To Night Owl From Dogfish

by Holly Goldberg Sloan

  DIAL BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS/DUTTON CHILDREN’S BOOKS

  Imprints of Penguin Random House LLC, New York

  Copyright © 2019 by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer

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  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Sloan, Holly Goldberg, date, author. | Wolitzer, Meg, author.

  Title: To Night Owl from Dogfish / by Holly Goldberg Sloan & Meg Wolitzer.

  Description: New York, NY : Dial Books for Young Readers & Dutton Children’s Books, [2019] | Summary: Unhappy about being sent to the same summer camp after their fathers start dating, Bett and Avery, eleven, eventually begin scheming to get the couple back together after a break-up. Told entirely through emails.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2018015400 | ISBN 9780525553236 (hardcover) | ISBN 9780525553250 (ebook)

  Subjects: | CYAC: Fathers and daughters—Fiction. | Gay fathers—Fiction. | Dating (Social customs)—Fiction. | Camps—Fiction. | Friendship—Fiction. | Text messages (Cell phone systems)--Fiction.

  Classification: LCC PZ7.S633136 To 2019 | DDC [Fic]—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018015400

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover art and design by Theresa Evangelista

  Additional art by Rachel Reddy

  Version_1

  For four very special young readers, who are destined to change the world: Audrey Bouttier, Annie October Weinberg, Hannah Devlin, and Alexis Lhotka

  —H.G.S.

  And for four wonderful readers I am so lucky to have in my world: Hilma Wolitzer, Devon Lawrence, and Cathy Binck & Nancy Wolitzer

  —M.W.

  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  One Day in Early April

  2 Months Later

  The Very Next Day

  2 Months Later

  2 Months Later

  Three Months Later

  The Morning After the Wedding

  Acknowledgments

  About the Authors

  ONE DAY IN EARLY APRIL

  * * *

  From: Bett Devlin

  To: Avery Bloom

  Subject: you don’t know me

  but I’m writing you anyway. This could go into your SPAM. Maybe you’re the kind of person who checks the spam. I don’t. I found your email address online. You have a strange name. I never met anyone named Avery. But that made it easier to find you. So thank you for having that name. Also, thank you for going to a school that posts pictures of field trips + uses FirstName.LastName@TheShipfieldSchool.org + gives students their own email. I don’t go to that kind of school.

  So this is awkward but I’m just going to say it. Your dad + my dad met 3 months ago in Chicago at a “building expo,” which was at the downtown Marriott. I’m not going to explain how I know but THEY ARE NOW A COUPLE.

  That isn’t my business, only it IS my business because my dad wants to send me to a place called CIGI this summer.

  I never heard of CIGI. The website says: Challenge Influence Guide Inspire.

  That was cut + pasted. Those words are how they got the name. CIGI is a SUMMER PROGRAM IN MICHIGAN FOR “INQUISITIVE TWEENS ’N’ TEENS AGES 10–15.”

  You could already be bored reading this email. But guess what? YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO GO TO CIGI, TOO.

  I’m not going. It doesn’t matter what my dad says. But maybe if you won’t go to CIGI either it will stop him from trying to force me to go.

  That’s what I was writing you about.

  Bett Devlin

  * * *

  From: Avery Bloom

  To: Bett Devlin

  Subject: Re: you don’t know me

  I think you are confused and have the wrong person. If my papa was in a relationship with your dad, there is a one hundred percent chance I would know about it. We’re very close, and it’s been just the two of us almost my whole life, so we’re best friends and he tells me everything.

  As for my school, it’s helpful to have your own email so you can write to a teacher in the middle of the day to ask about a project. (Ms. Pickering sometimes responds in five minutes!) No one from outside my school community or family has ever found my email address before and written to me. The school might need to upgrade their privacy and security settings. I will post a note online.

  About CIGI, my friend Callie Workman’s older sister went there last summer. I am signed up for the eight-week session. It’s kind of a creative-nerd camp. At CIGI you take classes called Bookin’ Around and Exotic Robotic, and you also do archaeology searches for real fossils in Dig This! Plus they have microwave popcorn at night for Shut-eye Cinema, where they show a foreign movie before bed, and everyone talks about it together looking for themes.

  The best part is they don’t force you to do sports. I am not athletic and also I hate to swim. I have some “excessive worries.” (Eating expired foods, getting a disease, etc. But drowning is the biggest one.)

  You will never have to go to CIGI. I’m the only one of us going there.

  Avery A. Bloom

  P.S. I’m twelve and I live in New York City. My papa is an architect. Even though you sent your email to the wrong person, I’m curious: How old are you and where exactly are you writing from?

  * * *

  From: Bett Devlin

  To: Avery Bloom

  Subject: Re: re: you don’t know me

  I’m also 12 + I live in California. But I’ve been to New York City. It was the summer + really hot + CRAZY CROWDED. I felt sorry for the people there, but SUPER SORRY FOR THE ANIMALS.

  My dad constructs swimming pools + fountains. Anything with water. He doesn’t design the stuff, he builds it. So your dad is an architect. Usually my dad is FIGHTING with architects.

  You said your dad shares everything. Do you SEE your DAD’S TEXT MESSAGES? Every time my dad hears his phone PING he smiles, like ha-ha-ha, oh this guy just kills me.

  I’ve been camping. LOTS of times. But I’ve never been sent to camp. We don’t have money for that. My dad wants me to go because of you.

  He wants me to be your friend.

  No offense, but that’s NOT something I’m going to do.

  Bett Devlin

  * * *

  From: Avery Bloom

  To: Bett Devlin

  Subject: Re: re: re: you don’t know me

  Bett—

  How do I know you aren’t some kind of hacker from Ukraine (you don’t say The Ukraine, you just say Ukraine, which makes sense because you wouldn’t say The France) and this is all a scam to get me to reveal the details of my life so that you can drain my bank account or maybe something worse? It’s savings only, just so you know, and it’s for college.

  I’m going to be very care
ful in answering your email.

  I checked the Google calendar I share with my papa, and he was in Chicago in February at a building expo. But that proves nothing.

  My papa is not here this weekend. He’s in San Antonio for work. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. But just so you know, I’m not home alone. There is an adult here in the apartment with me. Plus this is a doorman building, and since a famous person lives upstairs (not that famous), they are always very careful with security.

  I could text my papa right now and clear this up.

  I’m going to do that because I’m not allowed to be communicating online with people I don’t know.

  You won’t hear back from me because you have the wrong person and the wrong dad. Although you did have the right camp. But that’s some kind of weird coincidence.

  Avery A. Bloom

  * * *

  From: Bett Devlin

  To: Avery Bloom

  Subject: Re: re: re: re: you don’t know me

  It’s NOT a work trip to San Antonio. Your dad’s with my dad in Texas. My dad is not LYING to me but he IS STILL LYING. He told me he was going to see his mom. Her name is Betty. I’m named after her but I got rid of the y for obvious reasons.

  Betty (I call her Gaga) lives in a small town 2 hours from San Antonio.

  My DAD IS SO INTO YOUR DAD THAT HE WANTS THE ORIGINAL BETTY TO MEET HIM.

  THIS IS SERIOUS!

  Bett Devlin

  * * *

  From: Avery Bloom

  To: Bett Devlin

  Subject: Re: re: re: re: re: you don’t know me

  I want you to know that I’ve sent a text to my papa and I haven’t heard back.

  This is very unusual, but it doesn’t mean anything.

  I also want to say that when you write in all capital letters it feels like you are yelling at me, and cyberbullying is a very important topic of our time.

  And side note: You are lucky to have a grandma, even one who lives two hours from San Antonio (if that’s even something real). My family circle is very small. But that’s private information.

  Avery A. Bloom

  * * *

  From: Bett Devlin

  To: Avery Bloom

  Subject: Re: re: re: re: re: re: you don’t know me

  Just to make this equal, here is something private about my family while we WAIT FOR YOUR DAD TO RETURN A TEXT MESSAGE. I had 2 dads. But one died when I was little so I don’t remember him. For 11 years it’s just been me + my dad. It has to stay that way. We’ve got everything we need.

  My dad’s never taken anyone to meet his mom since we lost Phillip.

  Did your dad return your text? What’s he telling you?

  Bett Devlin (not from Ukraine, but from THE VENICE, CALIFORNIA)

  P.S. Here’s hoping we never meet in person.

  * * *

  From: Avery Bloom

  To: Bett Devlin

  Subject: Re: re: re: re: re: re: re: you don’t know me

  Bett,

  Ignore my last email. Here are the text messages:

  ME: Papa, are you in Texas with a man from California visiting a woman named Betty?

  No answer to this for two hours and eleven minutes.

  ME: Papa, can you call me?

  PAPA: Yes. I’ll call you in 10 mins.

  ME: But you aren’t in Texas with a man who builds swimming pools. Right?

  PAPA: I’m going to call you. 15 mins.

  ME: OK. But do you have a new boyfriend? Yes or no?

  He didn’t even answer, and he didn’t wait fifteen minutes.

  He called.

  They did meet, and they are now in some kind of relationship. I can’t believe he hadn’t told me, because we never have secrets. He said he was waiting for the right time, and also he wanted to be certain this was something real.

  So I guess that’s more bad news. It’s something real.

  Here’s an even worse part. They want us to get to know each other and become close like sisters (or maybe even twins because we’re the same age?) because it’s possible we might become a “family.” (I used quote marks around that word because that means I feel ironic about it.)

  I told my papa we already were a family. And he said, “Well, I’d like us to be a bigger one.”

  I would not like us to be a bigger one.

  I’m going to tell him I changed my mind about going to CIGI this summer. Maybe I will just stay home and make my own fossils.

  Thanks for the heads-up about everything. I hope we never meet, too.

  Avery A. Bloom

  * * *

  From: Bett Devlin

  To: Avery Bloom

  Subject: Re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: you don’t know me

  Avery—

  While you were talking to your dad I called my dad + said I was in bad pain from an ear infection, which I do get from being in the water since I surf + you’re not supposed to be in the bay after it rains because of pollution. But I don’t always pay attention to that since the biggest waves are at the same time as the rain because the surf is affected by the storm.

  Anyway, I was faking to see if he’d come home early from Texas. He said to take Tylenol + use the eardrops in the bathroom. He didn’t even ask to speak with Dee, who is staying here while he’s away.

  I don’t want a bigger family, either. That’s WHY I WROTE YOU.

  I also really don’t want a sister or a stepsister or a half sister or a FAKE TWIN or whatever you’d be.

  Okay, here’s something else IMPORTANT that maybe your dad doesn’t know about my dad, but HE HAS A PEANUT ALLERGY. This can be super-dangerous + also it means he can’t go for Thai food. Which means your dad CAN NEVER GO FOR THAI FOOD, either. Because even if part of your dad’s fork touched a peanut-based sauce, my dad could be in trouble if he was close by because some people spit a little bit when they talk.

  Feel free to tell your dad this. A lot of people really love Thai food.

  Bett Devlin

  * * *

  From: Avery Bloom

  To: Bett Devlin

  Subject: Re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: you don’t know me

  Bett—

  I’m feeling sick. I’ve made mint tea and I’m going to lie down. It’s going to be really bad when I try to go to sleep tonight. I have trouble with that anyway. I’m sort of a night owl. I have blackout shades so I can make my bedroom very dark, and I also have a sound machine. I never use any of the water settings, but I can feel calmer by listening to “wind in the pines.”

  Do you have a sound machine?

  I will email you tomorrow after my papa is home.

  We shouldn’t communicate between now and then for personal health reasons.

  Avery A. Bloom

  P.S. I want to be a writer, so I notice spelling and grammar in emails and books.

  * * *

  From: Bett Devlin

  To: Avery Bloom

  Subject: Re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: you don’t know me

  Avery—

  I like to read but I don’t have time to be a bookworm. Plus I’m not a great speller. I’m okay with that because Snoop Dog + a man named Churchill, who gets credit for the slogan that goes on shopping bags saying: KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON, were both bad spellers. So maybe Churchill first wrote it as KEYP COMM AND CAREY ON. We may never know.

  Anyway, spelling happens in some tiny, speck part of the brain + it isn’t important in the world now because of spellcheck.

  You said NOT to communicate, but I have to tell you one more thing. My dad goes by Marlow but his first name is really DOUGLAS. That’s why it’s D. Marlow Devlin.

  So he changed his first name to his middle name + maybe if your dad thought of him as Doug he might not like him so much.

&nbs
p; TELL YOUR DAD.

  Bett Devlin

  * * *

  From: Avery Bloom

  To: Bett Devlin

  Subject: Re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: you don’t know me

  Bett—

  Just so you know, I am not a mean person, and in fact I was voted Most Thoughtful in my Father-Daughter Book Club because I never forget snacks, but also because I post online summaries of the books for the girls who don’t finish the material.

  I want to say that your tone is harsh, especially when you write things like TELL YOUR DAD.

  My papa came home this afternoon and I did tell him how your dad goes by his middle name.

  Do you know what Papa did? He smiled and said, “I’m so glad you two are communicating! That’s a great start.”

  Then it got even worse. He said: “I know his first name is Douglas. I know about the peanut problem, and how much he likes action movies, and that he once broke his ankle skydiving. Honey, I’m crazy about him. I think he’s ‘the one.’”

  I mean, no offense to your dad or anything, but I’m “the one!”

  Avery A. Bloom

  * * *

  From: Bett Devlin

  To: Avery Bloom

  Subject: Re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: you don’t know me

  I’m glad you get it now. We have to do EVERYTHING TO STOP THIS. I’m ready on my end. We have a chalkboard in our kitchen + it’s to leave messages. I just erased “BUY TRASH BAGS” + wrote in really big letters:

  I’M NOT GOING TO CIGI THIS SUMMER! YOU CAN’T MAKE ME!

  BETT DEVLIN

  P.S. I’m “the one” here, too.