Page 39 of Places We've Never Been

CHAPTER 9

“Maybe Ezra is right. Maybe IAMa man hater because there is not one guy on this trip that I like right now,” I whined to Willow as I lay in my bunk after lunch.

Willow laughed. “Ezra called you a man hater?”

“Not in so many words.”

“You are not.”

“Also, you were right. This trip is about more than my college interview.”

“Really? Why do you say that?” she asked.

“Ezra is keeping a secret from me,” I said.

“What secret?” she asked.

“I haven’t figured it out yet but I’m going to. Something about my mom or my parents. I’m so mad that he knows and I don’t. Do they think I can’t handle it? That’s so annoying that they think Ezra can handle something that I can’t. He can’t handle anything!”

She laughed again. “Okay, maybe you are a man hater.”

I let my head flop off the side of the bed, taking in the nowupside-down view of the empty RV. Everyone else had gone to the clubhouse to play pool or arcade games or whatever they had there. I’d locked myself inside to vent to Willow.

“Call your dad,” she said. “He’ll restore your faith in men.”

“He’s obviously keeping the secret too!”

“Do you want to talk to my dad?”

I hummed. “Your dad is pretty great.”

“And Skyler? He hasn’t redeemed himself atallfrom day one?”

“No, he’s even worse than before. He said he doesn’t trust me when I am completely trustworthy.”

“So trustworthy.” She said it with such a serious tone that I couldn’t help but laugh. I knew talking to Willow was the right call. I was already starting to feel better.

“Will you do some snooping for me?” I asked.

“Snooping?”

“Go by my house and take pictures of the medicine cabinets in my parents’ bathroom while my dad is at work. And look through the stack of mail in the brown basket in the kitchen while you’re there too.”

“Norah!”

“What? I’m serious.”

“I know you’re serious and that makes it worse. I just called you trustworthy!”

“It’s not my fault everyone has no faith in me.”

She laughed.

“So you won’t snoop for me?”

“No, I will. I just had to act appalled first.”

“You’re the best.”