It was late and the station looked pretty much empty when we got there.
“Do not talk,” Mace said in a low voice out of the corner of her mouth. “Thank you so much!” she said to the cabbie, handing him money. “And seriously, good luck getting back your great-great-grandfather’s, um, leg-thing.…”
“Now, that’s awful nice of you to say. You kids have a nice family reunion. You see your auntie? I don’t want to leave you here in the dark.”
“Yes, there she is!” Mace pointed to a lone car, waiting with its lights on. “Hey, Aunt Joan!” She waved, then turned back and gave him a big tip.
More money! I started to protest. There was no way I wanted to owe Mace anything. Anything. Especially when I still had no idea why she was even here with me in the first place. She didn’t care about me. She didn’t even know anything. About Mama or the lipstick.
Trip was the only one who knew the whole plan.
About being cousins and going to the train station.
Trip was the only one.
What If…
No. He would never tell Mace my secret. I didn’t care how long they’d known each other. This much I knew.
Mace waved and waved at the cabbie, then grabbed my arm and began to drag me off across the sidewalk.
The second she put her hands on me, I found my words. I wrenched away from her. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what you’re doing here. Where is Trip? And who is Aunt Joan?”
Mace blew the icy-blue piece of hair out of her eyes and glared at me. “Yeah, about that, Trip said you wanted to say Aunt Lori, but I thought maybe it would be cooler if she was named after Joan Jett. Of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts?”
“Black who? That’s not what Trip and I—”
“Look, Trip asked me to come—no, wait, he begged me to come. Billy’s mom caught him trying to climb out the window and called his mom and now he’s grounded and Billy’s grounded. He called me, freaking out.”
I started to open my mouth, but she cut me off.
“I’m supposed to be with Chase and Laney at Laney’s aunt’s for the weekend. Shopping and having the best time, but I’m here with you. You. I had to lie to Chase and Laney and tell them I couldn’t go, but my parents still think I’m going! I had to pretend the cab was Laney’s aunt and run out before anyone saw.” She leaned toward me till we were practically nose to nose. “Worst. Plan. Ever.”
“But why—”
“Look, just let me finish. Trip and I have known each other since we were babies. Before you showed up and decided to take him all for yourself.” She held her hand up to my face. “He called me. ME! Because Trip knows he can trust me more than anyone… and he knows how important DiDi is to me.” The fire suddenly went out of her. She looked down.
How important DiDi was to her? To her?
“I don’t need your help,” I said.
“Really?” Mace took a step away from me. “You want to go by yourself? You have the money?” She reached into her jeans and pulled out a shiny gold credit card.
Of course. Trip was supposed to help me pay along the way, and I was going to pay him back. I didn’t have enough money, and Mace did. Every darn kid in the school had a credit card in their back pocket but me. DiDi had a million dollars minus taxes in the bank, but I still didn’t have enough to find Mama. I shut my eyes and turned away.
“Forget it,” Mace said. “That was harsh. Let’s just go.”
I didn’t know what to say. Our trip had hardly begun. The train was pulling in and we still had to get all the way into New York City, and I had no idea what I was doing. I had counted on Trip to get me there. Now all I had was Mace. And no choice.