64.
now
I put Yolo in his cat carrier. He is not pleased.
“Sorry, bud,” I say. “Not losing you again.”
We drive past the marquee. Nothing has changed.
GET TH3M BACK.
These words. What do they mean?
We drive to Pet Land. The door is unlocked, and it slides open creepily and automatically when we get close. Yolo and I find a cat leash and also one of those cat backpacks that look like they’re from space that always made me laugh.
There’s not really any way we can pay. There are no cashiers. None of the self-scanners work. No one in the world would blame me for this. While I’m at it, I get some fancy cat food, the kind we bought Yolo for Christmas or when we were feeling extra generous. I also fill the cart with pet toys.
“It’s like a shopping spree,” I tell Yolo in his cat carrier in the cart. “What have you always wanted?”
Yolo is straight-up pissed now. He’s stopped yowling and has turned his back to me. I can just see his butt and tail.
“Fine,” I say. “Be like that.”
65.
once
“No offense,” Syd said, “but you look terrible.” She sat down on the edge of the couch. “I thought people were, like, in college when they got their wisdom teeth out.”
“I’m special,” I said, my speech muffled by cotton. “I’m really mature.”
“That you are.” Syd began taking things out of the cardboard box she’d brought. “Shake,” she said. “Broth.” More items. “Pudding. Jell-O.”
“Wow,” I said.
“Not only did I get you all this stuff,” she told me, “but I also drove to buy it.”
“Wow,” I said again. “You never drive.” The medication was making me loopy. I kept repeating things, or the words I was saying weren’t quite coming out right.
“I know.” She set the Jell-O on the nightstand next to me. It was very jiggly. That was very funny.
“How many days of practice are you going to miss?” Syd asked, when I’d finally stopped laughing.
“None,” I said. “I’m good.”
“At least three,” my mom said from the doorway. She smiled at Syd. “Let me know if you need me. She’s definitely still under the influence.”
“I am not,” I said, but then I giggled again.
“I have a whole plan for today,” Syd said. “You’re going to eat whatever sounds good, and we’re going to watchWeatheremere, and I’m going to do a fancy braid in your hair like the one we do for the state meet so you don’t have to deal with it at all for the next day or two.”
“But I need to be able to sleep on it.” I felt very worried. “I’m going to sleep a lot, Syd. A lot.” In the doorway, my mom covered her mouth to hide a laugh and that made me mad. “Mom,” I said. “It’s not funny. I’m going to sleep a lot.”
“We know, sweetheart,” she said.
“I’ll make sure to take sleeping into account when I do the braid,” Syd reassured me. “Comfort is our top priority.”
“Comfort is our top priority,” I informed my mom.
