Not a Bestseller

Something Good Finally Happens, and I Blow It

You read right. Sometimes I marvel at my own stupidity.

Beep. Beep. Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep!!!

"Ben! Hurry up!"

I gave Julia a finger she couldn't see and snatched the rest of my stuff. When I finally found my front door, a tall figure stood in the path. Red heels inched her towards the top of the doorframe.

My mother shoved a bottle of sunscreen in my bag. "Do you have your phone?"

"Yes," I lied.

"And you said this was with your therapy friends, right?"

"Yes," I lied again.

"Don't forget to call me when you get there."

"I won't."

"That's a lot of stuff for a community outreach project."

"Yeah."

"Where did you say this was again?"

Three minutes of interrogation later, I shoved around my mom and slipped through the door. Her voice followed me out. "Say hi to Julia for me. Love you!"

"Uh-huh," I mumbled.

I know. You would've told them your plan to go on a road trip to a cheesy kid's carnival with your best friend's goofy friends you just met. I don't think like you. My parents couldn't know. They'd never let me go. I was incapable of fun. Spending time with people who have normal brains, the kind of people who don't need therapy? Forget about it.

Besides, I was of the same blood as Kyle Wood. A day out of town could only mean the death of all dignity.

I slipped into the passenger seat of Julia's car.

"What. Did. You. Do?"

I found her eye contact. "What?"

"What?" She made wide gestures with her arms. "What is all of this stuff?" She pointed at my bag, stuff bulging out of the fabric. "I told you to bring a jacket."

"I did bring my jacket."

Julia banged her head against the steering wheel. I'm surprised she missed the horn.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

Her voice broke into a fit of laughter, but her eyes were glistening like the peak of Mount Everest. If it had been dropped off in Antarctica. "You're impossible. You are leaving all that stuff in my car."

"Okay."

She put the car in drive. "You sure your parents are okay with this?"

I nodded.

With a sigh, Julia pulled off the curb. We passed the fountain, took sharp turns until the houses were cleaner versions of mine. Ten minutes later, we found Valerie's RV. Paintings of gingers and bright pink daisies weaved around the windowpanes.

RV...R.I.P. Valerie?

"Sorry about the mess."

Valerie's bubblegum hair was crimped even more than last time. Apple cores, candy wrappers, and old photographs buried the floor. Two velvety couches with fluffed-up pillows took up most of the walls.

"No problem," Julia said. "Where is everybody?"

"Joey's in the bathroom, Brooke's running late because Paige slept in, Alexander's on his way, and Leah-"

Like the perfect timing of a sitcom, guess who walked in?

"Hey, guys," Leah muttered. (Black, tiny female Austin.) She plopped onto one of the couches. "Tell me you did not say Paige is coming."