India was the only one sitting in the back of the bus the next morning. I sat behind her, and she slid around to talk to me.
“Hi,” India said. “Did you read for class?”
I nodded. She was acting like nothing had happened, which annoyed me. Like I didn’t know she and Devon had been talking about me. I’m sure she encouraged Devon to get mad at me so they could be best friends again.
“Want some gum?” she held out a pack. I took a piece and stuffed it into my mouth. “It’s so cold today,” she said. I didn’t say anything. “Uh, it’s weird it’s so cold because it’s all sunny outside.”
“Yup,” I said looking straight ahead.
She didn’t say anything else until we got to school. I headed to my locker and pretended not to hear her say goodbye. Ashanti came over and asked if I would sit with her at lunch since Halle and Maggie were absent. I said she could sit at our table, and she made a face.
“No offense, but I don’t want to sit with Devon,” she said. “Is she going to get her panties in a bunch if you sit with me?” she asked.
I said it would be okay, but Devon started to get an attitude when I said I was sitting with Ashanti.
“I need to talk to her about a math test,” I said. “My mom will kill me if I don’t keep my grades up.”
“Whatever. If you have to.”
****
Later, Devon asked what we were doing this weekend, and I squirmed in my chair and said I was going to the movies with Peyton.
“I wonder why she didn’t mention it to me,” she said as she colored in the spleen on our worksheet. “I thought we’d all go to the mall.”
I didn’t say anything, but Peyton asked me why Devon suddenly thought we should all go to the mall instead of the movies.
“I told her I was going to a movie with you,” I said. “And she sorta got the idea she was invited, too,” I said. Peyton rolled her eyes. “What could I do?” I asked. “Say, ‘Sorry, you can’t come?’”
“Do you want her to?” she asked.
“No, I just wanted to go to the movies and not have drama.”
“And I don’t want to go shopping,” she said. “All she ever wants to do is walk around and look for guys,” Peyton cut off when India walked into class.
“So we’re going to the mall tonight?” India asked. Peyton shrugged and later asked me what I wanted to do when we were walking out of class.
“I don’t want anybody to get mad—”
“No, what do you want to do tonight?” she asked. I said I’d rather go to a movie.
Devon asked what time we were meeting at the mall when we got on the bus, and Peyton cleared her throat.
“Um, Landry and I kind of want to see a movie. So I guess we’ll… sit this one out,” she said.
Devon zeroed in on me. “You don’t want to go with us?” she asked.
“Peyton asked me about going to a movie first, and I already said I’d go with her,” I said.
“Fine, whatever,” she said. She and India planned what they were going to wear. I felt a little left out, but at the same time I had stood up to her. Well, kinda.
Mom dropped us off at the theater, and we loaded up on popcorn, licorice, chocolate bars, and sodas. The best thing about going to a movie with Peyton was you could just pig out and have fun. I loved being able to relax and be myself. She didn’t even get grossed out when I got popcorn stuck in my teeth. She took a piece of licorice and bit off each end to use as a straw and I tried it, too. When the movie ended, we went into the mall to check out the bookstore.
“Landry, they have the new Skylar Halston book. And they have number nine in the series. I don’t have this one,” she said.
“I’m missing number ten.”
We took our books and went over to the magazine rack. She grabbed a bunch of magazines, and we went over to the café to get a soda and look through them.
“Those people over there are about to get off the couch,” she said. “Grab your stuff.” We flew over to the couch the second the couple got up. I had never gotten the couch at this bookstore. I was always stuck at the wobbly tables and uncomfortable chairs. Why someone would use spiky wood on a chair back was beyond me.
After we bought our books, she asked if I wanted to walk around before she called her mom. We went into Connick’s Boutique, and she found a pair of earrings she wanted. I don’t have my ears pierced because my dad says he gets a million people coming into the clinic with infections from piercings. The man knows how to scare a person when it comes to medical stuff.
I walked over to look at the rings, and they had a pretty one with red, yellow, and blue enamel in it. I slipped it on my finger, and it was a perfect fit. Usually rings slide right off me because I’m thin, which is why I lost my bracelet in the vent. I decided to get it, and Peyton said it was pretty. I said there was another one if Peyton wanted to try it on.
“I don’t want to copy you,” she said.
“It’s okay, try it,” I said.
She put it on, and the colors were different on her. She decided to buy the ring instead of the earrings, and we went to meet her mom.
“Your father’s going to throw a fit,” Mrs. Urich said pointing to the dog carrier on the front seat. “But look at her little face.” We peered in and saw a brown puppy. “I went to the pound with your Aunt Rita, and I swear this puppy asked me to take her home with me,” she said. “Her name is Bambi.”
“She’s so cute,” I said.
“Landry, do you want to come over, or do you need to get home?” Mrs. Urich asked.
I went over to their house and Mr. Urich was okay with having another dog, but Truffles didn’t seem to like her too much. We took Bambi up to Peyton’s room, and she flew under the bed. Peyton had to get on her hands and knees to get the dog to come out. She pulled Bambi onto her lap and told me she thought she was getting a new tablet for Christmas.
“Are you going to Chicago for Christmas?” she asked.
“Yeah and we’re going to go shopping before Christmas so I can pick out my presents,” I said.
“See, I like to know what I’m getting, but I also want at least one surprise,” she said.
Bambi tried to walk on the bed. I’m usually a little nervous around animals, but I picked her up. I could feel Bambi trembling so I held her close, and she seemed to relax.
“I love going to the big toy stores when I’m there,” I said. “I know I’m too old to ask for toys, but sometimes I want them anyway.”
“Oh, I know. I got a Cadia doll for my birthday last year and India thought it was weird I wanted a doll, but I love Cadia,” she said.
“She is cute.”
Truffles ran in the room, and Bambi shot out of my lap. Peyton grabbed her before she flew off the bed.
“Stop it. No, Truffles — stop! Mom! The dog’s panicking.”
Mrs. Urich came upstairs and picked up Truffles. “You don’t like the competition, do ya?” Mrs. Urich said, nuzzling her.
“Do you want to exchange gifts?” she asked after her mom left.
I nodded. Last year I had bought books for Tori and Ericka, and I knew Ericka didn’t like the one I gave her. I wondered if they were expecting gifts this year. We hadn’t talked about it, but I’d probably at least get Tori something. Ashanti and I were exchanging gifts and Devon and I decided to get each other new journals, but we were calling them Christmukkah gifts since her family celebrated both Christmas and Hanukkah.
I checked my e-mail when I got home. Most of the messages were junk, but there was one which just said “Hi,” in the subject line. I figured it was either a sneaky way to get you to open it and then it’d be the address to a porn link or something, but I opened it anyway.
To: Albright@ alphamail.com
From: VY0062@us.com
Re: Hi
Hi Landry,
How are you? Is school good? Are you coming to our game? I’m on varsity now, so it’s the later game if you want to come.
See ya,
Vladi
He e-mailed me. About time. I didn’t know what to write so I called Ashanti, and she told me to forward his message to her. She called back and said it sounded like he wanted to see me again.
“But what if he had to get a bunch of people to come to the game because the ticket money is going to feed starving puppies or something?” I asked.
“I doubt it, but even if it was true, he still thought of you,” she said. “What are you going to say?”
“I have no clue. Any ideas?” I asked.
“I would wait a little bit before I wrote him back but not too long,” she said.
She asked me about Cristian, and I told her he never e-mailed me back. Then she asked if Vladi made my stomach hurt.
“No, I can’t stop smiling when I think about him,” I said. “Will you go to the game with me?”
“Definitely,” she said. “Ugh, my mom wants me to get off the phone, but let me know what you decide to write.”