Morning arrives bright and early. JuneBug is nowhere to be found. The jiggle of the doorknob gets me out of bed. An overflowing cart of food precedes JuneBug.
“JuneBug! Did you leave anything for the rest of the guests? That’s a boatload of food!”
“You’re so funny, Katydid. With all those inches, I figured you’ve got an appetite to go with ‘em. Besides, you’re my almost-famous favorite blogger. You get the royal treatment.”
I giggle a little and do a half-bow with my arms. “I’m not worthy.”
JuneBug pops a bubble. “Sit up, weird-o. Grab some food for now and later.”
I scoot closer to the food cart. “Well, thanks. I don’t turn down free food, but you’d better be sitting down to eat with me.”
We dig in. Mom walks out of the bathroom. She swims in her hotel robe. JuneBug laughs out loud. “Ms. Starbright, are you sure you didn’t like switch babies at the hospital? I just don’t see how all of this”; she waves her hand in my general direction, “could come out of little ole you.”
My mom drops a kiss on the top of my head. No matter how old I get, I’ll never tire of it.
“I assure you, June, this beautiful girl is all mine,” Mom says with a flourish. She grabs a slice of wheat toast and a pack of sugar-free jam. “Thanks for the breakfast, June. It smells delicious.” Mom flashes JuneBug a smile.
JuneBug’s eyes bore into the side of me, and I can’t take it. “What?”
“Are you going to blog?” she commands.
I flush a little. “Not yet. I have to wait for the mood to strike me.”
“Oh.” She picks up her phone and scrolls. “Ooh. Did you see what that dirtbag Rico Tomas wrote about you? There’s pictures and everything!”
I snatch up JuneBug’s phone and look all suspicious at mom. “You told me he didn’t post anything.”
“I told you he didn’t put it in the paper. You know I don’t follow him online, well, at least not too close; and definitely not since all that came out about your father.” Mom sounds worn out. I try to relax so I won’t be so hard on her. None of this is her fault.
Cringe-worthy pictures torture me: Nadia and I at the arcade holding hands over the table, kissing on the court; and then the grand finale, monster-me standing over a cowering Reggie with a huge red handprint on her face, as Nadia hovers against the back wall. The words in the captions jumble together, mixing with my tears. It doesn’t matter. The photos speak for themselves. I hand the phone back to June, feeling naked and exposed.
“You are so badass.” JuneBug’s words are full of respect.
Those are the last words I expected to hear, but that’s better than hearing “violent freak”. I duck and wipe my eyes. “Um, thanks.”
Mom cuts into our strange conversation. “Katie. Why don’t you hop in the shower as soon as I’m done, and then we’ll start house hunting.”
JuneBug claps her hands and bounces up and down on the bed. “I love looking at houses! Can I come?”
“Yes, June.” Mom’s resigned voice sneaks underneath the bathroom door.
I flop down on the bed and smile up at JuneBug as I nibble on a bagel with cream cheese. “It’s going to be so epic.”
JuneBug nods. “Totally.”