Page 108 of Places We've Never Been

CHAPTER 27

The audience was clapping and Paisley and Olivia were smiling and I felt good for the first time since the day before when I’d gotten into the huge fight with Skyler over his sketchbook. I’d tried to talk to him once since and he gave me the silent treatment, which made me yell, “The silent treatment is my thing! You’re just supposed to be mad and then get over it!” In hindsight that probably wasn’t the best reaction, but I was frustrated. I’d done nothing wrong and he refused to hear me out. Plus, he was supposed to help me confront our moms and now I had no idea if that was going to happen. I’d probably have to do it myself.

But for now we stood, the four of us—Mom, Olivia, Paisley, and me—clapping for a band I’d never heard of at the Bing Crosby Theater in the middle of Spokane.

“That was so amazing,” Paisley said as we filed out of the theater. “I want to do that one day. Perform in front of a live audience.”

“I thought you said you were in theater at school. And choir.”

“I mean I want to get paid for it.”

I laughed.

Mom was scrolling through her phone. “I’ll get an Uber.”

“Wait,” Olivia said, putting her hand up. “Maybe we should get some ice cream first?” She pointed across the street but all I saw was a ramen noodle place.

“Is it too late?” I asked.

“It’s only ten,” Paisley pointed out. “And we’re on vacation.”

“Yes!” Olivia said. “We’re on vacation.”

“What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?” Paisley asked me.

“Mint chocolate chip,” I said.

“That’s a good one. Have you ever tried mint cookies and cream?”

“I have not.”

“It’s magical,” Paisley said. “You have to try it.”

“If they have it, I will.” We had stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, people pouring out of the doors of the theater behind us. “Is there a place nearby?”

“A few blocks that way,” Mom said, holding up her phone as if I needed proof.

We started walking and Paisley asked softly, “Is Skyler still mad at you?”

“Yes. You?”

“Well, he refused to come to this concert tonight. But I don’t think he’s super mad anymore. It took a lot of nonstop talking to crack him.”

“He’s talking to you now?”

She cringed. “Yes.”

Olivia spoke up from my other side where I thought she and Mom were having a conversation. “Skyler is mad at you?”

“For something really stupid,” I said, before she worried. “He’ll get over it.” It actually wasn’t that stupid. I understood why he was mad. I wouldn’t want someone looking at my sketchbook without permission, either, but I had tried to explain to him that I hadn’t looked through it. It hadn’t worked. He didn’t believe me. We’d come a long way, but he obviously still didn’t trust me.

We arrived at the ice cream shop, which did not have mint cookies and cream. I was more disappointed than that fact warranted.

***

A note on the door to the RV when we got back read:Bonfire at the lodge tonight. Don’t wait up.

It was past eleven and I wondered if either of our moms would go collect the boys from the bonfire. Or at least the underage boy, but neither of them seemed too concerned.