You May Already Be a Winner

I sat on the tramp.

Berkeley was inside with Dad making Saturday chocolate chip waffles.

“Remember how I used to make these?” he said.

“No, I don’t remember,” I’d said, even though I did remember. I remembered how they weren’t dry and crumbly like Mom’s. I remembered how he knew how to put just the right amount of syrup in each little square. And I remembered how he would sit with us and tell us stories about when his dad made him chocolate chip waffles when he was a kid.

“You really don’t remember?”

“Nope.”

So I sat outside on the tramp, the sun hotter than it had been in weeks. I was trying not to be mad at Berk. Trying not to wish she were out here with me.

The summer was here, usually my favorite time in the whole world. But this year, it meant that school was almost out and if whatever needed to be figured out with Mom wasn’t figured out and we would be moving with Dad up to Salt Lake City where we would sleep on his couch and maybe a lady across the hall could watch us while he went to work and then we could get Chinese takeout. Does that sound fun?

The Chinese takeout actually did sound fun but other than that, I was not excited about the end of school.

Bart had come over one day. Even knocked on the door.

My dad had answered and Bart said, “Can I talk to Olivia?”

And Dad had said, “Who are you?”

And he said, “Harrison.”

And then Berk said, “Hi, Bart.”

And Bart said, “Hi, Berkeley.”

And Dad said, “I thought you said your name was Harrison.” And Bart said, “It’s complicated,” and I was on my bed with my feet on the wall listening and even though I hate Bart with a passion, I liked hearing him talk to my dad about his names.

“Why is it complicated,” Dad said.

“I can’t tell you,” Bart said.

“You can’t tell me?”

“Nope.”

It was quiet then and Berkeley said, “Do you have any candy.”

And he said, “Yes,” and Dad said, “Don’t take candy from this kid.”

And Berkeley said, “He’s our friend,” and Dad said, “He’s not your friend if he can’t tell me his real name,” and Bart said, “It’s Harrison.” And Dad said, “Not Bart?”

And he said, “It’s Bart also.”

And Dad said, “I don’t know what game you’re trying to play.”

And Bart said, “Can I talk to Olivia?”

And Dad said, “OLIVIA!”

And I said, “Not here.”

And Dad said, “She’s not here.”

And Bart said, “Yes she is.”

And Dad acted like he knew me and cared about me and he said, “You’ll stay away from my daughter,” and then I came running in and I said, “Don’t you dare talk to my friend like that. He may have called the social services on Mom, but he has been here for us but not really, but more than you.”

And Dad was shocked and I said, “Bart, go away.”

And I said to Dad, “Dad, go away.”

And then I said to Berk, “Go with me.”

And I took her hand and we went outside and Melody had a hot-air balloon and Mrs. Sydney Gunnerson said, “Take this,” and she handed me my favorite Italian baby doll in her entire collection and Berkeley and I climbed into the hot-air balloon and I smiled and everyone came out, including Grant and Bob.

And then I said, “That boy over there,” because Bart and Dad stood on the front step, “that boy over there is spying on you for no good reason.”

And Grant said, “Thank you for that information. It is very useful,” and I said, “You’re welcome.”

And Melody said, “I’ll reverse perm your hair” and I said, “I don’t need a perm anymore.”

And Carlene said, “What about the Monster Jam?”

And I said, “I’m going to start my own Monster Jam.”

And Bart said, “What about how we were going to go to every state?”

And Berkeley and I will be sailing away and I said, “That’s what we’re doing right now, fat face.”

And then the two of us, with cookies and happiness and rainbows and a hot tub will float into the clouds in our balloon shaped like a gigantic pig.

But then Bart said, “Tell her I came by.”

And Dad said, “I will not tell her you came by until you tell me your real name.”

And I put my legs straight up in the air and tried to touch my toes and I couldn’t, which was really disappointing.

So even though Bart and I were through, I still sat on the tramp and kept track of old Grant, because I had nothing better to do and I had started to like watching him because he was so weird and because he hugged my mom and my mom talked to him about love which meant he had a broken heart and this was interesting to me.

Today he was on the phone with someone.

He was walking back and forth in front of his trailer, talking loudly and using his free arm to wave around.

I wrote down the words I heard:

Aching

Unfair

Toothpaste

Kiss

Yes

Please

Sorry

Understand

Kitties

Yes

Chance

Last

Time

Please

Legs

Rhubarb

Applebees

Deodorant

Cheez Whiz

Love you

Forgive

Please

Dogs

It was a fascinating conversation.

Bob came out near the end of Grant’s phone call and said, “We have to go.”

Grant waved his arm at Bob.

Bob flipped him off.

Grant flipped him off.

Then they were flipping each other off together at the same time, which really made me feel warm inside.

Then Grant got off the phone.

They both got in the truck and drove away.

I lay back on the tramp.

I was getting sunburned.

Then suddenly Dad and Berk were in my face.

“We’re going to the pool and then McDonald’s and then Zurchers to get decorations for the circus,” Berk was saying. Dad smiled. She’d told him about the stupid circus.

I said, “No thanks.”

And he said, “You’ve been out here too long. Berk told me you usually go swimming on Saturdays. Run in and get changed.”

Then they were getting in his fancy new car and I was sitting up.

I looked at my watch. It was the exact same time as last time.

And Bart. Who I hated. Who betrayed me. Bart was at the pool.

Even though I did not want to go, I also very much wanted to go.

I went and put on my swimsuit, grabbed my Grant notebook, and ran to the car.