catching his breath. He patted Oliver on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. It’s hard to remember all these different sailing words. You’ll get the hang of it soon, just like your sister.”
Celia gave Oliver an exaggerated smile.
“Bro,” Corey added. “You’re kinda green.”
Oliver wasn’t feeling well. The rocking and rising and falling of the boat was turning his stomach inside out.
“Don’t you dare,” whispered his sister.
“I’m not doing it on purpose,” said Oliver.
“That reminds me of this episode of
The Celebrity Adventurist
where I was in Madagascar,” said Corey. “I had to eat these cookies with grasshoppers in them. It was G-R-O-S-S, gross!”
“Oh no,” said Oliver. “I remember those—chocolate chirp cookies!”
His face went from kinda green to dark slime green, his stomach heaved, and he leaned over the side of the boat. The sound of Oliver hurling up his lunch carried all the way back to the yachts docked at the marina.
“I think we’ll call it a day,” said Dr. Navel.
Celia and Corey agreed.
As they tied up the boat, Dr. Navel took Oliver aside and knelt down to talk to him.
“Listen, son,” he said. “You have nothing to be ashamed of. Some people are natural-born sailors—like your sister—and some just aren’t.” Oliver clenched his fists and tensed his jaw. “But as long as you do your best, we’ll be just fine. I believe in you, okay?”
“Sure,” Oliver grumbled.
“No,” said his father. “Look me in the eyes. I. Believe. In. You.”
Oliver realized that his dad was never going to give up on him, no matter what he did. Oliver couldn’t let his father down and he couldn’t let Corey think that he was a doofus and Celia was, like, a genius. He used to think Corey Brandt was the most awesome guy in the world. He was a superspy and an action hero and a reality TV star all in one. But around Corey, Celia turned into an alien.
How could someone that cool make his sister so uncool?
He had to accept that sabotage would never work. And anyway, it was way too hard.
“All right, Dad,” he said. “I’ll try harder. I promise.”
Dr. Navel rubbed Oliver’s hair and finished tying up the boat. Oliver came up next to Celia as they walked down the pier.
“You win,” he said.
“I do?” said Celia.
“Yeah.” Oliver grunted. “I’ll go on this stupid adventure to find this stupid Squid Island. I won’t try to mess it up anymore.”
“See?” said Celia. “It wasn’t so hard to realize I was right, was it? I heard that girls mature faster than boys, so you know, I knew you’d come around eventually.”
“It’s not for you,” said Oliver. “It’s for Mom.”
“Well, whatever it is, I’m glad you’re not being stupid anymore.”
“You still owe me an apology.”
“For what?”
“If you don’t know, then I’m not telling you.”
“Oliver.” Celia groaned. “Don’t be such a baby.”
“Humph,” he said, and sped up.
Celia sped up behind him.
“Hey, guys, why are you walking so fast?” Corey called, but he was mobbed by a group of fans who recognized the teardrop freckle under his eye and the famous swoop of his hair.
“See you later.” Dr. Navel smiled, running to catch up with the twins, who were almost racing each other now.
As the Navel family ran along, wrapped up in their personal dramas, a young woman followed them at a discreet distance, making notes in a small notebook. If they had paid any attention to her, they might have noticed that she looked a lot like a young Vivian St. Claire, a classic actress from the 1950s who had played sassy reporters and fast-talking society dames. They would have also noticed that the young woman had a light layer of prickly beard stubble on her face.
It wasn’t his favorite disguise, but Ernest the celebrity impersonator had to make due with what he had. He couldn’t very well be the Rajasthanifire dancer again and his Corey Brandt getup was no good
Celia gave Oliver an exaggerated smile.
“Bro,” Corey added. “You’re kinda green.”
Oliver wasn’t feeling well. The rocking and rising and falling of the boat was turning his stomach inside out.
“Don’t you dare,” whispered his sister.
“I’m not doing it on purpose,” said Oliver.
“That reminds me of this episode of
The Celebrity Adventurist
where I was in Madagascar,” said Corey. “I had to eat these cookies with grasshoppers in them. It was G-R-O-S-S, gross!”
“Oh no,” said Oliver. “I remember those—chocolate chirp cookies!”
His face went from kinda green to dark slime green, his stomach heaved, and he leaned over the side of the boat. The sound of Oliver hurling up his lunch carried all the way back to the yachts docked at the marina.
“I think we’ll call it a day,” said Dr. Navel.
Celia and Corey agreed.
As they tied up the boat, Dr. Navel took Oliver aside and knelt down to talk to him.
“Listen, son,” he said. “You have nothing to be ashamed of. Some people are natural-born sailors—like your sister—and some just aren’t.” Oliver clenched his fists and tensed his jaw. “But as long as you do your best, we’ll be just fine. I believe in you, okay?”
“Sure,” Oliver grumbled.
“No,” said his father. “Look me in the eyes. I. Believe. In. You.”
Oliver realized that his dad was never going to give up on him, no matter what he did. Oliver couldn’t let his father down and he couldn’t let Corey think that he was a doofus and Celia was, like, a genius. He used to think Corey Brandt was the most awesome guy in the world. He was a superspy and an action hero and a reality TV star all in one. But around Corey, Celia turned into an alien.
How could someone that cool make his sister so uncool?
He had to accept that sabotage would never work. And anyway, it was way too hard.
“All right, Dad,” he said. “I’ll try harder. I promise.”
Dr. Navel rubbed Oliver’s hair and finished tying up the boat. Oliver came up next to Celia as they walked down the pier.
“You win,” he said.
“I do?” said Celia.
“Yeah.” Oliver grunted. “I’ll go on this stupid adventure to find this stupid Squid Island. I won’t try to mess it up anymore.”
“See?” said Celia. “It wasn’t so hard to realize I was right, was it? I heard that girls mature faster than boys, so you know, I knew you’d come around eventually.”
“It’s not for you,” said Oliver. “It’s for Mom.”
“Well, whatever it is, I’m glad you’re not being stupid anymore.”
“You still owe me an apology.”
“For what?”
“If you don’t know, then I’m not telling you.”
“Oliver.” Celia groaned. “Don’t be such a baby.”
“Humph,” he said, and sped up.
Celia sped up behind him.
“Hey, guys, why are you walking so fast?” Corey called, but he was mobbed by a group of fans who recognized the teardrop freckle under his eye and the famous swoop of his hair.
“See you later.” Dr. Navel smiled, running to catch up with the twins, who were almost racing each other now.
As the Navel family ran along, wrapped up in their personal dramas, a young woman followed them at a discreet distance, making notes in a small notebook. If they had paid any attention to her, they might have noticed that she looked a lot like a young Vivian St. Claire, a classic actress from the 1950s who had played sassy reporters and fast-talking society dames. They would have also noticed that the young woman had a light layer of prickly beard stubble on her face.
It wasn’t his favorite disguise, but Ernest the celebrity impersonator had to make due with what he had. He couldn’t very well be the Rajasthanifire dancer again and his Corey Brandt getup was no good
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