Ryan
I know the location of purgatory—my aunt's house in Baltimore. Dad and I arrive four days before Christmas. By day two I want to go home. My cousins make me nuts. Especially Karen, all of twelve and hanging on me all the time with her silly girlfriends.
“Where's your mom?” one of them asks. “Why didn't she come with you?”
Karen elbows the nosey girl in the ribs. “Shhh. I told you, he doesn't have a mother.”
The girl turns beet red and I grit my teeth but smile at her anyway. “No mom to nag me,” I say.
“Lucky,” the girl says.
All I think about is getting back to Lori. She wasn't very happy when I told her I was leaving, the night before Dad and I flew out. “But what about our Christmas?” she said. “I bought you presents.” Her apartment was decorated and there were fresh logs in the fireplace.
“We'll just have to wait until I get home.”
“You should have told me sooner. Why didn't you say something before now? We e-mail every day.”
“No freedom of movement when my dad's in town, and I didn't want to tell you in an e-mail. But as soon as school starts again, he'll be heading to the Midwest for a five-day medical sales convention. I can stay over. I saved it as a surprise.” Lori has been asking me to spend a whole night with her, and now I can.
That made her smile. “Maybe I'll forgive you.”
I sneak her an e-mail from my aunt's. I'm so bored and craving contact with my real life that I e-mail Honey, too. Lori doesn't e-mail me back, but Honey does. She writes a long story about Cory and their Christmas turkey that makes me laugh out loud. I've forgotten how funny she can be. I realize that I miss her and promise myself that once I'm home, I'll reestablish contact.
Dad takes me and the cousins into D.C., where we visit every historical landmark in the city. Or it feels as if we do. Honey sends me a text message to say hello to the president, and I text back that if I can get past the Secret Service and into the Oval Office, I will. Keeping in touch with Honey helps me feel grounded. The girl's a real lifeline.
When we're in the Smithsonian gift shop, I remember that I don't have a Christmas gift for Lori, so I poke around and finally settle on a necklace from one of their ancient-history collections. A good move, I figure, because she's into history and it's real silver but doesn't cost a bundle.
Two other things happen while we're in Balti-more—I don't get a car for Christmas, and I turn sixteen. Aunt Debbie bakes a cake and everyone sings and Dad keeps saying how important family is and I try to act as if I care. By the time we fly home, I'm about ready to jump out of my skin. The first person I contact is Lori.
She asks, “When can I see you?”
“Two days. Dad's leaving on Tuesday.”
“I don't want to wait that long.”
This makes me feel really good, but tonight Honey, Joel, Jess and a few more of my friends are coming over. I've been looking forward to seeing everyone again. I want Lori bad, but I know we'll have more time if we wait a few days. “I can't help it,” I tell her. “I'll see you in class tomorrow.” The holidays are over and it's back to the salt mines.
There's a long pause on my cell, so long that I wonder if she's still on the line. “Lori?”
“I'm here. Just disappointed. I thought you'd want me.”
“I want you like crazy. I have a hard-on just hearing your voice.” She says some things that make me hot and I almost fold. “Two days,” I say. “It'll be even better because we have to wait. Anticipation can be a good thing.”
She hangs up and a jolt of fear goes through me. What if she blows me off? Being with Lori is the best thing that's ever happened to me.
Before I can decide what to do, Joel shows up with Jess. Honey arrives and so do Taylor, Peter, Kevin and his girl. It's good to see them all, talk to them and hang out, so I shove Lori to the back of my mind. We head downstairs to my rec room to listen to tunes and dance.
Honey
Hanging out with Ryan and all our friends is the best part of my holidays. I love being with everyone; it's like old times, before we all started high school and drifted apart. I linger after the others leave. Mom's going to yell because it's late and tomorrow school starts up again, but I don't care. Being with Ryan again, even as a friend, is worth any grief I get from my mother.
“Let me see what you brought home from D.C.,” I say when we're alone.
“In my room.”
We go upstairs. His room is neat as a pin. Same old Ryan. “My room looks like a campground for the homeless,” I say. “How do you do this? More to the point, why do you do it?”
“Habit. I hate messes,” he says, pulling out his desk chair for me. He hands me a clear container full of brochures. “My Christmas vacation in a box.”
I sort through the pile. “Is there any place you didn't go?”
“I didn't make it to the Oval Office,” he says with a grin. “Don't tell Dad, but the Smithsonian was pretty cool. You should have seen the aviation room and the gems rooms. One diamond was this big.” He holds his thumb and forefinger apart.
Just then, his cell rings. He glances at the display, looks at me, then down at the ringing phone. “I have to take this. Old friend.” I could swear he's nervous.
“Should I leave?”
“No…I'll take it in the hall. Stay put.”
I sit alone, wondering why he's acting flustered. I don't care who calls him…. Okay, maybe I care just a little. But it's odd. We've just spent an evening with all our friends. I sigh, set the container on the floor and cruise the room. I feel good being with him. He's more like the old Ryan, my friend from years past.
As I pass his dresser, I see a small black velvet box, the kind that usually holds jewelry. Back off, Honey, I tell myself. But I don't. I grab the box and open it. Inside is a necklace, a chain of hammered silver with a twist of curved silver strands dangling from the center. Where have I seen this before? Somewhere…Inside the lid is printed SMITHSONIAN GIFT SHOP in old-English-looking type.
Then it hits me. This is one of those Celtic love knots like the girl on the street was selling on the day Jess, Taylor and I went shopping. But why did Ryan buy something like this in Washington as a souvenir? A sick feeling hits my stomach—the slap of rejection mingles with the burn of jealousy. Does he have a girlfriend? One he's never told me about? I rack my brain, trying to imagine who it is. I come up blank.
I hear him heading down the hall. I snap the lid shut and drop the box where I found it. I'm back in the chair when he returns.
“Sorry,” he says, coming into the room.
“No problem,” I say, knowing it's a lie. I have a problem. A big problem. I want to know, what's going on in Ryan's life?
Ryan
When I enter Lori's classroom on the first day back, I'm shocked. She's dressed like a character from
One of the girls asks, “What's up, Ms. Settles?”
“Canada, Alaska, the North Pole,” Lori says, making everyone laugh. “Do you mean my new wardrobe?”
“Yeah,” another girl says.
“Glad you noticed.”
