asleep on the couch and I thought she’d be okay.’
‘You’ve got to chain the door, Lu. You’ve got to watch her.’
‘I know. I’m sorry.’
It’s not enough. Grace is just getting warmed up. ‘You think you’re too good to watch my kid, now, don’t you?’
‘Of course not. Don’t yell.’ Everyone in the diner is probably staring at her and listening in. My regulars will realize I’m a terrible aunt.
‘Ever since you started writing, you’re all full of yourself. Well here’s a news flash, Lu: you’re nothing special. You’re no better than the rest of us. In fact, you’re worse than the rest of us. You’re useless.’
Before I can say another word, she slams the phone down, nearly blowing out my eardrum.
Chapter Five
Rachel and I stop and wait for Izzy to catch up. Her stiletto boots keep getting stuck in the grass as we walk across Dunfield’s back field toward the bleachers.
‘I don’t understand why they’re holding this outside,’ Izzy grumbles, scraping dirt off her heels. ‘It’s not a sporting event.’
‘Don’t kid yourself,’ I say. ‘This is a competition. Expect a fistfight or two.’
‘Over Mariah, probably,’ Izzy says.
The date auction is taking place on a makeshift stage erected in the center of the track because attendance is expected to be so high. Hundreds of students are already milling around, although the auction itself doesn’t start for nearly an hour.
‘It’s all material for Newshound, right, Lu?’ Rachel asks.
When I shrug, Izzy asks, ‘What’s wrong?’
I start walking again, and they follow. ‘I’m thinking of quitting the Bulletin .’
‘But you were so into it last week,’ Izzy says. ‘It’s not because Scoop called you a dog, is it?’
‘No, but thanks for reminding me. There are too many events to attend, that’s all.’
Izzy rolls her eyes. Unlike Rachel and me, she’s adapted quickly and well to being a fully participating Dunfield student. It makes me wonder if we were holding her back last year.
‘I’m not saying the events aren’t fun,’ I continue. ‘But between homework and my job, I don’t have much time left over for my family, and they need me right now.’
‘You need time for yourself, too,’ Izzy insists. ‘And you said this column is an opportunity.’
‘I’ve had second thoughts. I don’t think it’ll lead to anything.’
‘Tons of successful writers launch their careers at a high school paper,’ Izzy protests. ‘Right, Rachel?’
Rachel doesn’t say anything. She’s remained uncharacteristically quiet throughout this discussion.
‘Success doesn’t exactly run in my family,’ I say.
‘So you’ll break the mold,’ Izzy says. ‘You have so much going for you.’
‘Please. I couldn’t even keep track of my niece. I’m useless.’
‘I knew it!’ Rachel bursts out. ‘This is about Grace, isn’t it? She said something, didn’t she?’
‘She said a lot of things. I lost her kid, Rachel.’
‘It was an accident.’
‘I wasn’t paying attention and it could have been a disaster.’
‘But it wasn’t.’
Izzy chimes in. ‘You made a mistake, Lu, that’s all.’
‘Grace has made plenty of mistakes herself,’ Rachel says. ‘Big ones, some of them. She should cut you some slack.’
Izzy stops walking again. ‘Don’t be mad at me for saying this, Lu, because you know how much I like Grace. I think she’s a good mother, I really do, but I don’t think she’s always a good sister. I think she’s jealous of the fact that you have more options than she does.’
That it’s Izzy saying this somehow gives it more weight. Still, in this instance I was definitely in the wrong. ‘It’s not just Grace. My mom said I’m spreading myself too thin – that I need to focus.’
It’s harder for them to argue against my mother, but Rachel takes it on. ‘Focusing is important, but you need to have dreams, too. The only reason I can drag my butt into this dump every day
‘You’ve got to chain the door, Lu. You’ve got to watch her.’
‘I know. I’m sorry.’
It’s not enough. Grace is just getting warmed up. ‘You think you’re too good to watch my kid, now, don’t you?’
‘Of course not. Don’t yell.’ Everyone in the diner is probably staring at her and listening in. My regulars will realize I’m a terrible aunt.
‘Ever since you started writing, you’re all full of yourself. Well here’s a news flash, Lu: you’re nothing special. You’re no better than the rest of us. In fact, you’re worse than the rest of us. You’re useless.’
Before I can say another word, she slams the phone down, nearly blowing out my eardrum.
Chapter Five
Rachel and I stop and wait for Izzy to catch up. Her stiletto boots keep getting stuck in the grass as we walk across Dunfield’s back field toward the bleachers.
‘I don’t understand why they’re holding this outside,’ Izzy grumbles, scraping dirt off her heels. ‘It’s not a sporting event.’
‘Don’t kid yourself,’ I say. ‘This is a competition. Expect a fistfight or two.’
‘Over Mariah, probably,’ Izzy says.
The date auction is taking place on a makeshift stage erected in the center of the track because attendance is expected to be so high. Hundreds of students are already milling around, although the auction itself doesn’t start for nearly an hour.
‘It’s all material for Newshound, right, Lu?’ Rachel asks.
When I shrug, Izzy asks, ‘What’s wrong?’
I start walking again, and they follow. ‘I’m thinking of quitting the Bulletin .’
‘But you were so into it last week,’ Izzy says. ‘It’s not because Scoop called you a dog, is it?’
‘No, but thanks for reminding me. There are too many events to attend, that’s all.’
Izzy rolls her eyes. Unlike Rachel and me, she’s adapted quickly and well to being a fully participating Dunfield student. It makes me wonder if we were holding her back last year.
‘I’m not saying the events aren’t fun,’ I continue. ‘But between homework and my job, I don’t have much time left over for my family, and they need me right now.’
‘You need time for yourself, too,’ Izzy insists. ‘And you said this column is an opportunity.’
‘I’ve had second thoughts. I don’t think it’ll lead to anything.’
‘Tons of successful writers launch their careers at a high school paper,’ Izzy protests. ‘Right, Rachel?’
Rachel doesn’t say anything. She’s remained uncharacteristically quiet throughout this discussion.
‘Success doesn’t exactly run in my family,’ I say.
‘So you’ll break the mold,’ Izzy says. ‘You have so much going for you.’
‘Please. I couldn’t even keep track of my niece. I’m useless.’
‘I knew it!’ Rachel bursts out. ‘This is about Grace, isn’t it? She said something, didn’t she?’
‘She said a lot of things. I lost her kid, Rachel.’
‘It was an accident.’
‘I wasn’t paying attention and it could have been a disaster.’
‘But it wasn’t.’
Izzy chimes in. ‘You made a mistake, Lu, that’s all.’
‘Grace has made plenty of mistakes herself,’ Rachel says. ‘Big ones, some of them. She should cut you some slack.’
Izzy stops walking again. ‘Don’t be mad at me for saying this, Lu, because you know how much I like Grace. I think she’s a good mother, I really do, but I don’t think she’s always a good sister. I think she’s jealous of the fact that you have more options than she does.’
That it’s Izzy saying this somehow gives it more weight. Still, in this instance I was definitely in the wrong. ‘It’s not just Grace. My mom said I’m spreading myself too thin – that I need to focus.’
It’s harder for them to argue against my mother, but Rachel takes it on. ‘Focusing is important, but you need to have dreams, too. The only reason I can drag my butt into this dump every day
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