Page 79 of Invisible String (The Underground #1)
MAX
Eleven-and-a-half years old.
S ol has been sleeping with me in my bed for the past three weeks.
She says she feels safe, and I’ll admit, so do I.
The bus ride is bumpy on the way home. Sol is sitting next to me like she always does.
She’s made friends with some of the girls, but she said she didn’t like them much because they have a crush on me.
She said it in front of Drake, and he just grinned at me.
He called me clueless when she left to go clothes shopping with Mrs. Sara.
I still don’t think she has a crush on me.
“Max.” Her voice is soft, like a summer breeze.
“Yeah, sunshine?” I glance up from the comic book I’m reading.
Her brown eyes twinkle like stars. The other morning, when she woke, she looked so pretty.
The sun shone from the window on her. I had said, “Good morning, sunshine,” and she gave me the biggest smile.
It fits her name. Sol in English is sun.
“I was wondering.” She pulls out a clear gloss and spreads it on her lips, and I can’t help but stare at them.
I shake my head.
“School ends in six weeks or seven. There’s going to be a school dance for the fifth grade. Do you think we should go?”
My brows furrow at the idea of so many people watching you on the dance floor, and I don’t enjoy being in crowds. “No, it’s okay. I’ll stay home.”
“Max, we have to go together.”
“I don’t like people watching me and touching me. You know that.” I go back to peer at the pictures in the book.
“Oh, come on, Maxie. It will be fun. It’s going to be only you and me. No one will touch you.”
I sigh. “I don’t know how to dance.” I don’t look at her. I’m too embarrassed, and I’m not sure if other kids are listening. The bus ride is loud, with kids screaming, laughing, and flying paper airplanes around.
“Max, I can teach you.” She takes the book from my hand.
God, girls are so bossy.
Sol rolls her eyes. “I know how to dance. Remember, I told you I had dance classes, and my parents taught me? We would dance in the kitchen all the time. I would stand on my dad’s toes, and he would guide me.
” Her smile meets her eyes; I can’t take that from her. If it makes her happy, then I’ll do it.
I nod. “Okay. Fine, we can go, and you teach me in our room.” Small arms encircle me in an embrace. To my surprise, she kisses my cheek. Unconsciously, I turn my head toward her, and her glossed lips graze mine. I push back, startled. Both of our eyes are wide as saucers.
“What a sicko, you kiss your sister!” A kid in my class makes gagging noises.
Anger fuels me.
“She’s not my sister,” I yell. For the rest of the ride home, I’m quiet. The strange flutter in my stomach is still there and in my chest.
Later that night, Sol took my hand and led me to the center of the bedroom, a smile playing on her lips.
The soft glow of the table lamp cast a warm light over us as she turned the radio dial, finding a gentle melody that filled the room at a whisper.
We kicked off our shoes, our feet sliding comfortably into our socks, and began to move across the wooden floor.
Our laughter echoed softly as I clumsily followed her lead, stepping on her toes more than once.
Each misstep was met with her light-hearted giggle, making the night feel like a secret shared between us.
Every night we danced, leading up to the day of the dance. That night, Mrs. Sara got called into work and said maybe Jason could take us. I’d rather stay home than be in a car with him.
Jason handed the keys to Drake and told him to take us and not tell Mrs. Sara. Drake didn’t have his license, but Mrs. Sara had him in driving school, and he only had his permit. We picked up Drake’s girlfriend on the way.
Sol is wearing a pretty blue dress and heels.
She looks nice. My heart keeps beating faster and faster.
I blow air in frustration. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.
We have been hanging out all the time for months now, and I keep feeling strange around her.
My gaze goes to Drake. He rests his hand on his girlfriend’s shoulder.
She is moving to the music in place. The lights of the party light up the school gym.
Drake eyes me as I rock my heels. He tells his girlfriend something, then calls me over to him. Sol is standing, talking to some girls. “Are you okay?” Drake asks.
“I’m nervous,” I admit. Drake is one of the very few I trust. He’s been nothing but nice to me since I came into the home. He protects me like a big brother.
“Why? Is it because you’re surrounded by people? Or is it her?”
“Both.” Ever since her lips grazed mine, and I tasted her lip gloss, I wonder what it would be like to kiss her.
“You like her?”
“More, I think. Sometimes I want to kiss her.” My gaze follows Sol, drinking punch and eating pretzels.
He grins. “It’s okay to like her, to have a crush on her. She’s your best friend. You both needed this friendship.”
“I’m scared to lose her. What if tomorrow she or I have to go to a new home? I don’t want to lose my only best friend and you, too.”
Drake’s eyes soften. He knows how it goes.
His hand rests on my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.
“How about we don’t think of all this shit we go through and live in the moment?
I worry about not seeing my girl too. For right now, you go out there and show me your dancing moves.
” He laughs, but there’s pain and cracking in it.
The pulsating rhythm of a song titled, “This is What You Came For” booms through the speakers, sending vibrations through the walls of the building. Multicolored lights flicker and dance across the floor, creating a kaleidoscope of hues that brightens the room.
“Let’s dance to this one,” Sol says, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she tugs at my hand, leading me onto the dance floor.
It’s crowded with a lively mix of kids, parents, and teachers, all caught up in the music’s infectious beat.
I had hoped for something upbeat, yet it seems our first dance will be to a slow, melodic tune that drifts over the crowd, wrapping us in its gentle embrace.
Sol likes to dance like she’s in some show. I twirl her around like she taught me. Her giggles are all I hear out of the volume of noise. My cheeks hurt at the smile that doesn’t leave my lips.
After the three dances, I relax and dance the whole night with Sol. We eat snacks, pizza, soda, and desserts. It’s the best time I’ve had in a long time, where I let go of all the heartaches I’ve endured.
Today is the last day of school, and it’s summer break.
On the way home, Sol was quiet. She talked a little, and I didn’t press it.
She was not acting her usual bossy, chatting self.
Once we got off the bus, I ran home to the room, kicked off my shoes, and threw myself on the bed.
It’s so hot outside that the air conditioner in the house feels good.
“We are officially going to be six graders.” My voice is high with excitement.
Sol shut the door behind her, kicking off her shoes.
“We should go for a swim.” She wipes sweat off her face.
We hear water splashing, and we look out the window that faces the fenced-in pool.
Drake and his girlfriend are splashing each other.
He grabs her, then pins her to the wall, and kisses her stupidly.
His hands are all over like a hungry animal.
I scrunch my nose and glance at Sol. She’s watching them, too.
Her hands go into his shorts. I shut the curtain so fast and push Sol out of the way.
“It seems everyone is dating these days.” She watches me with an odd glint in her eye, one I haven’t seen before.
“Like who?” The floorboard squeaks where the loose board of candies is. Taking out the Reese’s, I pop one in my mouth and pass her one. “We need to stock up,” I say with a mouthful.
“Gracy and Kyle, Dan and Stephanie, Sean and Neomi. They’re all dating. Boyfriend and girlfriend.”
I don’t know where she’s going with this. I pop another candy. Mrs. Sara would freak if we spoiled our dinner.
“Well?” She stands up. Her flowered shirt rides up, showing her stomach.
Popping a red hot in my mouth, I ask. “Well, what?”
“Aren’t you going to ask?”
Girls are so confusing. They’re like jigsaw puzzles.
“You want some?” I pass her a Twizzler. “Sorry, came home hungry.”
She stomps her foot. “Not that. Aren’t you going to ask me to be your girlfriend?”
The candy goes down the wrong tube, and I start choking. Is she trying to kill me? I swear I’ll be dead by the time I hit puberty. She smacks my back and then runs to the nightstand to retrieve a water bottle.
Finally, I gasp for air. My face is hot.
“Are you okay? Should I call Mrs. Sara at work?”
I shake my head. “No, I’m fine.” My voice comes out raspy.
She wants me to ask her to be my girlfriend. Blood rushes to my head, and I feel dizzy. Maybe I’m exaggerating it. She’s my best friend. Nothing’s going to change.
“Will you be my girlfriend?” I’m sure my face is burning up. I can feel it.
“Yes.” She grins. “It’s going to be the best summer ever. Just think, next month’s your birthday, and you’ll be twelve with a girlfriend.” She winks. “And mine in August.”
My lips curve into a smile. This summer is going to be amazing. “Should we go swimming?”
We both change into our swimsuits. When she asked why I swim with a shirt, I finally told her. Like always, Sol doesn’t judge me. She never has. She said it’s fine. You can barely see the belt mark my dad and Jason left, and where a guy threw a glass bottle on my back years ago, it left a scar.
Two weeks into summer, we sit in the treehouse drinking pink lemonade. We brought some snacks and card games. We play until we get bored.
“Sunshine, as boyfriend and girlfriend, what should we do?” I ask her. It’s been on the tip of my tongue.