The Invisibles by Cecilia Galante Page B

name?” she wrote.
    Monica and Ozzie exchanged a glance.
    â€œI told you,” Monica said. “Every group needs a name.”
    â€œWe talked about this before,” Ozzie said. “I think a name for the group is a great idea. It’s just—I don’t want some dopey, sissy name, you know?”
    â€œI still don’t think The Velvet Moondrops is dopey.” Monica pouted. She looked at Grace and then at Nora. Both girls dropped their eyes.
    â€œIf we pick a name for the group,” Ozzie continued, “it has to be a really great one. Strong, you know? Determined. Sure of itself. Like us.”
    â€œSo if you think of anything . . .” Monica sighed and closed the notebook. “All right, rules are done for now.”
    â€œOkay,” Ozzie said. “Now we share what we brought. Who wants to go first?”
    â€œMe, of course.” Monica grinned, passing around a small plastic container. It was full of the chocolate-dipped pretzels she had made in the community kitchen that afternoon. Nora had smelled the melting chocolate in her room and come down, lured by the rich scent. She sat on one of the countertops, watching Monica dip the pretzels into the chocolate and then dust them with cocoa and crushed candy cane. Now everyone got four apiece. Nora ate three of them and then slipped the last one in her pocket for later.
    Ozzie leaned forward as they finished eating. “Okay, I’ll go next. I only have two jokes tonight. But they’re good ones.” She cleared her throat and threw back her shoulders. “So once there was a family who was given some venison by a friend. The wife cooked up the deer steaks and served them to the husband andkids. The husband thought it would be fun to have the kids guess what they were eating.
    â€œâ€˜Is it beef?’ their daughter Mandy asked.
    â€œâ€˜Nope.’
    â€œâ€˜Is it pork?’ the son AJ asked.
    â€œâ€˜Nope.’
    â€œâ€˜Heck, we don’t know, Dad!’ AJ exclaimed.
    â€œâ€˜I’ll give you a clue,’ the dad said. ‘It’s what your mom sometimes calls me.’
    â€œâ€˜Spit it out, AJ!’ cried Mandy. ‘We’re eating asshole!’”
    Ozzie and Monica screamed and fell over, and even Nora smiled wide and then covered her mouth, but Grace sat stoically, arms crossed.
    â€œYou didn’t think that was funny?” Ozzie asked, righting herself again and staring at Grace. “Seriously?”
    â€œNo.” Grace bit her bottom lip.
    â€œHow?” Ozzie demanded. “How was that not funny?”
    â€œI just don’t think parents calling each other names like that in front of their kids is funny.” Grace shrugged and looked away. “We have different senses of humor, I guess.”
    â€œOh, for Christ’s . . .” Ozzie began, but Monica reached out and tugged at her sleeve. Ozzie took a deep breath. “Okay, whatever. I’m sorry if I of fend ed you.” She shook her head as she began rolling up her sleeves and then dropped her arms into her lap. “Well, there’s no way I can tell the next joke, then. It’s filthy.”
    Nora waited, wondering if Ozzie would back down first or if it would be Grace. They were sitting across from each other in the circle, with no more than a foot of space between them. “Well, I don’t have to tell it,” Ozzie said. She shrugged, clearlydisappointed. “It’s not a big deal. I did my thing.” She reached out and poked Nora in the shoe. “How about you go next, Norster?”
    Nora stared at her feet. She could feel something hot beneath the planes of her face, a slow spreading of blood under her cheeks. She wanted to read it. She knew it was a good one. She’d spent a long time selecting it last night, poring through her notebook for just this occasion. But she didn’t move. What if they laughed? Or thought it was stupid? It