Part 11 (1/2)
First an article about it and a picture of Sabrina, Myriah, and Lisa appeared in the paper. Then Myriah had her shopping spree at Toy City, and an article about that appeared in the paper. Then the town gave Sabrina a parade. (I don't know anyone who went to it, but another article appeared in the paper.) I was sitting at home one evening, reading the latest article, when the phone rang. ”I'll get it!” I called to Mom. I was waiting for Mary Anne to call me when she got home from the movies.
”h.e.l.lo?” I said.
The voice on the other end wasn't Mary Anne's. It was Jeff's!
”Hi!” I cried. He and Dad had called twice before and spoken to Mom, but I'd been out both times. ”How are you?”
”Good,” replied Jeff. ”Great. How are you?”
”I'm fine. Tell me what's going on. How's Dad? How's California?”
”Dad's fine, but California may not be. We had a little earthquake this afternoon.”
”Whoa. Too bad. But tell me about yourself. How are you really?”
”I'm really fine. I like school. I haven't been in a single fight.”
”Do you like the housekeeper Dad found?”
”Sure. She's all right. Sometimes she's kind of strict, but she's a good cook. Guess what. Most of my old friends are in my cla.s.s at school. And they're all on the soccer team, so I might join the soccer team.”
”And how about you and Dad? How are you getting along?”
”The bachelor life?” teased Jeff. ”It's great. We went to a football game. And Dad helps me with my math.” (Two things Mom and I had never done with my brother.) ”Mostly I just like being someplace where everything is familiar. I feel like I was never in Stoneybrook. Kind of like it was just a weird, bad dream.”
”Thanks a lot!” I exclaimed.
”Oh, you know what I mean.”
”Lucky for you.”
”Hey, Dawn? Dad wants to say hi. And then I want to talk to Mom, okay?”
”Okay. ... Hi, Dad!”
”Hi, Suns.h.i.+ne.” (Suns.h.i.+ne was Dad's baby name for me. If any of my friends ever heard about it ... well, I don't even want to think what they'd say.) ”How's my girl?”
”Fine. I miss you. So does Mom.” (I wasn't sure she did, but it couldn't hurt to say so.) I talked to Dad for a few minutes, then he talked to Mom, then Mom talked to Jeff, and finally Jeff asked to talk to me again.
”Dawn?” he said. ”I just want to tell you something. Um, I miss you.”
”I miss you, too,” I replied, choking on the words.
” 'Bye, Dawn.”
” 'Bye, Jeff.”
We hung up.