We’ve got poster board, spray paints in blue and purple, a glue stick, and Sharpies.” Elisa ticked off their loot on the fingers of one hand as she stood with Boom surveying the trunk of Alex’s car. “What do you think might be missing?”
Boom pondered for a moment, rubbing her chin in what was probably an adorable imitation of one of her father’s habits. Elisa couldn’t wait to see Alex do it.
“I can print out pictures of Pluto to glue onto the board.” Boom sounded unsure. Standing next to Elisa, she usually came to about chest height but now she drooped into an exaggerated slump. “I thought they’d look great, but none of it seems to stand out much. All the kids are going to be doing space stuff and we don’t get an A unless we really stand out from the rest of the projects.”
“Hmm.” Elisa wondered when elementary school had gotten so competitive. Though honestly, she liked Boom even more for going after the top grade instead of simply planning to make a science project good enough to pass. Boom was a tomboy, no doubt about it, but she had a sharp mind, too. Some things that came out of her mouth were way more mature than what Elisa would’ve expected from a ten-year-old. “We could get some fluorescent spray paint and rig your poster with some mini backlights we saw on sale in there. It’d make your versions of Pluto glow.”
Boom turned to her with wide eyes. “Really? Will it work during the day at school?”
Good question.
Elisa wrinkled her nose. “Depends on how bright your classroom is and how many windows there are. If you turn off the classroom lights, you might be able to see it, but the teacher would have to let you pull all the blinds to block light coming in from the windows, too.”
“I don’t think Miss Patrick would let me take the time to do that during my presentation.” Boom began to worry at her bottom lip with her fingers. Her lips were chapped, and Elisa had noticed Boom putting on lip balm before they went into the store, but the girl hadn’t reapplied since. Maybe Boom only remembered when they were going into a place and not when her lips actually felt dry. “There’s a lot of kids in the class, and our presentations should be short and almost speak for themselves.”
Miss Patrick must give those instructions fairly consistently. Boom had fallen into a sing-song sort of cadence when she’d recalled the teacher’s words. To Elisa, it meant the child was repeating something she heard all the time.
“Not a bad point.” Elisa didn’t want to undermine the teacher’s instructions. She closed the trunk and held out her hand to Boom. “Are you feeling up to going back into the store? Maybe we’ll find something inspiring if we walk inside again.”
Boom gave her a big smile. “I’m okay. Totally.”
Elisa returned the smile. Really, Boom made it easy. Still, the girl was starting to look a little glassy-eyed. Elisa had better come up with an epiphany quickly and get Boom back to the kennels before she ran out of energy.
Besides, Alex might get worried.
The thought of Boom’s father brought on a few mental images. He’d stood out during class, even from far away. He cut a great figure against the backdrop of the grassy fields and trees lining the perimeter of the property. Even in the new button-up shirt, his built body was clearly noticeable. He filled out the fabric with a solid chest, broad shoulders, and even his biceps were noticeable inside the sleeves. When he’d started running with the rest of his class in the morning, Elisa had snuck more than a couple of looks out the window. Alex, standing, was a sight to see. Alex in motion was worth several minutes of staring and drooling. Then, the fabric of his shirt and pants moved and the musculature underneath was even more impressive. It didn’t take much of a mental leap to imagine muscles rippling under deliciously bare skin.
With an effort, Elisa wrenched her brain back around to the task at hand. Science projects and standing out from the crowd.
“Do you really think the other projects will be that much more different?” Elisa fished for some clues as to what Boom’s teacher might be comparing Boom’s work to. “What sorts of things do the other kids put together?”
Boom’s normally bright expression dimmed somewhat, and the girl looked down at the floor, her short blond hair falling forward to conceal part of her face. Elisa wondered if Boom’s hair would darken as she got older. Despite summer highlights from being out in the sun all day, Alex’s hair was a darker brown and probably almost black in winter. “Well, there were lots of different things. Glitter and stickers, and one girl even had oil paints because her mom does paintings to sell in New Hope.”