Chapter Eleven

“Oh, it’s you.”

Caroline came in the front door, kicked off her pumps, and untucked her white crepe blouse before taking a seat on the sofa. “Gee, thanks, nice to see you, too, Allie,” she said.

“Sorry. Mark’s supposed to be here, and he’s running late.”

“Traffic’s terrible.”

“That’s kind of what I hoped—thought,” Allie said. “No big deal, as long as we get there in time for the opening credits.”

Caroline began thumbing through the mail on the coffee table. “Where are you going?”

Allie was peering out the front window, watching for his car. “That new Sandra Bullock movie, then dinner. Romantic pre-July Fourth evening.”

That got Caroline’s attention. “Why pre-July Fourth? What’s wrong with spending the actual holiday with him?”

“He has plans with his family tomorrow afternoon—cookout or something—but we’re meeting tomorrow night at the Belford Independence Day Festival to watch the fireworks.” Allie got a dreamy look on her face.

Caroline winced and sat up straight. “I know that look, Allie. I’ve seen it before, plenty of times.”

“What look? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Allie turned back to the window, indignant.

Caroline thought for a minute, wondering if she should just bite her tongue, but Allie needed to hear it and maybe then she’d see the big picture. “It’s just like Spencer in eighth grade. Edward in tenth grade. Senior year it was Felix. You get so wrapped up in your romantic notions that you don’t realize when the relationship has, well, soured.”

“Caroline, you can’t compare high school crushes to this. I’m in a real relationship with Mark.”

“Allie, are you sure? You’ve only known Mark a short time.”

“Caroline!” Allie fairly shouted. “You are so impossible! Can’t you just be happy for me, for once?”

“I’m just concerned. I’m not willing to watch you go through more misery, or put the rest of us through three days of migraines.”

Allie opened her mouth to argue back, but just then Mark’s car drove up and instead of waiting for him to come to the door, she ran outside and hopped in the passenger side. Mark peeled off down the street.

****

Allie stormed through the front door, slamming it behind her. Caroline came out of the kitchen, surprised to see her sister back so soon. Allie’s eyes were red and puffy and it was obvious she’d been crying.

“Allie, what in the world?” Caroline began, but Allie pushed past her to the freezer, took out a pint of ice cream and grabbed a spoon from the drawer. Double chocolate chunk. “Uh-oh, the good stuff. Bad news?”

“Leave me alone.” Allie flipped the lid off the carton and tossed it on the kitchen counter.

Caroline picked up the sticky chocolate lid and laid it in the sink. She rummaged through the counter and pulled out a bowl, setting it on the table in front of Allie. “You haven’t even been gone half an hour. What happened to the movie and dinner? And where’s Mark?”

Allie sat down and began eating ice cream straight from the carton, shoving the bowl aside. “Mark had someplace to be,” she said between mouthfuls.

Caroline watched Allie blink hard to fight back tears, and her heart went out to her sister. “Did you two have a fight?”

“No! Yes! I don’t want to talk about it!” Allie shoved another large spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.

Caroline sat down at the kitchen table across from Allie and reached for her hand. “Judging by the way you’re gorging yourself, this must be serious. What happened?”

Allie jerked her hand back. “Mind your own business!” She jumped up from the chair, grabbed her handbag, and marched to the front door. She slammed out, leaving the ice cream on the table with the spoon still in it.

Caroline ran to the door after her. “Allie, wait! Where are you going?”

“To Brandon’s,” Allie called over her shoulder. “I need to practice! Now!”

Caroline watched dumbfounded as Allie sped off down the street. She was still staring in disbelief when Megan and Susan returned from a walk.

“Hey, ice cream!” Megan grabbed Allie’s spoon and scooped some ice cream into the clean bowl still sitting on the table.

“What’s going on?” Susan asked Caroline.

Caroline took the carton from where Megan had pushed it aside, grabbed the sponge off the sink, and wiped up some chocolate that had dripped down the side of it. “I have no idea. Allie and Mark had a date that was over before it began. They must have had some sort of fight. She wouldn’t tell me what about, but she stormed out the door again saying she was going to Brandon’s.” Caroline looked up at the wall clock. “I hope he’s expecting her at this hour.”

“Brandon won’t care. He’s got a thing for Allie, in case you didn’t notice,” Megan said with a mouthful of ice cream.

“I wonder what Allie and Mark fought about,” Susan said. “Well, hopefully it’ll all blow over soon. They seem so right for each other.”

Caroline opened the freezer and put the thawing ice cream back inside. “Do they, Mom? Really? I don’t know, it just all seems too fast.” Caroline folded her arms and leaned against the kitchen counter. “Sort of fits her pattern, though, which means it probably won’t end well.”

“Yes, it is fast,” Susan agreed. “But if it helps, I think this time her feelings are genuine.”

“It doesn’t help. Something’s not right, but I just can’t put my finger on it.”

“Better get out the Excedrin Migraine,” Megan giggled.

Caroline frowned. “Eat your ice cream, Megan.”

Megan rolled her eyes at her sister but went back to eating the softening ice cream. Susan handed her a paper towel. “I hope you’re wrong this time, Caroline, but you need to stay out of it. Let your sister handle her own relationship.”

Caroline took a spoon from the nearby silverware drawer and helped herself to a bite out of Megan’s bowl. Megan scowled at her as Caroline slowly nibbled, thinking about what her mother had said.

“Guess what, Caroline. Mom’s going to let me pick out a dog at the pet shelter after the Fourth.”

“Really? A dog?” Caroline looked directly at Susan and gave her the thumbs-up sign behind Megan’s back.

“I’ve told her, Caroline, and I hope you’ll back me up,” Susan said, winking back at her, “that this dog will be Megan’s responsibility, not mine.”

“Mooommmm, I know! You’ve said it about a thousand times, and I’m old enough to take care of a dog. I’m nearly sixteen!”

“Not for another five months!” Susan reminded her.

Caroline hugged her sister and whispered in her ear, “If you need any help with the puppy, just call me.” Megan giggled and nodded as she put her dirty dish in the sink.

Caroline turned back to her mother. “Seriously, Mom, if Allie gets her heart broken again—on top of losing her piano, her home, and her school—I don’t know what she’ll do.”

“Oh, chill, Caroline.” Megan danced off to her room.

“I’m certainly trying,” Caroline called back.