clothes at the mall, but please don’t suggest we go to the
library. I know. Maybe we could—”
“ Actually,” I cut her off,
“I promised Sophia that I’d take her to visit some historical sites
in Marion.”
Camille waited expectantly.
I knew she wanted an invitation to go along, but I just couldn’t
give it. That time I really felt bad. I didn’t want to hurt Camille, but I
couldn’t exactly bring her along without her questioning what we
were doing.
“ You know, just forget it. I
can see when I’m not wanted. You and Sophia have a spectacular
summer together and maybe I’ll see you around school next year . .
. or maybe not.” Camille spat the words out, jumped off the bus,
and quickly began walking down the road to her home.
“ Camille,” I called, trying
to push through the dispersing crowd to run after her, but she just
kept walking. I shook my head and stood on the sidewalk watching
her go. Surprisingly, it was the first time we’d ever had a fight
and I didn’t know how to react.
“ Everything
okay?”
Startled out of my thoughts I whipped
my head around to see Peter Ashby standing next to me. I could feel
the blush creep out immediately.
“ It’s fine. Just a little
disagreement.”
“ Wow. And all these years I
thought you two were attached at the hip. Who knew?” Peter
laughed.
I tried to fake a smile, but it wasn’t
very convincing.
“ So . . . what are your
plans for the summer?”
I shrugged.
“ I was thinking that it
might be fun if, you know, we umm . . . hung out sometime this
summer.” Peter stumbled over his words and stared at his
feet.
I was stunned. My throat felt as if it
was closing off, but I managed to blurt out, “I’d like that—text me
sometime,” before I turned and jogged the remaining block to my
house. It should have been one of the happiest moments of my life,
but the pain I felt from knowing that I might have just lost my
best friend ruined that.
*****
“ W hat took you so long today, slow poke?” Sophia asked when I
arrived at my house. She sat on my front steps with her legs
stretched out in front of her. “Let’s get to work.”
I didn’t respond. I just
walked past her and unlocked my front door. On that afternoon’s
agenda was a trip to the site where Sophia’s family lived before
they all died. Her grandparents, Nathan and Sophia Briggs, built a
home in Marion long before she was born. They planted so many rose
bushes that it became known as Rose Cottage. Eventually Sophia’s
parents, Benjamin and Sarah Briggs, built their own little home
next to Rose Cottage. When they set sail on the Mary Celeste, Arthur stayed behind at
Rose Cottage with Grandma Briggs. Little did he know that his
family would never return for him. Grandma Briggs and her son James
sold the home not long after the incident with the Mary Celeste, probably to
escape the memories of the tragedy in their
lives .
I put my things in the house and
grabbed a snack. I didn’t bother to offer Sophia anything. “So,” I
said finally, “how do you propose we get around this summer? I
can’t drive yet nor can I fly around or creep through walls like
you. I only have one bike and I’m sure as heck not pumping you
around all over town.”
“ Wow. You’re kind of touchy
today.”
I rolled my eyes.
“ Don’t worry about it. You
might not be old enough for a license, but I am.
Remember?”
I looked up to see Sophia
jingling a ring of keys in front of me. Attached to the ring was a
small ship keychain. I knew immediately that it was a replica of
the Mary Celeste .
It was the exact kind of keychain I’d seen in souvenir shops my
whole life. Tourists loved them.
“ What do you drive? Wait,
let me think . . . A little red, sporty, two-door something or
other?” I guessed.
“ Ha! I try to blend in,
remember?”
I peeked out my front window to see a
non-descript, white, four-door sedan parked across the street. It
was the kind of car you could walk right by
library. I know. Maybe we could—”
“ Actually,” I cut her off,
“I promised Sophia that I’d take her to visit some historical sites
in Marion.”
Camille waited expectantly.
I knew she wanted an invitation to go along, but I just couldn’t
give it. That time I really felt bad. I didn’t want to hurt Camille, but I
couldn’t exactly bring her along without her questioning what we
were doing.
“ You know, just forget it. I
can see when I’m not wanted. You and Sophia have a spectacular
summer together and maybe I’ll see you around school next year . .
. or maybe not.” Camille spat the words out, jumped off the bus,
and quickly began walking down the road to her home.
“ Camille,” I called, trying
to push through the dispersing crowd to run after her, but she just
kept walking. I shook my head and stood on the sidewalk watching
her go. Surprisingly, it was the first time we’d ever had a fight
and I didn’t know how to react.
“ Everything
okay?”
Startled out of my thoughts I whipped
my head around to see Peter Ashby standing next to me. I could feel
the blush creep out immediately.
“ It’s fine. Just a little
disagreement.”
“ Wow. And all these years I
thought you two were attached at the hip. Who knew?” Peter
laughed.
I tried to fake a smile, but it wasn’t
very convincing.
“ So . . . what are your
plans for the summer?”
I shrugged.
“ I was thinking that it
might be fun if, you know, we umm . . . hung out sometime this
summer.” Peter stumbled over his words and stared at his
feet.
I was stunned. My throat felt as if it
was closing off, but I managed to blurt out, “I’d like that—text me
sometime,” before I turned and jogged the remaining block to my
house. It should have been one of the happiest moments of my life,
but the pain I felt from knowing that I might have just lost my
best friend ruined that.
*****
“ W hat took you so long today, slow poke?” Sophia asked when I
arrived at my house. She sat on my front steps with her legs
stretched out in front of her. “Let’s get to work.”
I didn’t respond. I just
walked past her and unlocked my front door. On that afternoon’s
agenda was a trip to the site where Sophia’s family lived before
they all died. Her grandparents, Nathan and Sophia Briggs, built a
home in Marion long before she was born. They planted so many rose
bushes that it became known as Rose Cottage. Eventually Sophia’s
parents, Benjamin and Sarah Briggs, built their own little home
next to Rose Cottage. When they set sail on the Mary Celeste, Arthur stayed behind at
Rose Cottage with Grandma Briggs. Little did he know that his
family would never return for him. Grandma Briggs and her son James
sold the home not long after the incident with the Mary Celeste, probably to
escape the memories of the tragedy in their
lives .
I put my things in the house and
grabbed a snack. I didn’t bother to offer Sophia anything. “So,” I
said finally, “how do you propose we get around this summer? I
can’t drive yet nor can I fly around or creep through walls like
you. I only have one bike and I’m sure as heck not pumping you
around all over town.”
“ Wow. You’re kind of touchy
today.”
I rolled my eyes.
“ Don’t worry about it. You
might not be old enough for a license, but I am.
Remember?”
I looked up to see Sophia
jingling a ring of keys in front of me. Attached to the ring was a
small ship keychain. I knew immediately that it was a replica of
the Mary Celeste .
It was the exact kind of keychain I’d seen in souvenir shops my
whole life. Tourists loved them.
“ What do you drive? Wait,
let me think . . . A little red, sporty, two-door something or
other?” I guessed.
“ Ha! I try to blend in,
remember?”
I peeked out my front window to see a
non-descript, white, four-door sedan parked across the street. It
was the kind of car you could walk right by
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