The Pages Between Us

by Lindsey Leavitt

  I’m sure you’re thinking the same things I was thinking:

  What’s up with the excessive capitalization?

  LARPing?

  WHO JOINS A YO-YO CLUB???!!

  Maybe, just maybe, if they had a club for ANIMAL RESCUE AND TRAINING, then I could see us fitting in. But instead, they have Forensics. Do you know what forensics is? It’s studying evidence in order to solve a crime. And for a middle school club, that is very creepy.

  That’s exactly what I told Ms. Benson.

  She waved me off. “No, silly. It’s not a creepy club. It’s about being a sleuth. Nancy Drew and all that. Girl power!”

  She was super peppy about it. But it still didn’t persuade me. So we agreed that I would come back tomorrow during lunch to alphabetize her bookshelf. I’d rather do that than have Jackson see me eating lunch alone.

  Oh, no. I just had a terrible thought. What if Ms. Benson runs out of projects for me to do? Then where will I be, Piper? Every time I get near the cafeteria doors, I get one of those Immediate Stomachaches. The kind I normally get when I sneak ice cream.

  We have to find a way to make sixth grade better. My digestive system can’t take this!

  After-school clubs . . . is that really the answer?

  Ugh! We might be doomed, Piper—and that’s me looking on the bright side. Imagine how down I’d be if I didn’t have Jackson in my math class. Oh, look at me mentioning him twice.

  Sigh.

  Our only hope is to make that note to him ROCK HIS WORLD, as a certain author who wishes she was a DALLAS COWBOY CHEERLEADER would say. (I admit I PEEKED at the BOOK when I couldn’t sleep last night.)(That brochure makes me want to over-capitalize now.) (Try it—it’s sOrt of FuN.)

  And I’m wearing purple today. Yep—feeling anxious. I’m going to go pet Blinkie and see if it helps.

  Peace, love, bunnies, and UnIcoRns,

  Olivia

  Grateful for:

  1. Ms. Benson needing projects done at lunchtime

  2. When I DON’T have a stomachache

  3. Unnecessary capitalizaTION

  4. You helping me write that note to Jackson

  5. The fact that it won’t be long until we can hang out at the animal shelter

  BETHANY’S BUSINESS

  HOME NEWS EVENTS ABOUT CONTACT

  Hey, readers/subscribers/friends/randoms ☺

  Thanks for stopping by Bethany’s Business! I’ve been such a bad blogger lately, I’m so sorry. But you know I would never miss Buzz Thursday! Here you’ll find all the buzz happening at Kennedy Middle School.

  I mean, the buzz that matters. To me.

  WHAT IS HOT

  KNEE SOCKS

  Totally in again, usually worn with Converse. Girls AND boys. The wackier the better.

  PACKING EXOTIC LUNCHES

  Regular old PB&J is so last year. Try vegetables fresh from the farmers’ market, or Thai or Mongolian leftovers in (recyclable) Tupperware. Be adventurous! Seaweed chips, raw almonds, or French macarons.

  CLUBS

  School clubs officially started up last week and there are even more to choose from this year. If you haven’t checked them out, you might want to think about:

  1. EXTREME LEGO CLUB: Pick a partner and get LEGOing! If you join before December, you can go on the trip to LEGOLAND in San Diego!

  2. SEA CLUB: This one is new this year and I helped start it! Every week, we explore different sea creatures and the ecosystem of the central California coast. Regular beach trips to Avila, Pismo, and even Santa Barbara. Also: pit stops for ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery!

  3. FUTURE LEADERS OF AMERICA: I think that title says it all. I’ll be joining that one for sure. No surprise there.

  SHOUT OUTS

  I sat by Piper Jorgensen the other day at lunch. She’s such a sweet girl! Kind of quiet, but maybe I intimidate her. I do that a lot—I think it’s because I’m so friendly.

  Anyway, she had on the most adorable aqua scarf and when I asked her where she got it, she pushed up her (also adorable) blue-rimmed glasses (that she only seems to wear half the time) and said . . . I knit it myself.

  Isn’t that SO VINTAGE? I love the idea of making my own clothes, but ugh . . . I’m just so busy with volunteering and school and sports and blogging that I don’t think I’d have time. But kudos to Piper! We should totally start a scarf-knitting business.

  Is it just me, or did Jordan Goldberg kind of grow up over the summer? Jordan and I used to have playdates at the tide pools with our moms, and now he looks like he’s fifteen! And I like his shaggy hair. Jordan, if you’re reading, stop growing, but not your hair. ☺

  (Totally kidding.)

  Dana Huffington won an art contest award! I wish I could draw, but I have other talents. Anyway, that is SUPER cool, Dana. Get ’em, girl.

  CELEBRITY GOSSIP

  Just one but it is huge.

  I hear they might film a MOVIE here with RENEE WILDER and they are looking for EXTRAS. I have been all over the internet trying to find info. Will let you know what I can.

  K, that’s all I have for now. Hook me up with some comments, though. I love all my readers to pieces.

  LOVE, LOVE, & LOVE,

  Bethany

  6 COMMENTS

  * * *

  Danahuffhuff: Aww, thanks, girl! Come over and draw with me anytime. Go Kennedy Middle School Harbor Seals! Woot!

  Becca555: Omg! I’m TOTALLY going to join Sea Club if we get to go to Cold Stone. Their Oreo Overload makes me ☺☺☺☺.

  DjTyler: @Becca555, Oreos are my favorite. I’m joining that club for sure.

  Jacksondude: I’m in the LEGO Club and it’s the best. I’m making my own space station with a parking garage, too.

  JamieheartsScience: Knee socks are back IN?! I just threw all mine out and bought a bunch of skinny jeans. Dang it!

  Bethanyblogs: Jamie, keep those skinny jeans. I predict that trend will last for a solid three more months. Thanks for reading, Bethanites! More to come!!!

  Chapter 8

  Olivia,

  We don’t need to join a club. When have we ever needed a club? You just need to muster up the courage to talk to Jackson. Who cares about other people? Clubs sound like something Bethany Livingston and her crew would do. (According to her latest blog post I attached.)

  We have our crew—our own duo. Our double-wedding/next-door-neighbors/our-grandkids-will-marry-each-other FOREVER friendship.

  Plus, I haven’t joined an organized activity since I was eight. My dance teacher told my mom he felt bad taking any more of her money because after two years, I still couldn’t twirl. Twirl, Olivia.

  I did look up LARPing. Just for fun. It means live-action role-playing. Like you pretend you’re a warrior from some video or card game. I was trying to think of something I’m really into, like a comic book character, but the only thing I’m really a fangirl about is Love and Deception. Oh, and Rice Krispies Treats! Maybe I can dress like one of those guys on the cereal box? Snap? No, Crackle.

  Okay. Now I have to say it.

  I feel better now.

  It’s so pretty out today. I love that about where we live in California. You know you’re either going to get sunny, a few cloudy wisps, or a sprinkle of rain, but not forever rain. And never snow. Olivia, there are people out there who have to deal with snow! Think of all the time it must take to put on snow boots and shovel out of your doorway. And they probably never really warm up and can’t wear flip-flops in October. Those poor kids.

  My mom needed to stop by the stationery store today while Luke was at volleyball. It turned out this huge Christmas order came in, and she had to look through inventory right away, even though Christmas is two months away! So I took the twins across the street to Crazy Tre’s Ice Cream—the one with the new disco ball over the counter. Then we walked over to Dad’s Mr. Brake shop and I gave them a quarter for the candy machine with old M&M’s. And then we went and rolled around in the grass square in front of the courthouse, even t
hough Spencer was sticky from the ice cream.

  We were laughing about the grass stuck to his cheeks when this guy who had to be in high school stopped on the sidewalk. Yeah, I know, I didn’t even freak out, because why would a boy in high school talk to me? I figured he needed directions.

  “Hey, aren’t you Talin Jorgensen’s little sister?” he asked.

  “Yes! And we are her brothers!” Spencer raised his hand like he was in class.

  The guy laughed. “Talin is, like, the prettiest girl in our grade.”

  “Um, okay,” I said. Talin being pretty isn’t a newsflash.

  “Tell her Corey says hi.” He waved at Flynn. Then he said to me, “You don’t really look like her at all.”

  What. Was that. Supposed to mean? Talin is pretty and I don’t look like her? That Corey guy belongs in Danny’s JERK CLUB. They should give him a double membership because he never even asked my name. Should I only introduce myself as Talin’s little sister? Join the Sisters of Pretty Girls in America Club?

  Speaking of clubs, another club that would be cool would be Star in a TV Show Club, where you cast people in your real life into whatever show you want. Forget Love and Deception, my siblings would make a great sitcom.

  TALIN:

  The beautiful social butterfly who has stupid boys like Corey liking her.

  LUKE:

  The star athlete and brother who gives high fives that almost break your hand.

  FLYNN and SPENCER:

  The adorable comic relief, like the Olsen twins on that old show Full House.

  Have you ever noticed that sometimes they kill off a sibling on those shows? Like it’s the third season, and they realize that middle sister who just babysits and knits while watching soaps is kind of boring, so they pretend like she was never in the family?

  It’s a good thing we aren’t a sitcom. I would be bye-bye by third season.

  But besides that moment with Carey . . . Curry . . . Corey . . . (see? Already forgot his stupid name), things are good. I woke up this morning, stared at the cup of water by my bed, and thought, “Hey. That glass is half full.” (It was actually almost empty, because I wake up all night to drink water and then have to go to the bathroom, but you get the point.) But it felt good to think it was half full.

  I like my school and I can knit a mean scarf. My brothers really ARE adorable. My mom made me some snickerdoodles.

  I have this notebook.

  And you.

  I could go on forever, but then I would use everything up before I write my five grateful things.

  My point is . . . just because we had this almost-no-classes-together situation happen, it doesn’t mean we can’t be fine with how things are. You can start bringing books to lunch. Interesting, factual books. Then you can be an expert on unicorns or sharks or unicorn-sharks.

  We can hang posters and maybe other people who like unicorn-sharks will sit next to you. You don’t need to be friends with them, but they can just be seat fillers until the important characters (like me) can show up. I will read books about demon warriors, and Bethany and her friends will be too scared to sit by me. All I’m trying to say is, it’s going to be fine. Not my-life-is-perfect fine, but we-can-survive-it fine. Survive it without having to fling yo-yos in an after-school club. Unless we want to. We can be whatever we want!

  Okay, gotta run to science. We’re learning about atoms and it’s almost as interesting as unicorn-sharks. Almost.

  See you tonight at the shelter!

  Loves,

  Piper

  Grateful: SEE ABOVE. And then add unicorn-sharks. Which might just be a narwhal, but I’m okay with that.

  Really, who ISN’T okay with a narwhal?

  OLIVIA!!!!!!!!!!

  We interrupt our regularly scheduled chat with . . .

  I take back almost everything I said above about being all cool with the way things are. Because! BECAUSE!!! This morning, when my mom was dropping me off at school, she said, “So I’ve been thinking about your birthday coming up.”

  “In six weeks and six days,” I said. (Who says you’re the only math girl?)

  “Your dad and I were talking, and I know you usually don’t have the most . . . festive of celebrations with a December birthday.”

  “Last year you put frosting on a fruitcake.”

  “Well, this year we thought . . . we want to do an extra-special birthday this year. It’s your turn to go big. Invite friends.”

  “You mean besides Olivia?”

  “Yes. You can invite twelve friends. Since you’re turning twelve. And I know you’ve been dying to go to that pottery-painting store, and maybe we could go next door to Crown Pizza after.”

  I actually got dizzy. Like everything-spinning-in-the-middle-of-carpool-lane DIZZY. Because I have never had a birthday party like this. Not ever. When I was eight, a few friends came over to watch The Little Mermaid and Mom bought store-made cupcakes. And I guess she tried to do one when I was five, but all the parents had holiday parties they had to attend, so no one really showed. It’s bound to happen when you have a December fifteenth birthday in a large family and parents who are big into “not spoiling” and “staying humble.” Although Mom does make the perfect birthday baskets. Remember those rainbow fluffy socks?

  Come to think of it, YOU’VE never even been to my birthday party, since you kind of ARE my birthday party every year. Imagine if there are other people there to celebrate with you! All the friendly enthusiasm doesn’t need to rest on you anymore. Although, let’s be honest, it’s not the friendly enthusiasm I’m after.

  It’s the scandal. The intrigue. The DRAMA.

  Birthday parties are my favorite plot device on soap operas! Someone always dies, or kisses an ex, or gets water thrown in their face. The cakes have a million tiers, and there was that time in season six when Trinity Wentworth rented out an entire ballroom and everyone dressed like flappers and we found out that Ronald was really Jasmine’s brother!

  “Anyway, just think about who you want to invite!” Mom said. “We should probably send invitations out early since it’s such a busy time of year.”

  My ears were ringing. Invite. Invite? If this was going to be the most dramatic event of the season, I would have to INVITE PEOPLE first.

  List so far:

  1. Olivia (woot!)

  2. Andrea, my nine-year-old play pal. And Danny better not drop her off, because he is SO not invited.

  3. Um, my family? Can I count that as 3 through 7?

  4. Ms. Benson? Maybe she can get me an inspirational poster as a gift.

  5. Trigger. The Dog.

  6. Blinkie. I hope your cat gets along with Trigger. Oh, wait. Cats are one of Trigger’s dislikes on his adoption card. Well, he hasn’t met Blinkie!

  7. Maybe the girls from my church class. I mean, they would sure bring the drama, and as long as it’s not Savannah Swanson Incident drama, I’m for it.

  Clearly, we have a problem. I can’t have this epic birthday bash if I don’t have any friends to invite. Oh! Maybe I can just hire actors. The MORE DRAMATIC, the merrier. Wait! Do you think we can get someone to jump out of the cake? That’s cinematic.

  I can’t tell my parents I don’t have guests. They’re giving me this amazing party and I have to deliver. I’m already their kid who doesn’t DO anything; I can’t be their kid who doesn’t have enough friends to invite to a birthday.

  Pottery Palace has an owl cookie jar that would look so cute in my room. I want that cookie jar like Cookie Monster wants . . . well . . . you know.

  So, what if . . .

  We do the clubs.

  Hey, listen! I have a great reason. Great reasons.

  You: Practice your conversational skills so you can finally talk to Jackson. Once you’ve chatted up strangers while petting a stingray at Sea Club, saying hi to Jackson in the hallway Will. Be. Cake. (Birthday cake!) It will probably help those stomachaches you get too.

  Me: Cast my party. I mean, find people to invite to my party.
No, no . . . cast. I will meet a bunch of people and figure out what roles they can play. We HAVE to go to French Club. Love and Deception’s third-best villain, Pierre LeFou, is French!

  I’m serious, Olivia. It’s win-win for both of us.

  Let’s get our club on.

  Piper

  Grateful: Birthday parties, birthday locations, birthday scandals, birthday invites, and finding birthday characters guests!

  Chapter 9

  Piper,

  Will a forbidden secret be revealed at your Pottery Palace birthday? Or will Cecil Harmond exact revenge on his former love who now has amnesia? Find out next time on . . . Piper’s Birthday Party!

  This is incredible news! Every bit of it . . . all up until you said “twelve people.” So you’re right . . . Ms. Benson’s idea of hitting up clubs is our only option. You’ll find people to cast for your party and I’ll practice making conversation. For Jackson. I won’t have to rely solely on my writing skills to communicate with him.

  But you should probably cut number seven. Anyone associated with Savannah Swanson is someone I CAN’T POSSIBLY create pottery with. Or be friendly with. Or anything with.

  I have no doubt we can find enough people to cast your party. That’s why meeting people at clubs is a brilliant idea.

  LET’S DO IT!

  Strangely enough, my cup is starting to feel half full. FULL, Piper!

  Now, if you don’t mind, I need to get a little planner-y since I get hives if I don’t write things down in list form.

  O—

  I can’t believe we’re stuck in opposite parts of the shelter. AGAIN. At least we can slide this back and forth every time you pass by the office.

  I like your schedule. Of course you made a schedule. I will have to check with my mom on babysitting days.

  Back to filing. Enjoy the animals. Write back!!

  Piper—

  I’m bummed we’re in the opposite parts of the shelter too! Glad you like the schedule so far. Can we agree to skip the Yo-Yo Club? We all know one of us will end up with an eye injury.