“And I guess you’re just going to say nothing, huh? You think it’s just hunky-dory for her to be going out with Taylor Di Bianco?”
Dad gave her an icy stare. “Unlike you, she hasn’t kept any secrets from me.” His coldness surprised even me.
Mom took a step back and then composed herself. “Donotbe home later than two,” she said.
I looked at Dad, who contradicted her: “You can stay out till four, honey.” Turning to my mother, he continued, “It’s literally next door, Anne.”
Mom pursed her lips but didn’t respond, instead turning around and going to her room.
“Thanks, Dad.” I kissed him on the cheek, but there was a knot in my chest as I walked downstairs, and it felt hard to breathe.
As I went outside, even the bright lights in the Di Biancos’ yard didn’t cheer me up. It was almost dark, and I figured we had an hour before people started showing up. I checked my Instagram: Taylor had just posted his ninth or tenth story showing off his decorations, the food, the yard. Everyone would show up. I knew it.
I turned on my flashlight app and walked into the woods behind our houses. I was scared, walking out there alone, but that was where we said we were meeting, and I didn’t want the brothers to think I was a coward. When I reached the tree house, I couldn’t hear a thing, just the whistling of the wind and the scurrying of tiny animals. I heard a branch snap behind me and I turned around, aiming the flashlight. “Taylor?” I called. Another noise, and I turned in the other direction. “Taylor, this isn’t funny.” My hair was standing on end. I was so scared; I didn’t know if I’d be able to summon the strength to run if I had to.
Something or someone touched my shoulder, and I spun around, raising my fists the way Dad had taught me to do so long ago. There was Thiago, who quickly dodged my punch and laughed at my clumsiness.
“Are you stupid?” I shouted, punching his arm. “You scared the shit out of me.”
“Did I now?”
I put my hand on my heart, which was pounding out of my chest.
“Your costume is hilarious,” he said. “Scary cheerleader…is that a thing?”
“It is now.” I scowled.
“What are you going to do, kill people with your pom-poms?”
“How about you fuck off?” I said, turning around and walking to where I thought we’d buried the time capsule.
“Wrong way, Kamila,” he said, taking me by the elbow and dragging me in the opposite direction.
“How do you know?”
“Because I do,” he said, letting me go and striding off.
“Wait!” I said, trying to catch up. Three of his steps were like five of mine. “Shouldn’t we wait for Taylor?”
“He knows how to get here.”
“But…”
“Listen, you can stay back there and wait for him if you want.” He gave me a wry smile, and I knew he was getting a kick out of seeing me so scared. I didn’t stay and wait for Taylor, instead I stuck close to Thiago, trying to conceal the fact that I no longer found the plan so funny. We walked deeper into the woods, and I saw him hesitate for an instant, then count on his fingers. Had we really done all this just to bury a dumb time capsule? At last, he stopped in front of a twisted old tree.
“How do you know it was here?” I asked.
“Because I was the one who decided where to bury it, remember?”
The truth was, no, I didn’t remember. “If it is, then right here I should be able to see…” I began, flashing my light on the tree.
“No, it’s over here,” Thiago said and walked around to the other side. And it was true. The spot was much lower than Iremembered, but there they were, our initials. I smiled as I remembered carving them.
“Those are some good memories, huh?” I said.
“Yeah. Beautiful.” His tone was indifferent. So much for my emotional reverie. “We need to start digging before it gets too late.”
“What about Taylor?”
