“Mean? When have I ever been mean?”
“You were always mean to him. Do you know how scared he was of coming here?”
Spencer looked like he was going to swoon with joy on hearing this, but Lola had lost her earlier playfulness.
“I’m serious, Spencer,” Lola said. “It hurt me. It really did. All those things you said about him. The two of you always thought it was funny, but it wasn’t. I would never have said anything like that about someone you were dating, and you brought home some crazy ones.”
Obviously, Lola had been holding this in for a while, and it stunned all three of them when it came flooding out. It certainly shocked Scarlett, who was still in the middle of delivering her amazing plan. Marlene loyally squeezed in next to Lola and wrapped her arms around her waist.
“I think half the reason I broke up with him was because you guys hated him so much,” Lola said, sniffing a little. “Especially you, Spence. You never gave Chip a chance. I’ll bet if Scarlett went out with someone you didn’t like, you wouldn’t pick on him.”
Spencer looked down at his hands quickly.
“Don’t be so sure,” he said. “I think you’d be surprised.”
“I liked Chip,” Marlene said.
“I know you did, Mar. He liked you, too.”
Spencer looked to Scarlett nervously. He swung over to the side of the bed to face Lola.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t like him, but I never meant to make you feel bad. I didn’t think you were paying any attention.”
“Not paying attention?” she asked. “How could I not pay attention?”
“Because you think I’m an idiot,” he said, as if this was completely self-evident. “Seriously. I had no idea you cared at all about what I was saying.”
Lola was shaking her head, unable to comprehend what she was hearing.
“Spencer,” she said, “you’re my older brother.”
This simple statement landed on Spencer like a pile of lumber. Plus, all three of his younger sisters were staring at him.
“Oh,” he said.
He reached his hand over, but Lola preempted him and moved over to Scarlett’s bed, wrapping him in a hug.
“Why would you listen to me?” he asked, as he hugged her back.
Scarlett put her hands over her eyes. This was the second major emotional catharsis she had caused that afternoon—and all she was trying to do was get people to get themselves together enough to put on a show she wasn’t even in.
“Guys…” she said.
But Lola had earned her cry time. Marlene, moved by Lola’s distress, came over and joined the group, attaching herself to both Lola and Spencer. Spencer glanced up at Scarlett helplessly from over the human pile that had formed around him.
Scarlett began to pace. She accidentally knocked the sneaker out from under Lola’s leaning dresser, and it shifted swiftly. By the time she had it propped up again, Lola had regained control and was sitting up.
“So,” Lola said, wiping her eyes, “if you need help, I’ll do it. I’ll talk to Chip.”
“Okay,” Scarlett said, feeling more positive, “this is how it works. You guys set up the boat trip—make it long and make it far. The show takes a full three hours, plus at least an hour to clean up.”
“Longer than that,” Spencer said. “If we put up the stage, we’re talking two hours minimum.”
“Okay. So the show starts at seven, it’s over at ten. We need at least until midnight.”
“The ride to the boat basin takes about twenty minutes,” Lola said. “We can drag our heels getting off and getting to the car, I guess.”
“If you have to, make Chip say the boat stalled or something,” Scarlett said. “Keep it out there as long as you can.”
Lola sagged a bit. Spencer gave her a cheerful squeeze around the shoulders to hold her up.
“The part with Mom and Dad,” Scarlett said. “That’s up to you, Marlene. We need them both to go. We’ll tell them it’s like a mini vacation we set up for them, and that it really matters to you.”
“A mini vacation with Lola’s ex,” Spencer said. “Cozy. We’re going to need to do better than that.”
“I can get Mom and Dad to come,” Marlene said firmly. “What time are we supposed to go?”
“Ten in the morning,” Scarlett said, calculating based on her many hours of observation. “That gives us nine hours to get everybody in, and you guys can practice at least once. Does that sound possible, Spencer?”
“The whole thing sounds nuts, but nine hours—yeah, we could set up, reblock it, run it once. It won’t be smooth, but it’s possible.”
“Okay,” Scarlett said. “The first part is up to you, Lola.”
Lola rose unsteadily.
“I’ll do this,” she said, “but…”
This was to Spencer.
“No remarks about Chip. Ever.”
“I promise,” he said seriously. “No remarks about Chip, ever again. For life.”