Once again, I wish I could talk to someone who actually understands things like this. How do you know if you like someone? How do you know if they like you back?

And if you do, and they do … what the heck are you supposed to do then?

I can’t tell Ale that, because she’d run and get one of her older sisters or her younger aunties, and it’d turn into some whole big thing.

Instead, I grab her bee book and start asking the hardest questions I can find. After ten in a row she gets one wrong and starts to panic that she’s not ready for her test. She starts rereading a chapter she already knows cold, and I gather up the new supplies we’ve collected and log on to update our listings. There’s another message in my inbox.

AK_SalmonGranny: Haven’t seen any new bags in your shop lately. Was planning to buy one for a buddy of mine, will there be more?

HalfpipeEmms: Actually, that might be on hold for a bit.

A pause.

AK_SalmonGranny: Not working toward the new chair anymore?

HalfpipeEmms: No. Yes. Well, sort of.

Since this seems like the sort of thing she’d like, I type a quick message filling her in on the letter from the school and the planned fundraiser to get me my new wheels. I hit send, expecting some sort of sassy answer.

The computer goes silent for a few minutes. Then her reply chimes in.

AK_SalmonGranny: Well. Isn’t that a lucky thing?

Then, before I can write anything back, another message follows the last one.

AK_SalmonGranny: Did I miss something, or weren’t you doing fine earning that chair on your own?

21

Those Crafty Fighters

All through the next day, AK_SalmonGranny’s message stays lodged in a corner of my mind like a treble hook snagged in a bass’s fin. I thought she’d be happy to hear I was getting my new chair way ahead of schedule, but she sounded almost disappointed.

The fundraiser makes the morning loudspeaker announcements, and by noon, plenty of kids and teachers have come up to me in class or the halls to talk about it. It’s kind of nice how excited everyone sounds.

I make a special effort to be nice to Dawn. Now that it won’t be long until everyone sees I don’t need her, it can’t hurt to get along in the meantime. Also, I guess she’s sort of the reason this is even happening. So I try to think of things to talk about while we’re in the halls between classes, and I don’t hide her phone. Even when she leaves it right on top of the desk and it would be so, so easy.

When Ale and Tina ask when we’re planning our next disappearing act, I tell them to hold off for now.

“No more testudo?” Tina looks disappointed.

“Not right now,” I tell her, then try not to cringe when Logan Whitten walks up and starts talking to her. I have no idea how, but Tina and Logan seem to be striking up a friendship. I’m trying not to feel annoyed by that; I know Tina can be friends with whoever she wants. I just wish it could’ve been anyone but Logan.