Page 126 of Places We've Never Been

CHAPTER 31

“Are they going to throw the fish?” Paisley asked. “I thought that was the whole point of coming here.” Pike Place Market was a bunch of small shops all under the same roof. Like a farmer’s market (with fruit and fresh seafood and flower vendors) and a craft fair (with art and jewelry and needlework) and a bakery (with doughnuts and cakes and cookies) and lots of other mismatched odds and ends, all lined up and stacked several stories deep on the waterfront.

We’d stopped along with the rest of the crowd in front of a fresh seafood vendor, the fishy smell in the air strong, but nothing was happening. I had been sticking close to Olivia all morning, following through with my promise to my mom that I’d encourage Skyler to spend more time with her. Plus, it kept Ezra and his stupid puppy dog eyes away from me.

“Have you been here before?” I asked Olivia.

“No, it’s my first time in Seattle.”

“Really?” Skyler asked from her other side. “I didn’t realize that. What’s your favorite place that you’ve been before this trip, then?”

“I’m not a big traveler,” she said. “Haven’t had the time or the money. But I’m excited about our San Francisco stop in a few days.” She turned to me. “Your mom and I used to do short weekends there.”

“I love San Francisco too,” I said.

Skyler hummed. “Now that I’m thinking about it, Mom, you really haven’t been anywhere in the last four years. You need to get a life.”

She laughed, but my stomach dropped.

“Thanks, kid,” she said.

“Maybe we should move back to Fresno so Miranda can force you out of the house occasionally.” Skyler smirked at me with the comment.

“I’m sure you’d love it if I upended your life again,” she said, her voice full of sarcasm. “Right before your senior year.”

Skyler’s voice went soft. “I wouldn’t mind.”

I sucked in my lips to keep from smiling.

Olivia was surprised, though. “Really? You’d leave all your friends and go back to Fresno?”

“Yes,” he said without hesitation. “Wait. Is that a possibility?”

“No, it’s not. You know we moved for Dad’s job. Nothing has changed.”

“I know,” he said.

“But after high school,” I said, “you could go anywhere. Like Seattle, for example.” But as the words came out of my mouth, they reminded me of Willow. That’s what I always said to her. That’s what she’d always shot down. Was she so against it because she wanted to go to a school close to Ezra?

“It’s true,” Skyler said.

Olivia patted his arm. “That would be fun. You and Norah in the same city for college.”

“Human friendship bracelets,” he mouthed to me.

There was a shout from one of the fishmongers that I didn’t understand, followed by a sustained cheer from the other workers. Then a fish flew through the air and into the waiting hands of a guy by the register. The crowd whooped as he held the fish above his head.

Paisley clapped. “Okay, that was cool.” Then she cupped her hands around her mouth. “Do it again!”

Instead of a fish, this time the man picked up a giant squid or octopus or something with very long tentacles and chased Paisley with it. She screamed and ran. Olivia laughed and rushed after her.

Ezra said, “I’m going to get some of those seasoned peanuts around the corner! You want some, Norah?” He was trying to make peace. I was not ready to make peace.

“No,” I said. “But grab some for Willow while you’re there, yeah?”

He widened his eyes at me. My mom would be mad at him if she knew.

“Does Willow like peanuts?” Mom asked.