Kindling the Moon (Arcadia Bell #1)(42)

“Enjoy yourself,” I said to Lon before succumbing to Jupe’s pull and turning away. It wasn’t until we were halfway down the cliff that I realized I’d completely forgotten to tell Lon about Father Carrow’s theory.

I was still stewing about Lon’s date when Jupe and I found a parking space at the drive-in a few minutes before the movie was supposed to start; we’d already made a quick trip to the concession stand and had loaded up with popcorn, Cokes, and three kinds of candy. Revenge is sweet, right? Well, I was going to have the damn kid bouncing off the walls with a stomachache when I took him back home later.

Jupe showed me how everyone else had backed into the parking spaces with their trunks facing the screen so that they could sit outside the car with the radio tuned to a station that played the soundtrack to the movie. A few people had even set up portable lawn chairs and small hibachis. Since we didn’t have chairs, we popped the back door to the rental and stowed the rear seats in the floorboard to make some room, then sat in the back with our feet dangling against the bumper.

“So, who was that chick your dad was seeing tonight?” I asked, unable to stop myself from prying.

“Huh? Who knows. Someone from work. I tried to check her out but she was kinda snotty and talked down to me.”

“I bet he has a ton of women from work come over.” I hoped he wasn’t realizing what I was doing.

“Not really. He says models are nothing but trouble and that he’d never date another one again. Crap, I almost spilled my Coke. That was close.”

Best not to keep prying. The kid was smarter than I thought. “So … do all the other people in your class like these old movies?” I asked, not really knowing what kids his age were into these days.

“Are you kidding? Me and my friend Jack are the only people with taste. Everyone else is into those dumb Hollywood action flicks they play at the newer cineplex down in the Village. They only show those kind of movies here on the weekends. All the good stuff like this is during the week.”

“Is Jack your best friend or something?” I settled the popcorn between us and scooped up a handful.

Jupe shrugged. “I guess. Jack’s Japanese. The rest of the kids in my class are either white, black, or Latino. Jack and me are the only ones that don’t fit in.”

“Jack and I.”

“Whatever, Jack and I—God, you sound like my dad.”

“Why does it matter what race the other kids are?”

Jupe tore into the popcorn, spilling more than he grabbed. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re white.”

“So? My oldest friend is Chinese and she’s demon. My coworkers and friends are all different races and cultures. Nobody cares anymore.”

“Maybe it’s different in Morella,” Jupe said in a preachy voice, “but in my town, once you get to junior high, everything changes. People that used to be friends … well, they just aren’t anymore. Everyone’s got their own groups, and I don’t fit into any of them.”

“Because of your race?”

He shrugged. “When I figure it out, I’ll let you know. It’s not like they hate me or anything. It’s just, well, it’s easier for Jack and me to understand each other because we’re both different. He’s the only Asian kid in my class. Most of the Asian kids in La Sirena go to private school. Jack and I have been friends forever—like two years. He taught me all about Toho movies.”

“Huh?”

“Toho. They made the Godzilla pictures—please tell me you know about Godzilla,” he said in an impatient voice that told me if I didn’t say yes, I was the most uncool person on the planet.

“Godzilla’s some kind of flying squirrel, right?”

“What?” His jaw flapped open.

“Joking! I know who Godzilla is.”

“Whoa,” he said, crunching a mouthful of popcorn. “Foa secon there ithaw I—”

“Wait until you finish eating. I can’t understand a word you’re saying.”

He tried to laugh, but popcorn stuck in his throat and he choked instead. I patted his back to help him out. “Okay there, kid?”

Finally getting the food down the right tube, he said, “I haven’t had popcorn in forever. My dad never lets me get it because I always eat it too fast.”

“Oops.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t tell him you bought it for me. Or the candy. I’m not allowed to have sugar, like, ever. Only on special occasions.” His big, green eyes glittered with restrained humor.

“Double oops.”

He reconsidered with a mischievous grin. “Actually, if you maybe want to take me to another movie next week, I’ll be extra careful not to accidentally let any of it slip out.”

“Well, Jupiter, movie or no movie next week, I’ll be sure not to tell him that you said ‘f*ck’ back at the concession stand in front of the cashier,” I countered.

He laughed and held out a buttery hand for me to shake. “You win, deal. Oh, the movie’s starting. Can I turn up the radio now?”

While Jupe gave me a running commentary, which included telling me everything before it happened, we ate all the popcorn and half the candy during the first half of the movie. I let him have the rest of my Coke after he slurped down all of his. When the creature got captured, we booed at the screen, along with all the other moviegoers parked on our row. Then I got a text message from Lon; we texted back and forth a couple of times.