“Que nostalgia. This poem is my story,” our dad said. “It is our story.”

CHAPTER 47 Mattie

On Monday, when we return to school after our adventure at Northern Madrone College, the gossip about what happened has already spread like a California wildfire. Over the weekend, while Mercedes and I put the finishing touches on our mythology project, seventh graders texted each other. They told one other we were kidnapped, that we ran away to San Francisco to catch a boat to South America. At soccer practices and dance classes, they said we were arrested for trespassing, that we fell off a cliff and died. After all the swirling rumors, our class thinks the news that Mercedes and I are half sisters and that our dad works at the college was pretty boring. I guess it just seemed obvious to everyone—we look alike, after all.

The most exciting part for the gossip-hungry seventh graders is that Mrs. Leeds is assigning us after-school detention for a week. I’ve never had detention before. She also makes us hand deliver our apology letters to our teachers first thing Monday morning. Ms. Garcia purses her lips while she reads our letter. She holds it between her fingers like it has cooties. She’s wearing a green-and-pink plaid skirt with a pink T-shirt.

“Get to class,” is all she says. She’s still my least favorite teacher.

After detention on Monday, the first thing I do when I get home is run to my room and plug in my very dead phone. I can’t believe I went a whole weekend without it. When it beeps back to life, I see three messages from Mai.

Guess what?!? I’m coming to California for winter break!!!

Are you there?????

My auntie is bringing me and she says I can stay with you for a couple nights if it’s ok with your mom and it better be ok and answer me now Mat!

I’m jumping up and down even before I finish reading all three messages. “Mom!” I shout. “Mai is coming at Christmas!”

I don’t wait for my mom to answer. I immediately FaceTime Mai. All I can see when she answers is an up-close view of her mouth screaming.

“What took you so long?” she shouts.

I resume jumping up and down. “I haven’t had my phone since Friday. You’ll never believe everything that happened, Mai!”

Mai pulls back so I can see her whole face. “Something good?”

I think about Francisco and Mercedes and Northern Madrone and Lucas and Kenny and Bob. “Yeah,” I say. “Good stuff happened.”

“Okay, you have to tell me all about it, but first of all—can you believe I get to come to California? Is your mom cool with me staying with you?”