It's Only Temporary (16 page)

“It's
like
a party,” Skye told her. “I really need you to be here, Maddy.”

“Okay,” Maddy said. “If you need me, I'll be there-because you're my best friend, Skye, and I would never let you down.”

“R
ise and shine, Skye,” Gran said on Sunday morning, repeating the previous morning's gentle command.

“But I was up really late last night, planning what I'm gonna say to my friends,” Skye mumbled from underneath her covers. “I even wrote it all out, like a script.”

“Well, should I tell him to leave?” Gran asked in a brisk, cheerful voice.

Him?

Skye sat bolt upright in bed, her heart pounding. “Who's here?” she asked.

“You'll see,” Gran said – and she was smiling.

“So here it is,” Kee Matthews said ten minutes later in Gran's living room as he handed Skye her sketchbook, which was complete, except for the few drawings that had
been taped to the gymnasium wall on Friday night. “Not that Aaron probably even knows yet that I swiped it back from him,” he added.

“He's going to be so mad,” Skye said, admiring Kee's courage. “But he should never have taken it in the first place.”

“Well, you shouldn't have made us look so dumb in that Homecoming newspaper, either,” Kee said, frowning. “It was a really big deal.”

“I know,” Skye admitted softly.

“And you, like, totally ruined everything,” Kee continued, relentless. “Aaron says that's why he dropped the ball in the fourth quarter.”

Even angry he was cute, Skye thought, in spite of herself. “I'm sorry,” she told him. “But you guys were being so – “

“I know, I know,” Kee interrupted, obviously embarrassed.

“Well, but how come you hang out with them, then?” Skye asked.

Kee shrugged one narrow shoulder. “I dunno,” he
admitted. “I might have to rethink that, now – whether I want to or not. But you gotta hang with someone, don't you? And they can be okay – when there aren't any girls around, anyway. We have fun.”

“But what about Aaron picking on Pip all the time?” Skye argued. “Pip's not a girl, he's another guy. And he's an
artist
. He's pretty good, in fact. And you, of all people, should understand about that.”

“Why me of all people?” Kee asked, frowning.

“'Cause you're an artist, too,” Skye said shyly. “I like those drawings you gave me, Kee.”

“What drawings?” Kee asked, a look of total incomprehension on his face. “Oh,” he said suddenly, and he smiled.

“What?” Skye asked. “Who did them, if it wasn't you?”

“Danko,” Kee said, stunning Skye with the one word. “It had to be him.”

“Who?”

“You heard me,” Kee said. “It had to be Danko. He kind of likes you, see, and he loves to draw, only hardly anybody knows it. But I told him a few weeks ago about
how you were secretly drawing everyone. After I saw you that time on the steps,” Kee reminded her.

“But – but – but how come Danko's not taking art, if he likes it so much?” Skye asked, sputtering. “And – he
likes
me? And how come he just goes along with Aaron and Cord when they call Pip names and everything?”

“Maybe he doesn't like Pip, I dunno,” Kee said, shrugging. “You can't like everyone. Or maybe it's because of Danko's brothers. His dad, too, 'cause his dad's a real hard-nose about stuff like guys taking art. All Mr. Marshall cares about is sports, and now Danko can't even show him the Homecoming newspaper when he gets home from his business trip, thanks to you. And that was, like, his
only thing
.”

Skye wasn't exactly sure what a hard-nose was, though she had a pretty good idea. “But you swiped my sketchbook back,” she said slowly. “Why?”

Kee shrugged again, then looked away. “I felt sorry for you, I guess,” he said quietly. “With your brother so messed up and everything. Also, I didn't want them to ruin any of your drawings. Not that Aaron's exactly going to understand my thinking.”

“Well, thanks,” Skye said, wishing she could stop the blush that was spreading up her neck and across her face. “But you don't have to feel sorry for me, Kee, 'cause my brother's – “

“He's gonna be okay?” Kee asked, sounding hopeful.

“I don't know,” Skye admitted, her voice soft. “He'll be something like okay, I think. Eventually. But – I'd do it again, you know,” she told him suddenly. “If I had to.”

“Do what?”

“Fight back,” Skye said. “'Specially if Aaron or Cord ever,
ever
touch Maddy again, or if Melissa and Taylor don't start laying off Amanda and the rest of us girls. I've got some pretty good drawings of them I could use, you know.”

“I know,” Kee said, smiling a little. “They saw them. We all saw them.”

“And I could always make more,” Skye said, feeling a little foolish, but glad to have said what she did.

“Tough guy,” Kee teased.

“Excuse me, you two,” Gran said, poking her head into the living room. “But would you like some delicious soda and chips? Even though it's still morning?”

I love you, Skye thought, touched by Gran's struggle to please her.

“Sure,” Kee said, obviously relieved at the interruption.

“I'll be right back,” Gran said, beaming, and she disappeared into the kitchen to get their snack.

“You're gonna
really
feel sorry for me when you taste those chips,” Skye whispered, daring a smile.

“Huh?” Kee said.

“You'll find out,” Skye told him.

21

N
ow that she had her sketchbook back, Skye wanted to cancel the afternoon get-together – but Gran wouldn't hear of it. “Out of the question, Skye,” she said firmly. “You cannot un-invite your friends to a party at the last minute, short of being abducted by aliens,” she added, pausing to inspect a carrot she'd been peeling for the vegetable platter that was to be the star of the snack table.

“But this wasn't even supposed to
be
a party,” Skye pointed out. “It was supposed to be kind of like a meeting. You know, just so I could warn everyone about the rest of the drawings in my sketchbook. I was afraid they'd end up plastered all over the walls at school, at the very least. But everything's okay now, Gran.”

“One more hour,” Gran said, glancing at her watch.

“But – but I'm still too new in Sierra Madre to give a party,” Skye objected.

“You're too new to have friends?” Gran asked, cocking her curly brown head in inquiry. “Because if those five kids who jumped at the chance to come over this afternoon aren't friends, then what are they?”

“They didn't exactly
jump
,” Skye argued feebly. “Not all of them, anyway. I had to promise Maddy that she wouldn't miss some TV show about meerkats. But–”

“But nothing,” Gran said briskly, expertly chopping the carrot into neat sticks. “As I recall, you didn't have to argue with any one of them. And even though this sketchbook situation isn't going to get any worse, I think you still owe those kids an explanation about the drawings you did of them that got put up at the dance.”

“I guess,” Skye mumbled.

“Maybe you even owe your friends an apology,” Gran suggested.

“They aren't officially my friends,” Skye objected, hearing how lame her objection sounded even as she stated it. “And I never meant for anyone to see
any
of the drawings,” she added, defending herself – and practicing a little for the speech she'd apparently still have to give that afternoon. “Not to mention that Maddy and Jamila weren't even
at
the dance,” she pointed out. “So won't I
just be stirring up trouble if I tell them–”

“You know Maddy and Jamila will hear about it eventually,” Gran interrupted. “And those kids are your new friends, Skye, whether you want to admit it or not. I thought you were getting used to living with me here in Sierra Madre, sweetheart,” she added, her voice softening. “I hoped you were, anyway. I certainly love having you here.”

“I
am
getting used to it,” Skye mumbled. “
Too
used to it, maybe! Because this is only temporary, and sooner or later, I have to go back.”

It wasn't “
back home
” anymore, Skye noted, surprised–just “
back
.”

“Not necessarily,” Gran said carefully, turning to wash a green pepper under cool running water. “This whole situation isn't only about Scotty, Skye. Everyone – including your mom and your dad – wants what's best for you. We want you never to feel trapped. And you do have a say in the matter.”

“Really?” Skye asked.

“Really.”

“Well, one thing I have to say,” Skye said suddenly, “is that I wouldn't put that green pepper on the platter if I were you, Gran – or Maddy will
freak
, and that's all we need to make it a perfect afternoon.”

“Oh, my gosh, you're right!” Gran said, smacking her head with the plump palm of her hand. “Now, that
would
have been a disaster.”

“A little one, anyway,” Skye said, laughing.

“And we've had enough of the other kind, haven't we?” Gran said, reeling Skye in for a hug.

“And so I just wanted to say that I'm sorry if anyone was embarrassed Friday night by those drawings, or if your feelings got hurt,” Skye told Amanda, Matteo, Jamila, Pip, and a confused-looking Maddy an hour later. “I didn't mean anything bad when I did them, and anyway, they were supposed to be private.”

Amanda scowled. “But I don't get it,” she said. “Why did you even draw us that way? I thought you liked us! And you made me look like a – “

“I do like you,” Skye interrupted hastily. “I mostly drew those pictures when I first got here, and I didn't even know you guys. Not really. And I was feeling really bad about – about
everything
, so I kind of took it out on you. You're not the only one with a dark inner life, you know,” she told Amanda, hoping she would remember the time she'd proudly claimed that for herself.