“Bluebell’s,” Tim says again, “first night staying with us.”
Kimmie rolls her eyes and stands. “Seriously, Tim. It’s one dinner.” She’s already walking away when she mutters, “I’m sure Miss Rainbow Sunflower will live.”
Tim’s forehead creases. “Now, wait just a minute—”
“Kimmie!” Rebecca jumps from her seat, and I’m kind of impressed with how her honey-sweet voice can flick to scary-stern so quickly. “You will come back right now and apologi—”
“It’s okay,” I offer, sifting through a carton of Thai food. I’m not used to yelling or fighting, and I definitely don’t want to be the cause of it. Especially not on my first night here. “I don’t mind.”
Rebecca huffs, watching Kimmie disappear up the staircase, then she places a hand on her hip. After a second, she looks at me. “Bluebell ...” She shakes her head, her tone softening. “I’m so sorry. Kimmie’s got a lot on her plate right now, and I think she just needs some time to herself tonight.”
I nod, my mouth full of noodles and tofu. She lets out a sigh and eases into her spot on the sofa.
Tim, beside her, rubs the back of his neck when I look at him. “Thank you,” he says.
I shrug, twisting my fork in the noodles. “But just so you know, I haven’t gone by Bluebell since I was nine.”
Tim straightens. “No?”
I smile and shake my head. Maybe I should have mentioned that little detail when Kimmie was still here, but my name doesn’t bother me nearly as much as it does her. Besides, I doubt she’ll be a fan of my nickname either. “It’s Blue.”
“Just Blue?”
“Just Blue.”
Rebecca clasps her hands together. “Well, I love it. But just soyouknow, I think both names are wonderful.” Her eyes sparkle, and I like her already.
Mom says you can feel the people around you. She describes it as an aura, and maybe it’s from all my time spent at the river under the stars, but I’ve always felt it like a breeze against my skin. Some people are a cold, harsh whip to my face, some a warm whisper on my neck, and others everything in between. Rebecca’s a calm wind, coasting with the ebb and flow of the sea, and it’s comforting.
Just as I’m slurping up the last of my noodles, Tim clears his throat, drawing my attention to him. He scratches his chin the way he did earlier.
“So,” he starts, curling an arm around Rebecca’s slim shoulders, “how do you like living in Husk Meadow?” I tilt my head, and he adds, “What I mean is, it’s pretty quiet up there, isn’t it? Not a lot of other kids your age, from what your mom told me.”
“Oh.” I set my now-empty food carton down and fold my legs under me. “Yeah, I guess it’s quiet.” I shrug. “But I like it. I love doing my schoolwork outside, down on the rocks by the river, or at my favorite spot in the woods.”
Rebecca gasps. “You go into the woods alone?”
A quiet laugh bubbles up my throat. “It’s not dangerous. It’s pretty much my backyard. But if it makes you feel better, I have a friend who goes with me sometimes. Benji, he’s my closest neighbor, not even three miles from my place. We actually rent from his family.”
“Benji?” Tim’s shoulders stiffen. “A boy?”
I nod, but when Tim’s silence stretches across the living room, I ramble, “We practically grew up together. He’s really more like a brother than a friend.” Except—gross. I cringe asbrotherreplays in my head. I can’t exactly think of him that way after last summer.
“Well.” Tim’s voice pulls my attention back to him. “I just want to make sure you know that high school kids can be ...” He looks away and takes a breath. “Well, they can be rough sometimes. Even for Kimmie, though she’d never show it, and she’s been in public school all her life.”
Rebecca runs her palm down Tim’s arm, then she looks at me and winks. “He’s just worried about you, hun, but you look like you can handle yourself fine.”
I smile, weaving my blonde, wavy hair into a thick side braid. The longer I look at Tim, the tighter my chest squeezes. I try to expect the best in people, but for a man who never wanted me before, it’s hard to hide my surprise at his concern. I have no clue what’s waiting for me at Burroughs High.
“Honestly, I haven’t thought about it too much. I figure I’ll just see what it’s like, go with the flow.”
“See?” Rebecca pecks Tim on the cheek. “Nothing to worry about.” She stands and scoops the leftovers from the table. “Be right back.”
Tim watches me carefully while Rebecca heads to the kitchen. A sad smile crosses his face, the light in his eyes dimming. “I swear, you sound just like your mom sometimes.”
I rub my lips together and glance away. “I do?”
When Rebecca returns, he shakes off the expression, but I’ve already seen it. Whateveritwas.
