“So, did you talk to Kyra?” Robbie asked Tig the next morning at school.
“Yeah,” Tig said.
“And?”
“And she promised she’d try harder.”
Robbie looked at the ceiling, smiled, and shook her head.
“I know,” Tig said. “I know. But what can I do? She’s my cousin.”
Robbie shrugged. Tig wanted to change the subject. “How about you?” she said. “Did you talk to your friend from Pickens County?”
“Paris? Yeah. Sorta. I texted her yesterday. She said she’d call me tonight.”
“Cool,” Tig said. But she wasn’t sure she actually thought it was cool. Recruiting another beginner didn’t sound like a way to improve their situation. And hadn’t Robbie told her that Paris didn’t really play guitar much at all? A few lessons years ago? What if they wound up with another Kyra on their hands? Wasn’t one enough?
“Tig, Robbie! Look!” Olivia called. Her locker was across the hall from Tig’s. She was carrying a purple piece of paper. “Look at this! It’s from Will. He put it in my locker before I got to school this morning. Or after I left yesterday. I don’t know which. But anyway, look how sweet!” She held out the paper for them to read. Hoppy International Rabbit Day, it said. Love, Will. He’d drawn a picture of a bunny. It was pretty cute.
“And look, he got you the little organic bunny crackers to go with it,” Robbie said.
“Actually, those were from Kyra,” Olivia said.
“Does everyone know it’s Rabbit Day but me?” Tig asked.
Olivia laughed. “No, it was just a coincidence. Kyra had some of those in her lunch the other day and let me try one. I really liked them, so she got me my own bag.”
That was just like Kyra. She could drive Tig crazy sometimes, but she was ridiculously thoughtful. She was always doing stuff like that.
“But you see what he did there, with the card?” Olivia asked. “He said hoppy instead of happy. Hoppy International Rabbit Day. Isn’t that just beyond adorable?”
“You guys are sickening,” Robbie said. “Aren’t they, Ripley?”
“Yeah. Sickening,” Tig said. She wondered if Robbie, all kidding aside, actually felt kind of physically sick about the whole thing, because Tig did. Just a mild, passing nausea. Nothing too serious.
“Oh, wait until y’all get boyfriends,” Olivia said. “You won’t think it’s so sickening then.” Her eyes got big, as though a lightbulb had just gone off over her head. “Ooh! That’s it! Let’s find boyfriends for everyone in the band!”
Robbie laughed. “Yeah, I’m gonna devote my life to that quest.”
“I’m serious! Y’all, it’s so fun! I love having a boyfriend!”
“Stop,” Robbie said. “Don’t be one of those.”
“One of those what?” Olivia said.
“One of those . . . boyfriend girls,” Robbie replied.
“Boyfriend girls?” Olivia said.
“Yeah, you know . . . those girls who think they have to have a boyfriend all the time or the whole world stops spinning. Those girls who talk nonstop about nothing else but their boyfriend and can’t go anywhere without him and all that junk. It’s so pathetic.”
“It’s not pathetic to have a boyfriend,” said Olivia.
“No,” said Robbie. “It’s just pathetic if that’s what you’re all about. If you’re, you know, a boyfriend girl.”
“She has a point,” Tig said. “I mean, there is more to life than boys.”
“Well, yeah,” said Olivia. “Of course there is. But that doesn’t mean having a boyfriend isn’t a total blast. I mean, what’s so wrong with a cute boy leaving a picture of a bunny rabbit in your locker? Say what you will, but I might just be on the lookout for your perfect matches.”
“Oh, joy,” Robbie said.
“How about you, Tig?” Olivia asked. “Any special requests for your soul mate?”
“I don’t believe in soul mates,” Tig said. “And if I did, I doubt I’d find mine in middle school.”
“You never know,” Olivia said. “I wonder who Kyra would like.”
“Yes, focus your energies on Kyra. She’ll be all over this,” said Tig.
“Ooh, there’s Claire,” Olivia said. “I’m going to pick her brain about her perfect match too.” Olivia ran off to catch Claire before homeroom.
“So, Ripley,” Robbie said. “Are there any guys in middle school who might tickle your fancy?”
Tig made a pfft sound. “Not likely,” she said.
But that wasn’t entirely true.