“I’m a Virgo,” I said quietly.
“Oh, right,” she said. She read a few lines about how I was going to need to focus on my work for the next few days—actually true, as I hadn’t cracked a textbook since Sarah had come home, and I had school the next day. The prospect of facing everyone—my friends and teachers—made me push away my plate of eggs and toast, half eaten.
“I’m gonna jump in the shower,” Sarah announced, standing and stretching. She brought her plate and coffee cup over to the sink. “Thanks,” she said, giving Mom a quick embrace.
Once Sarah left the kitchen, Mom turned to Dad. “Did you see that?”
Dad put down the paper. “See what?”
“It’s nothing, just that—Sarah brought her plate over without being asked, and gave me a hug.” Mom stood there with the spatula in her hand and she and Dad exchanged a look of pure gratitude.
Dad smiled and shook his head. “She’s grown up a lot.”
The doorbell rang and, for an instant, we all held our breath. Detectives? Then I remembered, probably at the same time Mom and Dad did: Paula. She wouldn’t leave yesterday without a commitment from Sarah to go running in the morning, “We’ll do the high school track, Sarah,” she’d said, “like we used to.” But they hadn’t agreed on a time, Sarah had never said yes.
Mom shot Dad a look. “Nico, will you tell Paula that Sarah’s not up for a run—and we have family plans today,” Mom said.
I let out a sigh and went to the door. Paula was dressed in running clothes, complete with ponytail under her baseball cap. “Where’s Sarah?” She looked past me and into the house. The way she said Sarah’s name gave me shivers. It was almost sarcastic, or like she was angry.
“She’s not up for it,” I explained.
“Okay.” Paula nodded and met my eyes. Then she motioned for me to step outside on the porch and I did, pulling the door shut behind me. “Why don’t you walk with me for a while. There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
What do you think you’re doing, Nico, talking to my friend about me behind my back—did you think I wouldn’t find out?
“I can’t, we’re doing something.”
“Oh really.” Paula tilted her head to the side, looking thoughtful. “Family time,” she murmured. “Well, tell Sarah that we’re heading back up to school today.” I noted her use of the word we. “But I’ll try to swing by next time I’m down.”
“Yeah, okay.” I turned to go back into the house, watching through the window as Paula crossed the street. She paused on the other side and looked up at the windows for a moment before she got into her car.
Mom came up behind me, wiping her hands with a dish towel. “The film Sarah wants to see starts in an hour and a half, okay?”
We had planned to take it easy today—spend time as a family before I headed back to school tomorrow and Dad went back to work. Sarah had a whole slew of doctors’ appointments Monday that Mom had to take her to, and I knew she was stressed about them.
“I dunno about the movie,” I said. “I’ve got homework, but you guys go.” I took the stairs two at a time. Something Paula had said was still echoing in my head—no, not what she said, how she said it. Family time. As if we weren’t a real family, as if we were just playing a game. I didn’t want Mom to see my face.
I rounded the corner and ran into Sarah in the dark hallway coming from the bathroom and startled. My instinct was still to cower, to wait for the shove, the slap.
Nico, clumsy Nico, always falling and getting hurt.
“Oh, Nico, sorry!” She put a hand on my arm and I jerked back. “I didn’t mean to scare you,” she said sincerely. “Who was at the door?”
I paused and held my breath. The word nobody was on my lips. “Paula. She thought you might want to go running.”
“Oh, right,” Sarah said. She had probably forgotten that Paula even asked her yesterday. “Did she leave already?”
I nodded. “I told her you weren’t up for it. . . .” I waited for her to say something.
You have to get cardio every day, that’s what you don’t understand, Nico. You’re going to be blubber your whole life if you don’t start working out.
Sarah rubbed her wet hair with a towel. “You okay with seeing this dumb movie? I know it’s for kids, but looks kinda cute, right?”
“I can’t, I’ve got piles of homework. School tomorrow.” I backed into my room, but she followed me.
“What do you have? Anything I can help with?”
“It’s advanced algebra, and I have midterms next week, so . . .” Sarah had never been good at math.
“Let me have a look.” She moved to my desk and she picked up the algebra II book.
“Really, I’ve got it,” I said quickly, taking the book from her hands.