by J. J. Howard
I was typing up some speech ideas when I heard Mom come in the front door. She came to stand in my doorway. “Hey, Kat.”
“Hey,” I said.
“Uh-oh,” she began. “Did you already hear the news?”
My head flew up. “What news?”
Mom frowned. “Can I sit?” She gestured toward my bed and I nodded.
“So I was just talking with Sarah Thompson. I ran into her in the elevator. And she shared something with me.”
My whole body felt cold. Are the Thompsons also going to cancel on Four Paws? “What is it?”
“She told me that they’re moving in a few weeks,” Mom explained, and I gasped. “To Chicago. It’s where Sarah’s family is, and she says it’s just gotten to the point that she really needs help with the kids. Dan got a job there, and they found a new apartment. I wanted to tell you because I know how attached you are to Meatball.”
I tried to swallow past the sudden lump in my throat. “They’re leaving?” I repeated. I would have to say goodbye to Meatball? Forever?
“Yes, honey. I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you for telling me,” I managed to say. It was hard to form the words.
“Sweetie, do you want me to make you some cocoa?” Mom offered.
I shook my head. “No. I’m okay. I just have this thing I have to get ready … for school.” I hadn’t told my mom that I’d be going to the Tenants’ Association—and skipping the play—either. I’d tell her tomorrow, I decided. It was too much for tonight.
Mom nodded. “Okay, Kat. But if you want to talk more about this, I’m right here.”
I shook my head but then said, “Thanks, Mom.”
As I watched her leave, part of me wanted to let her hug me and maybe make me feel a little better. But another part of me was frustrated. If only she’d taken my side with Dad, I’d have my own dog by now, and maybe the idea of losing Meatball wouldn’t be making me feel so incredibly sad.
I picked up my phone and hit the button to call Lucy, before I remembered.
I hit the cancel button quickly and wondered if it would register on her phone as a missed call.
I couldn’t even talk to my best friend. I’d messed everything up between us, all for the sake of Four Paws. I couldn’t call Lucy when I needed her. And I guess that meant she couldn’t count on me, either, when she needed me.
And that was the moment it hit me. Lucy did need me, right now—when she’d messed up with Charlie and was still feeling so badly about it. And she needed me to support her in the play, too.
And I’d failed to be there, because I chose Four Paws instead. I’d been doing exactly what my dad had been doing for the past few years: putting business ahead of the people I loved.
I stared at the words I’d typed on the screen for the presentation, and now it all seemed so meaningless. How could I even think about missing the play? My best friend’s play?
I stood up and ran out to the kitchen. Mom was making cocoa for herself. “Mom, I have to go see Lucy.”
“It’s kind of late …” Mom began.
“Please?”
“Okay. If it’s all right with her mom. And be back in half an hour. Got it?”
I nodded. “Got it.”
Not even bothering to wait for the elevator, I started running upstairs.
Out of breath, I knocked on the Larrabees’ door.
I didn’t know what I was going to say, but all of a sudden, I was completely sure, for the first time in days, that I was standing exactly where I was supposed to be.
Ms. Larrabee seemed surprised to see me, but she didn’t send me away. She told me I could go knock on Lucy’s door. It sounded like maybe she wasn’t sure if Lucy would answer. And I wasn’t, either.
I stood outside Lucy’s bedroom door, my hand poised to knock, feeling sick. How did I get to a place where I was nervous to walk into Lucy’s room? Sure, I loved our Four Paws business. But this was Lucy. We’d been best friends for years and years.
For weeks, I’d been daydreaming about telling my dad how successful my business had become, when he finally came home. But then I heard some of the worst news I’d ever heard, and I couldn’t even call my best friend to talk about it.
I loved my dad, but now I knew that I didn’t want to be like him in every way. Not if it meant losing my best friend.
I knocked. “It’s Kat,” I said. “Can I come in?”
It took a few seconds, but finally Lucy said, “Okay.”
“I’m sorry,” I said as soon as I walked in the door.
“What for?” she asked from where she sat on her bed. She still sounded frosty. It made sense. I’d been the one who was cold enough to actually fire her.
I took a deep breath. “For putting the business ahead of our friendship,” I said.
Lucy looked up at me then, and really looked at me. For the first time in days. “Do you mean that?” she asked.
I nodded. “I do. I … I’m not perfect, either. I had no right to get so mad at you. Of course what happened with Charlie was an accident. You would never have lost him on purpose.”
“Of course not!” Lucy said, her face flushing.
“So it makes it even worse that I blamed you,” I said miserably. I felt tears gathering at the corners of my eyes. “Also, I have a confession to make. I’ve had my own mishaps with the dogs. I didn’t even tell you guys about the time I borrowed the Worthingtons’ stroller for Meatball without asking, and Marcel caught me.”
“Whoa!” Lucy said, her eyes wide.
I nodded. “And the other day, I was distracted when Micki asked me for a prop backstage, and Sparky got away from me. I can see how fast something like that happens. So I had no right to even judge you at all. I don’t even know … I just … I wanted to make the business work … so badly.” I swallowed hard. “You and Taz are so great at everything, and I wanted to finally have something I was great at, too.”
My voice cracked on that last part, and I really did start to cry. Lucy didn’t say anything; she just stood up and came over and hugged me.
“I understand,” she said, and it was so much more than I deserved that it made me cry even harder.
“But I was being an idiot,” I went on, swiping at my eyes. “Four Paws doesn’t make sense without you … I don’t make sense without you. And, Lucy, I’ve missed you. So much.”
Lucy stepped back. “I missed you, too. And I’m sorry, too, Kat. I felt so bad and so embarrassed after losing Charlie … I think I kind of shut you out. I knew how disappointed you were in me.”
“I was mostly worried about Charlie. And you. The whole thing was just so terrible.”
Lucy nodded. “I know. But I didn’t have the chance to tell you—my mom and I had the Porters over for dinner a couple of days ago as a way to try to apologize for what happened with Charlie. They were upset but really understanding. I’m not sure if they’ll use Four Paws again, but they said they realize this stuff can happen with any dog sitter. You just have to be careful, and hope for the best.”
“It’s true,” I said. “Dogs chase things. They slip their leashes. Some get lost and never get found. Bad stuff happens. That’s life. That’s kind of what the play we’re doing is about.”
Lucy cocked her head to one side. “We’re doing? Does that mean that you’re not going to miss it after all?”
I felt my eyes widen. “How did you … ?”
“Marcel asked Taz about that Tenants’ Association thing, and she told me.”
“You guys both knew?”
She nodded. “We didn’t say anything to Declan. I guess we were both kind of hoping that you wouldn’t go through with skipping the play.”
I shook my head. “I’m not going to. I don’t even know what I was thinking. I’m so sorry, Luce. I … just heard some bad news, and I went to call you, and then realized you didn’t want to talk to me, and then it just hit me. How wrong I’ve been.”
“What was the bad news?” Lucy asked, frowning.
I sighed. “The Thompsons are moving away in a few weeks. I have to say goodbye to Meatball forever.”
Lucy gasped and came in for another hug. “I’m sorry, Kat. That’s terrible news.” I held on to her and appreciated how she always knew exactly what to say. Because she was my best friend.
I pulled away. “Thanks, Luce. But … that’s not why I’m here. I’m here to try to make things right with you. I just hope I’m not too late …”
Lucy started crying then. “Oh, Kat—of course you’re not!”
I gave her another hug. “I’m glad. Maybe thanks to Our Town I’m finally realizing what’s important in life … while I live it.”
“Every, every minute,” Lucy finished the line from the play and swiped at her eyes.
“I do still want to make Four Paws a big success,” I added. “But there’s only one way to do that. Would you consider coming back?”
“I’ll consider it,” Lucy answered with a smile. “But for now, I have to focus on being awesome onstage. So no business talk until after the play. Deal?”
I smiled back. “Deal.”
I hugged my best friend again, then went downstairs, just under the half-hour mark Mom had set. Tomorrow I would think about how hard it would be to explain to Marcel that I had to turn down the great opportunity he’d set up for me. And—much, much harder—how to say goodbye to Meatball.
But for tonight, I had my best friend back. I could face the rest, with her in my corner.
I woke up on Saturday morning feeling lighter than I had in weeks. Tonight was the play, and I would be there to help, just like I’d promised, and to cheer for my best friend.
I got dressed and went down to the lobby. Telling Marcel that I couldn’t do the Tenants’ Association presentation after all was hard, but he said he understood, that as I got older I’d find out life was often about making tough choices.
As soon as the play was over, I’d call for a meeting with all four of us Paws, and together we’d come up with another plan.
As for Meatball moving away, I just couldn’t even bring myself to think about that. I knew if I did, I’d just start crying and I might not be able to stop.
* * *
That afternoon, Micki and I walked to school, both of us in our all-black stage crew outfits. Lucy and Declan and the rest of the cast were getting there a little later, since the stage crew’s job was to set up all the props before the actors arrived.
Mr. Cornell looked relieved when he saw us (probably mostly Micki), and I wondered if he’d known—or sensed—that I’d almost missed this event. I was glad I hadn’t let him down. The stage crew got busy setting up our props, putting signs for the cast’s family members on seats near the front of the auditorium, and running errands for Mr. C.
Before we knew it everything was ready, and the cast was assembled backstage in their costumes. Taz had, of course, done an amazing job with the costumes; she was backstage, too, checking to make sure all the outfits looked good and fixing people’s hair. Lucy looked beautiful in her old-fashioned dress with her hair piled up on her head in a bun. And Declan looked so cute in his old-fashioned suit that I thought my heart might have skipped a beat or two when I saw him.
Soon it was showtime. The audience members filed in, and after Mr. C’s introduction, I listened to the full hush in the auditorium before the curtains opened.
The play wasn’t perfect. I was late with a prop, but Micki saved me. And poor Brooke messed up two of her cues. But by the time Lucy finished her final big monologue, I was sure there weren’t many dry eyes in the house. I watched Lucy from the wings, thinking about how we’d made up the night before. My eyes for sure weren’t dry at all. I felt a few tears break free as Lucy said the words, “Oh, earth, you’re too wonderful for anybody to realize you.”
Then Misty stepped forward as the Stage Manager and gave the audience the final speech. It went by so fast, and before I knew it, there she was telling the audience, “Good night,” the last two words of the play. We’d done it.
The audience burst into loud applause, clapping and cheering.
The cast started walking out onstage to take their bows. I wasn’t surprised when Brooke dragged Mr. C out there and handed him a big bouquet of flowers. But I was surprised when some other cast members ran offstage and started bringing stage crew members—plus Taz—onto the stage as well. Lucy and Declan ran offstage, grabbed Micki and me, and brought us onstage with everyone else. Micki and I looked at each other and grinned, then looked out at the audience. The lights onstage were too bright to make out any faces, but from here we could see that people really seemed to have liked the play. They were even all standing up!
Then I glanced down and realized that Declan hadn’t let go of my hand after he’d brought me onstage. I felt a small thrill go through me.
We all finished taking our bows, and then we walked offstage. In the wings, everyone bustled around, hugging each other and moving props and talking about how great everything went. But Declan and I stood still, facing each other, still holding hands. My heart was racing as Declan smiled at me.
“You were fantastic,” I told him.
“Thank you,” Declan said. “So were you.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “I was just behind the scenes.”
“But you always make sure everything goes perfectly,” Declan said.
“Not perfectly,” I said, thinking of the missed prop, of my Four Paws mishaps, of Lucy.
“As long as it’s your best, it’s perfect.” He paused, then said, “You’re the best, Kat.”
I couldn’t catch my breath. Our eyes met. And then … Declan leaned in and kissed me.
My first kiss.
Declan stepped back and I blinked as if I were dreaming. The cast and crew were still bustling all around us and hadn’t noticed the kiss—but I did catch Micki watching us with a mischievous smile. Her expression seemed to say, What took you guys so long?
“I thought … I thought you liked … someone else,” I told Declan, my cheeks burning.
Declan blushed, too. “Are you kidding? Ever since I met you, I’ve liked you, Kat. I thought I was being obvious. But I finally decided to be more obvious.”
“Well, that … works out. Because ever since I met you, I’ve liked you, too.” My cheeks burned even redder, but I was glad I’d said it.
Declan squeezed my hand, and together we joined the rest of the cast and crew, who were streaming out of the wings and into the auditorium to find their families and friends. I noticed that lots of cast members were getting big bouquets of flowers.
I was still holding hands with Declan when I spotted Mom, but she was holding hands with someone, too.
Dad was here.
Right away, he noticed me and Declan. “Clearly I’ve missed some stuff,” he said with a smile. Dad handed me a bouquet of flowers, and I let go of Declan’s hand to take it.
“I see my dad and brother over there,” Declan said, nodding to the other side of the auditorium. “Hi, Mrs. Cabot. Nice to meet you, Mr. Cabot,” he added, shaking hands with Dad.
“I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other very soon,” Dad said, giving Declan a look that was maybe a tiny bit stern. Declan shot me a smile before heading off toward his dad and Aidan. I turned back to my parents, still in a little bit of a daze from the whole experience.
“So anyway, surprise!” Dad said to me. He was holding another bouquet of flowers, and when Micki raced over, he handed the bouquet to her. She squealed and gave him a big hug. Even though I felt a mix of surprise, unease, and happiness at seeing Dad, I gave him a hug, too.
I gestured to my flowers. “You know we weren’t actually in the play, right?”
Dad nodded. “I know. Micki told me all about it on our last call. But just because you’re not in the cast doesn’t mean you haven’t both worked hard. I wanted to be here to see you.”
“Thanks. That means a lot,” I told him, and Dad smiled, ruffling my hair.
> Taz hurried over to join us then. I hadn’t seen her yet in all the commotion backstage.
“Congrats on the costumes,” I told her, and my parents and Micki chimed in with compliments, too.
“Thanks, Cabots,” Taz said, her eyes shining. Then she turned to me. “You did good,” she added, and I knew she meant by coming tonight instead of going to the Burgundy meeting.
I gave her a quick hug, and then Taz said she’d catch me later but was going to find Lucy.
Lucy! I looked down at my flowers, realizing that I should have bought some for her. “Um, Dad? Would you be super mad at me if I gave these to Lucy?”
“No, of course not.”
“You can share mine,” Micki said quickly, holding up her bouquet.
I flashed her a smile. “Let me just give these to her and then I’ll be right back,” I said.
I found Lucy surrounded by her mom, her cousins, Taz, and some other kids from our grade. But I pushed through, figuring I had my best friend privileges restored. “Lucy! You were amazing!” I told her, offering her the flowers and giving her a huge hug.
Lucy smiled. “Thanks, Kat! You were, too. I’m so glad you’re here!”
“Me too. Listen, my dad is here! So I have to go … but we’ll text later, okay?”
“Count on it!”
I waved goodbye and went to rejoin my family. “Are you ready?” Mom asked.
“I’m ready,” I said. “Who wants pizza?” I asked, giving Micki a wink.
“I do, I do!” Micki yelled, and both our parents laughed. I looked around for Declan as I followed my family outside. I spotted him with his dad and brother, and a lady who had to be his mom. Declan waved at me and I waved back, smiling shyly. My face turned pink as I remembered him kissing me.
The writer of Our Town had been right. Sometimes life really was too wonderful for anybody to realize.
“So how is the business going?” Dad asked me after we got home from dinner.
I took a deep breath. The truth was, our client numbers were still down.