12 Before 13 by Lisa Greenwald

Author:Lisa Greenwald
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2018-09-05T00:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-FIVE

AFTER A FEW DAYS, I get into a habit of starting my homework on the bus ride home because there’s so much to do and not that much time to do it.

“We need to figure out if we’re doing that barbecue,” Kaylan says, interrupting my math problem. “If Zoe is definitely coming in with her dad, we should do it soon while the weather is still warm enough.”

“Oh! Her visit is coming up soon, actually.”

“So let’s plan it.” Kaylan smiles. “We can make our mac and cheese.”

“Ooh! Good idea.” I go back to my math, putting the barbecue plans out of my head for a second.

“Talk to your parents tonight and make sure they’re okay with it,” Kaylan instructs.

I close my math stuff. “You’re sure you’re okay with the set-up, though? And your mom is, too?”

“I think so.” She smiles. “Can we invite the lunch table girls, though?”

I raise my eyebrows. “Sure. I guess.”

“I mean, you’re gonna have Zoe and the other camp girls there, so it’s only fair. . . .”

I shrug. “True.” I hesitate a second and then turn to Kaylan and say, “Kay, I need to talk to you, actually. Something happened while you were away, and I haven’t been able to really tell you yet.”

“Big P related?”

“No. Not everything is big P related.” I roll my eyes. “Do you want to come over for a little after school?”

“Okay. I told Cami I’d go to her house later for a pizza study date, though, for our history test.” She shakes her head. “I didn’t invite you since you’re in honors,” she sings.

“Stop.”

“Just tell me as we walk,” Kaylan says as we get off the bus. “You know I can’t handle waiting.”

“Fine. Let’s just talk here.” We stop at a bench outside the little playground in our neighborhood and sit down.

“What is it? I’m freaking out.”

I laugh for a second. “I thought you were breaking that bad habit?”

“You can help me! Now spill it!”

I hesitate and then blurt out, “My dad lost his job. I don’t exactly know what’s going on. But my fancy ooh-la-la bat mitzvah isn’t happening. That whole golf club caterer meeting was for nothing.” I sigh. “So this barbecue may be a little weird. Like, my parents may not be in a party mood. I need to talk to my mom about it.”

“Oh. Um. Wow.” Kaylan’s eyebrows crinkle. “That’s not what I was expecting you to say.”

“What were you expecting?” I giggle.

She laughs a little, too. “Not sure, actually.”

We sit there quietly for a minute, and she says, “I can’t believe you waited so long to tell me. Did you tell Alice and everyone?”

I nod. “Yeah. But you were away, and I didn’t want to stress you out, and then school started, and the lunch table thing . . .”

“You should still be able to tell me stuff.” She looks at me. “I mean, come on.”

“I know.”

“Keeping our friendship strong, Ari.”

“It is. We are.”

“Does your dad want to work at an allergy office?” She shrugs.

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