anyone else’s—probably more so—Grandpa stomped out to the back of the yard to smoke a cigar.
Still, who needed a seven-thousand-square-foot house? Some of the old folks said the Chaplin house was a two-acre house on a three-acre lot, although people knew they were exaggerating.
Neely had one stepbrother, Casey, a graduate student who didn’t come to visit much. There were eight bedrooms. Neely’s “suite” was the highlight—from the computer and music-mixing station to the bathroom bigger than most bedrooms to the weight equipment that had to have been lifted up the stairs by a crane or something. “She has a weight machine and a treadmill and an elliptical and a Pilates Cadillac,” Erika raved. “She doesn’t even have to walk upstairs to take a shower.”
“Wonder how much all this set them back,” Campbell said, perusing the expanse of champagne brick and fieldstone.
Tim replied cheerfully, “More than we’ll ever see. What do you think they do?”
“Sell drugs,” said Campbell.
“Mom!” Mallory and Merry gasped together.
“I didn’t mean it,” Campbell told them. “It was a figure of speech.”
Meredith jumped out of the car and began running up the drive, which she quickly noticed had the pitch of a ski hill. She yelled back, “I’ll be polite! Call me if you need me! I have my phone. I’m not sick, so don’t worry. The meds they gave me are working now and I can hardly feel it.”
“You don’t have your pajamas, though,” Tim called after her. Merry stopped. “I brought your flannel pants and your Giants sweatshirt.”
“Did you bring my iPod, Dad?” Meredith asked.
“You go to somebody’s house for a sleepover and listen to music they can’t hear? Isn’t that rude?”
“Why?” Meredith asked.
Just then, Neely pulled up in a four-seater golf cart, with Alli and Caitlin in the back.
“I saw you down here struggling,” she said. “Hi, Merry’s parents! I’m Cornelia Chaplin.” Neely shook hands as though she were twenty-five. She turned to Merry. “We thought we’d come and get you. If I had to walk up that driveway every day, I’d expire.”
“You work harder in practice than you do walking up the drive,” Campbell said mildly.
“But that’s just what I mean! If Merry leads practice, I’m wrung out like a rag when I get home,” Neely said.
What a suck-up, Mallory thought.
But Merry thought Neely was being really nice, in a phony way.
“Well, have a nice time!” Campbell said. “I should have spoken to your parents.”
“Oh, they’re here! And we will!” Neely called.
“Merry, you take it easy,” Campbell said. “You know you have a concussion at least. You should be at home. This is ridiculous.”
“My dad is setting up a movie, and we have cheese and shrimp puffs from Luda. It’s going to be a laid-back night,” answered Neely. “Don’t worry.”
“Well,” said Campbell, “I’m only ten minutes away. Call before you go to sleep or if you have any changes in vision or increased pain.”
“Does she always talk like that?” Neely asked, as they spun away.
Alli and Caitlin said together, “Yes.”
Luda must be some fancy restaurant in New York City, Meredith thought.
As they sped up the drive, with Meredith clinging to her duffel with one hand, Caitlin chattered, “We already went swimming. You should see the pool. It’s as big as the one at school! There’s a twelve-foot end and a diving board.”
“We can go again later,” Neely said. “But I have to eat now. Swimming makes me starved. We thought you would be here sooner.”
“I was, uh, I was in the hospital. Witness my hair.”
“I thought Crystal was in the hospital,” Neely said.
“Well, we went to see Crystal and her leg was gross and I guess I just passed out,” Merry explained.
“It was that gross?” Alli asked. “Warn me, because I’m going to see her tomorrow after practice.”
“It wasn’t gross to see. It was the way she described the
Still, who needed a seven-thousand-square-foot house? Some of the old folks said the Chaplin house was a two-acre house on a three-acre lot, although people knew they were exaggerating.
Neely had one stepbrother, Casey, a graduate student who didn’t come to visit much. There were eight bedrooms. Neely’s “suite” was the highlight—from the computer and music-mixing station to the bathroom bigger than most bedrooms to the weight equipment that had to have been lifted up the stairs by a crane or something. “She has a weight machine and a treadmill and an elliptical and a Pilates Cadillac,” Erika raved. “She doesn’t even have to walk upstairs to take a shower.”
“Wonder how much all this set them back,” Campbell said, perusing the expanse of champagne brick and fieldstone.
Tim replied cheerfully, “More than we’ll ever see. What do you think they do?”
“Sell drugs,” said Campbell.
“Mom!” Mallory and Merry gasped together.
“I didn’t mean it,” Campbell told them. “It was a figure of speech.”
Meredith jumped out of the car and began running up the drive, which she quickly noticed had the pitch of a ski hill. She yelled back, “I’ll be polite! Call me if you need me! I have my phone. I’m not sick, so don’t worry. The meds they gave me are working now and I can hardly feel it.”
“You don’t have your pajamas, though,” Tim called after her. Merry stopped. “I brought your flannel pants and your Giants sweatshirt.”
“Did you bring my iPod, Dad?” Meredith asked.
“You go to somebody’s house for a sleepover and listen to music they can’t hear? Isn’t that rude?”
“Why?” Meredith asked.
Just then, Neely pulled up in a four-seater golf cart, with Alli and Caitlin in the back.
“I saw you down here struggling,” she said. “Hi, Merry’s parents! I’m Cornelia Chaplin.” Neely shook hands as though she were twenty-five. She turned to Merry. “We thought we’d come and get you. If I had to walk up that driveway every day, I’d expire.”
“You work harder in practice than you do walking up the drive,” Campbell said mildly.
“But that’s just what I mean! If Merry leads practice, I’m wrung out like a rag when I get home,” Neely said.
What a suck-up, Mallory thought.
But Merry thought Neely was being really nice, in a phony way.
“Well, have a nice time!” Campbell said. “I should have spoken to your parents.”
“Oh, they’re here! And we will!” Neely called.
“Merry, you take it easy,” Campbell said. “You know you have a concussion at least. You should be at home. This is ridiculous.”
“My dad is setting up a movie, and we have cheese and shrimp puffs from Luda. It’s going to be a laid-back night,” answered Neely. “Don’t worry.”
“Well,” said Campbell, “I’m only ten minutes away. Call before you go to sleep or if you have any changes in vision or increased pain.”
“Does she always talk like that?” Neely asked, as they spun away.
Alli and Caitlin said together, “Yes.”
Luda must be some fancy restaurant in New York City, Meredith thought.
As they sped up the drive, with Meredith clinging to her duffel with one hand, Caitlin chattered, “We already went swimming. You should see the pool. It’s as big as the one at school! There’s a twelve-foot end and a diving board.”
“We can go again later,” Neely said. “But I have to eat now. Swimming makes me starved. We thought you would be here sooner.”
“I was, uh, I was in the hospital. Witness my hair.”
“I thought Crystal was in the hospital,” Neely said.
“Well, we went to see Crystal and her leg was gross and I guess I just passed out,” Merry explained.
“It was that gross?” Alli asked. “Warn me, because I’m going to see her tomorrow after practice.”
“It wasn’t gross to see. It was the way she described the
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