Change Places with Me(9)

“Of course. I remember everything. Why wouldn’t I?” The week before, she and Kim had done a puzzle together. Although before that, she’d always done them by herself, off at a corner table that faced a brick wall.

They ate in a Thai restaurant. It was dimly lit with gleaming cherrywood tables and a heavenly smell of coconut and ginger; Rose basked in the scent. She didn’t recognize anything on the menu. “What should I get?”

“You want us to order for you?” Selena asked.

“Maybe she hasn’t had this kind of food before.” Astrid cast a glance at Selena. “She’s being adventurous.”

Rose liked the sound of that. Adventurous.

“Speaking of ordering stuff,” Selena said, “for the party, you’ve gotta get cupcakes from Fully Baked.” It was the best bakery in Belle Heights, according to Selena.

“Says the girl who shouldn’t eat cupcakes,” Astrid said.

“You always make me feel like such a blimp!” Selena said.

“But you’re not fat,” Rose said.

“Next to her I am.”

“No need to compare yourself like that,” Rose said. “What you see in the looking glass isn’t important—it’s who you are that matters.”

“Looking glass?” Astrid said, stifling a laugh.

“I mean mirror.” Where had that come from? Rose could almost hear someone else saying it. But who would use such an old-fashioned word?

“Getting back to the party,” Astrid said, “you have to get some entertainment.”

Selena wanted a DJ; when Rose said that might cost too much, Selena said, “I know! You can have a psychic! My cousin went to a party and said the psychic was incredible. One look and she could recite your whole past.”

Rose had no need for her past. But her future—why not?

The food arrived. Rose ate slowly and savored the garlic, basil, and peanut sauces. Amazing how many things there were to experience if you were adventurous. Selena said it was good she had Skipping that afternoon.

“It’s the best exercise!” she said. “They play music seriously loud and you skip around the room.”

“You need somebody to teach you how to skip?” Astrid said.

“It’s a special way to skip! You’d know if you tried it.”

Rose thought it was good they felt comfortable enough to tease each other in front of her.

“You can come skip with me,” Selena said to Rose.

“It’s tempting,” Rose said, imagining herself skipping to “Changes.” She’d been listening to it on her phone whenever she had a chance, even disabling the ads so she could play it on a loop. “But I’ve got school service.”

“There are ways to get out of that,” Astrid said. “I haven’t done it since fifth grade.”

“No, it’s okay.” Rose was looking forward to it, actually. She was going to uncover the humanity in Mr. Slocum. Because that’s the kind of person I am.

When it came time to pay, Astrid was short, and Selena just had a credit card. The place was cash only.

“We’ll treat tomorrow,” Selena said.





CHAPTER 6


Were Rose’s taste buds working overtime? Every meal was a feast, even the quick dinner of spinach-and-cheese ravioli Evelyn had made that night. “Mm, this is incredible,” Rose said. “Hey, let’s have a party this weekend.”

“What?” Evelyn looked tired, shadows under her dark-blue eyes. Hadn’t she been sleeping well? Rose slept like a rock as soon as her bedside lamp was off.

“For Halloween. With music—and a psychic. My friend Selena knows someone really good. Is that okay with you?”

“Um, sure.” Though it sounded like Evelyn had been about to ask her something but then had stopped herself.

“I had a really great day,” Rose said, as if that was what Evelyn had been thinking about. “Not even Mr. Slocum could ruin it. I helped him organize papers, and he barely spoke to me. What a stick-in-the-mud, as Dad used to say. Something else that came from his grandma Clara, I guess.”

“Mr. Slocum is the one who sent you down to Ms. Pratt’s office.”

Ms. Pratt—the school psychologist. Rose was supposed to check in with Ms. Pratt this Friday. “Mr. Slocum thinks I don’t listen in class. I tried to tell him that I do listen, but he cut me right off.”

“Maybe it’s best to let him be. He’ll speak to you when he’s ready.”

“But I want him to talk to me now.”

“Why?”

Because, Rose told herself firmly, Mr. Slocum is alone, and I can help. But she didn’t say this out loud. Instead she said, “That reminds me. I should go upstairs and check with Mrs. Moore, see if she’d mind a loud party down here.”

“But her dogs—”

“I love animals! I’m starting work at a vet’s office!”

“I know. If you get scared, you can always call me.”

Rose shook her head. Had Evelyn always been such a worrier?

Upstairs, Rose knocked on Mrs. Moore’s door and heard the dogs scuffling behind it. When the door opened, she was as happy to see them as they were to jump on her. They seemed to remember that she’d taken them to the dog run—or rather, that they’d pulled her there.