Read Online The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky by Holly Schindler - Free Book Online Page B

tulip, too, as bright as the ones that grew along our curb last spring. And I draw a forget-me-not with only one petal left—the one that says
He loves me.
    â€œCan we make all of these, Gus?” I ask, handing him the drawings. “And—and can we make an iris, like at the Widow Hollis’s place? And grass—like the kind in Mrs. Shoemacker’s yard? Grass as thick as the carpet in movie stars’ houses!”
    Gus’s Cheshire cat grin comes back. “Sure, Little Sister,” he says. The sweat of work makes him glisten like a tub full of pennies.

• • • 20 • • •
    â€œLexie,” I call during our morning recess the next day. I can tell, from the way her walk hesitates, that she’s heard her name. I can tell, too, from the way that she links her arm with Victoria’s and quickens her pace, that she’s ignoring me.
    The way that she’s racing to get away from me rips me apart, like I’m being attacked by a vicious dog.
    â€œLexie,” I repeat, louder this time, rushing to catch up to her. Harold and Irma Jean are with me, working so hard to keep up, the toes of their sneakers take a couple of bites out of my heels.
    We’re running so fast that the Halloween decorations on Dickerson’s classroom windows fly past like the pages in an old flip book.
“Lexie!”
I shout so loud that everyone at the swing set and the teeter-totters turn toward me.
    Their stares finally get her to turn around. “What?” she hisses. She eyes Victoria and shrugs, as if to tell her that she certainly hasn’t done anything to encourage me to keep following after her.
    â€œI-” I stutter, trying to remember what I was going to say. “I . . .” But my words get stuck in the back of my throat as I stare into her face, which looks upset and maybe even a little irritated. This is a face you turn toward a pesky little brother, not a face for a best friend.
    How is it that I’m nervous trying to get Lexie’s attention? How is it that I annoy her so much—or is it that I embarrass her? Does the fact that we were friends embarrass her now? The way her eyes dart back and forth makes me think she doesn’t want anyone to pay much attention to the fact that we’re talking.
    â€œI wanted to invite you over. Both of you,” I say, trying to make my voice sound as smooth as river rock, and not nervous at all.
    â€œI don’t think—” Lexie starts, but I don’t let her get the whole answer out.
    â€œTo see our house,” I insist. “Gus and I are working on it, you know. And Irma Jean is putting up new curtains in her front window, and Harold and his dad are working on their front yard.”
    Lexie is still shaking her head. It hits me that she’s so wrapped up in Victoria that she wants to agree with her on everything. So if I can convince
Victoria
to come over, Lexie will change her mind, too.
    â€œBring your camera,” I tell Victoria. “As a junior member of the House Beautification Committee, you could take photos of our improvements, and bring them back for the other members to see. I bet they’d all really appreciate that.”
    This sort of swells Victoria up, like she’s a puffer fish ready to explode.
    â€œNice,” Weird Harold hisses in my ear. “Great strategy.”
    â€œWe should go,” Victoria tells Lexie. “When?” she asks, looking at me.
    â€œA week from Friday,” I say.
    When Lexie nods an
okay,
I see some sort of flicker in her eyes. She looks like she’s about to tell me something—maybe even a secret, judging by the way she starts to lean in.
    Instead, Victoria grabs Lexie’s arm and starts to haul her away as she announces, with a voice as forceful as a swift kick, “We’ll be there.”

• • • 21 • • •
    â€œDear Mom,” I