AllFreeNovel
Share Us
JJ…
But he called me Jeremy.
Mason’s eyes bounce between us, and he says, “Hi.”
He says nothing about yesterday—that we already met—and I feel a funny sinking feeling in my chest, falling and landing somewhere in my belly, just like the night Izzy found me by the treehouse after finding out I was being held back.
He glances away, his floppy brown hair curling over his forehead.
It doesn’t hide him, like mine did, but it still makes me sad because now I can’t hide.
Maybe…maybe he doesn't actually remember me…
Maybe he was just being nice.
Oh! Maybe he doesn’t recognize me with short hair!
But then why did he smile and wave?
I bite my lip and duck my head. Shoving the plate of half-eaten sandwich away, I drag my coloring stuff back over and wrap an arm around it, lowering my head so no one can see, and grab my red pencil.
It shakes, drawing outside the line, and I mash my teeth together, my eyes and cheeks growing hot as I fight tears.
“Aw, are you crying? You poor baby.”
Clay’s voice is back in my head, and I sink lower.
Just say something! Stop being so weird. He can’t be your friend, if you won’t even talk to him. Maybe he thinks you don’t remember him.
Sucking my cheeks in, I start shakily coloring in Spider-Man’s leg. I feel his gaze on me, but my eyes are locked on the picture.
“Come on, come on, I have to show you!”
At that, I’m finally able to peek up over my arm.
Izzy’s got Mason’s wrist in her hand, and she’s tugging him toward the basement door. He’s no longer looking at me.
“Isobel,” Mommy says in that huffy voice she gets sometimes. She chuckles. “Slow your roll, girl.”
My sister whirls around, her hair flying, and she makes that pout thing she does when she wants something. “I just want to show him the piano first. Then we’ll do homework, I promise. He likes music and he wants to try! Pretty, pretty please?”
Mommy sighs and looks to Mason. “Only if you want. Don’t let her bully you. You can say no.”
Izzy throws her head back with a huff, ever the drama queen. “Mom.”
Mason shrugs with a small smile. “I…I wanna see. I never played one.”
Mommy smiles softly, nodding. “Okay. Go on you two. Here,” she says, handing a bowl of pretzels. She pauses, before letting Izzy take it from her. “Remember the rules?”
“No food or drinks by the instruments.”
Mommy releases the bowl. “Sodas are in the fridge downstairs. Help yourselves.”
Izzy all but drags Mason downstairs with one hand, while she balances the big orange bowl full of pretzels against her chest with the other.
“Twenty minutes, Isobel!” Mommy says, calling after them. “Then it’s homework time, or Mason’s mom’s never gonna let him come back here.”
“Okay, Mom!”
