Twist My Charm

by Toni Gallagher

  “And to me!” I say. I probably shouldn’t, not when Larry and Sam look so happy together in their bizarre little two-person world, but I can’t help myself.

  “You?” he asks.

  “The rocket you launched at outdoor break. The one you asked me to pick up.”

  Larry looks at me like Toby does when I pretend to throw a ball but hide it behind my back instead—totally mystified. And much like Toby, he doesn’t seem to have anything to say.

  Is Larry going to make me explain it? In front of Sam? I don’t necessarily want to, but I need answers, so I don’t have any other choice. “Inside the rocket. It said that. DO YOU LIKE ME? YES OR NO.”

  Larry shakes his head like he’s never heard of such a thing. “I didn’t notice. Maybe my sister wrote on it before I taped it up.”

  If a lightning bolt came out of the sky and hit me right now in Paige’s car, I couldn’t be more shocked. “What about my pencil case? When it exploded with all the confetti?”

  “I did that,” Sam says. She must see the surprise on my face. “You seemed kind of down, and I wanted to cheer you up.”

  “But we were hardly even friends then.”

  She shrugs. “I wanted to be.”

  “So did I! But then why were you mean to me in Focus! and stuff?”

  Samantha’s face looks like it’s searching for the answer to that question. “I don’t know,” she says. “I couldn’t think of any other way to act. Then at the art show, I saw that we could maybe work together again. And be friends.”

  “Then it all worked out, didn’t it? I love it when a movie has a happy ending!” Larry jokes. But if this were a movie, it would have a complicated ending, not a happy one. If Larry didn’t write me the note in the rocket…or cause a confetti bomb to go off in my pencil case…what about the note Lisa Lee picked up in the lunch line?

  Could she have planted it there on the floor herself?

  But Larry also wanted me for his partner in square dancing…he said he loved me…he acted…he acted…

  Maybe he was acting like he always did. And I just thought it was something else, making it into something bigger in my own mind.

  It all sounds pretty unbelievable, but it’s hard for me to believe that anything’s unbelievable anymore.

  So I’ll believe it…I guess.

  —

  After about forty minutes of driving, Paige practically sings, “Look, kids, we’re he-ere!” It’s not like we need an announcement. We can see it with our own eyes: big letters spelling out “Hollywoodland” over a parking lot that goes on for miles.

  Right away I recognize the big yellow roller coaster with cars designed to look like rockets from a science-fiction movie. We’re close enough to hear the cranking noise of it going uphill, and the distant shouts and screams of people having fun.

  When we get inside the park, the first thing Sam and Larry want to do is have their picture taken in a little shop where you dress up like old-timey movie characters. They ask if I want to join, and I say no.

  “Are you still pretending you don’t feel well?” Dad asks.

  “Cleo, you don’t feel well?” Paige asks, putting her hand on my forehead. I pull away. I don’t need anyone checking my temperature, especially not Samantha’s mom!

  “No, she’s just lackluster,” Dad tells Paige. “I think the end of the school year is a letdown for her.”

  “Really?” Paige sounds surprised. “When I was in school, I was always dying for the year to end!”

  “Maybe you didn’t like learning,” I say under my breath, but Dad hears me loud and clear.

  “Cleo,” he warns me. “Don’t talk like that to…Samantha’s mom.”

  He paused. He was about to say “my girlfriend”! He was about to say “my fiancée”! He was about to say “the woman who’s going to be your mom, whether you like it or not”!

  “Sorry,” I mumble, not meaning it but knowing it’s the right thing to say. As Paige takes Sam and Larry to the photo shop, I tell Dad that I’m just not feeling this Bling Bling stuff. I came along because I wanted to see what it was like, but now that I’ve seen it, I really just want to work on my latest drawings.

  “You can do that all summer,” Dad says.

  Yeah, in between wedding plans.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to go on one of the rides?” he asks.

  With Larry and Samantha on their date? With Dad and Paige on theirs? No thanks! “No. Not right now.”

  I can tell Dad is about to ask me another question, but a voice stops him. “Hi, Mr. Nelson! Hi, Cleo!”

  It’s Madison. With Lisa Lee and Kylie Mae at her side.

  Dad says hello to Madison, then of course acts like a total dork by saying to Lisa Lee and Kylie Mae, “I haven’t heard about you girls before, but any friends of Cleo’s are friends of mine.” They’re all friendliness and smiles as they say hello, but all I’m thinking is Be quiet, Dad, be quiet quiet quiet!

  “I told you we’d see you here!” Madison says happily. “I’ve been wanting to tell you…I wasn’t sure before, but tonight I found out…”

  Lisa Lee, who’s reading a text, taps Madison on the shoulder. “We’ve got to go. My dad’s almost at the front of the VIP line at the Claws of Doom, and we can get in with him.”

  Madison nods. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?” she says to me. “See ya, Mr. Nelson!” Then she runs off with her two best friends as I stand in the middle of California’s favorite amusement park…with my dad.

  “They seem nice,” he says. “Are they some new friends?”

  “No, they’ve known each other their whole lives,” I grumble.

  “I meant, are they new friends of yours?”

  “Not really.”

  Dad doesn’t ask anything else because Samantha and Larry and Paige return from the photo shop, all pumped up about the fun they had. They show me the picture: Sam’s in a long, frilly gown with a feather in her hair like the owner of an 1800s saloon, and Larry’s in a cowboy hat and vest. There’s even a fake horse in the background.

  They ask me to go with them to ride the rides, but Dad tells them I don’t feel very well (which is nice of him, since he knows it’s not true). They head off with Paige, who says she’ll see my dad later. She’ll see him later, all right. For the rest of her life.

  Dad buys me a funnel cake with extra powdered sugar, then lets me do what I want—sit on a bench and draw. I tell him to go have fun with Paige and Sam and Larry, but he’s happy to sit nearby and read a book on his tablet. That’s fine by me, as long as he keeps his distance so I feel like I’m alone.

  It’s starting to get a little dark out, but there are plenty of bright streetlights inside the park, so I position myself underneath one. When my funnel cake is gone, I can still breathe in and smell popcorn and corn dogs and cotton candy. Everywhere around me people are screaming and laughing and having fun, but on my drawing pad, Pandaroo is tired, settling in for a long nap. His cave is filled with the latest gadgets and surveillance systems, though, so if anything goes wrong in the universe, he’ll wake up. It takes a while to draw all the details, so I don’t know how long it’s been when I hear a shout of “Cleo!” in the distance.

  It’s Samantha, walking back toward me with her mom and Larry. They all have big smiles, red faces, and slightly messed-up hair—even Paige, who’s always perfect. They must have ridden the Scrambler or the Log Flume or those swings that go around and around in a circle until you want to throw up.

  “We know you’re not in the mood for rides,” Sam says, “but there’s this amphitheater in the park where they do shows every hour. Magicians and jugglers and things.”

  Dad must have heard them from his bench, because now he’s standing over me too, saying, “That sounds neat.”

  “Lame,” I say, looking down at my drawing pad.

  “We think so too,” says Larry. “That’s why it might be fun. We need a break from the rides. My stomach doesn’t feel so great; I need to sit for a
while.”

  “Let’s check it out,” Dad says. “You can still sit and draw. We won’t bother you; we’ll just be near you.”

  The bench is starting to feel hard against my butt anyway, so I decide to go. It’s not quite eight o’clock, so the amphitheater isn’t full yet. We take some seats a few rows from the stage, and I put my nose right back into my drawing pad while all the lovebirds chat. After a few minutes pass, people start filling up the place—kids and adults who must also need a break from the flipping and flying and bouncing they’ve been doing for the last hour or two.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I see Sam and Larry poking and shoving each other. They seem more like friends—or joking enemies—than girlfriend and boyfriend. I can also tell that Dad’s not paying very much attention to Paige. His eyes are moving all around the amphitheater like he’s looking for someone else. That doesn’t seem like a nice way to treat your fiancée, but it’s none of my business, so I keep my mouth shut.

  Suddenly there’s a big, loud drumroll, and a voice announces, “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, porcupines and octopi, arachnids and animals…”

  Porcupines and octopi are animals. Oh boy, this is going to be bad.

  “Thank you for being a part of our Hollywoodland Park family tonight. We hope you are ready for an evening of fun and excitement, action and laughter! So sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!”

  Loud, goofy, prerecorded music plays, and everyone watches as four clowns run onstage and start tumbling and falling down and generally being dumb and clowny. They’re followed by a juggler making dopey jokes and only juggling balls—nothing cool like torches of fire or chainsaws. I start opening my backpack to attempt drawing in the dark as the juggler leaves the stage to applause.

  The stage is quiet for a moment until another announcement comes out of the way-too-loud loudspeakers. “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, fruit flies and bald eagles…”

  Oh no, this again.

  “Tonight we have a surprise guest, and I know he’ll be a big hit with the kids out there….”

  As big a hit as the clowns and the juggler? I think. Then I feel kind of bad. Just because I’m not in a good mood doesn’t mean they’re not decent performers. It’s not their fault I’m here without a date and that my friend Madison—now former friend, I guess—is here with her real friends.

  The announcer continues over the loudspeakers. “He only has time for a couple of songs, because this is his last appearance before his tour of Asia….”

  Tour of Asia? No, it couldn’t be!

  “Ryderrrrrrr…”

  Oh my gosh, could it really be?

  “Lannnnnnnndry!”

  No way. It can’t be.

  But it is.

  The music from “Love Monsoon” fills the amphitheater as Ryder Landry runs onstage. I’ve seen that run in clip after clip online—live performances, music videos, even news stories where he’s running from fans. It’s the best run ever.

  “Hello, Southern California—it’s the end of the school year! Woooo!” he shouts into the microphone. Everyone in the audience goes crazy—except me. I don’t know what to think or how to act. I feel like someone conked me over the head with a big, heavy frying pan. My brain is scrambled.

  I stand up without even realizing it. I look over at Dad, who’s smiling at me. “This is the guy! Right?” he asks, shouting over the screams and cheers. I don’t say anything, still in shock. But I’m sure Dad gets his answer from Sam, who is jumping up and down and screaming, “Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!” Even Larry is standing, and he thinks Ryder Landry is a creepo-teen-robot who won’t be around in five years’ time.

  “I hope you don’t mind that I’m singing to a backing track tonight. My band’s already on their way to Japan. But before I left, I wanted to do a special favor for a friend.”

  A favor…for a friend? That’s how I signed my letter! Still, it couldn’t be because of me…could it? I’m clenching my hands so tightly that my nails are digging into my palms.

  “So buckle up and get ready for a love monsoon!” Ryder shouts as his music cranks up again.

  I mouth the words as Ryder sings—or maybe I scream the words at the top of my lungs; I really have no idea. It’s hard to pry my eyes away from Ryder, in his skinny jeans and white T-shirt with suspenders and a knit beanie, but a few times I crane my neck and look left, right, and behind us. Whether this has anything to do with me or not, I hope, hope, hope Madison is here to enjoy it!

  The applause after “Love Monsoon” seems endless, but Ryder quiets everyone down with a wave of his hand. He says he’s only here for a couple of songs, so my heart jumps out of my chest when the next song is “I Like You, Baby.” My favorite! Well, one of my many favorites!

  I’m jumping up and down in place without really realizing it while kids are gathering in front of the stage to dance. I don’t even mean to take my eyes away from Ryder—who knows when I’ll see him in person again, if ever?—but somehow my eye wanders down to the crowd and glimpses a flash of blond hair—Madison’s!

  I’m so glad she’s here. Even if she is dancing with Lisa Lee and Kylie Mae.

  Then I see her wave to me. I wave back. But she’s not just waving hello; she’s waving for me to come down and join them.

  “Is she…?” I ask Samantha, but Sam’s already moving toward the end of the row, pulling me and Larry with her. I look to Dad for permission, and he nods.

  Samantha, Larry, and I squeeze through the crowd. As Ryder sings and dances and encourages the audience to join in (which of course we do), we make our way toward Madison. Lisa Lee and Kylie Mae are smiling as they watch Ryder, and when their attention turns to us…they keep on smiling! I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s almost as big a surprise as Ryder Landry was.

  When the song ends on a big, loud high note, it seems like the screaming and cheering will never end. Ryder smiles and waves until we quiet down again; then he says, “I only have time for one more song.”

  There are sighs, “awws,” and a couple of friendly boos. Only Larry says “yay,” but it’s obviously a joke. Samantha and Madison both punch him from opposite sides.

  “All of my songs mean something to me,” he tells the audience as he walks back and forth. “But this one has special meaning, especially for kids like us. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, in all the places I’ve traveled and from all the awesome people I’ve met, it’s that there’s nothing more important than friendship.”

  I totally agree! I guess everyone else does too, because they cheer like crazy. And the cheers get even louder when we hear the first notes of “Friend to the End of the Earth.”

  “I’m a man who lives for love.”

  The crowd screeches and squeals.

  “Love fits me like a glove

  But love like that can come and go.

  When I need to talk, or take that long, long walk

  You’re the one who won’t say no.

  Because you’re my friend, my friend

  My friend to the end of the Earth.”

  I look over at Madison. Her eyes are glistening with tears. Is it my fault she’s crying? I wanted Ryder to help bring us back together, but I didn’t want her to cry. She puts her arms out toward Lisa Lee and Kylie Mae, who immediately lean in for a group hug. Their three heads bop up and down in time to Ryder’s song.

  Well, that’s it. Madison has made her choice. She’s got two friends to the end of the Earth, and there’s no room for a third.

  It feels like someone has grabbed my heart and squeezed it hard. Suddenly this great Ryder song about friendship sounds like the saddest thing in the world to me. Even Ryder Landry himself can’t hold me in place. I can’t stand on the sidelines looking at Madison and her friends one second longer. I turn my back to the stage and walk away, clenching my teeth together and trying not to cry.

  With my eyes closed, I hear Ryder shout, “Good night, Southern California!” to the crowd. “Have a great
summer, and I’ll see you soon!”

  The music fades out, and everyone screams and cheers and shouts his name. Everyone but me, that is. Then he must be gone for good, because I start to hear kids talking and feel people walking past me. I breathe in and out, trying to get my emotions under control. An amazing thing just happened, and I may have had something to do with it. But that doesn’t even matter anymore. What should have been one of the happiest moments of my life turned out to be one of the worst.

  Someone taps me on the shoulder. I turn. It’s Lisa Lee, with Kylie Mae by her side. “Did that really just happen?” Lisa Lee asks.

  I gulp and force a half smile. “I was just wondering that too,” I say.

  “I think it did,” Kylie Mae says.

  We all look at each other for a moment. Our conversation seems to be over, but when I really think about it, it’s probably the nicest conversation we’ve ever had.

  A second later, before I can barely see her coming, I’ve almost been tackled—by Madison. She throws her arms around me and hugs me tight. The sadness is knocked right out of me. Confusion has taken over.

  “I’m gonna miss you so much!” she says. Miss me? When? This summer? The rest of my life?

  When Madison lets me go, she sees I’m standing with Lisa Lee and Kylie Mae. “I’m glad you guys are talking! I just invited Sam….” Sam is standing with us too, grinning wildly. “But I haven’t gotten to tell you about the sleepover yet.”

  “What?” I ask. “What sleepover?”

  “I’ve been begging for days, but my mom and dad are finally going to let me have a campout in the backyard tomorrow night. A big last-day-of-school party and sleepover, and then on Saturday we can play in the pool and have a barbecue.”

  I look around at Madison’s two sets of friends: me and Samantha, Lisa Lee and Kylie Mae. “All of us?” I ask.

  “Yes!” she says. “I’ve wanted to tell you about it, but I wasn’t sure until tonight. We leave for Hawaii next week, but I hope we can have a lot of fun until then!”