Cloudy with a Chance of Boys (14 page)

On Thursday, Earth Science was half over when Mr. Petry pulled a fast one. Passing out worksheets on the scientific method, he said, “For the remainder of class, I want you to buddy up with your partner. You have ten or fifteen minutes to discuss your weather experiments.”

Moans and groans rippled through the classroom.

“Start with your question, form a hypothesis, and fill in the worksheet. What’s your best guess as to the outcome? Don’t forget to add sections on gathering materials, observations, and data. Projects are due next week, people.”

Wire Rims dragged his chair over to my desk, sitting a little too close. He had on a gray thermal under a black shirt with a troll doll(!) on it.

We hunched over the worksheet. “So, what’s our hypothesis?”
Why are you wearing a troll doll shirt? How weird is that?
“We have to think up a question that we’re going to answer.”

“Okay, well, we’re going to do the cloud thing, right? The one I told you about that we did at my old school? We use ice and hot water and
poof
! It forms a cloud. It’s really cool. And it’ll be super easy since I’ve done it before.” He glanced up front to make sure Mr. Petry didn’t hear that part.

“Ice and water,” I said, writing it under “Gather Materials.”

“Write that down. Under ‘Gather Materials.’”

“Very funny,” I told him. He leaned back, looking pleased with himself. “Okay. Hypothesis . . . What makes a cloud form? How does a cloud form? What are the conditions that bring about a cloud?”

“Hypothesis: You like that band the Notebooks,” he said.

“Huh? Hello. This isn’t music class.”

“But you’re into them, aren’t you? Am I right or am I right? Just say it. You’re into the Notebooks.”

“Okay. I’m into the Notebooks. The
science
notebooks,” I said, jabbing the worksheet with my pencil.

Observation: Wire Rims was not taking this project seriously.

“Are you into their new song — what’s it called? ‘Honey Strange.’ Or is it ‘Honey Stranger’?”

“You’re strange. And getting stranger by the second.”

“I just thought — their lead singer, Chloe Sevilla, has that cool haircut. Short, you know, with bangs in her eyes. Kinda like yours.”

My hand shot up to my hair. “Trust me, this short hair was not on purpose. Long story.”

“I’d like to hear it sometime.”

Secretly I liked that he wanted to hear my hair-disaster story. But that would have to wait for later. “Can we please stop talking about my hair? We still don’t have a hypothesis.”

“No biggie. I told you, I got it covered. Piece of cake.”

“So I should write ‘piece of cake’?” I teased. “Where exactly do you want me to put that?”

“Ha, ha. What other bands are you into? Me, I’m into everything from old-school Beatles and Dylan to indie bands like the Troll Dolls and Furious Yellow.”

“Hey, Wire Rims. Can we focus here? Before Mr. Petry turns furious yellow.”

Wire Rims cracked up. “Hey, that’s funny.”

I couldn’t help grinning. “Shh. Do you want to end up in detention again?”

“Might not be so bad.”

“Let’s talk about materials,” I said for the benefit of Mr. Petry. “What else, besides water and ice?”

Mr. Petry moved on to the next row.

“I’m way into music.” Wire Rims drummed a beat on top of my desk. “Okay, this is so cool. For my report, you know, the cloud identification thing? I’m even identifying how many times the word ‘cloud’ appears in certain music, like Dylan. And if I have time, I’ll do rain, thunder, and lightning, too.”

“How’d you think of that? That sounds cool! But we haven’t even filled out —” The bell rang before I could finish my sentence. “Saved by the bell,” I said. “So, what time on Saturday? And where do you want to meet? The library?”

“No way can we do this at the library! I mean, there’s ice, and we have to use hot water and stuff. I know. You can come to my house. It’s not that far from the school. You turn at that pink house that used to be a video store.”

No way was I going over to his house! Too weird. “Look. You know where the Raven Theater is, right off Main Street South? I live right next door. Why don’t you just meet me there? It’ll be easier.”

“I’ll bring ice. You bring water,” he said, smiling and showing off a crooked front tooth.

“How about if I bring water and
you
bring ice?”

“Wait,” he said, shaking his head. “Isn’t that what I just said?”

“Gotcha.” Now it was my turn to smile.

Draw Conclusions: Cloudy, with a chance of flunking Earth Science.

GOT FOG?

Starring Alex

SETTING:
ALEX’S ROOM, THE NEXT AFTERNOON.

Me:
Joey, you have to go over there again. You heard them yesterday. Mr. Cannon is going to make them do the same scene today. And they’re going to have to get it right. That means they’re going to kiss . . . more than once. You have to stop them!

Joey:
No way, nah-uh, not me.

Me:
Stevie?

Stevie:
(Imitates Joey.)
No way, no how, nah-uh.

Me:
(Wails.)
C’mon, you guys. You have to help me. When have I ever asked you for anything?

Joey and Stevie:
(At same time.)
Yesterday.

Stevie:
Alex, what is the big deal? So they kiss. It’s just a play. They’re acting.

Me:
Yeah, acting like they like each other. At first, you’re just pretending, then,
boom,
you’re in love.

Stevie:
Just go over there. So what if you’re not in the play. You can’t hide up here forever. Joey and I are going to take the baby monitor away, aren’t we, Joey?
(Signals to Joey to grab it.)

Me:
You can’t.
(Grabs it back.)
Okay, I’ll go, but —

Joey:
Dad’s over there. Just say he needs some help with props.

Me:
Thank you.

Stevie:
Go. Remember, we’ll be right here!
(Shakes baby monitor in air.)

Me:
(Runs out door and across to Raven Theater. Enters through back door.)

Mr. Cannon:
Hi, stranger! What do you think of our new digs?
(Gestures all around theater.)

Jayden:
(Under her breath, but still heard.)
What’s she doing here? I thought she was too good for us now.

Scott:
Alex!

Allen/Alvin:
Hi, Alex.

Conrad/Matt/Brianna:
Hey, Alex.

Me:
My dad told me you guys were rehearsing here. Sorry to hear about the school theater flooding and everything.

Matt:
This place is cool.

Mr. Cannon:
(A little too cheery.)
Well, sure was great of your dad to let us use the space. And I was hoping we’d run into you. We miss seeing you at Drama Club.

Me:
Um, yeah, thanks, me too, but . . . don’t let me interrupt. I’m not staying or anything. It’s just, my dad asked me to come over and look over some props. Help figure out what we’re missing and everything. You know.

Jayden:
Yeah, right.

Mr. Cannon:
That’s great, Alex.

Me:
So, just forget I’m here.

Jayden:
(Mutters.)
That shouldn’t be hard.

Scott:
(Glares at Jayden.)

Me:
I’ll be in the back. I’ll try not to make noise. I know you guys must have a lot to do.
(Looks directly at Jayden.)

Allen/Alvin:
Sure do.

Me:
I mean a lot of work. Practice. I know. I get it.
(Stop talking now!)

Mr. Cannon:
(Claps hands.)
Okay, people. Can I have Romeo, Juliet, Nurse, Benvolio, and a Capulet. Front and center. Let’s hit it. I want to get through Act One today. Juliet!

Jayden:
My only love sprung from my only hate.

Scott:
That’s not even the line, Mr. Cannon.

Mr. Cannon:
Juliet, take it from “Good pilgrim.”

Jayden:
Fine. Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much.

Mr. Cannon:
With expression.

Me:
(Listens from behind the curtain.)

Scott:
Have not saints lips, and holy palmers, too?

Me:
(Whispers into monitor.)
Hey, guys. It’s me. Alex. We forgot one thing. I’m over here, but, I mean, how do I keep the kiss from happening?
(Oh, yeah, they can hear me, but I can’t hear them.)
They’re doing the scene! Close your ears, Joey. It’s coming up in, like, two seconds.
(Rummages through props. Looks around backstage. Ladder. Fan. Guitar.
Maybe I can drop something, make a loud crash. Aren’t there any trash cans back here? Chairs?)

Scott:
O then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do.

Me:
(Eyes land on fog machine.)
Hey, guys. I have a great idea.
(Hurry up! Plug it in! Aim nozzle of hose through gap in curtain. Wait for Scott to say "prayer’s effect I take.")

Scott:
Then move not while my prayer’s effect I take.

Me:
(Now! Turns switch to ON. Blast of fog gushes onto the stage.)

Jayden:
Uh! My eyes!
(Holds hands up to shield face.)
I can’t see!
(Waves hand in front of her face, rubs hands across both eyes. Coughs.)
Mr. Cannon, she did this on purpose!

Me:
(Pokes head through gap in curtain.)
Sorry. I was just testing the fog machine for my dad.

Mr. Cannon:
Settle down, people. No harm done. Well, at least we know it’s working. That fog’ll come in handy for the graveyard scene. Okay, Juliet. Your line. “You kiss by the book.”

Jayden:
(Overdramatizes a cough.)
You kiss . . .
ahem, ahem
. . . by the . . .
ahem
. . . book.

Mr. Cannon:
Benvolio, away, begone. Everybody exit but Juliet and Nurse. Jayden, “Come hither, Nurse.”

BACKSTAGE, MOMENTS LATER . . .

Scott:
Oh, my god, Alex, did you see her face?
(Laughs.)
That was too funny. Then she wiped her eyes and they smudged all black, like raccoon eyes.
(Lowers voice and imitates.)
Hey, Jayden. Got fog?
Pffffff!

Me:
I didn’t mean to get you, honest!

Scott:
It was worth it. Getting fogged, I mean. Just to see the Jayden freak-out. I don’t know what’s up with her. She’s freaking out all over the place.

Me:
Really?

Scott:
Yeah, like yesterday. You shoulda heard her.

Me:
(Innocently.)
Yeah, I wish I could have.

Scott:
We’re at the end of Act One, right? Same as today. But she keeps repeating the words “hands” and “palms” and messing up her lines. It was messing
me
up. Then she says she quits because Shakespeare’s a tongue twister.

Me:
Well, it is a lot to learn.

Scott:
Hey, maybe she
will
quit!

Jayden:
(Storms backstage.)
I heard that! I know what you two are doing back here. For your information, I’m not quitting.