Bridge Jumping

Chapter Three

I got home that afternoon, got a root beer from the fridge and sat down at the kitchen table. I was feeling pretty sorry for myself.

"Anything happen in school today?" my mom asked from where she stood at the counter.

I told her the whole disastrous story. When I was done, she mulled the situation over. I could tell she was mulling, because she always got the same look on her face when she was thinking hard – her forehead crinkled up and her mouth twisted a little to one side. I thought she looked funny like that and I'd told her so before, but she only said there was nothing funny about getting wrinkles on her forehead – whatever that meant.

"Is this Erin such a horrible person that being her partner for a day would ruin Canobie Lake for you?" she finally asked.

"She's not horrible," I said. "She's really nice, actually. But none of the other kids like her – they all make fun of her and say she has lice."

"Ah," she replied, as if it all made sense suddenly. "And you're afraid that if you are nice to her, the other kids will make fun of you too?"

I shrugged, not wanting to admit it but unwilling to lie.

She sat down next to me at the table. "Remember when you first went to Middle School, I told you that things weren't always going to be easy – that sometimes you were going to have to make tough decisions, and that doing the right thing wouldn't always be the popular thing? Do you remember?"

I nodded.

"Well," she continued. "This is one of those decisions you are going to have to make on your own. You said yourself that Erin is a nice person. You can either be nice to her, or you can follow the crowd." She patted my shoulder. "I'm sure you'll do what is right for you."

She left me alone to think. That was one of her tactics – leaving any moral decision making up to my conscience and me.

I worried about being paired with Erin for the entire week. She was obviously excited about being my partner and tried to talk to me a couple of times, but I avoided her. I talked to her once when we were alone in the bathroom. Her enthusiasm was contagious and I found myself getting excited too. Then some girls came in and I left before they could see us together. I was beginning to think my mom was giving me and my conscience too much credit.

Friday arrived too soon and the class lined up at the door. Hannah walked past me - her bikini straps poking out from beneath her stylish tank top – and stood awkwardly next to Deana. I wished for the hundredth time that we could've been partners – even if we did have to spend the entire day next to the pool. She looked at me and I gave her an encouraging smile. She smiled back, glanced to where Erin stood next to me and crossed her eyes. I giggled.

"What's so funny?" Erin asked. She was looking at me curiously, like she wanted to be in on the joke. She didn't have a clue it had been about her.

"Nothing," I lied. "Are you excited about today?"

A huge smile came over her face and she nodded enthusiastically. "Of course," she said. "I can't wait to get on the roller coasters."
"Really?" I asked, surprised. "Me too. I could ride them all day long."

"Good," she said. "Then that's what we'll do!"

Erin may not be the most popular kid in school, but at least she knew how to have fun at an amusement park.

The bus ride was long, bumpy and hot. I stayed mostly quiet as I looked out the window at the passing scenery. Everything was green and new looking. Ours was the first bus to pull into the parking lot, which meant we had first dibs on the rides.

Mr. Ryan gave us a brief lecture about staying with our partners and reminded us that the first check-in was at twelve pm, at the food court. Then he let us go. We tumbled out of the bus and rushed for the entrance. I tried to keep up with Hannah, but Deana pulled her ahead. I watched them – they seemed to be getting along pretty good – better than I'd expected. Deana was laughing at something Hannah had said, and my friend was looking very pleased with herself. I knew I should be happy for her, but I didn't feel all that happy at the moment. I bent down and pretended to tie my sneakers so I wouldn't have to watch my best friend being stolen from me. .

When I was sure they were gone, I stood up and turned to Erin. "Let's go," I said, and we ran.

We went on the Yankee Cannonball first, and screamed as we careened down the big dips, holding our arms high above our heads to heighten the sensation. When the ride finished, we went directly to another, and then another, and then another. After an hour, our heads were spinning and our throats were dry from laughing so much.

"I need a drink," I said. We went to the food court where a few kids from class were scattered about. I hoped no one was watching as we sat down.

"So," Erin said, propping her legs up on the chair opposite her. I glanced at them and saw they were covered with dark hair. My first thought was gross, but then I remembered that my mom wouldn't let me shave yet either. The only difference was that the hair on ny legs was a lot lighter and less noticeable. I bet Nathalie's mom let her shave her legs. I looked away from the unsightly hair.

"Are you having fun?" she asked as she slurped her root beer.

"Sure," I said.

She looked so happy. I knew she only wanted to be my friend, and she was trying so hard - like I had tried with Nathalie. I didn't want her to feel that kind of pressure. I leaned forward.

"Erin, I'm having so much fun today. We have a lot in common, you know." I lifted up my cup. "We like the same soda."

Her face got red and she laughed – a snort came out. "I always thought you were the nicest girl in school," she told me. Her compliment made me feel bad. If I had ever been nice to her, it had been when it was convenient for me.

"I have psoriasis, you know," she blurted out, suddenly.

"What?" I asked, confused.

She looked embarrassed as she dragged a hand through her bushy hair and grabbed a handful of flakey strands. "This," she clarified.

I understood.

"It's not lice, that's all." She shrugged. "The skin on my scalp is really, really dry. The flakes – they're like dandruff. My mom has all sorts of medication for it, but nothing works. I know what everyone says about it."

I couldn't pretend not to know what she was talking about, so I didn't. "People can be jerks sometimes." She nodded, and we sipped our sodas in silence.

A boy from class walked by and I heard him say, "Cave woman," under his breath. Erin looked down at her lap.

"Shut up, jerk!" I yelled after him.

He looked at me like I was crazy, and I stuck out my tongue at him. Erin giggled and I finally felt like a real friend.

The rest of the day was fun. I discovered Erin and I really did have a lot in common. We both loved to read, which was cool because now I had someone to talk to about The Hunger Games. She thought the books were better than the movies, too.

Erin got to go all over that world because her dad's job required him to travel. She'd been to Ireland, and London and even Australia. She'd held a koala at a zoo in Sydney, and had even petted a kangaroo!

I couldn't wait to meet her family. They sounded bizarre, and very cool. She said her parents were hippies – her dad had long hair, down his back, and her mom had short, spiky hair. Her older brother was in high school - he was so smart he was graduating a year early and going to Harvard in the Fall. Her younger brother was four; he walked around the house, grunting and head butting things. He was, she told me, an enigma to the rest of the family.

"My dad says he'll grow out of it," she said. "Until then, my mom makes him wear a helmet around the house. Last time, he head butted the coffee table and split his forehead open." She shook her head and I shuddered.

I thought meeting her family would be like going to the circus - very cool.