When Mary Met Halley

Eight (Eight Years Earlier)

(Eight years earlier)

"I swear to God, Elle, if we miss the plane because you're doing your makeup, I will disown you as my sister," I threatened, putting my suitcase by the door.

"Shush it," she said absently, face pulled down as she leaned close to the mirror to apply mascara. "We have like three hours."

Freshly graduated, I didn't want to wait for anything. Especially this trip. "Girrrrrl."

"I'm done, I'm done." She screwed the lid on, dropped it into her purse, and turned to hug me in excitement. Two and a half years separated us, but we were close.

"You guys suck," fourteen-year-old Hazel scowled at us. She was getting ready, too; for summer school. "This is so unfair."

"Yeah, well, remember all those times I told you to do your English homework and you rolled your eyes at me?" I picked up my suitcase. "I won't say I told you so, but . . . I told you so."

Our eight-year-old brother was reading a Michael Crichton novel on the couch. "I told you I'd do your homework for a dollar a page. That was a sweet deal."

"Noah," I said. He wasn't supposed to rub it in that he was an extreme genius and the rest of us were not.

"I'm just saying." He dipped his spoon into the peanut butter jar and turned a page. "It's almost empty," he added before I could say anything.

"You guys be good while we're gone," I said, gesturing for him to come and hug us goodbye. "Joey! We're leaving!"

Joey, who had just turned six, ran in and clung to me tearfully. "You'll come back? You'll come back, right?"

I felt guilt overwhelm me at leaving him, even for two weeks, but pushed it away sternly. "I promise, we will."

"Okay," he said bravely, if doubtfully. Our mom had been gone a little over two years, and he had abandonment issues. "I believe you."

Elle picked him up with an Oof. "You are getting way too big," she told him. "You'll probably be twenty feet tall when we get back."

He scoffed, but was pleased as she set him back down. "I will not."

"Plane," I reminded her, leaning to hug Noah around his book as he waved me off. "You're in charge," I whispered, because in a lot of ways it was true. He was more responsible than Hazel by far.

"I know," he said, turning the page.

"I heard that," she said, flipping me off. She had a cigarette tucked over one ear and she shook her head a little as she looked at her cracked-screen phone.

"I'm just kidding," I said to keep the peace. I didn't need a big fight before we left.

"You're such a bitch," she said, but without rancor.

"Leave Mary alone," Elle said defensively. I shook my head at her a little so she wouldn't make it worse.

"Right; sorry, Mary's bodyguard," Hazel scoffed, opening her compact so she could use the mirror to draw on thick black eyeliner. "Sorry we don't all worship Miss Contrary."

I opened the door and ushered everyone out. Caleb was doing something in the trunk of my car, and Leif sat on the hood, smoking. They were both also on their way to summer school; Leif to repeat History while Caleb was beginning an apprenticeship for a paleontologist at the state university. Leif's lack of credits had cost him graduation, even after copying nearly every single one of the assignments in our shared classes.

"You have your sunscreen and medical information?" Caleb took our suitcases and put them into the trunk, just right, then shut it. A group of our siblings was now scattered across our weedy, connected front yards.

"We do," I assured him, putting my purse in the driver's seat. A travel cup of coffee had been placed in the holder, and I knew it would be just how I liked it.

Leif had circles under his eyes as he held out the cigarette to me. I shook my head. Caleb didn't smoke and while he didn't bitch about it much, he disliked it pretty intensely. I didn't want to kiss him with ashtray breath. Leif smirked at me, his blond hair stubble on his head. I shoved him so he lost his balance and fell off the hood. "Goddammit, Mary," he said, pushing me back.

"Yeah, yeah." I caught his arm and hugged him, a lump in my throat. Caleb I would miss by rote; it was expected. But I hadn't considered being away from Leif for two weeks too. The thought was suddenly daunting.

I took both of them for granted, as they did me. As they should. It was somewhere along the lines of unconditional love.

"Be careful," Caleb said, reaching for me as I let go of his twin. He wasn't jealous of us in any way, which was good as he had no reason to be. "Listen to the instructions on the plane so you know what to do if there's an emergency." He let go and kissed me and turned to Elle. "Don't give Mary any trouble, you."

She hugged him and went to Leif, kissing him as he wrapped his arms around her. They'd been together almost a year, my favorite sister and my best friend, and it was still a little weird. She plucked the cigarette from his fingers and took a drag. "I'll do what I want, as usual," she answered Caleb mock-haughtily.

He gave her a look and motioned to their brother to get out of the mud by the leaky hose. "You guys should get going." He kissed me again and I got in as Elle detached herself from Leif and did the same.

"Oh my God, I can't believe it!" She bounced in the passenger seat.

"Shit, my charger." I got out and jogged to the front door, dodging kids. Baby Rudy was barely walking but had managed to follow the bigger ones out. "Someone watch the baby, you guys." I went in and grabbed my charger off the kitchen table, where it sat dangerously close to a puddle of spilled milk and cereal. "Not my problem," I told myself, itching to clean it up.

I turned and ran into Hazel, who was not expecting me. Trails of mascara ran under her eyes like tiny waterfalls. "Fuck," she said, swiping them angrily. "Aren't you gone already?"

"Haze," I said, my heart falling. I put my hand on her arm. "I'm sorry you can't come."

She jerked away. "Whatever, Mary, just go. You get everything, as usual. You and Elle. Who cares; it's nothing new." She brushed past me and I stood, torn. The horn sounded outside and I allowed it to pull me back there.

"What's wrong?" Elle asked after I'd kissed Caleb one last time and was shutting the door. "Hazel giving you drama?"

"She was crying." I put the car in reverse and a cigarette between my lips.

"She'll get over it," she assured me. "Don't let her get to you. She's just trying to make you feel bad." She held her lighter so the flame was under the end of the cigarette and I inhaled.

"Yeah, well, it's working," I admitted. We waved to everyone as we left them behind, and I felt more guilty over my sense of relief at doing so.