I am waiting outside for Nora and Mrs. Klein. My mom says, “You look adorable.”

“Adorable, Mom?! In this outfit? All the other bands get to wear pants and short-sleeve shirts,” I say.

She laughs as I shuffle down the walk to Mrs. Klein’s car.

Mrs. Klein asks a million questions on the ride. I am dreaming of ye olde silent treatment days. “You should have a very nice audience,” she says when she finally runs out of questions. “There were about twenty people in the lounge when we left.”

1:00 We begin playing at Location A.

1:03 VIP #6 puts earbuds in.

1:04 VIP #4 requests TV remote and turns TV on.

1:06 We move to Location B.

1:10 VIP #6 leaves.

1:11 VIP #2 asks if we take requests.

1:13 I want to ask VIPs #3 and #5 if they take requests, like BE QUIET!

1:15 The clothes rack of size 2 pants for VIP #5 catches Nora’s flute.

 

It takes all my strength to say to Nora, “You have to get off of me and show me where the nice bathroom is or I may wet my pants.” And she does.

Nobody seems to mind—or notice, for that matter—when we take a break.

1:25 We try all the lotion samples in the bathroom.

1:30 We begin playing again at Location B.

1:32 New VIP #8 enters and takes #6’s spot.

1:35 VIP #8 inquires about a scent-free VIP club.

1:37 Mrs. Klein gives us each $25, plus $20 for pizza.

“How did the duets go, Champ?” my dad asks at dinner. “That’s not blood on your shirt I’m looking at.”

“Funny, Dad. It’s pizza,” I say, and I list all the positives.

“We’ll have to have Nora over more often,” my dad says.

“She doesn’t want to be anybody’s project,” I remind him.

“Nora is your friend, not your best friend. She’s also a neighbor, and you know her dad’s away, plus her mom works a lot. You might think about having her over more often. As a friend. Not a project.”

 

There is an envelope sitting next to Nora the next morning. I guess we’re back to the silent treatment. Nora shoves the envelope toward the end of the bus seat as I walk by.

She moves her backpack so I can sit down.

I open the envelope. “It’s from my mother,” Nora says.

“I actually had fun,” I say.

“Yeah,” she says while she is reading. Reading makes me carsick, so I just slide down, put my knees up against the seat in front, and pretend to relax.

Brooke acts like it’s normal when Nora and I get off the bus together. “How were the duets?” she asks. Nora and I turn to each other and burst out laughing.

Brooke is laughing by the time VIP #6 puts her earbuds in, and we score a snort when the clothing rack knocks us over.

Nora says “See you” when she heads to her locker.

“See you at lunch,” Brooke says. “Hey, why don’t you sit with us?”

I think Brooke meant “You should sit with us!” But Nora answers like it’s a real question: “I like where I sit.” Brooke looks surprised. Nora adds, “Nothing against you.”