her sleeping bag as she talked, not looking at us. “Anyway, that was the worst day.”
Ximena shook her head. “I can’t even imagine what that must be like,” she said quietly.
“Me, neither,” I said.
“It’s kind of a blur now, actually,” answered Summer, still pulling at the zipper. “Like, I honestly don’t remember his funeral. At
all.
The only thing I remember about that day is this picture book about dinosaurs that I was reading. There was this one illustration of a meteor streaking across the sky over the heads of the triceratops. And I remember thinking my dad’s death was like that. It’s like the extinction of the dinosaurs. A meteor hits your heart and changes everything forever. But you’re still here. You go on.”
She finally got the zipper to unstick and pulled it up all the way to close her sleeping bag.
“But, anyway…,” she said.
“I remember your dad,” I said.
“Yeah?” she said, smiling.
“He was tall,” I answered. “And he had a really deep voice.”
Summer nodded happily.
“My mom told me all the moms thought he was
so
handsome,” I said.
Summer opened her eyes wide. “Aww,” she said.
We were quiet again for a few seconds. Summer started straightening up the card decks.
“Okay, so whose turn is it now?” she asked.
“I think it’s mine,” I answered, flicking the spinner.
It landed on Truth, so I pulled a card from the Truth deck.
“Oh, this one’s so lame,” I said, reading aloud.
“ ‘What superpower would you like to have and why?’ ”
“That’s fun,” said Summer.
“I’d want to fly, of course,” I answered. “I could go anywhere I want. Zoom around the world. Go to all those places Ximena’s lived in.”
“Oh, I think I’d want to be invisible,” said Ximena.
“I wouldn’t,” I answered. “Why? So I could hear what everyone says about me behind my back? And know that everyone thinks I’m such a phony?”
“Oh no!” laughed Ximena. “Not this again.”
“I’m teasing, you know.”
“I know!” she said. “But for the record, no one thinks you’re a phony.”
“Thank you.”
“Just a faker.”
“Ha!”
“But you
do
care too much about what people think of you,” she said, somewhat seriously.
“I know,” I answered, just as seriously.
“Okay, it’s your turn, Ximena,” said Summer.
Ximena flicked the spinner. It pointed to Truth. She picked up a card, read it to herself, then groaned.
“ ‘If you could go out with any boy in your school, who would it be?’ ”
she read aloud. She covered her face with her hand.
“What?” I said. “Wouldn’t it be Miles?”
Ximena started laughing and shook her head, embarrassed.
“Whoa!!!” Summer and I both said, pointing at her. “Who? Who? Who?”
Ximena was laughing. It was hard to see in the dim light, but I’m pretty sure she was blushing.
“If I tell you, you have to tell me
your
secret crushes!” she said.
“Not fair, not fair,” I answered.
“Yes, fair!” she said.
“Fine!”
“Amos,” she said, sighing.
“No way!” said Summer, her mouth open wide. “Does Ellie know?”
“Of course not,” said Ximena. “It’s just a crush. I wouldn’t do anything about it. Besides, he’s not into me at all. He really likes Ellie.”
I thought about that. How just a few months ago, Ellie and I would talk about Jack. Having a “boyfriend” seemed like such a far-off thing back then.
Ximena looked at me. “I think I know who Charlotte’s crush is,” she said in a singsongy way.
I covered my face. “
Everybody
knows, thanks to Ellie,” I said.
“What about you, Summer?” said Ximena, poking Summer’s hand.
“Yeah, Summer, what about you?” I asked.
Summer was smiling, but she shook her head
no.
“Come on!” said Ximena, pulling Summer’s pinky. “There’s got to be someone.”
“Fine,” she said. She hesitated. “Reid.”
“Reid?” said Ximena. “Who’s Reid?”
“He’s in Mr. Browne’s
Ximena shook her head. “I can’t even imagine what that must be like,” she said quietly.
“Me, neither,” I said.
“It’s kind of a blur now, actually,” answered Summer, still pulling at the zipper. “Like, I honestly don’t remember his funeral. At
all.
The only thing I remember about that day is this picture book about dinosaurs that I was reading. There was this one illustration of a meteor streaking across the sky over the heads of the triceratops. And I remember thinking my dad’s death was like that. It’s like the extinction of the dinosaurs. A meteor hits your heart and changes everything forever. But you’re still here. You go on.”
She finally got the zipper to unstick and pulled it up all the way to close her sleeping bag.
“But, anyway…,” she said.
“I remember your dad,” I said.
“Yeah?” she said, smiling.
“He was tall,” I answered. “And he had a really deep voice.”
Summer nodded happily.
“My mom told me all the moms thought he was
so
handsome,” I said.
Summer opened her eyes wide. “Aww,” she said.
We were quiet again for a few seconds. Summer started straightening up the card decks.
“Okay, so whose turn is it now?” she asked.
“I think it’s mine,” I answered, flicking the spinner.
It landed on Truth, so I pulled a card from the Truth deck.
“Oh, this one’s so lame,” I said, reading aloud.
“ ‘What superpower would you like to have and why?’ ”
“That’s fun,” said Summer.
“I’d want to fly, of course,” I answered. “I could go anywhere I want. Zoom around the world. Go to all those places Ximena’s lived in.”
“Oh, I think I’d want to be invisible,” said Ximena.
“I wouldn’t,” I answered. “Why? So I could hear what everyone says about me behind my back? And know that everyone thinks I’m such a phony?”
“Oh no!” laughed Ximena. “Not this again.”
“I’m teasing, you know.”
“I know!” she said. “But for the record, no one thinks you’re a phony.”
“Thank you.”
“Just a faker.”
“Ha!”
“But you
do
care too much about what people think of you,” she said, somewhat seriously.
“I know,” I answered, just as seriously.
“Okay, it’s your turn, Ximena,” said Summer.
Ximena flicked the spinner. It pointed to Truth. She picked up a card, read it to herself, then groaned.
“ ‘If you could go out with any boy in your school, who would it be?’ ”
she read aloud. She covered her face with her hand.
“What?” I said. “Wouldn’t it be Miles?”
Ximena started laughing and shook her head, embarrassed.
“Whoa!!!” Summer and I both said, pointing at her. “Who? Who? Who?”
Ximena was laughing. It was hard to see in the dim light, but I’m pretty sure she was blushing.
“If I tell you, you have to tell me
your
secret crushes!” she said.
“Not fair, not fair,” I answered.
“Yes, fair!” she said.
“Fine!”
“Amos,” she said, sighing.
“No way!” said Summer, her mouth open wide. “Does Ellie know?”
“Of course not,” said Ximena. “It’s just a crush. I wouldn’t do anything about it. Besides, he’s not into me at all. He really likes Ellie.”
I thought about that. How just a few months ago, Ellie and I would talk about Jack. Having a “boyfriend” seemed like such a far-off thing back then.
Ximena looked at me. “I think I know who Charlotte’s crush is,” she said in a singsongy way.
I covered my face. “
Everybody
knows, thanks to Ellie,” I said.
“What about you, Summer?” said Ximena, poking Summer’s hand.
“Yeah, Summer, what about you?” I asked.
Summer was smiling, but she shook her head
no.
“Come on!” said Ximena, pulling Summer’s pinky. “There’s got to be someone.”
“Fine,” she said. She hesitated. “Reid.”
“Reid?” said Ximena. “Who’s Reid?”
“He’s in Mr. Browne’s
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