Page 8 of Places We've Never Been

“How are you?” I finally asked him.

“Yeah, I’m good, thanks.” That’s all he said, no goofy quip, no knowing smirk. “How are you?”

“I’m okay.” I nodded toward the rental RV. “Are you ready for this?”

He scoffed. “No.”

“A forced participation, huh?” Then, because we had just as much shared history as Ezra and Austin, who were still going strong, I added, “Like sixth-grade science fair? I think I still have dried crickets in my teeth.”

He gave what I remembered as his courtesy chuckle, which had never before been directed at me, and said, “Yeah.”

I blinked, my hope from before evaporating in an instant. I covertly slipped the bracelet off my wrist and into my pocket. “Okay, nice catching up,” I said. Then I turned and was barely able to keep myself from running away. Instead, I walked briskly to our RV, opened the door, and shut it behind me. “Dried crickets in my teeth? Really, Norah?”

Great, my partner in awkwardness had turned normal.

I huffed out a breath, then flung my backpack onto the couch.

The door creaked open and my heart caught, hoping it was Skyler coming to explain himself. But Paisley walked in alone.

“Wow, your RV is bigger than ours. This is so cool.” She went on a self-guided tour of the kitchenette, the double-decker beds, and the bathroom. “Do you guys take it out a lot?”

“We used to more, but usually only for a long weekend. This will be the longest trip we’ve ever done.”

“I’m excited,” she said.

“Yeah, me too.” I really was. Even without Skyler, I had been looking forward to the route Mom had shown me and some of the stops we were making—Zion, Yellowstone, Seattle, which housed my future school!—since the beginning. I had never been out of California before and I was more than ready to experience something different.

“Mom said we used to live around here.”

“Yes, right around the corner, not even a full block away. You don’t remember?”

“Some, I guess. Are there orange trees close? I remember building a fort in them or something with my brothers.”

I smiled. “Yeah, behind the neighborhood. A developer bought the orchard, though, so soon there will be more houses.”

“Do you remember me?”

“Of course! You were like this tall and followed me and Skyler everywhere.” I held my hand up to indicate her height. “Do you not remember me?”

“Did your hair used to be darker?”

I reached up and tugged on the ends of my previously dark brown hair. A trip to the hairdresser just last week had it looking more light brown. “Yes. It’s amazing what a bit of bleach and toner can do.”

She curled her lip. “I wouldn’t know. My mom won’t let me touch my hair.”

“You should never touch your hair.”

She squinted her eyes as if thinking. “Did you used to wear your hair in French braids a lot?”

I laughed. “Ah, yes. The French braid phase. I learned how to do them on myself when I was like ten, so there was a whole year where I wore one every day.”

“You’ll have to teach me how. I still don’t know.”

“Are you sure you want a French braid phase in your life?”

“I will use the skill wisely.”

Skyler’s sister was funny. Maybe she’d be my saving grace on this trip. And maybe she could provide me with a little insight. “So…what’s up with your brother? Why doesn’t he want to be here?”