As I Am

Chapter Seventeen

            “What is it?” My voice sounds uneasy.

            When Mom doesn’t answer I turn around and she shrugs. “She wouldn’t say. She wants you to find out on your own.”

            I frown. “Okay.”

            Without another word, I spin on my heel and head for my room to get clothes and shower. Just as I step out of the kitchen, Mom calls me from behind.

            “Are you going to meet with her?”

            I don’t pause my steps. “I highly doubt it.”

            In my room I grab a ombre pink and white sweater and a pair of jeans. I’m supposed to bring a bathing suit tonight, according to Hadley, so I put it on my bed to change into it later and put my same outfit over it before she comes.

            After I comb my damp hair and brush my teeth I put Hadley’s photos together in an envelope and set them on my bed, beside the bathing suit. I deicide to bring a blue and white striped beach bag and a towel, so I lay that down there too. Eventually my camera joins everything on the comforter and I stare down at it with a finger tapping against my lips.

            It’s been so long since I’ve done anything social and I’m not sure what to bring, wear, or say. I don’t remember it being this hard to wait around all this day to go, and I end up changing my beach towel three times before I settle on the first one I picked – a plain white.

            “Nervous?”

            I turn around to see Mom standing in my doorway, watching me. I shrug and turn back towards my things.

            “I guess.”

            “Well, don’t be. You’ll have a great time.” I feel her smiling behind me. “Do you want to come downstairs for a bit? I think you could use a distraction.”

            I end up leaning back on my parent’s bed with Cat climbing over my thighs. I pet him with my left hand as Mom types away on her computer, bringing up her personal website. She’s published a few books here and there over the years, each on selling a good amount. But it’s been a while since she’s been this motivated to work on one so it must be something good.

            “I’m going to finish this book within the next week,” she says, spinning around in her chair. Her torso perfectly blocks the screen and I think that’s the intention. “And then I’m going to edit it, send it away for my editor, and then it’s going to be published.”

            I smile. “That’s great.”

            “Yes, but that’s not all.” She moves away from the screen so I can see. I read the large letters on the top as she explains. “I’m having a big release party back home the week before we’re supposed to leave.”