Read Online My Mixed-Up Berry Blue Summer by Jennifer Gennari - Free Book Online Page A

“I’ll meet you at the stoplight in fifteen minutes, OK?”
    We said goodbye, and I clanked my plate in the sink.
    â€œI’m going biking with Tina,” I said, and waited for Eva to give me the third degree—or at least remind me to put my plate in the dishwasher.
    â€œI’ll tell MJ.” Her eyes didn’t leave the page with the headline, “Candidate Denounces Civil Union Law.”
    I grabbed my sweater and paused at the door. Maybe it had been a mistake to give Eva the cold shoulder. She was turning out to be pretty good at it, too.
    A “thank you” sat on my tongue, without budging. I was grateful to Eva for bringing customers to the marina, and I almost wanted to tell her my plan to help, too. But how do you talk to someone who won’t look at you?
    ***
    AS I BIKED down the road, I thought about how nice it was to see Mom busy again. I could tell she was still mad at Eva for not discussing it with her first. They had been up late talking. One e-mail wouldn’t change everything, though. It was more important than ever for me to win the pie contest, for Mom and the shop.
    Tina waved to me when I reached our meeting spot. “C’mon, let’s go see what’s set up. I can already smell the cotton candy.”
    Tina’s pink nails gripped her handlebars as she rode high on a hand-me-down boy’s bike. I wouldn’t have minded it, but Tina always worked hard at looking like a girl. I guess it came from having two brothers.
    At the fairgrounds, we stashed our bikes and walked through the exhibitors’ entrance. Trucks and cars were parked in and around the booths, unloading.
    The fair was at once exotic and ordinary. Men with faded snake tattoos connected wires, hoisted tents, and tied ropes. Women, cigarettes hanging from cracked lips, hauled equipment into place. I remembered the rides from last year, the funnel cakes, and tie-dyed shirts. Even the crocheted tablecloths and knitted baby outfits looked familiar. Except this time was my first pie competition.
    We watched a large truck back up to position the Zipper, the upside-down ride.
    â€œWill you try it this year?” Tina asked.
    â€œI don’t know. What about you?”
    â€œMaybe.”
    We went over to the farm area and watched the men set up the corrals. Soon each pen would hold a prize pig, goat, or cow.
    â€œMoonbeam’s doing great,” Tina said. “My dad and I will bring her down tomorrow.”
    I hadn’t seen Mr. Costa since I’d overheard him at the farm. But he was helping Tina get ready for the fair. It was weird the way people could be good and bad. My form bulged in my back pocket, making me anxious.
    Tina saw me kicking the hay. “Do you want to go look at the culinary section?”
    I took a deep breath. “My mom doesn’t want me to register for the fair.”
    â€œWhat?! I thought you already had. That’s awful.” Tina grabbed my arm. “Let’s go see if it’s not too late.”
    I hesitated. “I’m going to enter the adult berry pie competition.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œThis way, I don’t need anybody’s signature.” I glanced at her, hoping I didn’t need to explain more.
    But Tina got it. “That means you’ll be competing against my mom.”
    I nodded. I had worried about going for the adult contest for two reasons: it would make it harder to win, and it might make Tina mad. But I didn’t have any other choice. “Is that OK?”
    â€œI guess,” she said. “But you can’t just walk into the office and ask for an adult form.”
    I unfolded the piece of paper from my back pocket. “I got this from the library.”
    She read it over. “It looks like you filled it out right.”
    We started walking toward the office door. My mouth was dry, and I got worried all over again. How could I do this? “Maybe you could turn it in, and say