Everything's Changed

by Julie Sternberg

  Here’s how all my problems started:

  This morning Mom walked me over to Mary Majors’s apartment. She kept pointing out what a beautiful day it was, and she was right. Even though it’s still very cold out. The sky was very blue, with no clouds. Plus no wind. It definitely seemed like the kind of day when nothing could go wrong.

  Mary Majors’s apartment is nice, but messy! When she opened the door for us, we saw coats thrown over chairs and shoes kicked everywhere—kneepads on the floor, too—and backpacks on the sofa and dirty dishes on the coffee table.

  “Is your mom home?” Mom asked Mary Majors. “Or your dad?”

  “They’re showing apartments,” Mary Majors said. “They’re brokers. But my sisters are here. They’re teenagers, and they stay with me alone all the time. So you don’t have to worry.”

  Mom definitely still looked worried.

  “May I speak with a sister, please?” she said, and I said, “Mom!” Because she was so obviously not trusting Mary Majors.

  But Mary Majors just said, “Sure.” Then she shouted, “LAYLA! COME TO THE DOOR! WE NEED YOU!”

  We waited then. I tried not to look at all the mess. I wanted so badly to pick some of it up.

  Finally we heard footsteps, and a very pretty teenager with a high, swinging ponytail hurried down the hall toward us. She smiled at my mom and said, “Everything okay?”

  Mom looked so relieved.

  “I’m just dropping Celie off,” she said. “Should I call later, to see what time to pick her up?”

  “Sure,” Layla said.

  “Parents always love Layla,” Mary Majors whispered to me.

  Then Mom kissed me and said, “Call me if you need me.”

  She went outside, and Layla went back down the hall, and Mary Majors and I were alone in the mess.

  “Text your friend,” Mary Majors told me. “The one who’s the sister of your sister’s boyfriend.”

  “Violet?” I said. “Why?”

  “Make sure she’s going to be home today,” Mary Majors said. “We’re going to go see her. And figure out what’s up with her brother.”

  “We ARE?” I said.

  “If she’s home,” Mary Majors said. “My sister can take us. I already asked her.”

  Part of me loved that plan. I really, really wanted to see Violet. My parents kept saying they’d pick a time for a visit, but they never had. And they were so busy with everything! At this rate I might never see her again! Maybe Lula could even come, too!! It’d be weird seeing them with Mary Majors, but at least I’d get to see them. I missed them both so much.

  Part of me hesitated, though. What if Mary Majors started asking questions about Jo and Jake while we were there, and later Jo found out about it?

  It was definitely possible. Then Jo would know that I’d talked about her problems with ANOTHER friend, and she’d want to kill me.

  Except, Jo already wanted to kill me. Whether or not we went to Violet’s. Plus, I figured, maybe Mary Majors could help figure Jo’s problems out. She was sometimes a big help. Maybe she’d have creative ideas. Like that bathroom sign.

  And also, I needed to see my best friends!

  So I texted Violet, who WAS home. She texted back things like, “Yay, yay, yay!” And, “I can’t wait to meet Mary Minors!” And, “Of course I’ll see if Lula can come!”

  Those texts made me so happy.

  But then I told Mary Majors, “I just have to call my mom and let her know we’re going.”

  Right away, Mary Majors said, “Don’t do that!”

  “Why not?” I said.

  “BECAUSE,” Mary Majors said. Sounding like she shouldn’t even have to explain. “She might say no, since it’s not exactly close by. Then we won’t be able to find out whether your sister’s boyfriend is lying to her. But if you DON’T call, then your mom can’t say no.”

  I hesitated. Mom DEFINITELY thought I was staying at Mary Majors’s. She would NOT want me going an hour away. I knew that.

  But still—I wanted to see Violet! And maybe Lula! And Mary Majors had a point: If I called Mom for permission, she probably would say, “You can do that another day.” But that other day might never come!

  Plus Jo needed me! Jake was being bad!

  Then I thought about it this way: What if Mary Majors’s sister took us out for lunch? Or took us to the bakery for a snack? Would Mom care about that? No, she would not. This wasn’t so different. It was still just the sister taking us somewhere.

  That thinking helped me a lot with my decision.

  “Let’s do it,” I told Mary Majors.

  “Perfect!” she said, bouncing up and down on her toes. Then she turned and shouted, “SHAYNA!! LET’S GO!!”

  Shayna? I thought. What happened to Layla?

  Then a door slammed, and a different teenager walked toward us. A taller, wider, and grumpier teenager than Layla.

  I figured it was the weight-lifter, basketball sister.

  She didn’t even say hi to me. She just said, “I can’t believe I’m doing this.” Then she pointed at Mary Majors and said, “I don’t ever want to hear about that picture again.”

  “I promise,” Mary Majors said. Very seriously.

  “Where exactly are we going?” Shayna said.

  I told her Violet’s address, and she looked up directions.

  While she did, Mary Majors whispered to me, “I have a picture of her drinking beer from our fridge, with her friends.”

  “Oh,” I said. And I thought, BEER!!! That’s BAD!!!

  Then Shayna said, “This is going to take FOREVER. Let’s go.”

  She walked about a half a block ahead of us the whole way to the subway. She didn’t even turn back to make sure we weren’t getting hit by cars when we crossed streets. After she swiped a MetroCard to get us all into the train station, she moved pretty far from us on the platform. And sat many seats away from us on both of the trains we took. And barely talked to us at all.

  Mary Majors and I had fun on the walk and on the first train, at least for a while. She asked me questions like, “Would you rather be completely bald—and not be allowed to wear a wig or a hat—or completely deaf?” And, “Would you rather give up baths and showers for the rest of your life, or give up desserts?”

  That game was fun until she said, “Would you rather kiss Charlie, or lick a gorilla’s foot?” And I had to say, “I don’t like it when you’re mean to Charlie.” Because I don’t.

  We were quiet after that. And Shayna was right—it did take a really long time to get there.

  But at least Violet’s apartment is close to the subway. And I knew exactly how to get there, once we came out of the stop. So I led the way.

  I wanted to stop at so many places! The bagel store owned by a very nice family, and Mom’s favorite bookstore, and the jewelry store where Lula got her ears pierced. I was so close to my old building, too! It would only have been a few blocks out of the way—I could’ve seen the outside, at least!

  But I knew none of those spots meant anything to Mary Majors or Shayna. Plus Shayna obviously didn’t want to take even one step more than she had to. Also, I wasn’t a hundred percent sure I wanted to go to my building, since it’s not actually mine anymore. I didn’t want to look up at our windows and see somebody else moving around in that apartment. Maybe even in my old room.

  So I walked us straight to Violet’s pretty brownstone, in the middle of a block lined with other homes like it. We got there fast, and I said, “This is it.”

  What happened next is very hard to believe. But I can’t write it yet, because there’s a lot to say and I have to pee. And that situation is only going to get worse. Plus I need a slice of sour-cream coffee cake.

  A little later

  Dad gave me a bathroom break. But not a slice of sour-cream coffee cake. Just a handful of celery sticks. Then he sent me back to my room.

  Celery sticks are very sad.

  Anyway. Back to my crazy, horrible day:

  Af
ter I’d led us right to Violet’s brownstone, Mary Majors told Shayna, “I TOLD you she’d know where to go.” Which made me feel good.

  But then Shayna said to Mary Majors, “I am NOT sticking around. That’s not part of the deal. You have a way to get home, right?” Which did NOT make me feel good!

  “What did you just say?” I asked Shayna. But she and Mary Majors both ignored me. And Mary Majors told Shayna, “We’ll be fine.” And Beer-Drinking Shayna turned and WALKED AWAY! Back the way we’d come, just leaving us there! We hadn’t even climbed the steps to Violet’s door and rung her bell! It could’ve been empty in there for all she knew!

  “Where is she going?!” I asked Mary Majors. “We’re supposed to have one of your sisters with us! That’s why I didn’t call my parents! How are we supposed to get home?! WHY DID YOU TELL HER WE’D BE FINE?”

  “Because we will be fine,” Mary Majors said. “Violet’s mom’ll probably take us home.” Then she started climbing up the steps to Violet’s door.

  “Violet’s mom?!” I said, following her. “We haven’t even asked her! And she’s always busy! Get your sister back here!”

  I turned to look for Shayna, thinking I’d run after her myself. But I couldn’t see her anymore—she must’ve turned the corner.

  “Don’t worry so much,” Mary Majors said. Then she went ahead and rang the bell. Of MY friend’s home! Which made me annoyed. I know anyone can ring a bell. But she shouldn’t have been doing that! She should’ve been controlling her terrible sister!

  Then the door opened and Violet was hugging me and jumping up and down.

  “I’ve missed you!” she said. “Lula is so jealous! But her dad’s family is in town.”

  I hated being so close and not seeing Lula. But I was still happy to see Violet.

  I introduced Mary Majors, and Violet’s mom waved at us as she walked by, talking on the phone. Then Violet said, “What do you want to do?”

  I hesitated for a second. What DID I want to do? Did I want to figure out how we were getting home, before we did anything else? Did I really want to investigate Jake with Mary Majors there? When I knew Jo would hate it? I felt all mixed up.

  While I was thinking, Mary Majors said to Violet, “Can we talk in your room?”

  “Sure,” Violet said. It seemed like a fine idea to me, too. So we all went upstairs.

  On the second floor we could hear the shower running in the bathroom on our left.

  “Is that Jake in there?” Mary Majors asked. Sounding VERY interested.

  “Yes,” Violet said slowly. I could tell she was wondering, Why do you care if my brother’s in the shower? I wondered what Mary Majors was thinking, too. I didn’t have a good feeling about it.

  And I was right about that. Because Mary Majors said, “This timing is PERFECT! Which one is his room?”

  “Why?” Violet said. She gave me a look that said, “What’s going on?” I told Mary Majors, “Let’s just go to VIOLET’S room.”

  But Mary Majors had already found Jake’s room on her own. Because the door to the room across from the bathroom was open. And the word “JAKE” was painted in huge letters on a wall.

  Mary Majors hurried right in.

  “What are you DOING?” Violet said.

  “Celie needs to know whether Jake is cheating on Jo,” Mary Majors said. “To protect her sister. So we have to spy.”

  “This was not my idea!” I told Violet, who was looking very outraged. The way I’d look if a stranger came into my apartment and demanded to search my sister’s room.

  “You don’t have permission to be in here,” Violet told Mary Majors.

  Mary Majors ignored her, walked over to Jake’s desk, looked through some papers, then lifted one high and said, “Ha! Got it!”

  “Got what?” I said. I couldn’t help being curious.

  “Whatever it is, put it back,” Violet said.

  “This says, ‘Love Song,’” Mary Majors said. “He’s writing a love song! But who is he writing it TO?”

  Who IS he writing it to? I thought. It better not be Trina.

  Then the bathroom door opened! And Jake was standing there IN A TOWEL!

  “Aaaggh!” I said. And half-hid my eyes with my hand. Because I can’t see Jake when he’s just in a towel!

  He said, “Aagh!” too, and took two steps backwards. Then he stopped and said to Mary Majors, “Who ARE you?” And to all of us he said, “What are you DOING? GET OUT OF MY ROOM!”

  “I said the same thing!” Violet told him. “I really did!”

  “She did,” I said. “Also, this wasn’t my idea.”

  But Mary Majors said, “We are NOT LEAVING until we know who you are writing this song to.” And she held that sheet of paper up high.

  “Give me that!” Jake said. He starting reaching and trying to grab it. But he couldn’t do a very good job. Because he had to hang on tight to his towel.

  Mary Majors darted away from him. Then she actually climbed onto his bed and stood on her tiptoes and held the paper as high as she possibly could.

  I could not believe what I was seeing. But it definitely worked. Jake couldn’t jump and grab in a towel. He stood with one hand holding the towel and one hand curled in a fist instead. He obviously wanted to PUNCH Mary Majors!

  She paid no attention to that. Instead she started READING THE PAPER. Right in front of him!

  “You can’t read that!” Violet said. “It’s private!”

  I almost said, “She’s right.” Because Mary Majors should NOT have barged into Jake’s room, taken his love writing, and read it while he was telling her not to! But still—if Jake was writing a love song to Trina, he was acting badly, too! And I needed to know if he was doing that to my sister. So I didn’t say a word to Mary Majors.

  She read for a minute more. Then she said, “What does this mean?” And she read out loud, “‘And that time you forgave me/For telling your granny’s secret.’”

  She looked at Jake, actually expecting him to explain his private, stolen love song to her! When she did, she forgot to hold the paper high, and he reached out and YANKED it out of her hand.

  “NOW GET OUT!” he shouted.

  While he was yanking and shouting, something clicked in my head.

  “You told JO’S granny’s secret!” I said. “That song is for Jo!” Because he got in big trouble with me and Jo a while ago, when he told his mom that Granny accidentally started a fire in our kitchen. No one was supposed to know that.

  “Of course it’s for Jo,” he said, looking at me like I was an idiot. “Who else would it be for?”

  “Trina,” I said.

  “I would NEVER write a love song for TRINA,” Jake said. He sounded disgusted.

  “Then why do you keep going to her apartment?” I said.

  “And why’d you bring a coconut?” Violet said. (I was so happy to hear her say that! Because she could definitely have sided entirely against me, after everything Mary Majors had done.)

  Jake was glaring at Violet now. “I TOLD you to stop telling her where I was going!” He pointed an angry finger at me. “Now look what’s happened!”

  “This isn’t my fault!” Violet said.

  “It really isn’t,” I said. I was ready to leave then. Violet and Jake almost never fought—I knew that. I hated seeing him so angry with her because of me.

  But crazy Mary Majors said, “We are not going anywhere until we get the explanation Jo deserves.” Even though she barely knew Jo!

  Then she sat down in the middle of Jake’s bed and folded her arms across her chest. Obviously prepared to wait.

  “If I tell you,” Jake said, “would you all GET OUT OF MY ROOM?”

  “We definitely will,” I said. “I promise.”

  He waited, looking at Mary Majors, right in the middle of his bed.

  “I’ll get her out, too,” I said.

  He sighed and looked up at the ceiling and started speaking fast. “I wasn’t going to see TRINA,” he said. “I was going
to see her BROTHER. He’s a musician. He has flyers up in coffee shops, saying he can help write songs. I recognized his picture. I wanted to do something nice for Jo for Valentine’s Day. He told me to bring things that remind me of her. I brought the coconut.”

  He looked at me then and said very loudly, “THAT IS THE END OF THE STORY, OKAY? GET OUT OF MY ROOM NOW!”

  I thought he might explode in a million pieces. I was ready to pull Mary Majors out if I had to. But she jumped off the bed by herself and ran out of the room. I hurried after her. Violet stayed with Jake, though. I heard him saying things like “NOT OKAY” and “HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT!” and “YOU’D BETTER HIDE YOUR THINGS FROM MY FRIENDS!”

  Violet stayed in there for a while. When she finally came out, she said to me, “He’s really mad. I don’t want to kick you out, but …” She paused and shook her head. Then she gave me a look that said, “Why would you bring that crazy girl to my house? And get me in trouble with my brother? How could you DO that to me? I thought you were my friend!”

  I felt very mixed up and terrible then. Everything had gone so wrong! I’d wanted to help Jo, but I’d never, ever planned to break into Jake’s room and go through his papers and demand explanations from him while he was practically naked! And I’d really wanted a nice visit with Violet. I missed her! I might not get to see her again for months! But I’d barely even talked to her! Plus I’d gotten Jake furious with her. All because Mary Majors was a LUNATIC!

  I didn’t know how to tell Violet all of that. The only thing I could think to say was, “I’m so sorry.”

  “We could go now, if it’d be better for you,” Mary Majors told Violet. Making herself sound thoughtful and generous, now that she’d ruined everything.

  I wanted Violet to say, “I need to talk this through with Celie first.” Or, “You can’t go—I never get to see Celie—the visit can’t end in such a bad way!”

  But instead she nodded and said, “It’d probably be better if you left.”