That evening, during Quiet Time, Vivian widened her eyes at Sasha and pointedly shook her head toward the bathroom.
“What?” Sasha said innocently. “Are you still feeling sick? Do you need help with something? I can hold your hair if you need to throw up, I don’t mind!”
It took Vivian a minute to realize what she was talking about. “Um, no, not that—just, well, come on,” she whispered in frustration. “I need to talk to you.”
Once Sasha headed toward the bathroom, Vivian grabbed the paint set, still wrapped in fabric, from where she’d hidden it under her bed. And when they were alone she pulled it out and handed it to Sasha.
“Wow,” Sasha breathed, too surprised and pleased to use her normal exclamation points. “This is, this is amazing. . . .” She put the case on one of the chipped sinks and carefully opened it, running her hands over the tubes of paint, each nestled in its own foam slot. Then she slid a paintbrush from the bands that held them to the inside of the lid. “Look at this!” she said. “These are even nicer than the ones I have at home!”
She turned to Vivian with wide eyes. “Are you sure this is okay? I mean, my parents would be supermad if I sold a paint set like this! It has to have cost a lot more than fifty dollars!”
Vivian shrugged. “All I know is this girl wanted to sell it, and you wanted paints,” she said. “I’m just trying to do you a favor here.”
Sasha smiled at her, and her smile was so joyful it made Vivian avoid looking her in the eye. “Thank you so much! I don’t know how I can ever repay you! This changes my whole summer!”
Vivian coughed, without meaning to. “It’s fine,” she said a little grumpily. She knew Sasha would be happy but she didn’t realize how happy, and now the prospect of having to come clean to her once the bet was over seemed even more difficult. What would Sasha say when she knew the truth? Would she understand it wasn’t really a con? Just a way to beat Archie. Not a way to get at Sasha. Not really.
“I have the money, if that’s what you’re worried about?” Sasha said. “I’ll give it to you after lights out! I mean, I’m sure this girl, whoever she is, really wants it as soon as possible!”
“Yeah, she does,” Vivian said. She was so close to winning the bet that she could already visualize the scene tomorrow morning at breakfast when she waved that money in Archie’s face. She’d also make sure Archie saw Sasha with the paints, before taking them back and explaining everything.
But she thought she’d be happier, winning. Instead, looking at Sasha, she felt like a fraud. What would it be like to be just a regular friend to Sasha, not someone trying to con her? Just to hang out with her, and do stuff together, like all the other kids?
Maybe once she solved the problem of Archie she could find out. She tried her best to smile back at Sasha. “I’m glad you’re happy,” she said.
And for all the lies she’d told this summer, that, at least, was the truth.