Gwen thought to bring her iPod along with a dock that has a couple of small speakers. She blasts Black Veil Brides, which is supposed to make us rock out and work faster. It actually is pretty fun. Lila and I race to see who can get the most plastic bottles. This lot is absolutely disgusting. Even if I can’t get permission to plant a garden here in the spring, just getting the trash hauled away will make a huge difference.
It takes three hours, but eventually we have eight full bags, plus some random junk. I’m amazed when a truck pulls up. Gwen grins at me. “I bothered my dad to make some calls for us. And voilà! Phil is taking everything to the junkyard today.”
“Thanks. This is really impressive,” I say.
Gwen doesn’t answer; she’s counting piles before Phil can take them. Looks like Tara and Conrad gathered the most. He punches the air when he gets his five bucks, which is basically a latte or a frap. Still, it’s better than nothing. She’s more restrained, but she beams at Kenny, who cheers up a bit beneath his drooping Mario hat.
“That’s it,” Gwen announces, then she beckons to her dad’s friend.
Ten minutes later, when the truck pulls away, the lot looks fantastic. I can imagine how the garden will look. It would be awesome if we could do three different types: herbs, vegetables, and flowers nearest the sidewalk, adding both beauty and purpose to the wasted space. There are shops to either side of the lot. I think Aunt Gabby told me there was an inn here, a long time ago, but it burned down, and nobody cared to rebuild as this isn’t a tourist destination. There’s a motel out near the freeway, but this isn’t the kind of town that gets the bed-and-breakfast crowd.
“Good start,” Conrad says in his slow, dreamy way. “But we probably need to keep an eye on the place, make sure it doesn’t get junky again before spring.”
“Seconded,” Ryan murmurs.
That’s the first thing he’s said in my hearing this afternoon. I wonder what he and Shane talked about, if anything. Lila and I kept too busy for me to stare at them, but I was tempted. Gwen makes plans for a weekly watch program, and while I register my day to walk by, I’m only half paying attention. The meeting is breaking up by the time I tune back in again.
“Some of us are heading over to the Coffee Shop to wait for our rides,” Theo says.
I take that as an invitation, but I’m not interested. “I need to get started on my homework, but thanks. Next time?”
“Totally,” Kimmy says.
“That wasn’t horrible,” Mel is saying as the four of them stroll off.
“Next meeting’s at the library, usual time,” Gwen shouts and gets random finger gestures from people who are so done for now.
“So what’s next, Princess? Can we save a kitten from a tree?” Lila opens her eyes obnoxiously wide, so she looks like an anime character.
“Not tonight. I have to get home. And please don’t call me that.”
“Sorry.” She actually sounds it. “Old habits.”
I surprise myself by asking, “You want to come?”
She pauses, cocking her head in apparent contemplation. We’ve never done that, but she said she wanted us to be better friends. That means hanging out, right? Since I’m new at this, I’m winging it.
Finally she says, “Why not? Let me call my mom.” The conversation that follows is reassuringly normal. I hear Lila’s side, answering typical parental questions, then she hands me the phone with a sigh. “She requires corroboration that I’m running with a new crowd.”
“Hi, this is Sage.”
“Nice to meet you. Well, sort of.” Lila’s mom sounds friendly, curious, and desperately hopeful. “Did Lila really participate in some kind of project?”
“Yes, ma’am. We cleaned up the vacant lot between the dry cleaner’s and the hardware store. You can drive by and check it out if you like. I think it looks great. I’ve invited her to dinner at my house. If you want, I can have my aunt call you when we get there.”
She’s a little choked up. “No. No, that’s all right. I’m so happy she’s making some new friends.”
“Bye, Mrs. Tremaine.” I hand the phone back to Lila, who leans her head back in the classic Why-God-why pose.
“Well, that ranks among the more humiliating moments in my life. She doesn’t trust me at all anymore.”