AllFreeNovel
Share Us
That rule was gone as soon as AJ aged out. The vacation kids were nice and just wanted to have fun and pretend like they didn’t mind not being with their families. Just like we did. Everyone deserved to play, plus I liked to hear their stories. I asked question after question about what their homes, families, and schools were like.
I was going to miss that.
I’d never felt like a regular or a vacation kid. Probably because I was neither. And both. Maybe Cody felt like that too. He wasn’t technically a vacation kid, so maybe AJ would hang out with us. It would be so awesome if they became friends.
“So your name is… Lady?” Cody asked, interrupting my daydream about having two guy best friends like Joey on Dawson’s Creek before it even really started.
Mr. D had never bothered to remember my name and probably called most of the kids here “little lady” or “sport.” Even the ones like me who had regularly visited the Coast for vacation since they were born. I gave him a smile before responding, “No, it’s Bree.”
I wish it were Joey.
We all looked at each other in silence for a moment, and I had to clench my fists to resist doing the “awkward turtle” hand motion. AJ said it was uncool and not even funny. So instead, I pointed to the counter behind me and asked, “Do you want a frappe?”
Based on how fidgety he was, more sugar wasn’t a great idea, but sharing my love of frappes with him was the best way to start this new friendship.
He eyed my nearly empty drink and asked, “Do they have whipped cream?”
“Yup, and extra caramel or chocolate drizzle if you ask for it.”
Cody smiled, revealing several missing teeth, and looked up at his dad, who gave an encouraging nod and nudged him toward the counter. “You can charge anything you need to my employee account,” Mr. Dez assured him.
Cody ordered his frappe but not before asking the lady twice to make sure there was no actual coffee in it. I tried to hold back my laugh but failed.
Thankfully, he didn’t seem mad and just explained, “Dad said that coffee makes me shake worse than an angry chihuahua.”
“And just as likely to bite,” Mr. Dez added, clapping his hand on Cody’s shoulder.
I slapped my hand over my mouth, but Cody just rolled his eyes and finished his order, so I let my hand drop and laughed. Without trying, he’d somehow made me laugh twice. I was going to do my best to keep him.
Mr. Dez brought his hand to his earpiece and turned toward the casino floor entrance. “Go ahead. Yeah. Uh-huh. Okay. Okay. Got it. I’ll be right there. Get Mr. Felix a drink and keep him calm until I arrive.” He took a deep breath, seeming frustrated. “Kids, I’ve gotta go. There’s a situation with a slot not paying out. You two have fun. Call my office if you need anything.”
He turned to leave but then hesitated and looked back at us, as if just now wondering if it was a good idea to leave two eleven-year-olds alone in a casino, but couldn’t actually be bothered to come up with another option. It reminded me of my teacher, Mr. Harvey, when I told him I had gotten my period—my first period—during his class and needed to see the nurse. I know I’m supposed to be the grown-up, but it’s awkward and I don’t know how and really don’t want to was an adult way of thinking I knew all about.
Luckily for them, I had lots of practice at being the grown-up.
“We’re all good, Mr. D. I’ll take Cody to the arcade and to the buffet later for lunch,” I assured him, making sure to smile big. Mr. Dez nodded, looking relieved, and my smile turned into a real one.
“I understand why Miss Barb calls you her lucky charm,” he said, patting my arm.
And then he was gone.
Mr. Harvey hadn’t been able to deal with me and my problems, so I told him that all he needed to do was hand me a hall pass. The relief on his face, so similar to Mr. Dez’s, had given me a rush. I’d walked with my head held high, my backpack covering where I’d bled through my jeans, all the way to the nurse’s office.
And I didn’t make anyone else feel bad about it.
It was only later that night after Dad had gone to sleep that I let myself cry into my pillow, wishing my mom could have been there. Wishing she could’ve been the grown-up.
I joined Cody at the counter, and he looked at me through his mop of hair. “So… we’re just by ourselves?”
“Yep, for now. But don’t worry, I’ve been mostly on my own since we got here Saturday. I’ve pretty much got it figured out. Is this your first time here?”
“No, but I’ve never been without my mom. She’s a doctor and got called in for an emergency surgery or something.” He spun his bracelets as he talked and shifted his weight from foot to foot. “My dad offered for me to stay with him this week, and I figured that would be more fun than being bored at home. Most of my friends go out of town for Thanksgiving anyway.”
I walked to the trash can and threw away my drink, giving him some space so he knew that I wasn’t going to ask him more questions about his parents. When he didn’t say any more, I walked back to his side. “Well, there’s a lot to do here, and the food is awesome. Fortuna’s arcade is really fun too. I’m an expert at the Wheel of Fortune game. I hit the Spin Zone eight times out of ten. That’s how I won this,” I shamelessly bragged as I pulled a Chinese finger trap out of my back pocket and waved it in the air.
So much for being cool, but it did the trick. He finally stopped messing with his bracelet and took the trap, immediately sticking his pointer fingers into each end.
Then he pulled his fingers apart and grunted when the trap tightened, causing us to burst into giggles.
