Redwood and Ponytail

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Redwood and Ponytail Page 3

by K. A. Holt


  I could ask Becca about camp,

  she could borrow my pen.

  But for some reason I thought:

  nah.

  Redwood’s in, like,

  all my classes, but

  we haven’t really had a chance

  to chat, you know?

  And I thought maybe

  I’d like to say hi right now.

  Is that strange?

  Becca gestured at me,

  from across the cafeteria,

  lifting her shoulders

  like she was asking

  What are you doing?

  But I pretended I didn’t see her as

  I dropped my tray on the table

  across from Tam

  and the boy

  sparkling at her side.

  I didn’t look back at Becca.

  Instead, I looked up.

  I smiled.

  Tam smiled back.

  And now here we are,

  sitting across from each other,

  strangers

  at lunch

  together.

  TAM

  She very carefully

  unwraps

  the plastic

  exposing

  her straw

  and very carefully

  pokes it

  into her juice.

  No drips.

  No spray.

  No spills.

  No mess.

  She very carefully

  unwraps

  the plastic

  around

  her sandwich,

  leaving half of it covered

  so her fingers

  stay clean

  and lettuce

  doesn’t spill.

  She very carefully

  takes a bite.

  Rosy starburst lips

  pinched tight

  as she chews,

  mouth closed.

  She looks up.

  What?

  I look away.

  Kate

  What?

  She’s staring.

  Has she never seen

  anyone eat

  before?

  I open my eyes wide

  chew slower,

  a rhino at the zoo.

  She laughs.

  I laugh.

  In the background

  Levi, sparkly flea boy,

  is talking about . . .

  something . . .

  but I don’t hear

  over the staring

  and the laughing,

  a moment that only fits two.

  Alex

  Alyx

  Alexx

  Two new friends, leaning close.

  Redwood.

  Ponytail.

  Heads bowed.

  Eyes staring.

  Giggling and snorting.

  Space bends around them.

  Space bends around her.

  Space bends around her.

  Redwood and Ponytail.

  Ponytail and Redwood.

  The plot, as they say, thickens.

  TAM

  So you survived?

  Levi rolls his eyes,

  sighs,

  doesn’t want to talk.

  Fine.

  I mean,

  I can tell

  by his stiff shoulders,

  his squinched mouth,

  his gaze

  distant

  over the treetops . . .

  I can tell

  he wants to say something

  but isn’t talking.

  I guess his first day

  didn’t go as well

  as mine.

  Kate

  Becca wants to know where I was

  at lunch.

  Becca wants to know why I didn’t come over

  at lunch.

  Becca wants to know if something was wrong

  at lunch.

  I don’t really want to talk about

  lunch.

  It was just . . .

  lunch.

  And I was just eating

  lunch.

  And Tam made me laugh at

  lunch.

  Lunch was lunch,

  I tell Becca

  while I tie my shoes for practice.

  But she leans over me,

  her eyes

  her face

  her half-frown

  hungry

  for more.

  TAM

  Frankie?

  Hello?

  Tick tock

  tick tock

  kitchen clock

  only sound

  when I bound

  through the door.

  Frankie?

  Where are you?

  Tick tock

  tick tock

  kitchen clock

  Mom still on shift,

  so it’s Frankie’s house

  after practice.

  Out here!

  Tick tock

  tick tock

  kitchen clock

  I grab a soda,

  grab a Swiss roll,

  head out to the backyard.

  Tick tock

  tick tock

  I half expect Kate

  to walk through the door.

  Have I even gone five seconds today

  without seeing that cheerleader?

  TAM

  I bet she didn’t think

  she’d be looking after me

  all the time,

  almost every day,

  but here I am,

  here I’ve always been,

  born the day after she retired.

  Frankie Little,

  like a grandma,

  but not related.

  Next-door neighbor,

  but so much more than that.

  I call her my Neighma.

  She calls me her Grandneighbor.

  We are

  our own

  tiny

  team.

  TAM

  How is Meercat?

  Better today.

  Meercat blinks at me.

  One slow blink, like I am

  incredibly boring

  or incredibly annoying.

  He’s one to talk.

  He just sits there,

  big fat lizard,

  never moving.

  How was your first day?

  My brain rewinds,

  flashing the day

  behind my eyes.

  All I see is that cheerleader

  everywhere I turned,

  getting in my way,

  but not in a bad way.

  I met this kid,

  Kate.

  She’s in, like, all of my classes.

  She’s a cheerleader.

  She has this ponytail.

  You should see it.

  Bouncing side to side

  like she controls it with her mind.

  Frankie looks at me

  some classic side-eye,

  just like Meercat.

  The more she stays quiet,

  the more I talk,

  a signature move

  of the Neighma Team.

  Kate

  Chloe made a countdown clock

  and shared it with the whole squad.

  It’s called

  MDOMG,

  counting down to the concert.

  So then, of course,

  everyone was distracted at practice

  and Coach

  was not

  having

  it.

  She pulled me aside,

  told me to rein them in.

  She knows I want to be captain,

  and she knows I can run the show.

  So I put my foot down.

  Told them to straighten up

  or else forget MDOMG.

  I’ll donate the tickets to the homeless

  if I have to.

  And the rest of practice was smooth

  because they know who’s boss.<
br />
  They know I’m right.

  Kate

  Her nails tap on the wood,

  reflecting in the gloss.

  Her lips pucker;

  I squint to see

  if I reflect in their gloss.

  She was not happy

  when she saw the falcon head.

  She was not happy when I stuffed it

  in the car.

  She was not happy I had not

  told her earlier.

  Her nails

  continue

  to

  tap.

  I don’t love this, Katherine.

  I don’t either.

  (Even though

  I think

  maybe I do.)

  You know how busy I am, right?

  With Dad out of town for work,

  I have a million things to handle,

  and this is NOT something

  I’d planned to have on my list.

  Dad has been out of town

  “for work”

  for months,

  living in a new house,

  but it feels like maybe

  I shouldn’t bring that up

  right now.

  You do realize . . .

  only cheerleaders

  can be cheer captains.

  A mascot is NOT

  part of the squad.

  I know.

  It’s only temporary.

  I am a little upset,

  if I’m being honest.

  Maybe I should call Coach.

  No, Mom, please don’t.

  It’s just for a game or two.

  I’m taking one for the team,

  like you always say.

  They love me for it.

  You should have seen me today,

  I—

  Of course they love you!

  They aren’t the ones

  looking like fools.

  I won’t look like a fool.

  You’ll be wearing a falcon head

  the size of a school bus.

  Not a lot of art or skill in that,

  Katherine.

  Her nails keep tapping.

  Her lips stay pursed.

  You’re the most athletic of them all.

  This is ridiculous.

  Though I will say,

  I’m much less upset now,

  to be missing the first few games.

  You can act the fool

  while I’m taking care of the remodel,

  and then . . . back to business.

  Back to campaigning for captain,

  if the squad even remembers

  who you are.

  I’ll be a giant falcon, Mom.

  Not invisible.

  It’ll be fine.

  They’ll want me to be captain.

  You should’ve seen—

  We’ll see.

  There’s a bang at the door.

  Oh!

  Mom’s eyes light up.

  The new flooring!

  The delivery truck is here!

  She jumps up,

  kisses my head,

  walks briskly away.

  I pick up the falcon head,

  its giant eyes stare at me.

  Well, whew, dude.

  Looks like we’ve got a few more

  games together.

  TAM

  Kate

  Did I have a good day?

  Did I have a good day?

  It felt mostly . . . the same.

  It felt mostly . . . the same.

  But there was a tiny light

  But there was something different

  something different

  a little bit of light

  I wonder

  I wonder

  will it still be there tomorrow?

  will it still be there tomorrow?

  This new discovery

  An unexpected lightness

  A lightness

  A discovery

  A spark—

  A spark?

  Of something new.

  Alex

  Alyx

  Alexx

  Have you heard?

  Oh, I’ve heard.

  Big news, big news.

  A new mascot.

  A concert.

  Big news, big news.

  Have you seen?

  Oh, I’ve seen.

  Bigger news, bigger news.

  A shake-up at lunch.

  Tables asunder.

  The only news.

  Kate

  I heard her before I saw her,

  that echoing laugh

  turning the corner

  before those long legs

  strode into view.

  And when she spun by

  she gave me a high five

  even though she never stopped

  moving,

  and I

  felt the sting on my palm

  as I watched her rush by,

  little Levi

  nipping at her heels.

  I hear a snap snap snap

  as I touch my burning palm

  and Becca yells,

  Yearbook!

  as her camera flashes,

  this moment caught,

  like a Tuesday morning butterfly,

  held tight.

  TAM

  When I get here early, I do a spin

  from hall to hall

  locker to locker

  just to see who’s in,

  just to say hi,

  cause why sit still

  if you can fly?

  Today we flew,

  Levi and I,

  beating the bell,

  knocking shoulders,

  slapping high fives

  and I came around the corner,

  catching Kate off guard,

  smacking her hand hard

  and laughing at her surprise,

  her ow-shaped mouth.

  Then I realized my own hand

  still stung,

  a zinging, singing redness

  from when our palms smacked,

  and I could still feel its warmth

  even once I got to class.

  TAM

  Oh no she did not.

  I spin in my desk.

  She waves from the back.

  I point at her.

  She smiles and shrugs.

  That little Ponytail

  just smacked my head,

  right when she walked by,

  an open palm to the skull

  like I’m the volleyball.

  Girl.

  I am untouchable.

  Everyone knows that.

  But Ponytail just smirks and waves,

  so confident she can get away with it.

  Kate

  I mean, how could I resist?

  She smacked my hand,

  I smack her head.

  Redwood’s sitting down,

  so it’s the only time

  I can reach it.

  And oh the look on her face

  when she sees it’s me.

  Her shock turns to

  surprise.

  I love that this girl

  who knows everyone and everything

  still can’t figure me out.

  Kate

  Another day, another sandwich.

  I scan the cafeteria.

  Cheer table: the same everything.

  Tam’s table: empty.

  Cheer table: still the same everything.

  Tam’s table: still empty.

  Becca waves me over.

  No Tam in sight.

  Cheer table, it is.

  Where’ve you been?

  What’s up, Kate?

  We’ve missed you!

  We all chat,

  it’s just like always,

  my crew, my squad.

  Except, I don’t know . . .

  it’s like eating pizza when

  you’re craving cake.

  Fine, but not satisfy
ing.

  Fun, but not what I want.

  I scan the room for Tam.

  I chew a bite of sandwich.

  The clock ticks slowly.

  Cheerleader Kate stays

  on display.

  TAM

  Yes, I let Levi climb me like a tree.

  Yes, we might have been loud.

  Yes, it was disruptive in the hallway.

  Yes, I will accept lunch detention.

  Yes, let’s just do it today and get it out of the way.

  Yes, I’m wondering if Kate

  is wondering

  where I am.

 

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