Where the Heart Is by Jo Knowles

Author:Jo Knowles [Knowles, Jo]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781536206845
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Published: 2019-04-29T04:00:00+00:00

Pretty soon, it gets too hot to stay on our towels, so we reluctantly join the crew in the water, but of course just as we do, they all decide they’re too cold and need to warm up in the sun. Cybil and I tread in the deep area, letting our hot skin cool in the water. Micah goes off with the group instead of joining us. Even Ivy follows them, though I’m sure she’d prefer to stay in the water. She’s probably hoping Micah brought some food.

Cybil tells me about working at the pharmacy, babysitting, and a dog-walking job, and I tell her about the Townsends’ animals. I describe trying to feed Lucy and walk Ferdinand, and she describes this baby named Ted who will only take his pacifier out of his mouth when it’s time to eat and how he turns purple from screaming if you try to take it out any other time. It’s funny how I’ve known Cybil since kindergarten but we never became good friends. I mean funny in a sad way, because she’s really nice and I bet we could have been close. Maybe we can be now.

When we get cold, we join the rest of the group, who are all sunbathing and gossiping about various teachers we’ll have next year. Ivy is lying down next to Micah, but she doesn’t look very happy and I realize it’s the look she gets before she throws up.

I poke her toe with my foot. “You OK?”

She shakes her head.

“Want to go home?”

She nods.

“C’mon, then.”

I gather up our stuff, and everyone but Micah says a friendly good-bye to us. At least he tells Ivy he hopes she feels better.

We bike home slowly, me following Ivy so I can keep an eye on her because she seems a bit wobbly. As soon as we’re in the driveway, she jumps off her bike and runs inside and starts throwing up in the downstairs bathroom. She’s still wearing her bike helmet. My dad is usually the one who has throw-up duty, but my parents aren’t home from work yet.

I go into the bathroom and rub her back. The smell of puke makes me gag.

“I feel so awful,” Ivy says just before she hurls again. “Boy, I didn’t chew very well. There are whole Skittles in there.”

“Gross!”

“Look!”

“Ivy, seriously, you’re going to make me throw up, too. How much junk did you eat?”

She takes a deep breath and hurls another loud, sloppy gush into the toilet.

“I lost track. Everyone put their stuff in the middle of Sam’s towel to share, and I was so hungry I ate most of it. They thought it was funny.”

“Micah didn’t stop you? He knows better than to let you do that.”

“He was too busy flirting with Sierra.”

“Really?”

“Mm-hm.” She leans back on her heels and wipes her mouth with her hand. “I think I’m done.”

She reaches forward to flush and watches her half-digested treats swirl down the drain.

“I feel dizzy.”

“Just sit here for a minute.” I get her toothbrush from upstairs and bring her some water in her favorite tiger cup.

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