“Ew, no,” one of the teenagers says.
“I’m gonna be the first astrophysicist to go viral for my mad guitar skills,” Bridget tells me. “They’re, like,swag.”
“They totally slap,” the third teenager agrees.
“Dylan! Oh, thank God I caught you.”
I turn and glance at the other side of the street, where Mrs.Pennyworth is waving a towel out of her kitchen window.
“My garbage disposal just made a weird noise, and I’m hosting Erica and her new boyfriend for dinner in two hours. Do you mind taking a look? I can wait a few minutes if you want to get Tavi and do a video here.”
I flash her a thumbs-up. “Let me go see how she’s feeling.”
I jog into the school and run straight into Estelle.
She looks down her nose at me, which is both disconcerting—she’s a good four inches shorter than me—and also annoying. “Mr.Wright.”
“Mrs.Lightly.”
“I notice you didn’t knock.”
“Someone said there was a gas leak in the chemistry lab.”
“Fascinating, considering that’s Octavia’s bedroom.”
“Is it?”
She frowns.
“Right. Should’ve known that, since we’re friends. Friends definitely tell each other where their bedrooms are in school buildings.” I give her a lazy salute and slip around her. “I’ll let you know if I find anything dangerous.”
“I didn’t bring my family here to leave all of my granddaughters behind,” she says behind me.
“Tickled Pink’s pretty awesome. They could do worse.”
I don’t tell her Tavi’s not staying.
She knows.
No sense in getting my own hopes up by letting Estelle into my head.
I swing around the landing and head up to the second floor, passing Michael Lightly on the way.
He frowns at me. “She’s in a mood.”
“Your mother?”
“My daughter.”
“Maybe she needs a hug.”
“Little late for that.”
He puts his head down and marches down the stairs.
I have regrets in life, and I’ve figured out a few things later than I probably should’ve, but if I ever have kids, I won’t wait until they’re almost thirty to hug them.
And my mom might drive me crazy some days, but I have zero doubt she loves me.
