From Twinkle, With Love(18)

We decided that we’re going to take notes on iconic scenes, costumes, and anything else that sticks out to us that we want to include in our movie. We were both so excited, we were talking over each other and laughing all giddily and stuff. I have never had anyone be as exhilarated about making a movie as I am. This must be how Dean and Sam Winchester feel every time they go on a hunt together. (I am the cooler, bad-boy Winchester and Sahil can be the tall and gawky-but-still-kinda-built Sam.)

Only six more hours till Dracula!

Love,

Twinkle





Six



Friday, June 5

The Tanakas’ backyard


Dear Nora Ephron,

Tonight was the most fun I have had since … I don’t know when. So Papa dropped me off at Maddie’s place—

Oh, wait. I do know when. Tonight was the most fun I’ve had since that time in fifth grade when Maddie and I were having a sleepover at her place but then sneaked off in the middle of the night (Mr. Tanaka was in his studio, and when he’s painting, nothing gets through to him) and walked around her super-fancy neighborhood drawing “edgy” Dr. Seuss quotes on the sidewalks using sidewalk chalk (my favorite: one fish, screw fish, red fish, fool fish). Then the next morning we watched from the window as Lyla came out and just stared and stared at our artwork, this stupefied look on her face. It was hilarious and we laughed soooo hard. Actually, I peed my pants a little, but then I took a shower and changed into Maddie’s clothes and she swore she wouldn’t tell anyone. (She didn’t.)

Anyway. This was just as fun as that.

So, as I was saying, Papa dropped me off at Maddie’s place, and there was a blue SUV in the driveway. I figured it must be Sahil’s, and then my stomach did this weird fluttery thing, thinking of our conversation in the caf. I muscled through it and rang the doorbell, and Maddie answered wearing a gorgeous pink halter dress and wedge sandals.

“You’re here!” she squealed, and leaned in to kiss me.

“Yeah.” I followed her in. “Are you going somewhere?” Lyla, who had also been an artist and an intellectual in her home country in Eastern Europe somewhere and was now Mr. Tanaka’s creative consultant/household manager, had put some fresh orange hibiscuses in the vase on that big table in the foyer. I knew for a fact she did this only when Maddie had guests over. It was kind of a big deal when she stopped doing that when I visited because she considered me family at that point. Seeing them now hurt my feelings, but I figured—and hoped—she’d done them for Sahil more than me.

“No. I thought I could hang out and watch with you guys?” Maddie darted me a look as we headed downstairs. “If … that’s okay?”

Ugh. It was hideous that we were having this conversation, both because I wasn’t sure if Maddie wanted to hang out with me and because she wasn’t sure I wanted to hang out with her. “No, yeah. I want you to stay.”

She smiled a small smile. “Good. Sahil’s already downstairs.”

Wow. I’d forgotten how fancy Maddie’s house was. The walls were lined with super-expensive-looking paintings, both Mr. Tanaka’s and from other artists, and there were little lights beaming down on them like we were at an art gallery. Maddie’s basement is bigger and nicer than my entire house. We hung left and then passed through big double doors under a sign that said, THE THEATER in big gold letters.

Sahil was in the theater, making a fresh batch of popcorn with his back toward us. He was wearing a blue T-shirt that hugged his shoulders and shorts that skimmed his hips and fell to his knees. One of his gigantic sneakers was untied, which would never happen to Neil. I felt a squeeze of affection for Sahil.

He looked over his shoulder and his face blossomed into a crazy brilliant smile. “Hey, Twinkle!” He gestured to the popcorn popping behind the glass doors of the machine. “Hope you guys are okay with extra butter, ’cuz that’s the only way I fly.”

“Well, then, I hope you’re okay with M&M’s in your popcorn,” Maddie said, looping an arm around my shoulders, “’cuz that’s the only way we fly. Right, T?”

I was in total shock that Maddie’s arm was around my shoulder and that she’d said “we” about her and me and that she still remembered our popcorn ritual from our sleepovers. We hadn’t had one in more than a year.

I was starting to get emotional whiplash. Maybe a braver person would confront Maddie head-on. But I just wanted to hang on to the moment as long as I could.

“Right,” I forced myself to say, just before the silence became a little too long and awkward. “Definitely.”

“Hmm, all right. Well, I’m an open-minded dude. I can try that.”

I laughed and walked up to him and the popcorn machine and grabbed a bottle from the lower shelf. “But you also have to add the caramel sauce or it’s no deal.”

Sighing, he said, “Well, they say sugar comas are manageable these days,” as he reached in to grab the popcorn with a scoop. His hand hit the hot metal part, though, and yelping, he jerked back. “Holy mother of kilojoules, that’s hot!”

“Oh my God, are you okay?” Without even thinking about it, I grabbed his hand and closely inspected the red part. “Oh, whew. It doesn’t look too badly burned. You should still run some cold water over it, though, just to be sure.”