Worse Than Weird by Jody J. Little

Author:Jody J. Little
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2019-12-26T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

A Decision

After dinner, I retreat to my futon island. Hank, Coral, and Coho stay in the kitchen. I hear their voices. They’re discussing how to get Ziggy, Marley, and Emmylou to be more active during their goat yoga sessions. Hank says something about making a new drum. Coral says something about a naked bike ride, but I don’t hear any details, and I’m certainly not going to ask. I feel too empty to even worry about it right now.

I stare at my poster, whispering the words aloud: “‘Girls Are Supercoders.’”

Since there won’t be any coding for me this summer, I’ll have to wait and see what Mrs. Naberhaus teaches us next year. By the time I’m in high school, I’ll be way behind everyone else. I’ll always be playing catch-up because I’ll always be lagging behind, living with Hank and Coral.

I thought this hunt was my answer, but it was only a stupid dream. Did I really believe going to a computer camp behind Hank and Coral’s back was possible? And, even crazier, did I really believe I could wander all over town, searching for clues from food carts to win money to pay for the camp? What were my odds? Microscopically slim, that’s what they were.

And now there aren’t any odds to calculate because I’m out of the hunt.

I pull the folder with the clues and notes out of my bag. One last time, I look at the four clues I have. The first one that I had to write on a bookmark because Joey picked up the original. The second clue on the cup sleeve from the double-decker bus. The third clue from the napkin with the tagine, and the fourth one on the napkin around the Sunshine Tropics smoothie. I lay them out on my blanket and read them all one more time. Then I place them back in the folder and tuck the whole thing under my futon.

I find my little flipper and send texts to Willa and Brie to check in with them.

Willa doesn’t answer.

Brie responds, telling me she’s okay and that Willa hasn’t answered her texts either.

Around nine p.m., I get another text from Brie: You should keep doing the hunt.

But I don’t respond, because I’m not going to continue. Besides, I only have $4.15 in my life savings now. There’s no way I could keep hunting on my own. I toss my flipper on the bed and realize I need to figure out how to pay back Coho.

I’ll talk with Mr. Z about dog walking tomorrow.

And maybe I could offer to babysit Willa’s little sister, Becca, so Willa can do what she needs to do with her mom or her dad. I won’t charge them, though. I’ll do that for free. I owe Willa that much.

And I’ll keep Brie company every day when she does her shoulder therapy.

That’s going to be my summer now.

About ten o’clock, I finally get a text from Willa: Don’t give up on the hunt.

I tap out a response: You okay?

Willa: Managing.

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