Why did I let her talk me into things?
A beanbag zipped by my head at the same moment that my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled my phone out and saw that I had a new text.
How have you been?
It was from Hunter.
My heart seemed to stop in my chest. A text from Hunter. After all these weeks.
“I …” I held up my phone. “I’ll be right back.”
Alana gave me a questioning look and Diego just nodded. I didn’t pause to explain anything to Alana, I just went to my room. I stared at the text some more, biting my lip so hard I almost bled. I released my lip from my teeth and startled when Alana appeared in my doorway.
“What’s wrong?” she asked. Then, without waiting for my answer, she marched forward and held out her hand for my phone.
I placed the phone in her upturned palm, knowing I needed some of her classic advice right then.
She read the text and her face went from curious to angry. “Kathryn Bailey, you better not be thinking about responding to this.”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“Don’t. It’s time to officially let go. And look, now it will be your decision, not his.”
I sat down on the edge of my bed, my heartbeat slowing. “I don’t even remember what his voice sounds like. Is that weird?”
“Why are you trying to remember what his voice sounds like? Stop it.” Alana walked over and sat down beside me. “And no, it’s not weird, because you haven’t talked to him in months. Months! That’s what happens when he never calls or texts or responds to you.”
“Okay, I get it,” I said.
“And …”
“And I’m not going to respond.” And I wasn’t. She was right, of course. Why should I?
The doorbell rang, and Alana handed me back the phone. “That would be Frank,” she said. “I better go collect the contract so he can be on his way.”
I followed her out of my room. Despite what I’d said seconds ago, I actually wasn’t convinced that my willpower would hold up if I was alone. A quick scan of the living room revealed that Diego was now sitting over by Liza and Max, reading through some papers, probably Max’s comic.
Alana opened the door and instead of just collecting the contract and sending Frank on his way, she invited him inside. Guess I should’ve answered the door with her.
I went to intercept them before Frank made it any farther into the living room.
“Kitty Kat,” Frank said when I reached the two of them.
“Don’t call her that,” Alana said. “She hates it. You are purposefully trying to annoy her.”
“I didn’t know she hated it,” he said. “That’s the name she uses on the podcast. That’s the name you used when you called in from the hall that first day,” he added to Alana with a grin.
“Shh,” Alana said. “Where’s the contract?”
Frank was wearing his backpack and he slung it off his shoulder. He knelt down to rifle through it. Diego walked over to join our group of three.
“Hey, Frank,” Diego said. “You’re ditching school Monday?”
“Soccer tournament with my traveling team.”
“You two know each other?” Alana asked.
“We go to the same school,” Frank said.
Alana looked at me. “That means nothing.”
“It’s true,” I said. “I know nobody.”
“Now everyone knows you, though,” Diego pointed out.
I gave a single laugh. “I try not to think about that.”
Frank freed the contract from his bookbag. “Here it is.” He handed the stapled papers to Alana. “I already signed my part. Even the part about how we’re supposed to get along and look out for each other.”
“Are you saying I don’t do that?” Alana asked, sharing a frustrated look with me.
“I said nothing,” he said.
“No, you said something in that supercondescending voice you like to use.” Wow. I was used to being more hostile toward Frank than Alana was. What had changed? Did she find out he really was exactly who I thought he was, despite our supposed truce? I’d have to ask her for more details later.
“I have no idea what voice you’re talking about,” Frank was saying.
“That voice,” Alana snapped. “You just used it again.”
“That’s my voice. I can’t do anything about it.”
Diego started walking slowly backward. He grabbed hold of my sleeve and pulled me along with him as Alana and Frank kept fighting. We made it to the kitchen before we both started laughing.
“What’s going on with those two?” he asked.
“Frank is not our favorite person,” I explained.
“Why?” he asked.
“Longstanding family feud.”
“Over what?”
“Land, basically.”
“What is this, the Wild West?”
“No, more like the Roman Empire,” I said.
“There’s two sides to every story,” Frank said as he walked into my kitchen. Why was Frank in my kitchen?
My eyes went to Alana, who said, “Keep your enemies closer?”
“Are you staying?” I asked Frank, appalled.
“You see, Diego,” Frank said, ignoring my question. “My family and Kate’s family are like the Montagues and Capulets. Our grandparents were sworn enemies and the hate has been passed down from generation to generation.”
“Did you just compare us to Romeo and Juliet?” I asked.
Frank picked up a gummy worm and popped it in his mouth. “I did.”
“Not sure that has the ending you want,” Diego said.
Frank contorted his lips into a frown, seeming to consider whether or not Diego’s statement was true.
Diego threw an M&M at him.
Frank laughed. “Hey. Did I see you out fishing the other day in a crappy boat?” he asked Diego.
“Yep,” Diego said.
“Next time, text me. Then you can fish in the lap of luxury,” Frank offered.
“Are you referring to your lap?” Alana asked him.
“Ha ha,” Frank said.
“Well, nobody talks like that,” Alana said.
“Obviously, somebody does because I just said it.”
“You shouldn’t have,” she retorted. “That’s my point. It’s gross. I’m trying to help you out here so we can let you be around real people.”
This time Frank picked up an M&M and threw it at Alana with a smirk on his face. Maybe Alana knew how to play him after all.
A loud bang and laughter sounded from the other room.
Alana jumped, then took a deep breath. “We should calm all the kids down,” she said. “Maybe we should put on one of those boring documentaries you love, Kate.”
I grinned at my friend. “I sense that was meant to be an insult, but I wholeheartedly agree.”
It only took thirty minutes for the soothing voice of Morgan Freeman on the penguin documentary to quiet down the cousins and lull Cora to sleep. She had snuggled up between me and Diego on the couch and was now leaning against Diego’s arm, eyes closed.
“That’s so adorable,” Alana said. She was right, it really was.
I looked around but realized Frank wasn’t on the far side of Alana where I had last seen him. “Where is Frank?” I asked.
“He went to the bathroom.”