Page 26 of Places We've Never Been

CHAPTER 6

I pulled my thinnest T-shirt out of my suitcase, knowing today was going to be hot. When I did, a folded piece of paper fell to the floor. I picked it up, confused, before I remembered the notes Willow had left for me. I smiled before I even unfolded it.

There was a picture of a bright, happy sun at the top of the page, and an arrow pointing to it with the wordNorah.Down below the sun was a stick figure lying on the ground withXs for eyes but a big smile on its face. Another arrow pointed at the stick figure and it readWillow.I flipped it over, looking for theinterpretation, but there were no other words. I took a pic of the drawing and texted it to Willow with the messageWTH??

I am not an artistwas her quick reply.

Well, obviously, but what does it mean?

It means you are my sunshine.

Sunshine that kills you?

But look, I died happy.

I narrowed my eyes at the picture. This didn’t seem like agood thing. Whatever, it was just a picture. Willow would not be happy if I overanalyzed a picture.

I could hear Ezra snoring on the lower bunk, his curtain still closed, but I smelled bacon cooking on the outside grill, so I assumed that’s where my mom was. I went to the bathroom and got dressed and ready for the day. But when I stepped outside our RV, only Olivia was at the cooking station.

“Good morning,” Olivia said.

“Hi, good morning. Can I help with anything?”

“You want to make a fruit salad?” she asked. “There are blueberries and strawberries in the ice chest over there and here are some bananas.” She handed me four bananas from the table beside where she was flipping bacon on the griddle.

I took them and retrieved the other fruit as well, then went back in the RV for the large plastic bowl we kept in the cupboard. I used the indoor sink to wash the berries and cut up the bananas using a knife from the drawer. I grabbed a big spoon, then took the bowl and headed back out. I stepped down from the RV as the sound of heavy footsteps preceded Skyler jogging into view. The neckline of his shirt was wet with sweat, as was his hairline.

“How was your run?” Olivia asked him.

Skyler ran now? With enough regularity to actually call ita runand do it while on vacation? I set the bowl on the picnic table we’d eaten at the night before.

“It was good.” He kissed his mom’s cheek. “What can I do?”

“Will you take over flipping the bacon so I can work on pancakes?”

“Yes.”

He gave me a short nod in greeting and I looked away, realizing I had been studying the new athletic version of Skyler.

As Olivia began pouring the premixed batter onto a hot pan next to the griddle, she glanced at me over her shoulder. “How is life, Norah?”

“It’s good. We’re going to be seniors next year, so lots of things to think about—college and career choices and you know, our entire future.”

Olivia laughed. “Is that all?”

I dug through one of the bags by the table, looking for the paper plates and silverware.

“So Seattle?” she asked. “Is that the plan? I hear you have a tour and an interview when we get there in a couple weeks.”

“That’s the dream.” I had this hope that when I finally got tocollege and was surrounded by other artists and creatives, I’d finally feel like I’d found my place. I’d be with my people. I’d feel the way I used to feel when I was around Skyler, before he’dgrown out of it,apparently.

“Are you nervous?” she asked.

“A little. I’m not great at thinking under pressure.”

Skyler gave me a sideways glance like he was surprised by this admission. He didn’t get to pretend to know me now after agreeing we weren’t friends the night before.

“I’m sure you’ll do just fine,” she said.