“Yeah, but not even that. It’s more like skating gets in the way of things you want to do instead, if that makes sense?”
I blink. The rink is like a second home to me. Usually I’m daydreaming about when I can go back, not wishing I could skip practice. “So, you want to do the musical instead of the camp, but your mom said no?”
“Well—I mean, Mom doesn’t know I got asked to help with the musical. I just told her I didn’t want to do the camp.”
“Oh.”
“She just thinks I should focus on getting good at one thing,” Faith bursts out. “Dad, too. But I really want to do the musical. I could learn so much, and it wouldn’t even interfere with any skating competitions.”
I take another step down, until we’re only one apart. We stand eye-to-eye because Faith’s taller. “Maybe you should ask again, but tell her about the musical this time.”
“You think that’d work?”
“It could.” I nod a little. Her situation is different, but it feels a lot like me trying to figure out how to tell Mom I want a new free program. “Whenever I need to ask my mom for something, I make sure she’s in a really good mood first. Then I tell her why it’s important to me, so she knows I’m serious. Maybe you could do something like that with your parents?”
“Maybe.” Faith says the word slowly, like she’s thinking it through. Below us, the lobby doors swing open to reveal Hope.
“I’m coming,” Faith calls, before Hope can say anything. She looks back at me. “I’ll think about telling them. Thanks for the ideas.”
“Sure.”
She takes a step away, then turns back. “Did you want to come get ramen with us?”
Faith hasn’t invited me to lunch since the day Miss Lydia revealed my free-skate music, and I don’t blame her. I wouldn’t keep trying if someone always turned me down, either. It feels like she’s offering me another chance to hang out, maybe the last.
But Hayden’s waiting for me.
“I want to, but I have to make a call.” I hold up my phone with an apologetic shrug.
“Oh, okay.” Faith turns to go.
“But hey.” I wave. “I really do want to have lunch sometime. I just usually bring my own. Maybe we could hang out together here at the rink? Or I could bring my food wherever you’re going to eat.”
“Cool.” She waves back, then disappears into the lobby.
Climbing back into the stands, I text Tamar to let her know I’m actually not free on Saturday. Hopefully she’ll understand, then text back to let me know that Sunday’s still an option.
I call Hayden’s number, and he answers on the first ring.
“Hey! So, here’s what I was thinking.…”
I settle into a seat in the stands. Hayden hasn’t even told me his plans yet, but I’m already smiling.
Chapter Nineteen
I don’t know what to expect when I arrive at Hayden’s home on Saturday, but it’s not a three-story building that looks like a huge treehouse built right into the Berkeley Hills.
As Mrs. Lubeck locks the van, Hayden leads me up a set of uneven wood stairs. Metal tracks snake toward the house, parallel to the steps.
“What’s that?”
“A tram elevator,” Hayden says over one shoulder. “There’s a road that stops near the house, but Dad says you’re taking your life into your own hands to park up there, because it’s all loose gravel.”
“You can ride that all the way up to your house?”
“Yeah. Except Mom and Dad told us we can’t use it.”
“We said you can’t use it yet,” Mrs. Lubeck calls a few steps below us. “We want to have someone come out and make sure it’s safe first.”
This makes sense to me, but Hayden rolls his eyes. “It’ll be cool to ride,” he says, “but it’s not all that great for a family of six. It only fits two at a time. Maybe three if you’re small like Mattie.”
“Or one, if you’re an elephant.” A man looks down at us from the ledge of the Lubecks’ front porch. Mattie and Elliot peer out from behind him. “You must be A.”
I have just enough time to nod before the man lowers his hand. Hayden reaches out and is hoisted up.
My turn. The man’s fingers wrap around my wrist, gentle but firm. For a moment, I’m airborne and weightless. I wonder if this is how it feels to be a pairs skater.
He sets me down beside Hayden, who turns to me. “It’s probably obvious, but this is my dad.”
“Call me Dan.” I’m treated to a wide smile.
I’ve never called a friend’s parent by their first name before. Even though my father isn’t around, I still think of him as Dad in my head, not Jacob. I’ve never seen someone who looks quite like Dan. I wouldn’t call him an elephant, but he has broad shoulders and a thick wiry beard, blond with a red tinge.
“Come on in.” Dan waits until everyone enters, then shuts the door. “And excuse the mess. We haven’t finished unpacking yet.”
The house is cool with dim lighting and window shades drawn tight against the afternoon sun.
“Shoes go there.” Mattie points to a nearby rack.
“Mom doesn’t want us tracking in dirt.” Hayden shrugs a little, like this is another annoyance. It feels normal to me. What’s weird is keeping my shoes on when I visit Tamar.
A faint smell tickles my nose as we head farther into the house. It’s a mix of hickory, grass, and something smoky.
“Make yourself at home. Lunch’ll be ready soon.” Dan disappears into another room, along with the rest of the Lubecks, except for Hayden.
“Dad makes the best barbecue,” Hayden says with a hint of pride.
Dan’s voice reaches us from the next room. “There’ll be chicken, but I’m trying my hand at some veggie dishes, too.”
I glance at Hayden. “I’m guessing my mom told your parents we don’t eat meat?”
“Yeah, probably. Let’s go upstairs
