ON MONDAY MORNING Dana was so excited she had barely been able to eat breakfast. Janelle would be at school, and she couldn’t wait to see her. And she couldn’t wait to tell her about last Friday’s cross-country race. She started pedaling faster. Dale and Dana had started out on their bikes together that morning, but by the time they turned the first corner, Dale was already way ahead. Dana didn’t mind. She didn’t like being told to hurry up all the time, and she could understand that he didn’t want to show up with his little sister in tow. She also secretly hoped that one morning she would run into Jason Elwood. She knew he biked in too. She had checked twice this morning to make sure nothing was stuck in her teeth and had purposely not put the elastic band around her ankle so she wouldn’t look ridiculous if he turned up. They hadn’t exactly gotten off to a great start, but things could only get better from here.
Dana cruised along, thinking about how good it would be to see Janelle and catch up on everything. She was nearly at school when her bike pedals locked unexpectedly. She almost fell, throwing her left foot out to steady herself. But her right foot wouldn’t move. Her jeans had gotten caught in the chain. She couldn’t believe it. She pulled on the jeans. She fiddled with the chain. She couldn’t get unstuck! She looked around. Dale was long gone. She tried the chain again, but it wouldn’t budge. She yanked on the jeans. No luck. She didn’t want to tear them. They were brand new. Aargh. How was she going to get to class with a bicycle attached to her leg?
Dana shuffled over to the curb, dragging the bike with her. She sat. And waited. Would she really have to wait until school was over for Dale to come by? No, worse. When she didn’t show up, the school would call her mother. She would panic, thinking Dana had had some kind of accident. Once she found out where Dana was and realized she was fine, she’d be angry with Dana for not riding in with her brother. Then Dale would be in trouble, and he would be mad at her too. It was a no-win situation.
Dana picked up a few small pebbles and tossed them half-heartedly into a puddle beside the curb. They made sad little plopping sounds and sent tiny ripples along the surface of the water. When she heard the first bell go at the school, she flopped backward onto the grass. Dana wondered how long it would take for someone to find her. She had just started looking for shapes in the clouds when she heard a noise. Awkwardly, she sat up and shifted so she could look behind her. At first she didn’t see anything, but then she heard the noise again. A little dog was peering at her from under a bush not far away. His long black-and-brown hair hung over his eyes.
“Hey there,” said Dana. “Are you going to keep me company? I seem to be stuck here.”
Dana waited. The dog didn’t move.
“No? I could really use a friend.”
A bike suddenly skidded up next to her. “Need help?”
Jason! His timing was perfect, although this wasn’t exactly the kind of meeting she’d been hoping for. Dana’s cheeks burned with embarrassment, but she was also relieved.
“Yeah, I guess. Thanks.” She hopped up, trying to haul her bike up with her.
“Here, let me.” Jason reached for her hand to steady her. Then he pulled her bike up straight. While he went to work on the chain, Dana pressed her hand against her heart to try to slow it down. The hand that Jason had held. It tingled.
After a minute, Jason stood up again. “Whew. You were good and stuck.”
“Well, my mom always says, if you’re going to do something—”
“Do it right? Yeah, my mom says that too.” They laughed. He had a great laugh, Dana thought.
Jason wiped his hands on the back of his jeans and began feeling around in his jacket pocket. “Hey, I’ve got something for you.”
“You do?” Dana’s eyes lit up.
“It’s something pretty special,” said Jason. “I found it the other day, and now I know it’s meant just for you.”
“Really?” He had something for her? He thought she was special? She held out her hand. It trembled a little.
Jason dropped an elastic band into her outstretched palm.
“Ta-da! So you won’t get caught again,” he said. “It’s a really strong one. Is it perfect or what?”
“Yeah,” said Dana. “Thanks.”
Jason was already up on his own bike. “Better hurry.”
Dana watched him as he biked away. She got on her bike and looked over at the little dog still hiding under the bush. “Isn’t he the greatest?”
The dog gave a quick bark in reply. Dana laughed. “Well, I’ve gotta go. See you later, Buddy.”
Dana got inside just as the last bell rang. Mickey looked at her chewed-up jeans and the grease on her hands and started singing, “Dana, Dana, got caught up in her chain-a.” Dana ignored him. As she made her way to the sink at the back of the classroom to wash her hands, she saw Janelle. Janelle! She’d almost forgotten. Her friend was back! Everyone was crowded around talking to her. She had the same beautiful, long blond hair. Same bright smile. Same tinkly laugh. Same white-and-blue shoes. Or shoe. Her left leg was still in a cast and stuck out straight in front of her. There was a pair of crutches stowed underneath the desk too. And the desk was at the very back of the room. Next to Julia’s.
Dana felt a sting of guilt for not saving Janelle a seat and making her sit next to Julia. Maybe Dana could ask to move her desk to the back. But that meant she wouldn’t be sitting next to Jason anymore. Dana shook her head. She wanted to give her friend a big hug and tell her how good it was to see her. She just needed to wash her hands first. As Dana turned off the faucet, she heard Mr. Bartholomew clear his throat. “All right, everyone, find your seats, please. We’re ready to begin.”
The crowd around Janelle thinned. Dana wanted to talk to her, but now wasn’t the best time. She threw her friend a quick smile, but Janelle was busy looking for something inside her desk. Instead, Dana locked eyes with Julia, who smiled sweetly and rested her hand on the back of Janelle’s chair.
“Welcome back, everyone. We have a familiar face in class again today. Janelle, it’s good to have you back with us. We were very sorry to hear about the accident.”
“Yes,” came a voice from the back of the room. But it wasn’t Janelle’s. It was Julia’s. “It’s been so hard on her and her entire family.” Everyone turned to look at Julia. “It was touch and go at first. She spent her whole summer in the hospital, far from home.” She paused, and everyone thought she might cry, but then she drew in a deep, raggedy breath and finished. “But here she is, looking better than ever. It’s great to have my best friend back.”
Dana stared straight ahead. She felt the words fly through the air like arrows and stick solidly into her shoulders.