The Friendship Bracelet

by Arlene Stewart

  “I’ll get the flashlights,” shouted Miss Ruth Ann, opening a drawer under the front counter.

  “What about the generator?” Olivia called out.

  The front door swung open. “Did you say generator? I’ve got it, Ollie,” her father announced, holding the door for her mom.

  “Miss Ruth Ann!” Olivia’s mom called out when she saw all the cartons and the soggy mess her beloved manager had been forced to cope with.

  Olivia’s dad came prepared with a blue tarp and a big flashlight. “Come with me, young man,” he said right away to Austen. “You can help with the generator. Then we’ll get this tarp on the roof over the supply room.”

  “Yes, sir.” Austen hurried behind him. In a few minutes, electricity from the generator came on. It wasn’t full steam, but there was enough to power a light or two and the overhead fans, to help dry things out.

  “Whew!” Olivia’s dad shook off the rain from his jacket and stamped his feet when they came back in. “What a storm!” He closed the door to the supply room. “Everybody, please stay out of the back until the rain ends and we can inspect the roof. It will probably have to be replaced,” he said, looking at Olivia’s mom.

  After making sure Miss Ruth Ann was all right, Olivia’s mom had started to go over the supplies. “OK,” she told Olivia’s dad. “But I don’t know how to thank you, everyone. And I don’t know how you were able to do so much so fast.”

  “You can thank Miss Ruth Ann, Mom, and THREADS,” said Olivia.

  The members looked at each other, and like a flash, they realized the whole club was there.

  “Guess we’re a great team,” said Zoe, holding out her arm with her THREADS bracelet. The other four members extended their arms with their bracelets too.

  “One, two, three,” said Zoe. Then all the members shouted, “THREADS! Yay!”

  Olivia’s mom, dad, and Miss Ruth Ann laughed.

  “Two things,” said Olivia’s dad. “First, I want you to call or text your parents and let them know you’re here. I’ll drive you home when the rain lets up. And second, I’m going up the block for pizza. Nicolo’s lights were on. Mu Mu and Ollie, don’t worry. I’ll get yours cut up into small pieces, OK? So raise your hand if you’re in.”

  Everyone’s hands shot up.

  “Need some help, Mr. Jones?” Austen asked as Olivia’s dad opened the door.

  He thought for a second and said, “Sure.”

  As Austen passed by Olivia on the way out, he whispered to her, “Ollie. Cool name.”

  “Thanks, Gus,” she laughed back. She’d had that in her back pocket for a while now.

  Chapter 27

  Dams were bursting and water was gushing everywhere. It was getting higher and higher! Sullivan was barking!

  With a start, Olivia awoke in the middle of the night. Sullivan was gently snoring in his bed on the floor. Everything was dry. Everything was OK. Whew!

  Olivia plumped up her pillow, tried to find a cool spot in the sheets for her feet, and then closed her eyes.

  He knows my nickname, she thought. But wait! I didn’t even think about my braces. Austen saw them. He had to have noticed! And he was still nice to me. Great, this so cool. I will tough this out! But what about THREADS? We are a good team… But wait! How did Austen know to come to the shop? Did Ethan text him too? And what happened with Elin and Kennedy and the poison ivy? So many mysteries…

  The next morning was bright and beautiful. God’s in His heaven. All’s right with the world, Olivia thought at first, but then she remembered the damage to Katonah Crafts and hurried downstairs to see if she could help her mother.

  As Olivia walked into the family room, her phone buzzed with a group text from Austen. Mom wants 2 meet w THREADS Mon or Tues?

  Things were happening! Last night, when her dad gave everyone a ride home, Olivia and Zoe had tagged along. Ethan had insisted on going on his skateboard, so he left right after pizza.

  When her dad drove into North Salem, it was still dark from the storm, so Olivia couldn’t get a really good look at where Mu Mu and Austen lived except that both had houses that were set way back from the road. In front of Austen’s was a horse corral and a sign hanging from a tree that said Horizon Farm. When they pulled up the hill to the house, she could see it was old, like George Washington old, a long, low farmhouse with lots of additions and probably a great view.

  Mu Mu’s place by contrast was huge and new, with soaring peaks and lots of glass and stone and a garage so big it looked like a car dealership.

  But both properties were pretty far away from their neighbors. And there were no sidewalks, not at all like Katonah village, where all the houses were nestled right next each other. Still, it’s going to be cool to visit, she thought. I wonder if Austen has his own horse.

  There was too much work to do at Katonah Crafts, so Olivia decided to put off her Skype with Alex. Big storm last night. TTYL , she texted instead.

  When Olivia and her mom arrived at the shop, Miss Ruth Ann was already sorting through the feathers, buttons, bells, and charms. Windows were open, fans were on, and a roofer was on his way.

  Olivia’s mom taped off the back of the shop, where her dad had piled the cartons earlier in the morning, and, at ten o’clock, asked Olivia to flip over the Closed sign on the front door to Open.

  When she pulled back the curtain, she looked down on Ethan sitting on the front stoop. What’s he doing here? She hurried back to her mother and Miss Ruth Ann. “Ethan is outside,” she whispered.

  “Yes, I know,” said Miss Ruth Ann. “He gets here early on Saturdays.”

  “Really? On Saturdays?” Olivia marveled.

  “Come in, Ethan,” her mom called out with a bright smile. “Oh, Olivia, sweetie, we need more of those big, black garbage bags and paper towels. Can you run down to Village Hardware and get some?”

  “Sure, Mom,” said Olivia, picking up her bag.

  “That’s going to be heavy. Are you sure you can carry all that back?” asked Miss Ruth Ann. “Ethan, can you be an angel and go with Olivia?”

  Ethan looked like a trapped animal, but he went along.

  The two headed down Main Street, toward the hardware store two blocks away. A minute passed in silence. A long minute.

  “So, Ethan, are you going away this summer?” Olivia finally asked, desperate for something to say.

  “Away? Like where? You mean like Paris or something?” he said sort of sarcastically.

  “No, I meant like on a vacation or to sleepaway camp,” Olivia muttered, her voice trailing off.

  “Nope,” he said, shaking his head.

  Village Hardware was busy when they walked in. Guess there was a lot of storm cleanup, Olivia figured.

  “I’ll wait outside by the door,” Ethan said, pulling his baseball cap low. Olivia noticed it had a NASA insignia. That’s kind of cool, she thought.

  After she’d gotten everything up on the front counter, Olivia asked the shop’s owner, Mr. Dalwinkle, to charge it to her mother’s account.

  A pleasant-faced, gray-haired man with a manner as sweet as the jar of candies next to the register, he looked down at her and smiled. “Will do,” he said, taking a pencil out of the pocket of his long apron that said Village Hardware and making a note on a pad. “And you have a good day,” he added. “Jayden, come up here and carry these things down to Katonah Crafts for this young lady.”

  A muscular boy about fourteen years old came forward and picked up the bulging shopping bags. He was tall, with thick black hair and pale-blue eyes. Olivia couldn’t remember ever seeing him before.

  “Oh, that’s OK, Mr. Dalwinkle,” said Olivia, pointing toward the front where Ethan was stationed outside. “I have help.”

  “Then take these to the front, Jayden,” said the owner, who added, “and, Olivia, please give my very best to Miss Ruth Ann.”r />
  “Sure will. Thanks!” replied Olivia, walking away with Jayden following behind.

  Ethan seemed to be very absorbed watching the traffic when the two came out.

  “Hey, nerd bro, is that you?” Jayden immediately shouted.

  “Yeah, hi,” said Ethan in a low voice.

  “Wait! Is this the Olivia?” cried Jayden, spinning to look at her.

  “Could you keep your voice down?” growled Ethan. Olivia had never seen him look so uncomfortable.

  “Yup, that’s me. Olivia,” she answered.

  “Whoa, bro. Good work,” said Jayden with a smirk. “So, Olivia, you’re the one whose mom owns the crafts shop down the street? Maybe I’ll drop by there later, make sure Thread Head here is behaving himself.”

  Ethan grabbed the bags from Jayden’s hands. “Let’s go,” he said to Olivia and then hurried down the street.

  “Wait up, Ethan,” she cried. “Who was that?” she asked, catching up to him.

  “Nobody,” replied Ethan.

  “Nobody? Come on, who was that?”

  “Will you stop? Just my stupid stepbrother, if you have to know,” Ethan said and walked inside Katonah Crafts.

  “Oh,” said Olivia thinking, Guess they’re not BFFs.

  Miss Ruth Ann was waiting for the paper towels. “I need to spread out some of the supplies, like the cords, leathers, suede, hemp, and all those pearls,” she told Olivia. “And then I can make a proper count of what we lost. There is insurance.”

  “I’ll help you,” Olivia volunteered. “Oh, and by the way, Mr. Dalwinkle, you know, from Village Hardware? He especially said to say hello to you.”

  Miss Ruth Ann looked surprised and then a little embarrassed. “Well, thank you, Olivia,” she murmured and then turned her attention back to her work.

  Olivia went into the supply room where Ethan was standing on a stool, restacking some fresh, dry cartons. “Hey, stupid, why did you have to tell Miss Ruth Ann that?” he said, pitching a fit right away.

  “What! What are you talking about?”

  “Duh, does everything have to be spelled out for you?” he asked. “Let Mr. Dalwinkle deliver his own stupid messages. You put Miss Ruth Ann on the spot.”

  “I did not! What’s wrong with you?” Olivia shot back, her face turning red.

  “Here’s a good idea: Why don’t you think before you say anything?” he snarled.

  “Stop it! You’re such a control freak, and you’re just losing it because of your stupid stepbrother.”

  “Shut up! You don’t know what you’re talking about!” cried Ethan, jumping down from the stool and getting in her face.

  Olivia’s mom came rushing in. “Please, you two! Keep your voices down. There are customers in front. Oh, and, Ethan, thank you again for being such a big help. Why, I should give you a job,” she said.

  “Great! And then maybe Thread Head could live here too!” cried Olivia, running from the shop in tears.

  Chapter 28

  It wasn’t until the next morning that Olivia pulled up a chair in front of the computer for her Skype date. She’d had a terrible night and had only just apologized to her mom before coming down.

  “It was just growing pains, Ollie, sweetie, that’s all,” said her mom, giving her daughter a kiss on the cheek.

  Still, she felt bad about calling Ethan “Thread Head.” She tried to tell herself he had it coming, but that didn’t make it better.

  A minute later, Alex’s face filled the screen.

  “Guess what! Guess what!” she cried. “Fabien asked if he could walk me home. Of course, I have to check with Maman first, but maybe she’ll let me. I hope so. The school is only a few blocks away, and there are no busy streets to cross.”

  “Super!” Olivia cried.

  “So when is your meeting at the hospital?” Alex asked.

  “Tomorrow after camp. Mom is driving us. But she’s not coming in. She says THREADS is our thing.”

  “Well, that’s cool. I’m sure you’re completely prepared. You have lots of samples and your outline was really good.”

  “We’re prepared,” Olivia said. “But, Alex, I had this big fight with Ethan.”

  “With Ethan? What about?”

  Before Olivia could answer, the screen started flashing and the image died.

  Bummer, thought Olivia. I wanted to ask her which bracelets she thought I should wear.

  Chapter 29

  Olivia kept twisting the friendship bracelets on her arm, the blue-and-white one from her mom’s friend Dawn and the one from THREADS. She couldn’t remember ever being this nervous. Maybe it was from that awful fight with Ethan. And she hadn’t spoken with him since. But, on the plus side, at least she wouldn’t have to say much, if anything, at the meeting. After all, THREADS was Ethan’s idea. He would want to speak for them.

  Austen’s mother was running late, and the five of them had been sitting in a hallway at the Central Hospital for fifteen minutes. Mu Mu had brought along a paperback book, The Universe’s Fifty Most Insane Chocolate-Chip Cookie Recipes, and was completely absorbed in it.

  “I’m trying to find the greatest chocolate-chip cookie recipe ever,” she explained.

  “A noble quest,” joked Austen.

  Olivia looked over at him and smiled. She liked his turn of phrase, “a noble quest.”

  “So, what’s Carl up to?” Austen asked Zoe.

  “Oh, let me show these new pics from breakfast this morning,” she said, reaching for her phone. “Press is teaching him to sit for biscuits.”

  Everyone was cool except for Ethan. He was starting to lose it. He got up and paced back and forth. Finally he blurted out, “Hey, Austen, maybe you should ask if your mom is actually going to see us today?”

  “Cool it, Ethan. She’ll be ready soon. You can’t get thrown off your game because of a short wait.” His phone buzzed. He looked down and clicked it off. “Maybe we should all turn off our phones?” he suggested.

  The inner door opened and out walked a tall, slender woman with light-blond hair just like Austen’s.

  “Hello, everybody,” she said. “Please come in. I am so sorry for the delay, but I wanted Ginny Johnson to sit in on the meeting with us. She’s our patient advocate and her input will be very valuable.”

  Olivia thought, Wow! This sounds pretty official. Hope Ethan can handle it.

  Austen introduced everyone, and then they walked down a wide hallway to a conference room with a long table.

  “Let’s all sit down at this end,” said Mrs. Dodd. “Oh, and here comes Ginny Johnson now. Ginny, this is the group of young people I was telling you about. They call themselves THREADS, and they have an idea that might be very effective for our patients.”

  Ginny gave each of them a warm smile and sat down. “Well, thank you for coming. Who would like to start?”

  No one answered.

  Ginny Johnson looked down at her notes and said, “Mrs. Dodd has informed me that THREADS was the brainchild of Ethan Fleckman. I assume that’s you, young man?” she said looking at Ethan. “Would you like to walk us through how THREADS would work for our patients here at Central Hospital?”

  “Uh, Mrs. Johnson, Olivia Jones is in charge of that—of our communications. She made up the charts and flyers,” Ethan replied, pointing in Olivia’s direction.

  Olivia’s blood ran cold. I have to speak? I’m not even prepared! This was, like, the worst moment of her life! Beyond the worst! In a galaxy far, far, away the worst! Why didn’t she realize this would happen?

  “Well,” she said, but her voice was high pitched and squeaky. “Well,” she started over, “here are the flyers which explain what THREADS is and how it works. And here are some samples of our finished bracelets.” She stood up and walked over to where Austen’s mother was sitting with Mrs. Johnson and laid the bracelets out i
n three groups.

  “These are our easy samples, these medium, and these advanced,” she said, pointing to each group. “Our idea is to visit patients and bring along our supplies and some samples. They can choose if they want to make bracelets and we can help them, or they can take one that’s already made. My mother, I mean Katonah Crafts, is donating all the materials.”

  Mrs. Johnson picked up every bracelet. “This idea is very clever,” she finally said to Mrs. Dodd. “It offers a range of involvement.”

  “And there’s another aspect of this too,” pointed out Mrs. Dodd. “I remember from my own childhood that friendship bracelets can also have messages, right? I especially like that you thought to make a chart about the meanings of the various colors. It expresses hope and establishes a connection. Well done.”

  “Thank you,” said Olivia, waving her hand at the other members. “We’re really a team, and we can work our visiting times around your schedule.”

  All the members of THREADS nodded in agreement.

  “Let’s start next Monday. I’ll line up volunteers to be with each of you during the initial patient visit. Are you available in the afternoon, say at two o’clock?” asked Ginny Johnson.

  “Yes!” they all shouted.

  Five minutes later, they were walking out the doors and into the public parking lot.

  “It worked, Mom!” cried Olivia. “We’re official. We make our first visit next Monday!”

  “Come on, everybody,” said Zoe, putting her hand out as if to create a huddle. “Let’s go!”

  Just like after the flood, they all put their hands together and cried, “THREADS! Yay!”

  “Well, this deserves some ice cream,” announced Olivia’s mom, opening the car door. “All aboard for Katonah Cones!”

  Chapter 30