sitting at the bar and at the tables stopped talking and gawked at me, shocked. At first I felt shy and uncomfortable. It was so cold and my clothes were getting stained fluorescent green. But then I looked at Daddy laughing, and I smiled. I waved to all the people and blew them kisses. They waved back.
Then Mom came in. I could see right away that she was mad at Daddy. He pulled me out of the margarita blender, Kevin was fired, and Mommy bought a towel at the gift shop to dry me off. I was very sticky. No one was laughing, especially not Mom. Instead, the three of us made the long trip back to our car in total silence. We never went back to that place, not even once.
I blinked and looked at the screen in front of me again. I started typing.
I was once a margarita ingredient.
Who else could say that?
The doorbell rang. Reno. I shut my laptop, took a couple of deep breaths, and headed straight for the door. Getting out of there suddenly felt like the best idea ever. “I’m leaving for an hour or two, Mom. With Reno. See you later.”
“Wait!” She stood up from the kitchen table so fast three sheets of paper fluttered to the ground. “Are you sure it’s a good idea? I’m worried it’ll be too loud. Crowded. What if someone bumps you and you fall down?”
“Mom. I’ll be fine. Reno will take care of me. Please.” I held my breath. I didn’t want to stay here, stuck in the apartment all weekend. “And I’ve never seen Fun Towne before.”
She stared at me, her mouth open a little. Then she covered it with her hand and I knew I’d said something wrong.
“What? What’s the problem now?” I grabbed my pink baseball cap off the hook by the door and pulled my ponytail through it to fit it snugly over my head. I wondered if they’d let me wear a cap in school even though it was against the dress code. It would just make me stand out more, though. I’d better not try it.
“Sweetheart, you’ve been to Fun Towne a hundred times,” she whispered. “It’s where you…I thought…”
“Oh. Right. That’s what I meant. I, uh, never mind.” I backed up slowly, praying she wouldn’t change her mind about letting me go. Why did I say that? She looked all concerned now. I tried to picture Fun Towne in my mind, but I couldn’t. Was she sure I’d been there a hundred times?
She sighed. “Be careful and don’t be gone too long, okay? Here, take my phone. You can call the landline if you need anything.” She wrote the number on a Post-it, and I put it in my pocket. She sat back down and rubbed the back of her neck. Her shoulders hurt constantly from being all hunched over. I nodded and gave her as big a grin as I could manage. Thank God she was letting me go.
Now, where was I going again?
CHAPTER 17
LOST GIRL
“Hey,” Reno said as I shut the apartment door behind me. We both hopped in his dad’s Jeep. “How are you feeling?”
“Not bad. I have these.” I showed him my ridiculously ugly old lady sunglasses.
“Rawrrr,” he said.
“I know. Think I can start a new sophomore trend?” I put them on and made a pouty face like a model. Reno laughed, and I giggled too. It felt good.
When we arrived and got out of the Jeep, I put earplugs in my ears. There was loud music playing and bells were ringing and people were all over. Signs picturing a giant car bumper advertised something called the Saturday Nite Cruise. Families swarmed the kiddie rides and teenagers shoved cotton candy in their mouths.
The air was heavy with humidity and oldies blasted from speakers attached to the eaves of roofs: Today’s music ain’t got the same soul. I like that old time rock and roll. Every other person wore flip-flops on their feet and sunglasses almost as ugly as mine. There were motorcycles everywhere. A mechanical bull in the center of an intersection of kitschy tourist shops sat motionless, but it was easy to imagine a line of drunken people waiting to ride it. We walked away
Then Mom came in. I could see right away that she was mad at Daddy. He pulled me out of the margarita blender, Kevin was fired, and Mommy bought a towel at the gift shop to dry me off. I was very sticky. No one was laughing, especially not Mom. Instead, the three of us made the long trip back to our car in total silence. We never went back to that place, not even once.
I blinked and looked at the screen in front of me again. I started typing.
I was once a margarita ingredient.
Who else could say that?
The doorbell rang. Reno. I shut my laptop, took a couple of deep breaths, and headed straight for the door. Getting out of there suddenly felt like the best idea ever. “I’m leaving for an hour or two, Mom. With Reno. See you later.”
“Wait!” She stood up from the kitchen table so fast three sheets of paper fluttered to the ground. “Are you sure it’s a good idea? I’m worried it’ll be too loud. Crowded. What if someone bumps you and you fall down?”
“Mom. I’ll be fine. Reno will take care of me. Please.” I held my breath. I didn’t want to stay here, stuck in the apartment all weekend. “And I’ve never seen Fun Towne before.”
She stared at me, her mouth open a little. Then she covered it with her hand and I knew I’d said something wrong.
“What? What’s the problem now?” I grabbed my pink baseball cap off the hook by the door and pulled my ponytail through it to fit it snugly over my head. I wondered if they’d let me wear a cap in school even though it was against the dress code. It would just make me stand out more, though. I’d better not try it.
“Sweetheart, you’ve been to Fun Towne a hundred times,” she whispered. “It’s where you…I thought…”
“Oh. Right. That’s what I meant. I, uh, never mind.” I backed up slowly, praying she wouldn’t change her mind about letting me go. Why did I say that? She looked all concerned now. I tried to picture Fun Towne in my mind, but I couldn’t. Was she sure I’d been there a hundred times?
She sighed. “Be careful and don’t be gone too long, okay? Here, take my phone. You can call the landline if you need anything.” She wrote the number on a Post-it, and I put it in my pocket. She sat back down and rubbed the back of her neck. Her shoulders hurt constantly from being all hunched over. I nodded and gave her as big a grin as I could manage. Thank God she was letting me go.
Now, where was I going again?
CHAPTER 17
LOST GIRL
“Hey,” Reno said as I shut the apartment door behind me. We both hopped in his dad’s Jeep. “How are you feeling?”
“Not bad. I have these.” I showed him my ridiculously ugly old lady sunglasses.
“Rawrrr,” he said.
“I know. Think I can start a new sophomore trend?” I put them on and made a pouty face like a model. Reno laughed, and I giggled too. It felt good.
When we arrived and got out of the Jeep, I put earplugs in my ears. There was loud music playing and bells were ringing and people were all over. Signs picturing a giant car bumper advertised something called the Saturday Nite Cruise. Families swarmed the kiddie rides and teenagers shoved cotton candy in their mouths.
The air was heavy with humidity and oldies blasted from speakers attached to the eaves of roofs: Today’s music ain’t got the same soul. I like that old time rock and roll. Every other person wore flip-flops on their feet and sunglasses almost as ugly as mine. There were motorcycles everywhere. A mechanical bull in the center of an intersection of kitschy tourist shops sat motionless, but it was easy to imagine a line of drunken people waiting to ride it. We walked away
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