? I know exactly where I’d take him if he were ever to come to Brighton
? he loves my photographs and thinks I could exhibit in a gallery
? when he says this he makes me feel talented and confident and strong
? he hates selfies too
? we both love crunchy peanut butter
? he makes me say things like “we both love crunchy peanut butter”!
And tomorrow I’m going to have to leave him, fly across an entire ocean away from him, back to my phoney so-called friends and my barely-talking-to-me best friend. As I lie in my bunk and stare up at the ceiling, I feel hollowed out with sadness.
Unable to stand it anymore, I get out of bed and head downstairs. As I cross the hallway, I hear Sadie Lee’s voice coming from the kitchen.
“Don’t you think you should tell her?”
“No!” Noah’s voice is so insistent it makes me stop dead. “I don’t want to ruin it. It’s been so cool—”
“Morning, Penny!” I jump and turn to see Dad at the top of the stairs. Argh! I hear the scraping back of a chair in the kitchen and Noah appears in the archway to the kitchen.
“Hey, Penny. Hey, Rob. You guys want some pancakes?”
“Is the Pope a Catholic?” Dad says, bounding downstairs.
I force myself to smile at Noah but as I go to join him in the kitchen, I can’t stop thinking about what I overheard. What were they talking about? Am I the “her” that Sadie Lee mentioned and, if so, what did she think Noah should tell me?
All day long the question bugs me, not helping my growing tension about leaving tomorrow. As I set about the horrible job of packing my suitcase, I start going over everything in my head, searching for clues that Noah might have been keeping something from me. In the whole time I’ve been staying in his house I haven’t seen a single one of his friends. He hasn’t seemed to have heard from anyone either, but then he is on his cell-phone detox. I’m still not entirely sure what he’s been doing on his gap year either. He mentioned something about a part-time job in a store downtown but it was in the past tense. I sit down on my case with a sigh. Here I go again, searching for negative things instead of focusing on the positive. Noah took me to the art gallery. He introduced me to his friends there. He wouldn’t have done that if he had something to hide. I don’t even know that it was me Sadie Lee was talking about. The fact is, I only have a few hours left in New York. I can’t ruin them with my stupid fears.
In the afternoon we all sit down at the kitchen table to play American Monopoly—well, all apart from Bella, who sits under the table playing with her dolls.
“Are you looking forward to Times Square tonight, Pen?” Dad asks as he hands out everyone’s money. Dad’s always the banker whenever we play Monopoly. He always wins too. I’m not entirely sure these two facts aren’t related.
“Yes,” I reply, but the truth is I’m not looking forward to it at all. We’re going to Times Square to see in the new year, but as soon as the clock strikes midnight it will turn from the year I met Noah to the year I have to leave him. I feel the overwhelming urge to cry, and begin studying the differences in the American Monopoly board to stop myself. But it’s hard to be riveted by the fact that the stations are all called “railroads” when it feels as if your heart is breaking. Noah takes hold of my hand under the table. I look at him and smile.
“You OK?” he mouths to me.
I nod.
“I can see you holding hands,” Bella calls out in a singsong voice from under the table.
Noah and I look at each other and laugh.
“You know, I was thinking,” Noah says to Sadie Lee. “Why don’t you all go out to Times Square with them and I’ll babysit Bella.”
“I don’t need babysitting,” Bella yells. “I’m not a baby!”
“OK, I’ll big-girl-sit Bella,” Noah says. “You deserve a night out, G-ma.”
Sadie Lee stares at him. I stare at him. Why is he offering to babysit on our last night together?
“But what about Penny?” Sadie Lee says.
Yes, what about me? I want to yell.
“Well, I was thinking that Penny might want to babysit with me?” Noah looks at me hopefully.
I instantly grin. Spending my last night at home with Noah is way more appealing than being swamped by the crowds of people at Times Square.
“Big-girl-sit!” Bella yells, correcting Noah.
“Big-girl-sit,” Noah says.
“But surely Penny wouldn’t want to miss Times Square at New Year’s?” Sadie Lee says, looking at me.
“I wouldn’t mind at all,” I say. “In fact, I’d prefer it.”
“You would?” Dad looks at me and raises his eyebrows.
I pray to the God of Gullible Parents for a miracle.
“Are you worried about all the crowds?” Mum says, looking at me concerned.
I hardly dare breathe—could my miracle have been granted so soon?
“Yes,” I say, and it isn’t strictly a lie; I do hate big crowds.
“Maybe it would be best if we all stay home tonight,” Mum says. “We have got to get up early for our flight tomorrow.”
“No!” I practically yell. I take a moment to calm myself down. I don’t want to give the game away. “I’d feel horrible if you just stayed in because of me and, anyway, there’s no point feeling bad about it. I’d be way happier babysitting.”
Bella emerges from under the table looking really cross. “I’m not a baby!” she says to me with her hands on her hips.
I laugh and pull her up onto my knee. “I know you’re not. I’m sorry.” Bella snuggles into me and I wrap my arms around her.
“I sure am gonna miss you, Penny,” she says.
“I sure am gonna miss you too,” I say in a fake American accent.
Everyone laughs, then Dad starts to nod. “OK then, if you’re certain,” he says.
I look at him and smile. “Yes, I’m certain.” I don’t think I’ve ever been more certain of anything in my life.
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