him permission to use whatever he could find around the house. Without getting into your sister's things, Ram. To be fair, Summer, I did overestimate your size. If you don't grow, we'll go shopping for you."
My dad gave me a quizzical look and busied himself with spooning vegan gravy onto his Tofurky steak. I wanted to die.
The phone began to ring, and my cheeks started to burn. The gravy dish began to quake, and gravy sloshed onto the table.
"Oh honey, does this conversation make you uncomfortable?" My mom asked.
"Maybe it's a telemarketer, okay?" The phone rang again, but no one got up to answer it.
"Ten bucks says Spook is doing it."
"We do not gamble money, Ram Dass, and stop calling your sister Spook ," my mother said.
"Fine, but if I'm right, I get to use the bra with the squishy cups. It'll hold bigger rocks."
"Can I please be excused?"I stood up and everyone's silverware clattered off the table and onto the floor.
My dad sighed and leaned back in his chair. "All right, everybody settle down. Ram Dass, stay out of your sister's room, and that's the last I'd better hear about a slingshot. Summer, finish your dinner and stop splashing the gravy."
"I can't help it."
"Summer, you have no idea how long this is going to last, so you may as well learn how to manage it. You can't go destroying everything around you."
*****
Days passed since I'd talked to Joshua. My next work shift wasn't until the following week, so rather than risk more public humiliation, I hung around the house, reading, listening to music, and trying not to strangle Ram.
"Summer," my mom called from the first floor, "I'm going to pick up your brother."
I bounded downstairs and cut her off at the door. "I'll do it," I said and held out my hand for the car keys. I was dying to get out of the house, even if it meant listening to Ram Dass complain about his Youth Conflict Mediation class. Besides, cruising around town was the perfect activity. I'd get some fresh air and stay out of the public eye. Why didn't I think of it sooner?
"His class doesn't finish for an hour. I want you to stop by the co-op and pick up a few things."
I grumbled and waited while my mom made out a list. This was ruining my plan, but if I said anything, she'd only argue.
Fifteen minutes later, I was driving my parents' electric car down Anapamu Street, the windows rolled down and the wind in my hair, enjoying a perfect California afternoon. I parked in front of the co-op and darted inside.
The store was empty except for the hippie dude who ran the register. Once I reached the far aisle, I slowed my pace and strolled in blissful solitude. I dropped items in the grocery cart, feeling like a normal teenager. I was in such a good mood that I even bought a box of Mary's Gone Crackers to share with Ram Dass on the way home.
I was loading the last bag of groceries into car when a passing Jeep honked and slowed in the far lane. Next thing I knew, Joshua hopped out the passenger side. He dodged traffic and jogged over to me.
My jaw dropped. All the effort I'd made to avoid familiar faces and Josh shows up, tall and tan and thoroughly discombobulating. A million little pinpricks gathered in my nerve endings and threatened to cause a scene. But the image of Josh asking for Audrey's number flitted through my memory. The prickling faded.
"Hey, just the person I want to see," he said. His smile was shy and he shoved his hands in his pockets.
"Well, here I am," I muttered. "But I really gotta go."
"I jumped out of a moving vehicle to talk to you."
I resisted the urge to look over my shoulder. "Me?"
"Yeah. You want to…" he looked up and down the street. His eyes settled on Café Dulce. "…grab some coffee?"
I studied his awkward stance, the hopeful look on his face. Had he changed his mind about calling Audrey? He hadn't asked her out yet or she'd have told me. She and I may not see eye to eye on a lot of things, but she was no backstabber. Audrey would have
My dad gave me a quizzical look and busied himself with spooning vegan gravy onto his Tofurky steak. I wanted to die.
The phone began to ring, and my cheeks started to burn. The gravy dish began to quake, and gravy sloshed onto the table.
"Oh honey, does this conversation make you uncomfortable?" My mom asked.
"Maybe it's a telemarketer, okay?" The phone rang again, but no one got up to answer it.
"Ten bucks says Spook is doing it."
"We do not gamble money, Ram Dass, and stop calling your sister Spook ," my mother said.
"Fine, but if I'm right, I get to use the bra with the squishy cups. It'll hold bigger rocks."
"Can I please be excused?"I stood up and everyone's silverware clattered off the table and onto the floor.
My dad sighed and leaned back in his chair. "All right, everybody settle down. Ram Dass, stay out of your sister's room, and that's the last I'd better hear about a slingshot. Summer, finish your dinner and stop splashing the gravy."
"I can't help it."
"Summer, you have no idea how long this is going to last, so you may as well learn how to manage it. You can't go destroying everything around you."
*****
Days passed since I'd talked to Joshua. My next work shift wasn't until the following week, so rather than risk more public humiliation, I hung around the house, reading, listening to music, and trying not to strangle Ram.
"Summer," my mom called from the first floor, "I'm going to pick up your brother."
I bounded downstairs and cut her off at the door. "I'll do it," I said and held out my hand for the car keys. I was dying to get out of the house, even if it meant listening to Ram Dass complain about his Youth Conflict Mediation class. Besides, cruising around town was the perfect activity. I'd get some fresh air and stay out of the public eye. Why didn't I think of it sooner?
"His class doesn't finish for an hour. I want you to stop by the co-op and pick up a few things."
I grumbled and waited while my mom made out a list. This was ruining my plan, but if I said anything, she'd only argue.
Fifteen minutes later, I was driving my parents' electric car down Anapamu Street, the windows rolled down and the wind in my hair, enjoying a perfect California afternoon. I parked in front of the co-op and darted inside.
The store was empty except for the hippie dude who ran the register. Once I reached the far aisle, I slowed my pace and strolled in blissful solitude. I dropped items in the grocery cart, feeling like a normal teenager. I was in such a good mood that I even bought a box of Mary's Gone Crackers to share with Ram Dass on the way home.
I was loading the last bag of groceries into car when a passing Jeep honked and slowed in the far lane. Next thing I knew, Joshua hopped out the passenger side. He dodged traffic and jogged over to me.
My jaw dropped. All the effort I'd made to avoid familiar faces and Josh shows up, tall and tan and thoroughly discombobulating. A million little pinpricks gathered in my nerve endings and threatened to cause a scene. But the image of Josh asking for Audrey's number flitted through my memory. The prickling faded.
"Hey, just the person I want to see," he said. His smile was shy and he shoved his hands in his pockets.
"Well, here I am," I muttered. "But I really gotta go."
"I jumped out of a moving vehicle to talk to you."
I resisted the urge to look over my shoulder. "Me?"
"Yeah. You want to…" he looked up and down the street. His eyes settled on Café Dulce. "…grab some coffee?"
I studied his awkward stance, the hopeful look on his face. Had he changed his mind about calling Audrey? He hadn't asked her out yet or she'd have told me. She and I may not see eye to eye on a lot of things, but she was no backstabber. Audrey would have
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