"Sure," I said, reluctantly stepping away from my painting. "I could eat."
"Good," said Jessica. "Because we have an official prom update for you."
"What?"
"Which homecoming queen has reunited with her million-year-old boyfriend and is therefore
bagging the Glen Lake prom?"
"No way!" I said.
Madison nodded. "Totally," she said.
As Jessica came over to where I was standing she glanced at my easel. "Wow, I like your
painting." She-- pointed at the biggest of the Lucy figures. "Is that you?" When I nodded, she smiled. "It totally looks like you."
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Madison came over to see what we were looking at. "Ohmygod! Did you paint this?" asked
Madison, looking from me to the painting. "It's amazing."
"Yeah," I said. "It's the self-portrait I was telling you about."
"Oh!" Madison exclaimed. "That's you!" she pointed at one of the smallest of the Lucy figures.
"Wait," said Jessica. "I thought that one was you."
Madison looked where Jessica was pointing. "Hey," she said. "That is you."
Jessica turned to me. "How come there are so many of you?"
"It's kind of how--"
"Is it like clones?" asked Madison.
"Well, not exactly. It's more--" Why had this seemed so much easier when I was talking to Sam?
"It's really cool," said Jessica. "You're mondo talented. Now--" She took me by the arm and steered me away from the easel. "We must discuss Kathryn's skanky boyfriend and post-prom
Hamptons clothing options."
"As in, what do we need to shop for," Madison explained, following us.
"So, come along, Prom Queen," said Jessica, as she pulled open the studio door. "Your loyal court attends you."
As we walked along the hall, I linked my arms through theirs. Maybe Jessica and Madison didn't
get all the nuances of my painting that Sam did. But I was still glad they were my friends.
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Chapter Twenty-three
A few hours later, as I stood in front of the open freezer debating the nutritional benefits of
chicken nuggets versus sorbet as an after-school snack, my cell rang. It was my dad.
"Hey," I said. I looked at the wall clock. "It's Friday. Aren't you supposed to be on a plane right now?"
"Hi, Goose. I'm still in San Francisco," he said. "We're fogged in."
"Big surprise," I said. I opened the sorbet. There was about half a spoonful left in the container. I put it back.
"Is Mara there?" he asked.
"Nope." I took the chicken nuggets out of the freezer.
"Well, I'm having trouble getting her on her celclass="underline" could you just leave her a message that I'm
stuck here
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and I'm hoping to get a flight at least as far as Chicago tonight?"
I tossed the nuggets on a plate and put it in the microwave. "Check, chief."
"How about you, Goose, big plans with your big man?"
"Big plans, big man," I said. Really we were just going to Piazzolla's and a movie. But it was big enough.
"Sounds like fun," said my dad. "Hey, did you get my e-mail about the Andy Goldsworthy?"
Andy Goldsworthy is an artist my dad and I both love, and he had a sculpture show opening on
the roof of the Met this weekend.
"Um ..." Was I really up for a repeat performance of Dad and Mara Ignore Lucy at the Museum?
Luckily the kitchen phone started ringing before I could answer him. I looked to see who was
calling.
"It's Mara," I said.
"Oh, great," he said. "Tell her my plan, okay? And tell her I'll keep trying her on her cell."
"Okay," I said. "Love you."
"Love you, too, honey. And tell Mara I love her."
That was so not part of the message I'd be delivering. I tossed the nugget box back in the freezer
and grabbed the phone.
"Hi, Lucy, it's Mara. Is your father home yet?" I could tell she was calling from her car. "My battery's all messed up on my cell. I think he's been trying to reach me."
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The microwave beeped. "He's in California."
"What?" From her high-pitched wail, you'd have thought I'd said, He's with his divorce lawyer. If only.
"He's still in California." I took the plate of nuggets out. "They're fogged in. He said he tried to call you."
"Oh, Jesus. We're supposed to be meeting people in the city tonight. I'm already in Manhattan."
I wasn't exactly sure what Mara expected me to do. Maybe she thought I, like Superman, could
stop the world from spinning on its axis and reverse time, thereby enabling my father to catch an
early plane out of San Francisco. Unfortunately, Cinderella's powers are limited to serving meals
and snagging princes.
Through the phone, I could hear a horn honk. "Okay, okay," she muttered. I heard some more
honking. Even when she's not distracted and talking on her cell phone, Mara's not exactly the
most focused driver.
"Listen," she said. "I'm going to try the girls. If you see them, will you let them know the situation? Tell them your dad can't drive them to their dad's and they should just call a cab or call
their dad to pick them up?" She continued to think out loud for another few minutes, going
through the logistics of her night. I just sat there eating my chicken nuggets, not saying anything,
like she was a character on a TV show I was too lazy to get up and turn off.
"Well, okay, you have fun tonight," she said, finally
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remembering she was actually talking to someone. "Thanks," I said.
"What's that?" she shouted over the sudden static. "I'm losing you, Lucy."
"I said thanks,'''' I repeated, louder this time.
"I can't hear you, Lucy," she said. Then, "Lucy? Lucy?" Then silence.
No sooner had I hung up the phone than the front door flew open and slammed shut. I heard a
cell phone ringing, but it wasn't mine. I returned to eating my nuggets.
"Hello? Hello?" Princess One appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, cell phone pressed to her
ear. She dropped her backpack onto a chair. "Mom, is that you?" She listened for a second before shaking her head and hanging up.
"I think that was Mom," she said over her shoulder. "But I have, like, no idea what she said."
Princess Two materialized by her sister's side.
"I think she was telling you my dad's flight's trapped in San Francisco, she's in the city, she's
going out for dinner, you're supposed to call a cab or ask your dad to pick you up."
"WHAT?" Princess One screamed. She stared at me openmouthed, then grabbed her sister by the arm.
"What?" I repeated. Was she really that freaked out about the change of plans?
"What?" Princess Two asked.
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Princess One was still clutching her sister. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
Princess One turned to her sister and spoke very slowly. "Mom said Doug can't drive us to dad's
and we have to take a cab."
"So?" asked Princess Two.
"So we can go to the--" Princess One made fists of frustration as her sister continued to stare at her blankly. Then she leaned over and whispered something in her ear.
"OHMYGOD!" said Princess Two, just as her phone started ringing. She put it up to her ear.
"Hello? ... Oh, hi, Mom.... Yeah, we got your message.... Sure ... Yeah, we'll just take a cab." She jumped up and down, screaming silently. "No, you don't have to call him. Really, Mom, don't