Friday after school, Penny and I stood in front of a large corkboard propped up in the auditorium lobby.

“You made Gerda, the little girl.” I clutched Penny’s arm and jumped up and down in celebration with her. “That’s the second-biggest role.”

“And you got the ice fairy dance solo,” Penny squealed.

A role I hadn’t known existed, never mind auditioned for, but now that I saw my name singled out — I was excited. Monique, no surprise, was the lead: the Snow Queen. Matthew, in an unexpected turn of events, was cast as Kay, the lead male, or boy, in this case.

“This is going to be so much fun,” Penny said.

“And work,” I said, stretching my mouth with a grimace. “How will you handle this, plus homework, plus editor in chief?”

Penny clasped a hand to her mouth. “Shoot. Mr. Parks is interviewing us.”

“When?”

“Now,” she said, running off with the briefest of waves.

I took two steps toward the exit when it hit me — the cap. Dang. I was not in the mood for scabies or a meeting. I set my book bag on the ground and began rummaging through it for an emergency head cover. As I stood back up —

“Boo.” Jack grabbed my waist from behind.

I swung at him with the fur-lined trapper hat — hard. “Are you stalking me?”

“Absolutely.”

“I thought you’d be at Walden.”

“Stanley gave us the night off.”

I wondered who the “us” was, but didn’t ask. “About time.”

“Mostly because we’re working tomorrow.”

I shrugged the hat over my head and exhaled my dissatisfaction.

“At least I can go to the game tonight,” he continued.

The varsity basketball game. Darn it. I reached a hand up into my scalp and scratched, one long, dramatic rake.

“Super Stork flies again?” Jack asked.

I nodded.

“Game’s at seven. Your meeting isn’t until nine, right?”

I shot him a brow-stretcher of a look. “I am not sitting in the bleachers with this thing.” I pointed at my head.

“But I finally have a night off.”

“And I don’t.”

“Can’t we ever just have a normal night?”

Honestly. He, of all people, wanted to have that conversation? “I’m going to Afi’s to hide for a while.”

“You want some company?”

“Love some.”

Walking down Main hand in hand, it occurred to me that it didn’t matter where Jack and I were — a basketball game or behind Afi’s cash register — I was happy just being with him. We passed by the bookstore; Paulina, Ofelia’s sister, came to the door.

“I have that book you were looking for, Kat.”

I pulled Jack into the warmth of the store. The floor-to-ceiling books had a slightly musty smell to them, but Paulina, as a counterattack, sold soaps and candles. Today I detected a lemon verbena aroma holding at bay something Twain or possibly Poe. I scratched under my hat. As promised, the condition was finally becoming more tolerable — but, still, a ridiculous way to communicate.

“Here it is,” Paulina said, handing me a spine-cracked copy of The Snow Queen from a shelf in the kids’ section.

“A little young for you, isn’t it?” Jack asked.

I’d already read the story off the Internet, but somehow my designs were coming up flat. I was hoping the picture book would inspire me.

“I guess I’m a kid at heart,” I said, running my hand along a display of beautiful children’s books. My palm came to a halt atop a blue train with a smiling face — Thomas the Tank Engine. I lifted it and quickly flipped through the pages. The scenes were of a quaint countryside, a busy train yard, and a round-eyed happy engine named Thomas.

On impulse, I placed it on top of my other book and headed for the register.

“I kinda get the first one, but what’s up with the trains?” Jack asked.

“It’s for a friend,” I said, confusing even me.

“No one I need to be jealous of?”

“What? You think I’m two-timing you with a younger man?”

His eyes narrowed.

“And buying my boy toy gifts in your presence?” I continued.

Jack looked away. He seemed genuinely uncomfortable with the conversation. Seriously though “boy toy” was funny. Lighten up already.

Paulina rang up my purchases.

“I’m enjoying getting to know your sister,” I said as I pulled money from my wallet.

“She likes the work,” Paulina said.

I raked at a bothersome patch near the nape of my neck. “It’s been a big help while Afi’s recovering. We were lucky she showed up the very day Afi had decided to hire someone.” I stowed the two books in my satchel and pulled it over my head in an across-the-shoulder fashion.

“Craziest thing,” Paulina said. “I’d just spoken to her a few days before, and she was talking about changes she wanted to make to her garden. Next thing I knew, she was on my doorstep with all her earthly possessions claiming she’d been called home. Called by whom, I’d like to know. It wasn’t me; and there’s only me.” Paulina shook her head. “She always was a free spirit.”

Back out into the cold and bleak afternoon chill, I kept my hands buried deep into my pockets and my head down, fighting more than just a headwind. Words like “earthly” and “spirit” gave me the willies.

Only Afi was at the register when we stamped our snowy boots at the front mat.

“Can you work?” he asked me after I’d untwisted the scarf from my cold cheeks.

“Yeah. Sure. Why don’t you go?” I said, carefully omitting use of the word “home” this time.

“I think I will,” Afi said. “There’s a can of fish chowder and a bottle of beer calling me.”

Again with the “calling” reference.

Afi started toward the coatrack and then stopped, scratching his whiskers. “Of course, the only place to get real chowder is Café Riis.”

“Where’s that?” Jack asked. I knew better.

“Holmavik, of course,” Afi said.

Jack looked at me, confused.

“In Iceland,” I mouthed.

Afi shrugged his coat over his spare shoulders and left, muttering something about Viking beer.

“Are you going to take your hat off?” Jack asked.

“No.”

He took a swipe at my head, but I was too fast for him. “I want to see it.”

“No way.” I clamped a hand on my hat.

Jack’s cell phone rang, distracting him. I listened to his brief replies: “Hello. Good. Now? I can be there in a half hour.”

“Who was that?” I asked.

“Stanley. There’s a big announcement he’s giving to his staff. He wants me to be there.”

“He didn’t say what it’s about?” I asked.

“No. Some big surprise.”

Jack was out the door so quickly I didn’t have a chance to ask him about plans for later — or who else would be present at the meeting.