I said.
“That’s cool,” Nora said, and I thought she sounded a little wistful.
“Do you have close friends back home in Boston?” I asked.
“Yeah, I had a pretty tight group of friends. And we still text and stuff. But I feel so far away from everyone now,” Nora said. She sat up, hunching her shoulders, and dug her toes into the sand.
“This whole move has been really hard on you, huh?” I said sympathetically.
Nora smiled ruefully. “I’m sorry. You’re probably tired of hearing me complain about it. I’m tired of hearing me complain about it.”
I shook my head. “Not at all. But I’ll tell you what—let’s just have a really fun day today. Maybe Orange Cove will start to grow on you.”
“It’s already growing on me. I just have to get used to how hot it is down here,” Nora said.
“Do you want to go for a swim?” I asked, standing and dusting the sand off my bottom.
“Sure,” Nora said, standing, too. She hesitated. “Um . . . there aren’t any sharks in the water, are there?”
“I’m sure there are somewhere. It is the ocean, after all. But maybe we’ll get lucky and they’ll leave us alone,” I said cheerfully. Then, seeing how round Nora’s eyes had gone, I laughed. “I’m kidding. Come on—it’ll be fine. I promise.”
Chapter Eleven
Nora accompanied me to the next Ampersand meeting. She’d already spoken to Candace about joining the layout staff, and reported back that Candace had welcomed her on board.
Nora and I shared a table in the Ampersand office, while Candace—today wearing a crisp navy blue shirt dress cinched at the waist with a leather belt, her straight, blue-black hair gleaming under the fluorescent overhead lights—stood and called the meeting to order.
“Okay, everyone settle down,” Candace called out. The chatter and laughter immediately died down. Candace had that effect on people. “First, I want to get a status update from everyone.” She consulted her notepad. “Peter, Coleen, how’s the SAT prep course article coming?”
I felt a thrill of horror. I hadn’t started working on my article yet. It wasn’t due for another week, so I’d thought I had plenty of time. Apparently not. And now I was going to have to think of something to say in front of everyone. My stomach gave a nervous lurch. It didn’t help when Coleen and Peter gave long, detailed reports of the many interviews they’d already conducted for their pieces.
Nora scribbled something on a piece of paper and pushed it across the table to me. I looked down at it.
The note read: Have you written your article?
I wrote, No underneath, underlined it three times, and pushed it back toward her.
Nora looked at the note and let out a faint snort of laughter. She wrote back, Eek! I giggled.
“Miranda, do you have something you’d like to share with the rest of us?”
I started and looked up. The entire Ampersand staff had turned to stare at me. Heat flooded my cheeks. I had a sudden horrific image of Candace seizing the note Nora and I were passing, and reading out loud my admission that I hadn’t made any progress on my student-athlete piece. But when I glanced
down, I saw Nora surreptitiously sliding the paper into her backpack.
“Um, no, thanks. I’m good,” I said.
Candace continued to stare at me. Her eyes were a clear, piercing blue.
“What about your student-athlete article?” Candace said.
“Oh, right. Sorry. I’ve, um, decided to interview a local lacrosse player who received a sports scholarship to attend a prep school in the Northeast this year. I’m going to write about his experience going away to school,” I said.
Candace nodded. “That sounds like an interesting angle. Have you done the interview?”
“It’s scheduled for this evening,” I said. Which was sort of true. Dex and I had a date to talk on Skype that night, so I could totally do the interview then.
“Good. I look forward to reading it,” Candace said. “Tabitha, how is your short story coming?”
Nora gave me a thumbs-up under the table. I exhaled deeply, relieved that the group’s attention was no longer on me.
After the meeting, Nora and I walked out together. I was giving her a ride home.
“Howdy,” a familiar voice called out.
I turned to see Finn walking down the hall toward us. He was looking jaunty in blue plaid shorts and a T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan HIPPIES SMELL.
“How did you get that past the headmaster?” I asked, pointing at his T-shirt.
“Headmaster Hughes? He laughed when he saw it,” Finn said, joining us. “I think he agrees with the sentiment.”
“Typical. You get away with everything,” I said.
“Where’s Charlie been hiding? I’ve barely seen her in days,” Finn said.
“She’s been busy painting,” I said vaguely.
“Busy painting, huh? So you’ve decided to replace her with Nora here?” Finn asked.
“Excuse me?” I said.
“Is Nora your replacement Charlie? I’ve noticed the two of you have been spending a lot of time together. Are you new BFFs?” Finn asked.
I rolled my eyes at Nora, and she grinned back at me.
“Come on, Nora. It’s time to put the Let’s Ignore Finn plan into action,” I said.
