Sweet-and-Sour Summer #9

“You’re finally home! Amanda shrieked, throwing her arms around Molly who had just been dropped off by the Brewsters. “Ahhhhhh! I missed you like crazy!”

Suddenly Matthew came rushing down the front hall, hurtling toward his big sisters. “Both the stinky twins are back!” he yelled as he plowed into them in his best attempt at a bear hug. “Finally, we’ll have lots of cookies and brownies and good food around here again!”

“Not if you keep calling us ‘the stinky twins,’” Amanda teased her little brother. She turned to Molly “You’re early! Mom and Dad are at Choice Foods—Mom said she would cook something amazing for dinner!”

Amanda leaned down and picked up Molly’s suitcase. “Come upstairs, Molls,” she said. “I want to hear everything about the Cape. And about Justin! Did you guys hang out after you ran into each other on the beach?”

“Um, once or twice,” Molly replied uncomfortably. following Amanda upstairs to the twins bedroom. “But I was working a lot. How was Performance Night?”

“It was amazing!” Amanda raved, momentarily forgetting about Justin. “My scene got so much applause! But I don’t think I’ll go back next summer. I missed you too much! Then she noticed Molly’s shell bracelet. “Molls, that’s so pretty! Did you get it as a souvenir?”

It was the moment Molly had been dreading-Amanda noticing the bracelet. Just tell her. Just tell her it was no big deal. she thought.

“Ha! I always knew you’d get into accessories someday!” Amanda laughed. “So tell me more. Did you go to the beach every day?”

As usual, Amanda beat Molly to the phone. “Hello?” she answered. “Oh, hi, Justin!” she exclaimed. Molly quickly looked up. “No, it’s Amanda,” Amanda said into the phone. “What’s up? How was your summer? When did you get back?”

“What? Oh, yeah. Molly’s right here. Hang on.” With a puzzled look on her face, Amanda covered the mouthpiece of the phone with her hand and held it out to Molly. “He wants to talk to you,” she whispered.

“Hey, Justin, what’s up? Molly asked as Amanda watched. ”Yeah, I know. Oh...when? Yeah, that sounds cool. I probably can, but I have to ask first. I’ll let you know, okay? Okay, talk to you later. Um, bye. Molly hung up the phone and turned around to see Amanda staring at her.

“Um, sort of. Just for pizza. Not a big deal,” replied Molly. Without thinking, she nervously started fingering her shell bracelet.

Molly swallowed hard. “We, um, we hung out a lot. Like, a lot. And then he gave me this bracelet. I don‘t-I don’t really know what’s going on. I’ve never liked a boy before, so I don’t, like, know how it feels, you know?” Molly’s hands flew to her mouth as Amanda quickly rose from her bed. “No, Manda, that came out totally wrong. That’s not what I meant. I don’t like Justin! I would never do that to you!”

Amanda shook her head, as two bright red spots appeared on her cheeks. Molly had never seen her so upset. “I can’t even believe this. I mean, Angie I would expect to do this, not my—my twin.” Molly opened her mouth to object, but Amanda cut her off. “Forget it. Molly. Don’t say another word. I don’t want to hear it.” She slipped on her flip-flops and grabbed her backpack.

Molly took a deep breath and slowly sat down in the chair next to her desk. She felt too shocked to cry. Molly buried her face in her hands. She knew that she would never forget that look of betrayal—of hurt—on her sisters face.

Once Amanda had reached the sidewalk, she took off running toward the park, not even knowing where, exactly, she was heading. Amanda felt as if her head was spinning. Molly and Justin? Molly and Juslin? she thought again and again. It just didn’t seem possible. But everything she had just seen pointed to the contrary.

Amanda looked up as a familiar voice cut into her thoughts—right into Shawn’s face. Without thinking, she’d run straight to Shawn’s apartment building.

“Hey, Amanda! What are you doing here?” Shawn asked, smiling at her friend. Seeing Shawn’s warm smile made Amanda burst into tears. Shawn’s smile faded instantly.

“I was just running to the corner store to get some juice. No big,” Shawn said, putting her arm around Amanda’s shoulders. “Come up. What happened? Where’s Molly?”

“She’s h-home.” Amanda followed Shawn past the doorman and into the elevator, wiping tears off her face. She didn’t say another word until they were in Shawn’s room.

“M-Molly and Justin,” Amanda stammered. The story spilled out of her—Molly’s bracelet. Justin asking Molly out on the phone, the look on Molly’s face when Amanda had confronted her. When she finished, Amanda took another deep breath and tried not to cry again.

Finally, she spoke. “Manda, I see how upset you are,” she began carefully. “And it sounds horrible. But I just can’t believe Molly would go after Justin. Molly loves you. No one is tighter than you guys. I’ve known you both for, like, a zillion years. And there’s no way Molly would steal any of her friends’ crushes. And she would never, ever do that to you.”

Amanda looked at Shawn blankly. “B-but-she was just wearing that bracelet. Like they were going steady. She couldn’t even look me in the eye.”

Shawn shrugged. “How would you act if Molly’s crush liked you?” she asked simply. “I hate to say this, but it sort of sounds like Justin has a crush on Molly. There’s nothing she can do about that, you know?”

“But-but what’s wrong with me?” Amanda asked softly as a tear slid down her cheek. “Why does he like Molly and not me?” She bit her lip to keep from breaking down in tears again.

Shawn shook her head. “I don’t know, Manda,” she replied, rubbing Amanda’s arm. “It’s really rotten, that’s for sure. But first—there’s nothing wrong with you. And second—you can’t let some stupid boy come between you and Molly.” Shawn cleared her throat. “One thing that really sticks out in my mind from this summer is that no matter what, you can’t let stuff interfere with your best friends. New friends or clubs or even boys—none of that stuff is as important as your girlfriends. And I think that’s even more true for sisters. I bet Molly is just as miserable as you are right now.”

Amanda sighed. As usual, Shawn stayed cool and collected in the middle of a crisis. Deep down, Amanda knew her friend was right—Molly would never hurt her on purpose. But knowing that didn’t make it any easier for Amanda to accept the fact that Justin had chosen Molly, instead of herself.

“Let’s call Molly” Shawn said. “Then I’ll walk you home, okay?” Amanda nodded. Shawn hit the speed dial on her phone and waited for someone at the Moores’ house to pick up. “Molly?” she asked into the receiver. “Amanda’s here. No, it’s okay. Hold on.” Shawn covered the mouthpiece with her hand. “Manda. she wants to talk to you. I think she’s been crying.”

“Manda, listen,” Molly said in a choked voice. “I would never, ever go out with Justin. I would never hurt you like that. We hung out a lot because we didn’t know anybody else there. I thought we were just really good friends. But then he gave me this bracelet right before he came home. I don’t have a crush on him, Manda. I promise.” She exhaled and waited for her sister’s response.

Finally Amanda spoke in a soft voice. “I know, Molls. I know you wouldn’t go after Justin. I’m just-I feel so-disappointed. I thought he liked me. But I guess he likes you instead.”

Me, too, Amanda thought. “No, Molls, it’s okay she said, even though it really wasn’t okay. But itwill be, she thought. Someday.