The Secret Recipe for Moving On by Karen Bischer

Author:Karen Bischer [Bischer, Karen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

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The game is pretty close. The score seesaws back and forth between us and Lawndale, and by halftime, Lawndale’s up 17–14. The wind has really kicked up and the smell of rain is in the air. I wonder if they’ll get the whole thing in before the monsoon hits.

I’m impressed at how well Jodie and Luke are getting along. Within ten minutes, they realize they both love Saturn Quest, this Netflix comedy/sci-fi show. Jodie tells Luke it’s her dream to write for a show like that, and Luke tells her all about BMXing and how I’ve seen him train.

“Why didn’t you tell me you interviewed him?” she says, elbowing me, then jerking her thumb in my direction. “She’s so mysterious, this one.”

I’m about as mysterious as a toothbrush, but I’m kind of amused that Jodie is painting me as a lady of intrigue. Maybe let Luke think I’ve got some deep secrets or something.

“And she’s one of the funniest people you’ll ever meet,” I say, jerking my thumb in Jodie’s direction. “That she thinks Joaquin wouldn’t be into her is crazy.”

“So, when did this Joaquin dude first catch your eye?” Luke asks, and Jodie launches into detail about how Joaquin started at Retro Mania three weeks ago and how he seems almost impossibly shy. Luke ends up giving Jodie tips on how to talk to him, and even this old guy sitting behind us, a football player’s grandfather, weighs in with, “Sometimes, all it takes is a smile.”

After that, Jodie high-fives the old man whenever something good happens during the game.

When the RHHS band takes the field for the halftime show, Jodie stands up. “Anyone want a soda?”

“I’m good,” I say, also standing up, “but I’ll come with you.”

“No, I can handle this,” Jodie says cheerfully. “I saw where the snack bar was when we came in.”

She is so doing this to give Luke and me alone time. I know her too well.

“Okay,” I say, blinking hard at her.

“Luke, you want anything?” she asks innocently.

“Well, if you insist,” Luke says, fishing some cash out of his pocket and handing it to her. “Can you get me a Coke?”

She waves the money off. “It’s the least I can do for all the boy advice you’ve given me,” she says, making her way up the bleachers.

“She’s awesome,” Luke says. “You guys are a lot alike.”

“In some ways, we’re like twins,” I say. In other ways, I want to kill her.

“You guys been friends long?”

“Since the fourth grade,” I say. “It’s going to be weird next year, when we’re at different colleges. I mean, being at two different high schools is hard enough. But I guess if we could survive middle school together, we can survive anything.”

“That sounds heavy,” Luke says, his eyes full of concern.

“Oh, it was nothing life-threatening. I just got picked on a lot in middle school, and Jodie got picked on for sticking up for me.”

“Really? You?” he says, his eyebrows raised in surprise. “You’re so …

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