“Meggie!” Elena leaned over the counter. “What are you doing here?!”
Meg stood by the door of the tiny convenience store, frozen in place, staring at the crowded shelves, and the colorful signs in Portuguese and English decorating every surface. It was an assault on the senses, and Elena, one of the people Meg liked least in the world, was standing in the middle of it.
Looking perfect, as always.
“I was in the neighborhood,” Meg said. “I have a friend from Jefferson that lives down in the square. I thought I’d come by and say hello while I’m here.”
“This is great!” Elena said. “I’m due for a break.”
“What good timing!” Meg agreed. “Want to go get coffee or something?”
Elena turned to the other girl behind the counter, an older, taller, version of Elena.
“Marcella, you don’t mind, do you?”
“Fine,” she muttered. She was flipping through the pages of a textbook and barely looked up at Meg. “But wait until Franks finishes his lottery.”
An old man shuffled up to the counter, saw it was Elena that was standing there, and broke into a big, fleshy-gummed smile.
“Hello little beauty,” he said in heavily accented English. “So nice you are to help me.”
“Good Morning, Mr. Franks.” Elena smiled as she took his card, patting his aged hand as she did so. “Feeling lucky today?”
Her sister brushed aside her book and pulled out the can of air freshener and made quite a show of walking up and down the aisles of the market, spraying plumes of lilac-scented exhaust in the air as she moved. The unfortunate customers in the store coughed and rubbed their watery eyes, but Marcella took no notice of their discomfort and continued her mission, circling back down the aisles, until she stood in back of balding Mr. Franks. He was busy filling in his lottery card, so he did not notice Marcella behind him, grim-faced, the can waving back in forth in the air as she enveloped him in an aerosol cloud.
“I have good feeling,” Mr. Franks said, rubbing his stomach. “I think I win this time. You my lucky charm, beauty.”
Marcella’s snort sufficiently revealed all of her feelings about the lottery, gambling, and luck in general.
“Anything else we can help you with, Sir?” Marcella said when Elena handed him his receipt.
“No, no,” he said, waving his hand. “Nothing else today. Just wanted to say a little hello.”
“It’s always nice to see you,” Elena said. “Have a wonderful day.”
“He has two daughters in Brazil,” Elena explained to Meg after the old man had shuffled away. “He wires them most of his paycheck, but he keeps enough to play the lottery. I hope he wins one day.”
“Is that why you’re so nice to him?” Meg asked. “Hoping for a huge tip?”
Elena just laughed as she counted the change in the leave a penny tray. “Of course not! Oooh, look. Someone left a quarter. How generous!”
Elena was always saying things that would have sounded sarcastic had they been spoken by anyone else. She really was a Disney princess made flesh. Even her coat, poufy and purple, seemed to be Technicolor.
“I really don’t like coffee.” Elena walked out from behind the counter. “Can we get ice cream instead?”
“Isn’t it a little cold for ice cream?”
“It’s 50 degrees. Practically spring-like!” She put a tentative hand on Marcella’s shoulder, and her sister nodded, her eyes back to her book. “Marcella can cover for the rest of the afternoon. We can head to Delgados. Make a day of it.”
“Ok,” Meg said, hoping Elena would focus on her smile and not the hesitation in her voice. This day was going to kill her. She just had to get through it as quickly as possible.
She had a mission to accomplish.
The sun was shining brightly as they walked off toward the bus stop. Meg, forever cold, was bundled up in a coat and scarf but Elena kept her puffy jacket open, enjoying the sunshine on her skin.
“I can’t believe it’s almost winter! Oh, I hate winter. It’s so gloomy and depressing.”
“I like winter,” Meg said, just to be contrary.
“I am a creature that needs the sun!” Elena linked her arm through Meg’s.
“Maybe you should move to Florida. Or even better, California.”
Elena laughed. “Most likely I’ll go to Brazil. I have lots of family there. Aunties and cousins.”
“Well, we would miss you an awful lot. But, if you ever need help packing…”
Elena just laughed, thinking it was all some fun game.
“So do you like working at the store?”
“I love it,” Elena answered. “I’ve learned so much working there, about business and things. And I’ve made some great friends.”
“Speaking of friends,” Meg began. It was a good time as any to get down to business. “What do you think of…”
“You don’t need a job, do you?” Elena said, stopping so she could pout at Meg. “We always need extra help at the store.”
“But wouldn’t I, you know, have to speak Portuguese?”
“Not at all, Most of our customers are bilingual. Except for the old-timers, but they usually come in with their kids, to buy money transfer or phone cards. You’d pick up words so quickly. Pretty soon you’d be bilingual too!”
“Maybe. But it’s kind of far for me. And my mom really wants me to concentrate on my studies. She’s got some pretty ambitious plans for me.”
“Ivy League?”
“Of course!”
They walked on for a few more minutes until Elena pointed out the warped aluminum T sign tucked into the corner on the opposite side of the street.
“This bus line is really slow on Sundays,” Elena said, punching the crosswalk button. “But if we’re lucky we won’t have to wait too long.”
The light in front of them switched from green to yellow, but the crossing indicator just flicked its orange warning.
“Busted,” Elena muttered, and, tightening her grip on Meg’s arm, she stepped off the curb. After a quick glance to her left, she dashed off across the busy street, pulling Meg behind her.
Meg was red and winded when she stepped onto the curb behind her.
“I’m sorry,” Elena said, letting go of her arm. “Was I going too fast? I love to run.”
Meg struggled to catch her breath. She leaned over and took big gulps of air, but swallowed too suddenly and that started a chain of hacking coughs.
“Oh, no! Are you sick, Meggie? Do you have that awful cold that’s going around? Maybe we should go get some soup instead.”
“I’m ok,” Meg said, rubbing her sore chest. “It’s been so long since I ran.” She looked up at Elena’s face. She wasn’t even breathing heavily. “I used to run track, in middle school, but I gave it up. Too much of a time commitment, you know?”
“You run? I love to run! Oh, and I have no one to run with! Maybe you could come with me,” she said. “It’s so much fun. And don’t worry; you’ll get back into shape really fast.”
“Back into shape?” Meg repeated, squinting up at her.
“Running shape,” Elena laughed, jogging in place. “Fighting shape.”
“Maybe,” Meg said, after a long pause. She sank down onto the bench and wrapped her arms around her legs. After a few more minutes of jogging in place, Elena sat down beside her.
“Exercise also releases endorphins, you know?” Elena was still blathering on. “They’re magical hormones that brighten your mood.”
“I know what endorphins are.”
“Well, I just think it might help. You always look so sad, Meggie.”
Meg didn’t know what to say to that, so she just looked off down the street. She tried to calm her breathing, but her chest was still rising and falling a little too quickly.
“I’m so glad you came today, Meggie. I wanted to talk to you.”
“Oh?”
“Lucy told me your dad died. I hope it wasn’t a secret or anything.”
“No,” Meg stammered. “Not at all. Why would it be?” She brushed her hair out of her eyes.
Elena cocked her head and studied her. Meg stared back, wondering if Elena, so seemingly dim, had figured her out, and was going to call her out on all of her lies.
“It’s important to talk about things like that, don’t you think? That’s what my counselor says.”
“Your counselor?”
Elena sniffled, and tears filled her brown eyes. Her eyes were so dark, it was hard to distinguish her pupils from her iris. They blended together into one dark chocolate blob.
“My dad has pancreatic cancer,” she said. “He’s been sick for a while now. In a way, it’s been good. It’s helped us prepare, but seeing him in pain? Watching him move away from us? Did you have to go through something like that?”
“No,” Meg squeaked, shrinking in her seat. “Not like that.”
“So, it was sudden? I think that’s worse. Having no time to say goodbye?”
“He died when I was really little. I don’t even remember him.” Meg took a deep breath. “I really don’t like to talk about it.”
“But you have to,” Elena insisted. “That’s the only way to keep his memory alive. You can talk to me if you want. It would be really nice to have someone to share this with, someone who understands, you know? Lucy just doesn’t get it,” she mumbled.
They sat in silence for a while. Meg wondered if she should try to say something encouraging, but she couldn’t think of anything that didn’t sound trite, and she didn’t want to dig herself a deeper hole. Lying about running track was one thing. It was a harmless fib. Making up a dead parent? Entirely different.
Elena swiped at her tears with her free hand.
“So, what’s your favorite ice cream flavor?”
“I don’t know,” Meg said, pulling her hand free. “I don’t think I have one.”
“Everyone has a favorite flavor,” Elena said, knocking her shoulder into Meg’s.
Elena went on to explain that she believed in ice cream the way some people believe in astrology. She thought it was possible to know everything about a person, just by knowing their favorite ice cream flavor. She had devised this theory the first time she watched Lucy order an ice cream cone and realized how very similar Lucy was to the unique flavor she had chosen.
“Maple Walnut is sweet but sprinkled with a nutty flavor. Quirky, like Lucy.”
“I think that’s a bit too old-fashioned for Lucy,” Meg argued. “But you’ve known her longer, so you must know her better.”
“Lucy is Maple Walnut. With fudge coating on top. You know, the stuff that hardens?”
Meg’s stomach grumbled. She loved that candy shell, and how one little crack could shatter it. The ice cream would spill over the side then, and you’d have to eat it super quickly before it all melted away.
“What are you, then?”
“Peppermint.” Elena looked dreamy. “It reminds me of Christmastime. Stockings and cocoa and all the family gathered by the fire. My dad loves Christmas.”
Meg swallowed.
“I told Johanne about my ice cream theory once. You know her, Johanne DeHaviland?”
“A bit.” Meg perked up. Was Elena about to shed some light on the Lucy-Johanne estrangement?
“She wouldn’t play along. She said chocolate had to be her favorite flavor because that’s all anyone saw when they looked at her. It’s true. She’s right. At least at Rose. Every time we talk about the civil rights movement in history class, the whole room turns to look at her. That must be so hard. Having to be the spokesperson for an entire race.”
“Maybe Rose should try a little harder to be more diverse. Then she wouldn’t have to be. What happened between Lucy and Johanne? They used to be friends, right?”
Either Elena didn’t hear her, or she pretended not to.
“Johanne likes sorbet. Kiwi Sorbet. At least, she used to. I haven’t spoken to her in a while.”
“I like vanilla, I think,” Meg said, after a moment of shrugging and shivering. “Is that boring?”
Elena considered this, chewing on her lip. “Boring? Not at all. Vanilla can be anything really. You can mix everything into it-candy, chocolate, fruit. Even adding jimmies to it changes it completely.”
“I guess,” Meg said. “So.” Meg twirled a strand of her hair, eager to get down to business. “Zach’s cute, huh?”
Elena's head whipped around, and she stared at Meg with her enormous eyes.
Last week in Biology, they’d dissected cow’s eyes. Meg had wanted to abstain from the assignment, but the teacher didn’t believe her hastily assembled manifesto on animal rights and had insisted she pick up her scalpel and get on with it. Meg had sliced into the mass of quivering jelly, making jagged cuts across the cornea, and couldn’t help thinking about Elena’s eyes as she cut.
“Zach? Zach Boyd?”
“Uh-huh,” she said. “He’s cute, isn’t he?”
“Zach Boyd?” Elena asked again. “You think Zach Boyd is cute?”
“Yes.” Meg nearly shouted. She could see this conversation going around in circles for a while. “Don’t you?”
“I don’t know.” Elena’s eyes darted around the street. “I guess so. If you do. Does Lucy?”
“You know Lucy.” Meg shrugged. “She’s so into Scott, she can’t see anyone else. Zach’s really cute,” she said again. “And such a nice guy too.”
“Yes,” Elena agreed, nodding her head. “He’s always been really sweet to me.”
“Well, duh.” Meg inched closer. “He has an enormous crush on you!”
“No,” Elena laughed. “Zach’s in love with Lucy.”
“I don’t think so. Zach and Lucy have been friends for so long, they’re almost brother and sister. It would be, I don’t know, incestuous if they ever hooked up.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to,” Elena said and giggled. “Lots of brothers want to hook up with their sisters.”
Meg almost lost her train of thought as she stared at Elena, wondering what went on in that beautiful, empty head.
“I wasn’t going to say anything, but…” Meg plastered on a slow, secretive smile. “Well, I heard Zach and Flynn talking on Friday...”
“Doesn’t Flynn look much better without that old mullet?” Elena said, interrupting her. “He has very nice features. I don’t believe that story about him getting kicked out of his old school, do you?”
Meg had noticed the buzz cut. She’d walked by him last week, not even recognizing him, not until he glared at her with his familiar, beady little eyes.
“Zach was talking about you.” She tried to salvage the conversation. “He was talking about how beautiful you are.”
“No he wasn’t,” Elena said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “He’d never say that.”
“He did,” Meg lied. “And he was staring at you. You’ve never noticed how much he stares at you?”
Elena ducked her chin into her chest and shook her head. Her golden cheeks had a distinct rose tone. The bitch even blushed prettily.
“Oh, Elena, you’re so oblivious sometimes,” Meg said, patting her hand. “He’s so completely in love with you.”
Elena looked up. “He is?”
“You’re so lucky. Zach is a great guy”.
Seconds later, the bus pulled up to the curb.
“You know, I think I’m just going to go home,” Meg said. She wasn’t sure if she had convinced Elena that Zach was her true love, but she’d exhausted herself trying. “I really don’t feel like well. I think I am coming down with something. Maybe the flu.”
Elena tsked. “You really need to start taking better care of yourself. Eat right. Take vitamins. Exercise. I’m never sick.”
“Yes, well. I can walk to the orange line from here, right?”
“It’s kind of far,” Elena said.
“Well, there’s my exercise.” Meg managed a little smile and started off down the street.