“Did they really love cherries or something? Were you born on a rainy night in October?” Michelle lifted her hands and wiggled her fingers while her lips formed that stupid circleagain.
“January.”
“Huh?” She dropped her hands back down and cocked her head totheside.
“I was born in January, and I don’t think it wasraining.”
“Okay, but someone doesn’t just thinkHmmm, Rainier would be a really cool name. There’s a story, and I want toknowit.”
I took a deep breath while I decided whether or not I should tell her. The answer to the question was obvious, but for some reason, my lips beganmoving.
“It was where I was conceived,” I mumbled as quickly as I could, wishing I would have walked to the back of the store when I had the chance. The origins of my name were more embarrassing than myactualname.
“What?!”
I averted my eyes. “My parents, supposedly they were camping at Mount Rainier when I wasconceived.”
Michelle choked on a laugh. “Why do youknowthat?”
“Have you seen my parents? We’re the only hippie family in town. Of course, theytoldme.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah. Well, at least it isn't as bad as mysister'sname.”
“Sarah isn’tweird.”
“Sarah is hermiddlename.”
Michelle leaned forward in her seat and looked at me with wide eyes. “What’s herfirstname?”
I fought hard to keep my expression neutral. “Volvo.”
It wasn’t true, of course. But seeing the look of horror on Michelle’s face was worth any apologizing I would have to do later if this ever made it past the bookstore toSarah’sears.
“Please tell me you’re kidding,” she eventually said. It was obvious she didn’t know what to think. I didn’t blame her. With any other family, it would have been obvious I was kidding. My parents were just strange enough to stir updoubt.
“I’mkidding.”
“Oh, thank goodness,” she said, putting her hand on her face. “Wait, so is that really why your parents namedyouthat?”
“Sadly, that partistrue.”
Michelle laughed again, and it wasn’t an entirely unpleasant sound. It was quite melodic, and I found I liked it. A little. We still weren’t friends, and I wasn’t sure why I shared that tidbit of information with her. I quickly changed the subject backtoher.
“So why are you working here this summer? I imagine someone like you would rather be anywhere else than in abookstore.”
She looked hurt by my words, which didn’t make any sense to me. She was the attractive, popular type. She belonged on the beach. Or Paris. Or anywhere other than RiverValley.
“My dad thought I needed to learn someresponsibility.”
“Andyourmom?”
“She’s off gallivanting with herboytoy.”
I didn’t know a whole lot about everyone in River Valley, even though it was a small town. I’d always stuck to my family and neighbors, like Matt. So this information caught me off guard. I didn’t even consider her parents were divorced. I always thought Michelle haditall.
“I’msorry.”
