Bessica Lefter Bites Back (17 page)

I nodded. I was happy to hear that the potential third wolf was stopping by and leaving stuff for Willy. I glanced at the motor home. “That thing is filthy.”

“We’ve been driving across the country. It’s supposed to get dirty.”

When Grandma said the words
driving across the country,
it made me remember how much I had missed her when she was gone. “I hope you don’t ever leave again.”

“Is something weighing on you?” Grandma asked. “Did something happen at school?”

And I felt like telling Grandma every single thing in the world that was weighing on me. But I didn’t want to bum her out. So I only told her a couple of things.

“Raya Papas told me that Sylvie opened her nose hair trimmer.”

“How did that gift strike her?” Grandma asked.

I shrugged.

“When do you think you’ll reach out to her?” Grandma asked.

But the thought of calling or texting Sylvie made my insides quiver in real pain. Because I felt horrible about what had happened. And I didn’t know whether I would forgive me if I were Sylvie. And if I couldn’t imagine forgiving me, how could I expect Sylvie to?

While I was thinking, I felt something tickle my leg. It was an ant. I slapped it with my hand and squished it.

“Bessica,” Grandma said. “You didn’t have to kill it.”

“Sure I did,” I said. “It was crawling on me.”

“Bessica, Bessica, Bessica,” Grandma said. “You’re so impulsive.” And then she didn’t say anything.

We sat and listened to the wind start to blow. Banging sounds came out of the motor home as Willy drained the refrigerator. I knew I should practice being a bear. But I was just too tired.

“I better get in there and help him,” Grandma said.

I wasn’t ready for her to leave.

“I’m nervous about Friday’s game,” I said.

“It’s normal to be nervous. But I’m sure you’ll do an excellent job,” Grandma said.

“Yeah,” I mumbled.

“Willy and I will both be there,” she said. “And so will your parents and so will Alma.”

I was actually happy to hear that Alma would be there. Because the more time the third wolf spent with the wolf couple, the easier it was going to be to make Willy fall in love with the third wolf and leave Grandma alone. But I didn’t necessarily want all these people to watch me get facebombed. Or, in the best-case scenario, I didn’t want all these people to watch me facebomb T.J. Because I would probably do it all wrong.

Just then, Alma drove by and she honked at Grandma and Grandma waved back like she was thrilled.

“Do you like Alma?” I asked. Because I didn’t want Grandma to lose a friend when Willy and Alma ran off together.

“She’s building a new life. She needs friends,” Grandma said. “She’s growing her circle.”

“But if you just met her on the street you probably wouldn’t like her. Right?” I asked.

“I wouldn’t say that,” she said.

“Ouch!” Willy called from the motor home. “I can’t get this blasted tubing to come apart.”

I looked at Grandma. I didn’t want her to leave me. Couldn’t Willy handle the tubing by himself? Couldn’t he do anything without Grandma? She pushed off her chair and stood up.

“Grandma?” I asked. “What if when I’m cheering at the game I’m terrible? I mean, not a little terrible. But
totally truly very terrible? Or what if something terrible happens?”

“There’s no way you will be terrible. And nothing terrible is going to happen,” she said. “It’s a game. People go for the fun of it.”

“What if I let people down?” I asked.

“Who could you possibly be letting down?”

I looked at the clouds inching across the sky. I didn’t want to tell Grandma about all the facebombing that might take place. But it was sort of like she could read my mind.

“Do you want to know one of the key things to living a happy life?” Grandma asked me.

“Of course,” I said.

“Do what makes you happy in a manner that doesn’t hurt anyone else,” she said.

“Okay,” I said. I felt myself holding back tears. “Thanks for sharing that with me.”

“Happiness isn’t something you chase, Bessica,” Grandma said. “It’s just the way you feel.”

I’d never thought about the fact that I was chasing happiness.

“I still haven’t finished my Arctic collage,” I said.

“Why not?” Grandma asked.

I shrugged. “I already did a collage. For nutrition.”

“Collage fatigue?” Grandma said, laughing a little.

I nodded. Then I felt my phone buzz and I looked at it. Ooh. “I have to take this. It’s Annabelle. I give her great advice.”

Annabelle:
Jasper is driving me nuts!

Me:
I can’t really talk. I have to make a stupid collage.

Annabelle:
I thought you finished your collage and it turned out
super
-orange.

Me:
(Sigh) Different collage.

I felt Grandma touch my arm. “Invite your friend over to help you.”

I shook my head. I didn’t think Annabelle would be much help. If she came over, all she’d do was talk about Jasper and distract me.

Annabelle:
Is that your mom? Did she just invite me over?

Me:
No.

Then Grandma touched my arm again. “Willy and I can pick her up. Or drop her off if that’s a problem.”

I shook my head again. Didn’t Grandma know what it meant when I shook my head? I covered my phone with my hand and whispered, “Bad idea. We’ll need to ask Mom first.”

“Your mom and dad aren’t here,” Grandma said. “They went on a drive to Jackson Hole. They’ve having a date night.”

I kept my phone covered. “But they don’t have those.”

Annabelle:
Is that your grandma? I’d love to meet her.

Then Grandma did something crazy. She leaned into my phone and said, “I’d love to meet you too, Annabelle.”

Annabelle:
I’m on my way!

Annabelle hung up and I hung up and then I stared at Grandma. “I might never finish my collage now.”

“Sure you will,” Grandma said. “You’ll be inspired by the company of your friend.”

Sometimes it was like Grandma and I didn’t even live on the same planet. “I don’t think that’s true. Annabelle isn’t even taking geography. And for my assignment I’m supposed to answer the question ‘What would you see if you went to the Arctic?’ But when I try to imagine what I’d see, all I picture is snow, and my blank piece of poster board works for that.”

“Sounds like you’ve got an interesting project on your hands,” Grandma said.

“That’s a lie.” I leaned back in my chair and stared at the awful Winnebago. “One collage a year is plenty.” I closed my eyes. Mr. Hoser and Mrs. Mounds shouldn’t both have been allowed to assign such terrible identical homework. I felt tortured. I turned and looked at Grandma. “There should be a rule against terrible identical homework. Teachers should be required to be more imaginative.”

“Don’t bash teachers. They’ve got tough jobs,” Grandma said. “Let me get Willy. We’ll cook a motivating meal for you and your friend.”

Motivating or not, I did not want to eat Willy’s cooking.

And I did not want Annabelle to come to my house and obsess about Jasper.

And I did not want to make a second collage.

And I did not want to get facebombed.

“Does Willy know how to make pizza?” I asked.

Grandma’s hearing was as sensitive as a bat’s. She called to me from the Winnebago, “Willy makes fantastic pizza!”

“I actually make far better calzones!” Willy added.

I didn’t say anything back. I wasn’t sure a calzone would improve anything for anyone. Especially me.

A
nnabelle arrived excited and ready to chat. Also, she was wearing clothes that looked like pajamas.

“Are you spending the night?” I asked as I led her to my room. Because it was a school night and I didn’t think that was wise or allowed.

“I like wearing comfy clothes,” Annabelle said. Then she didn’t comment on my green lizard or offer to help me with my collage at all or bring up the fact that I should be practicing my cheers. She launched into Jasper chat. “He texted me earlier today and asked if he could visit us at lunch tomorrow. Isn’t that weird? What do you think it means?”

I spritzed Bianca with some water and then sat down and stared at my poster board. “I don’t think it’s weird. He likes talking to you.”

“Right,” Annabelle said, plopping down next to me. “But he’s never texted and asked for permission before. I think his feelings for me are deepening. What do you think?”

I didn’t tell Annabelle what I thought. Because I thought she was acting like a crazy person. “Maybe we should help my grandma and Willy make calzones.”

I didn’t want to help them, but talking to Annabelle was driving me nuts. When we got to the kitchen Willy and Grandma were listening to terrible country music about people getting divorces and horses running wild and cowboys missing other cowboys who were either dead or in prison.

“This music is depressing,” I said.

“Really?” Willy asked, turning the station. “It lifts me up.”

“I like it too,” Grandma said. “Shows human perseverance.”

Willy found a station playing popular music with lots of drums that normal people listened to and I felt much better.

“Do you girls like pepperoni?” Willy asked as he tossed a slab of dough in the air and twirled it.

“I do!” Annabelle said.

Annabelle and I sat at the breakfast bar while Grandma and Willy whipped up dinner.

“Do you want tomatoes in your salad?” Grandma asked us as she chopped the life out of a head of lettuce.

“I want information about the Arctic. So I can properly locate pictures and glue them to my poster board,” I said.

“What’s the theme again?” Grandma asked.

I couldn’t believe Grandma had forgotten my theme already.

“I have to make a collage that answers the following question: ‘If I went to the Arctic, what would I see?’ ”

“Willy has been to Barrow, Alaska,” Grandma said. “It’s the northernmost city in the United States.”

“That’s amazing!” Annabelle said.

“That’s cool,” I said. But I didn’t really care.

“I’ve got some good travel books about the Arctic,” Willy said.

“You’d lend Bessica your books?” Grandma asked.

“I’d love to!” Willy said.

“Your Arctic books are currently inside your Winnebago?” I asked. Because it felt like Willy should have told me this as soon as he’d heard about my collage.

“You can’t cut them up,” Willy said. “But you can use them for information.”

“What a huge coincidence, Bessica!” Annabelle gushed. “You are so lucky Willy is here.”

I could not believe Annabelle had said that. My ears rang in horror.

“I should not be making calzones or an Arctic collage. I should be practicing my bear cheers,” I said under my breath. But then there wasn’t time to do either of those things, because we needed to hang out with Willy and Grandma until dinner was ready.

After we ate our calzones and salad, Willy gave me his books and Annabelle and I went to my bedroom.

“Hit me with an arrow!” Annabelle said.

“What?” I asked. I unrolled my poster board and put shoes on the corners to keep it from curling up.

“It’s a saying related to Cupid. God of love. Son of Venus,” Annabelle said. “Jasper texted me again. He wants to bring dessert for me tomorrow. A special cookie.”

I looked at her but didn’t say anything.

“He’s basically asking me to be his girlfriend,” Annabelle said. “Isn’t he?”

I didn’t agree or disagree. “You should call and ask Lola about that.” Lola liked to analyze boy stuff more than I did. And I needed to finish my collage so I could practice my cheers a little.

I stared at my books. “If I went to the Arctic all I would see was snow. Doesn’t Mr. Hoser know that already?”

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“How are things going in there?” Grandma asked.

“Fantastic!” Annabelle said.

“Awful,” I said.

“Aren’t Willy’s books helping?” Grandma asked.

Willy had given me two terrible books.
Silent Snow,
which was very big and talked about how all the world’s pollutants had traveled to the Arctic and turned it and every single polar bear toxic. And
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Arctic and Antarctic,
which I didn’t really want to open because I found the title a little insulting.

“I’m just going to Google the Arctic and print out some pictures,” I said. “Research is hard.”

Annabelle didn’t say anything because she was busy texting Lola.

Grandma frowned at me. “This sounds like a delightful assignment. You get to read about polar bears and ice floes and ringed seals.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I said.

“Do you think it would help to watch a movie?” Grandma asked.

I sat up straight. “Probably.” I liked watching movies with Grandma.

“Movies are the best,” Annabelle said as she furiously punched buttons on her phone.

“Willy, bless his heart, went to pick up a movie about polar bears,” Grandma said. “I think he’s hoping that you two might bond over the Arctic.”