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“You know,” my mom starts, getting the tone in her voice that she usually gets when she wants to be best friends with someone, “I have a daughter, too. Her name is Nora. How old are you, Luna? You look to be about Nora’s age.”
“I just turned six,” she says, thexin six coming out more like ath.
My mom’s hands clap together. “Oh, lovely! That’s the same age as Nora. Are you going into first grade this year?”
Luna nods, and I suddenly feel useless standing here as the new girl takes over my old friend’s house. It feels like she’s taking over my sister, too.
I clench my fists, so I don’t shove her onto the grass beneath her.
“You’ll be in the same grade as Nora then. Roman, here, is going into second grade. But I’m sure he’d still love to play with you. Wouldn’t you, Roman? You can introduce her to Nora.” My mom looks down at me, thebe nicesmile on her face.
“I guess,” I grumble, kicking a small rock with my bare toe. It rolls over on its opposite side and stops.
Luna stares at me, a curious look on her face.
The parents stare at us, waiting for one of us to make a move.
Waiting for me, actually.
“Come on.” I grumble, nodding my head. It feels like now I’m not only going to be dealing with my baby sister, but now I have to deal with the neighbor girl, too.
I listen to her bare feet slide through the grass as she walks behind me. Cutting through my yard, I walk toward the front door. It’s only early afternoon, and the sun is at its highest point in the sky. We walk up the couple of steps onto the deck and up to the front door. I pull on the screen, the hinges squeaking with its movement.
“Wow, you have a big house,” she says, her big eyes wide and wondrous as she looks around my kitchen. The gray seems to grow, swallowing up her pupils and making her look even more unusual.
My house has two levels. The upper level has a kitchen and dining room, which lead to the living room. A glass sliding door off the living room goes out back to the deck which overlooks the backyard and lake. Inside and down the hall leads to my parents’ room, mine, and my sister’s. Downstairs has a couple of extra rooms for guests, a living area, and a band room where my dad and his bandmates practice.
I shrug, feeling like it’s not all that big, but then again, she’s moving into one of the smaller homes on the lake.
Nora sits on the living room floor with her Barbie dolls that she’s been obsessed with. “Nora, this is the new neighbor, Luna.”
Nora looks up, one hand on a small yellow brush as she combs through Barbie’s hair. “Hi. Do you want to play dolls with me?”
I swallow down my groan. I amnotplaying dolls.
Luna’s gray eyes swing to mine. “What are you going to do?”
I think about the tadpoles that I’ve been trying to catch for a week. I’m not going to do anything besides just catch them and let them go. But they’re fast, and I’m getting closer with each try.
“I’m going back down to the lake.”
Luna looks over her shoulder, glancing out the window and out onto the blue waters. The sunshine casts a glow through the window, lighting up her pale skin. She really is pale. Mostly compared to me. The moment the ice thaws in the spring, I’m usually outside until the first snowfall the next fall. This girl looks like she hasn’t been outside a day in her life.
“Where did you come from?” I ask before the thought even clicks in my head.
“Illinois,” she sighs, like there’s a long story in just those eight letters. She turns her eyes toward mine. “I’d like to go down to the water. Do you want to come, Nora?” Her eyes swing to my sister.
Nora frowns. “Maybe later.”
“Can I play with you later?” Luna asks her.
“Yeah.” A smile stretches across Nora’s lips before she looks back down and continues brushing the Barbie’s hair.
Warmth hits my palms, and my fingers get tugged. My eyes widen as I look down, seeing Luna’s hand in mine. Her fingers aren’t laced against mine, just a simple handhold like my mom would do. But for some reason, it feels like so much more.
“Show me the lake?” Luna asks.
I nod, feeling the tadpoles in my belly again.
