On the Long Route

The Sugar Bowl

Chapter 4

The Sugar Bowl

"This is my favorite summertime gift from Daddy," Muffy Crosswire gushed, holding a purple and silver object across the table for Arthur to see.

He and Muffy had managed to scurry into the first available booth inside the Sugar Bowl, which was exceptionally crowded on this Sunday afternoon. Arthur examined Muffy's gift. It looked like a rectangular mirror incased in plastic, nothing special.

"What is it?" he said.

"The Portolex Infinity, silly. The latest in their Screen Touch series." She placed the phone on the table and brushed the mirror with her fingertips. The mirror illuminated to reveal a bright color-screen photograph of Jude Pendleton, the so-called British heartthrob Arthur remembered from one of the Henry Skreever movies.

Muffy giggled unabashedly. "My wallpaper. J-Pen is just so... As I was saying, this phone has everything—QWERTY touch-screen keyboard, MP3 player, GPS, stock portfolio programs, you name it. For an extra two hundred dollars, there's even a blood glucose monitoring option. But since I'm not diabetic, it seemed a bit frivolous."

"Wow."

Arthur did not know why a thirteen-year-old girl would need half those things.

"I know, right? And it comes in Orchid, my favorite shade of purple. If I could fall in love with an object, it would be this phone."

"Muffy, can't you give that ridiculous Jude Pendleton picture a rest? The guy looks like he's angry and needs to use the bathroom."

Francine had made it to the booth, having waded through the crowd, trying to balance the three drinks she held in her hands. "Thanks for helping me with these, by the way," she said, plunking drinks in front of Arthur and Muffy. "I'm being sarcastic."

"Of course we could have helped you, but then someone would have usurped our booth, if you'd have wanted that on your conscience."

"Sorry, Francine, I should've helped," said Arthur.

It would've beat looking at a picture of JPEG, or whatever his name is, he thought. "I wonder why this place is so crowded today. Is there a festival in town?"

"Nah." Francine said. Orange soda in hand, she took a seat next to Arthur. "I think people are just getting their summertime ya-yas out before school starts. Alan said it's been the same way at the ice cream shop."

Muffy unwrapped a straw and stuck it in her cherry limeade. "I, for one, can't wait for school to start."

"Really?" Arthur and Francine said in unison.

"Oh, yes. So much exciting stuff is happening this year. I'm planning all sorts of fun parties. Then there's the Deadlight movie—the one J-Pen's starring in—followed by the last Deadlight book this spring..."

"In other words, nothing that actually has anything to do with school," Francine said, smiling. "You had me worried for a second."

"I think eighth-graders have a semi-formal dance sometime this year. That counts. Plus—best of all—Chip is moving back home! Well, not home exactly, but he'll be in Elwood City, and I'll get to see him more often."

"Oh, that's right. Catherine told me," said Francine. "I bet now that he's all done with school, it's time for him to join the family business."

"Um, not exactly," said Muffy.

"Why not? I thought Chip was going to follow in your dad's footsteps."

Arthur thought Muffy looked uncomfortable. She glanced over her shoulder, as if checking for eavesdroppers. "It's...kind of a long story," she said.