What just happened?
It was like, for a brief moment, the moon had shifted in its orbit, and this happy Melanie Kellner had eclipsed the Melanie Kellner I thought I knew.
But then, just like an eclipse, it was over.
I didn’t understand.
I got my stuff together and kissed Laleh and Grandma goodbye.
“Have a good day, Laleh.”
She looked up from her plate and gave me a toothy smile.
“Thanks.”
I ran into Chip at the bike rack.
“Hey,” he said, but he didn’t grin his usual grin.
Things had been weird between us ever since Sunday.
I wished I could take back what I said.
Well. Not really. I was telling the truth.
But I never realized the truth would be so dangerous.
“Hey,” I said.
“Did Ms. Albertson post your grade yet?”
“Last night.”
I almost smiled.
Almost.
“I got a B!”
That got a grin out of Chip.
“That’s great.”
“Thanks again. For helping me.”
“Sure.” Chip kept grinning at me, but after a minute it slipped away.
And then things were weird again.
“See you at practice?”
I swallowed.
“Yeah.”
When I got home from practice, I felt like I had stepped onto a holodeck.
The scene before me was too surreal for normal existence.
