Jasmine doesn’t come home after school. Shelby is still wearing the same clothes she arrived in. Her shower never materialized. Teddy and Dorian are having a snack before they get to their homework. Shelby is doing her best to follow Maravelle’s schedule, which doesn’t include a missing girl who wears makeup when she isn’t supposed to and who, now that she’s gotten away with lipstick and rouge, probably figures she can do as she pleases with Shelby in charge. When asked where their sister is, the twins both shrug. They are clearly sworn to secrecy.
At last the phone rings and Shelby jumps for it. She’s hoping it’s Jasmine, but it’s Maravelle.
“How are my babies?” Maravelle wants to know.
“Good,” Shelby lies. Real panic is setting in. “Doing homework. How the hell do you do all this, Mimi? Plus a full-time job? You’re super--woman.”
“Jasmine’s doing homework? Is that what you said? That doesn’t sound like her.”
“I’m having some trouble with her.” Shelby backtracks. “She’s definitely not perfect.”
“Put her on and I’ll let her have it.”
“I would, but she locked herself in the bathroom. Let me put the boys on.” Shelby grabs the twins and puts one hand over the phone receiver. “Don’t mention Jasmine,” she warns them. “Got it?”
The boys nod, and Shelby puts Teddy on the phone. He’ll be the better coconspirator. “You have no idea where your sister is?” she asks Dorian. After this morning he’s her buddy.
“She might be at the park on the corner with Jessie and Maria. We saw her there and she said not to tell you.”
“Oh, great.” Shelby rushes to the door. “Stay here, and don’t you or Teddy go anywhere.”
She locks the door and races to the park. She spies a bunch of kids hanging out near the basketball hoops. There’s Miss I’ll Do Whatever I Want. Shelby could strangle Jasmine.
“Hey,” Shelby shouts. Jasmine glances up and instantly looks mortified. The last thing she wants is some bald lady confronting her friends. “Get over here!” Shelby tells her.
Jasmine says something to her friends and ambles resentfully toward Shelby.
“Hurry! Your mother’s on the phone.”
When she hears that, Jasmine runs home even faster than Shelby does. Before they go into the house, Shelby grabs her arm. “I told your mother you were locked in the bathroom. Stick with that story.”
Fortunately Dorian is still on the phone when they get into the house. Jasmine grabs the receiver out of his hand.
“Hi, Mami,” she says. “Everything’s okay. I just hate Shelby.”
Shelby retreats to the backyard, where the boys have gone to throw a tennis ball for the General. Blinkie whines to be held, and Shelby hoists him onto her lap.
Jasmine comes outside when she gets off the phone. “I had to say I hated you,” she says. “Otherwise it wouldn’t make sense for me to have locked myself in the bathroom.”
“That’s just fine. Say whatever you want, just come home on time so your mother doesn’t kill me. I told her I would take care of you, so while I’m here, just do what I tell you.”
“Were you bald in high school?” Jasmine asks.
“No. I was pretty. I had long brown hair.”
“What happened to you?”
Shelby tries to explain her situation as best she can without the details. “I stopped caring about things.”
“Not everything. You care about your dogs.”
“Stop trying to psychoanalyze me,” Shelby says.
“Stop trying to tell me what to do.”
They both fall silent.
“I’ll come home on time tomorrow,” Jasmine says.
“It’s not because I care whether or not you do.”
“How late can I stay up?”
The schedule says ten o’clock.
“Midnight,” Shelby tells her.
You have to give the enemy some leeway.
“Fine,” Jasmine says.
The next morning is smoother. Everyone leaves for school. Dorian heads out with Teddy without mentioning the monster. Jasmine, wearing eyeliner and lipstick and big hoop earrings, has vowed to be home by three and asks if Shelby can help her with a science report.
Shelby finally takes a shower. It’s the best shower she’s ever had. She stands under the spray until the hot water is gone. She uses Maravelle’s green-tea-scented soap and Neutrogena body oil. After she’s dressed, Shelby clips the dogs’ leashes on and walks down the avenue. She saw a hardware store yesterday and now returns to buy a pair of work gloves and wire cutters. Ben calls her later in the day.
“Still hate kids?” he asks.
“Not as much,” Shelby admits.
“I bet they love you.”
“Only an idiot would love me,” Shelby blurts.
There’s silence on the other end of the line. Shelby has been pushing Ben away from the start of their relationship. All at once she realizes if she pushes too hard he may no longer be there.