by Coco Simon
“Dad!” I said, but I laughed. Mom was a terrible cook.
Dad ordered a King Frosty with chocolate sauce, and we headed toward the picnic tables to slurp them down.
“We have to hide the evidence and get rid of the cups before we get in the car,” Dad said.
I was slurping away when Dad said, “So, like I said the other night, we’re a little worried about you, Kelsey.”
“I remember you said you were worried the other night,” I said. “But why?”
“Because usually you don’t let things bother you. You live by your own rules at your own pace. Mom and I have always marveled about that. You don’t need to go off to a big city to prove anything; you’ll be just as happy moving twenty feet away. You know yourself, and you’re confident. And that’s special.”
Huh. Here I’d been thinking that was just boring, not special.
“But lately you seem the opposite of happy. I don’t know if it’s a phase or an adjustment or if there’s something going on, but I want to remind you we are here to talk and help.”
I took a big slurp and thought about it. I wanted to talk to Dad, but even I wasn’t too sure why things were bothering me so much.
“I don’t do too well with change,” I said slowly.
Dad nodded and waited for me to go on.
“Sometimes I have all these feelings that come at once, and I don’t know where they’re coming from or why I feel them. And when that happens, I just want everything to go back to the way it was.”
“I get that,” said Dad. “In a lot of ways Mom and I always want the three of you to be really little again, when a lollipop could solve any drama and make everything better. It was easier.”
“Are you trying to tell me this is hard for everyone involved?” I said, kind of teasing him.
“Yes!” said Dad. “Because sometimes I don’t know what I’m doing and I’m just making it up as I go.”
“Dad!” I yelped. “You’re the dad! You’re supposed to know exactly what to say and what to do!”
“Doesn’t work that way,” said Dad. “There’s no manual. Mom and I figure it out as we go. Sometimes we don’t get it right. We should have seen that Mom spending a lot of time with Lindsay could make you feel a little neglected.”
I looked down. “I feel bad about that,” I said, using my toe to dig in the sand under the table.
“Well, we’d like you to see that Lindsay needs all of us. But it’s also a really natural way to feel, and we get that, too. Mom feels terrible.”
“She does?”
“Yep, she feels like she’s letting you all down by spreading herself too thin.”
Poor Mom. I knew she was trying. Now I felt extra bad.
“So it’s okay that I feel bad about Lindsay and want to help her but still feel mad that she gets Mom’s attention when I need it too?”
“Of course!” said Dad. “That’s totally normal. We just should have seen it coming and been able to help work through that stuff.”
“So how do we make this better?”
“I haven’t read that far in the manual yet,” said Dad, smiling. “But don’t worry, I’m getting to that chapter next.”
I laughed and chucked the cup in the trash.
Dad stood up and made a hoop shot into the can.
“Nice!” I said, and we jumped back into the car.
We hadn’t solved anything, but I felt so much better. It was amazing what a good game, a good shake, a good talk, and a great dad could do.
Chapter Twelve Clearing the Air
Poor Principal Clarke could barely get us to settle down for announcements on Friday. Everyone was buzzing about Fall Fest.
“Attention! Attention!” she kept saying.
Finally, she nodded to Mr. Schmitt, the lacrosse coach, who blew his whistle so loudly that everyone covered their ears, but it did the trick.
“I know we’re all excited about Fall Fest,” Principal Clarke said, “but we have a whole day of school to get through before the weekend kicks in!”
She surveyed the room. “Okay, now a quick announcement before we start the day. I have the results of our class representative election. Well, it wasn’t really an election, it was more of a nomination. The students who received the most nominations for each class will serve as class rep for one year. Now, for our sixth-grade students, the rep will be Kelsey Lakes.”
Sophia, Riley, and Michelle were hugging me, and everyone at my table was yelling, “Whoo-hoo,” so loudly that I didn’t even hear the names of the reps for the other classes.
“If the reps I just announced can meet me during their lunch periods today, we can talk more about these exciting new responsibilities.”
The bell rang and everyone flooded out into the hall, talking and laughing.
Lindsay gave me a hug. “Ms. Rep!” she said.
“I knew you’d win!” Michelle said.
Molly pulled on my ponytail. “Hey, sis, you won’t forget about the little people who know all your family secrets now that you’re an elected official, right? You’d better be nice to me.”
It was exciting, but I had no idea what I had just gotten myself into. Or more specifically, what my class had just got me into…
I knocked on Principal Clarke’s door at lunch, and she called, “Come in.”
I peeked my head in and she said, “Oh, Kelsey, welcome! Come on in!”
She moved over some piles of papers on her desk and motioned for me to sit down. “Did you bring your lunch? Oh good, we can eat together.”
I unscrewed my thermos and wondered if it was okay to eat ravioli in front of my principal.
She brought over a thermos of soup and sat down and started talking, so I just decided to shovel in my lunch while I had the chance.
“I’m so excited for you to be in this position, Kelsey,” she said. “And I can’t say I’m surprised that your classmates nominated you, as I think you’re the perfect person for this job.”
“Um, exactly what is this job?” I asked.
I was panicking a little at the word “job.” I already had a job, and one was quite enough, but two? Ugh.
“Well, it’s mostly about being the person who students can come to with their issues or concerns. This is a new position, so we’re just feeling it out right now, but our hope is that one day per month we’d be able to set you up in an office or at a desk,” she said. “Your classmates can come talk to you about things like changing the lunch menu or getting more involved with the volunteer safety team in town, that kind of thing.”
I nodded. “Maybe there could also be an e-mail address for this role, so if someone doesn’t want to wait, they can always contact me,” I said.
“Oh, that’s a great idea!” Principal Clarke beamed at me. “I knew you’d be good at this!”
“Okay, but…,” I said. “Well, what am I supposed to do with these issues?”
I panicked a little more. Was I supposed to solve these problems? I could barely solve my own problems!
“You’d bring them to a monthly committee meeting we’d have with all three of the class reps, me, and a few teachers who have volunteered to help. We’ll talk through what’s possible, like maybe offering a more diverse lunch menu, and what’s not, like the suggestion I think you’ll get to shorten the school day!”
“Okay,” I said. “So it’s basically a listening position?”
“Exactly,” said Principal Clarke. “I think students feel better when they know there’s an ear listening to them. Most people do. You aren’t expected to solve any issues and you won’t be making major changes, but you’ll be a sympathetic voice and you’ll be able to help them voice their concerns to us. I truly believe that a lot of frustration comes when people think they aren’t being heard.”
The bell rang.
“Oh my, these lunch periods do go by quickly, don’t they?” Principal Clarke said as she gulped her soup.
“My friends and I were just talking about that!” I sa
id. “Students really need more time to eat!”
“So do teachers and principals!” said Principal Clarke. “Great point. Let’s put that on the list! Can’t wait to get started!”
As I walked to my next class, I thought about my new job. I would have to listen to my classmates’ concerns and suggestions, and then Principal Clarke would listen to me and the other class reps. Then Principal Clarke and the other teachers would try to figure something out.
First, Dad didn’t know how to figure out how to solve my issues. Now Principal Clarke admitted she wasn’t sure how to solve whatever might come up.
One thing was for sure: I was surrounded by adults who really needed to start giving me answers.
* * *
On Friday afternoon Jenna, Molly, and I were squeezing each other in and out of the bathroom as we showered and dried our hair.
The doorbell rang and I knew it was probably Lindsay.
“Can you get the door?” Jenna yelled.
I went downstairs because I was the only one who was dressed. I was wearing a pink-and-gray minidress and short gray boots.
Jenna was doing our hair and helping us pick out outfits, and she was arguing with Molly about whether pink and orange actually went together.
Lindsay was standing on the front step, and I waved to Nans backing out of the driveway.
“Welcome to chaos,” I said. “The fashion team is upstairs.”
Lindsay followed me into Jenna’s room, where it looked like she had every outfit she owned on the floor.
“Hey, Linds,” said Jenna. “Do you need a fashion consult or are you all set?”
“Uh,” said Lindsay, looking down. “You tell me?”
Jenna took a moment to take in Lindsay’s outfit. “You look great,” Jenna said, and she really did.
Lindsay had her shiny hair in waves and she had on this really cute blue denim dress that tied at the waist, and boots.
“Did your grandmother get that for you?” Jenna asked.
“Uh-huh,” said Lindsay.
Her mom’s mom lived in Chicago and was always sending her these great outfits that she’d found.
I was a little jealous because the shopping is not great out here. Everyone always dresses the same because everyone ends up at the same stores, or ordering online, which is kind of annoying.
Lindsay turned to me and smiled shyly. “You look nice, Kels,” she said.
I just nodded and sort of grunted at her. I still wasn’t exactly thrilled that she was coming with us.
Lindsay seemed to pick up on my grumpy attitude. “You okay?” she said.
“I’m fine,” I lied. “Just looking for my gray bag,” which was practically right in front of me. “Oh, here it is.”
I grabbed it and walked away from Lindsay as quickly as I could. I glanced back for a moment and saw her watching me with a puzzled look on her face.
“Are you girls ready?” Mom called from down the hall.
She was running late because things at the Park were always crazy the day before Fall Fest. The Park provides almost all the food, so there’s a ton of setup and prep work. When she called us, she already sounded a little frazzled.
“Mom, you’re going to shower, aren’t you?” Jenna asked. She looked worried.
“Yes,” said Mom. “Don’t worry, I won’t embarrass you, Jenna!”
Mom can get ready faster than anyone I know. Sometimes when she and Dad go out we time her, and she can take a shower, get dressed, and do her hair and makeup in twelve minutes flat.
“I don’t have extra time, so I get used to doing things fast!” she says.
Since Jenna knew Mom would be ready soon, she hustled into an outfit and gave up arguing with Molly, whom I thought looked really cute in an orange dress with a pink jean jacket over it.
Within fifteen minutes, we were all in the car and headed to Louie Louie. Mom had the radio on and we were all singing along. I kept looking at Lindsay to see if she felt out of place, but she seemed like she was happy to be there.
Mrs. Selden has been the owner of Louie Louie forever, and she gave us all hugs when she saw us. “Now, let’s see how beautiful everyone is getting. Oh my, you girls all look so glamorous as you get older. But your mother just keeps getting younger and younger.” She and Mom laughed at that one.
Mrs. Selden always sends over extra bread and appetizers and extra desserts when we’re there, and even before the waiter took our order, there was this really good cheese bread and riplets, which are these spicy crunchy fries, on the table.
Mom also ordered us sparkling water so that we’d “have something proper to toast with.”
“To my best and most favorite girls in the world,” she said, holding up her glass. “Who get more beautiful and whom I love more and more every day.”
We all smiled and drank and I wondered if it was weird for Lindsay. I mean, Mom is our mom. Naturally she loves the three of us more than Lindsay, right? Does Lindsay think that our mom loves her equally? I thought about this for a little while. Then the fried ravioli came and we all dived in.
Molly was telling a hilarious story about how someone stepped in doggie doo at the soccer game, which Mom kept saying was not appropriate dinner conversation, so Molly would stop. Then three seconds later she’d say, “So you want to know how it ends, right?” and she would tell a little more.
“Oh, I feel badly for the crew at the Park,” said Mom, checking her phone under the table. “They really still have a ton to do to get ready for tomorrow.”
“But this is our Family Fest!” I said.
“I know, I know, Kelsey,” said Mom. “But here we are living it up, and poor Uncle Mike and Uncle Charlie are getting two hundred fifty donuts packed up for tomorrow! It doesn’t feel right.”
We finished dinner, and as we were all in a gooey-butter-cake coma, Molly said, “Hey, I have an idea. Let’s stop by the Park and help out.”
We all looked at each other.
“Well, is anyone tired?” asked Molly.
We all shook our heads.
“Let’s do better than that,” said Mom, with a mischievous look in her eye. “Let’s bring them dinner!”
“We’re going to bring dinner to a restaurant?” asked Jenna.
“Yeah!” said Mom. “They won’t have to cook it, so they’ll be thrilled! Don’t you know that’s the secret of restaurants everywhere? Cook for people and they’re happy!”
We ordered a ton of stuff off the menu to go. While we were waiting, Jenna said, “Okay, one last toast to the girls!” and raised her glass.
“I’m glad to be one of the girls tonight!” said Lindsay, raising her glass too.
I glanced over at her, and she was beaming from ear to ear. I realized that this was the happiest I’d seen Lindsay in a really long time. All of us were smiling and having fun and it didn’t matter one bit that we had an extra person with us. Why did I ever get so upset about it? Family was family.
I raised my glass and said, “And one more…”
Everyone looked at me.
“Always additions,” I said, looking at Lindsay and smiling. “They’re better than subtractions. I’m really happy you’re here with us, Lindsay.”
“Cheers!” said Mom, and she gave me a little wink. “More is always better. Always listen to the accountant when it comes to numbers.”
“Or in this case, the accountant’s daughter!” I said.
Mrs. Selden packed the food into to-go bags, and we piled into the car and headed back to Bellgrove.
We drove up to the Park and could see all the lights on and a lot of people walking around inside. Mom used her key and threw open the front door.
“The party is here!” yelled Molly.
Nans and Grandpa came out of the kitchen, and Uncle Mike, Uncle Charlie, and Dad all looked up. Then they saw that one of the things we’d brought was fried ravioli, and everyone grabbed plates and dug in.
“You’re all dressed up!” said Nans. “Don’t start
packing things and moving things!”
“We can change!” said Jenna, and Mom ran us home and we all grabbed jeans and T-shirts.
When we returned we each took a job, either sorting and packing donuts or folding the menus that we were giving out with every purchase. There was something really fun about working on a project together, and everyone was playing music and singing as we worked an assembly line.
Finally we loaded everything into Uncle Charlie’s pickup truck and we were set. We drove home exhausted but excited.
It had been our second Family Fall Fest of the night, and I couldn’t decide which one I liked better.
* * *
Fall Fest starts off with a parade, and every year it’s usually the sports booster club, the veterans’ association, the town officials, and the dance squad who make their way down Main Street.
Since the sports booster club covers every sport that’s played, it means every kid shows up in his or her uniform to march as well. The kids toss candy to the spectators lining the street. Everyone ends up at the festival part, which has different food stations, and booths that are sponsored by all the clubs and businesses in town. It’s like a giant street fair.
We needed extra help during Fall Fest, so some of the field hockey team and the soccer team were helping at the Park’s booth, which looked incredible thanks to Dad’s frame and awning. The front of the booth actually looked like a real building, and it really stood out. Isabella, Hannah, and Sophia were behind the counter with me for my shift, and it was fun to work with my friends, except Isabella kept eating the donuts.
“Isabella!” I said. “You’d never last at Donut Dreams!”
“I know,” she groaned. “But they are soooo good. Every time I have a bad day, my mom comes home with one of them for me!”
Olivia and Michelle came by for a visit and, of course, to have a donut.
“Donuts make you smile,” said Sophia seriously.
“Maybe that should be our new slogan,” I joked.
“Let’s not talk about slogans,” groaned Hannah. “We’re still working on ours for the election. So far ‘Two Girls Can Get It Done!’ is still the most popular. But today I don’t want to think about the election. Today I just want to have fun!”
