Page 111 of Places We've Never Been

“Good to meet you.” I pointed to Skyler. “This is my best friend and I just need to borrow him for a second and then you can have him back.”

“That’s up to him,” she said.

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Norah,” he said.

“Will you? Because you didn’t talk to me at all today. And I’m kind of over it. Your sister stole your sketchbook and you’re talking to her. I looked at one single picture before I realized it was your sketchbook and this is what I get?” I took a deep breath and barreled on. “Well, just in case you were wondering, your sketch was brilliant. It made me question my entire existence as an artist because I’m nowhere near that good.” Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Heidi giving me that look people gave me when I didn’t edit my thoughts but I was on a roll now and kept talking. “It also made me question my friendship status in your life because I thought we were gold-level best friends but maybe we got more than two questions wrong, maybe we’re not even bronze-level best friends. Because your sister assumed that the secret question was right, but I realize we’ve both been keeping secrets. Our friendship didn’t even medal. We barely qualify for a participation ribbon.”

“What secret are you keeping from me?” Skyler asked after my rambling speech that he seemed to follow perfectly fine.

I was surprised Heidi was still sitting there, her expression unchanging, like she was taking mental notes for a report she’d write later. She must’ve had that thought at the same time I did because she suddenly stood. “I’ll just let you two work this out.”

Skyler stood as well, as if he were about to stop her but then he didn’t.

I pointed up to the snack hut. “You see that cute, dark-hairedLatino guy up there? His name is Ty and you should introduce yourself, Heidi.”

“Seriously, Norah?” Skyler said.

“Yes, seriously.”

Heidi squeezed Skyler’s arm. “It was good to meet you. Hang in there.” And then she was gone.

“Hang in there?” I asked. “What does that mean?”

“Nothing. Are you done with your speech or did you have more to say?”

“I want you to stop being mad at me.”

“I can’t just flip a switch, Norah.”

“I’m going to be mad at you, too, then.”

“That’s not how it works.”

“Yes, I’m mad at you for being mad at me. Now I’m going to go back to the RV and give you the silent treatment fortwodays.”

“You’re not going to walk back there alone.”

“I walked down here alone. Did I suddenly become less capable since talking to you?”

“Do you know how many creeps there are in RV parks?”

“Probably the same amount there are everywhere else,” I said, not wanting to admit I’d said that same exact sentence before.

“I’m going to walk you back,” he said, holding out his hand like I needed not only his presence to walk me back but also his guidance.

My stupid hand betrayed me by grabbing hold of his. “Fine,” I huffed.

“Fine,” he said, wrapping his fingers around mine. That’swhen I noticed he hadn’t taken off the friendship bracelet I gave him. That seemed like a good sign.

“Once I’m safely tucked away, you can come back and talk to Heidi,” I said as we started walking.

“I don’t want to come back and talk to Heidi.”

“But she told you to hang in there,” I said. “You must’ve been spilling your guts.” Jealousy was a dumb emotion, I decided.

“Sometimes it’s easier to talk to strangers.”

We both went silent after that.