Out of Order by Robin Stevenson

Author:Robin Stevenson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: JUV000000
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: 2007-09-01T04:00:00+00:00

THE KITCHEN IS painted bright yellow, garish but cheerful. A black and white border collie is bouncing off the walls, chasing the twins, who are squealing with excitement.

Somehow, Max gets the dog fed, both boys strapped firmly into matching high chairs and a pot of coffee brewing. I try to stay out of the way. It isn’t until the twins are shoveling Cheerios into their mouths that the chaos subsides enough for Max and me to talk.

“So,” Max says. She hands me a steaming mug.

I curl my hands around the warm surface. “So.”

“Are you going to call Zelia and find out what happened?” Max asks.

I make a face. “I don’t know. Don’t really want to know the details.”

Max deftly catches a little plastic cup that one of the twins has tossed from his high chair. “Mmm. No. But she must be wondering where you are. I mean, since you were supposed to go to her place.”

I remember the fight Zelia had with her mom the night before. “I don’t even know if she went home. Anyway, I don’t care. If she wants to talk to me, she can call.” I push away the mug of coffee. “Can we talk about something else?”

“Sorry,” Max says.

There is a moment of awkward silence; then Caleb, or maybe Conor, empties his bowl of Cheerios on the floor.

“More Cheerios,” he says happily.

Max shakes her head at him. “Not if you’re just going to dump them on the floor,” she says.

“More Cheerios,” he repeats patiently.

Max sighs. “You won’t throw them?”

Caleb or Conor, whichever it is, smiles angelically. “No throw Cheerios.”

Max dumps a small handful of Cheerios into his bowl. “Okay, Caleb.”

Caleb picks up his bowl, looks at us and immediately turns his bowl upside down. Cheerios scatter and bounce across the floor, and the border collie dashes madly around the kitchen, nails skidding on the ceramic tiles as she chases down every last little piece of cereal.

Max looks at me ruefully. “My cleanup crew,” she says.

I laugh.

“So.”Max puts down her mug and leans forward.“I’m going out to the barn today. Do you want to ride with me?”

I hesitate.

Max looks right at me and reads my mind. “She’ll call,” she says softly. “But you can’t just wait around.”

I nod. “Okay. I’ll come with you.”

I call my mom and tell her I’m going to the barn with Max. I don’t mention that I spent the night at Max’s instead of Zelia’s, and she doesn’t ask too many questions. My mom is kind of strict, but she isn’t nosy. I am thinking about Zelia and Lee when Max’s mother bounces into the kitchen.

She looks so much like the twins that I almost laugh out loud: white blond hair forming a static halo around her head, a broad grin and a chubby body wrapped in an ancient house­coat the exact same shade of red as the twins’ sleepers. I like her instantly.

“Morning, girls,” she says, giving Max a kiss on the top of her head. “And boys,” she adds, ruffling the twins’ hair.

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