Everyone looked up and Heath leapt to his feet. “Hey, hey, hey! Look who finally decided to make an appearance!”
Alex bounced up on the other side of me. “She was just being fashionably late, Heath. And look at how fashionable she is.”
Jenna and William hardly even seemed to notice that I’d arrived. They seemed embroiled in some kind of dispute over the rules.
“I don’t see what the harm is. House rules can be a lot of fun,” Jenna said.
“House rules are not allowed in the listed rules. Monopoly has been playtested and balanced in such a way as to provide the optimum game experience.”
“Yes, that’s why they are called ‘house rules.’ And they can be a lot of fun! You really should—”
“House rules disrupt the balance of the game and prolong it, especially that one you propose, about the money under Free Parking.”
Jenna smiled wryly. “Why, William, I can’t believe that you have no interest in prolonging your pleasure.”
Kat bust out laughing.
Connor stood up and gave me a hug, kissing my cheek. “How are you, Mia darling?”
“Darling?” Heath said, throwing him a cutting look. “How come you never call me that?”
He shrugged. “She’s prettier than you are.”
I giggled. “I hope to God I’m prettier than Heath, even without my hair.”
“Is it growing back in yet?” Alex said, trying to peek under my scarf.
“Hey! It took me a long time to tie that just right.”
“I was telling everyone that I know how to do frenología—phrenology. My grandma was from Argentina. She showed me how to read head bumps.”
“What the what?” I said. “No one’s reading my bumps.”
“Except for Adam,” snorted Kat.
I stuck my tongue out at her.
“No, seriously, Mia. I could totally tell your fortune by looking at your head.”
“Why not just use a crystal ball?”
“Is there a big difference between your head and a crystal ball these days?” said Heath. I elbowed him in the stomach and he feigned doubling over.
“Come on, Mia. Let me try it. We’ve all seen you bald and since your hair is growing back we might not have this chance again.”
I sank into a chair between Jenna and Kat and looked across at William, who was meticulously packing up the gaming pieces and ignoring everyone else around him. “Hey, William. You okay?”
He shrugged.
Jenna leaned into me. “I’ve pissed him off, apparently.”
“Don’t be mean, Jenna.”
“She’s not mean,” William said without looking up.
I scratched my head through my scarf.
“Just take it off and let me read your bumps.”
I sighed. “Jeez, Alex.”
“Come on. I can tell you your future.”
“She already knows her future,” Heath said. “Her hair’s going to grow back. She’s going to go to med school in the fall. In four years she’s going to be Dr. Mia Strong.”
“Not Dr. Mia Drake?” Alex said.
I frowned. “Um guys, you don’t need to talk about me like I’m not here.”
“Hmm. What about Dr. Strong-Drake?” Heath said.
Alex and Kat laughed. “That sounds ridiculous.”
“You guys are all idiots,” I said. “Maybe I’ll just go by my first name, like Beyoncé or Adele. I’ll just be that awesome.”
“Dr. Mia,” Alex said. “Let me read your bumps.”
“Promise you’ll stop bugging me if I take this scarf off?”
She nodded ferociously. “Yes. Yes. I promise not to be a pain in the ass.”
“Too late,” said Heath.
Alex flipped him her middle finger. Jenna’s eyes widened. “Holy crap, do not irritate the Latina. You’ll regret it, Heath.”
Heath shrugged and everyone sat again as, with a long-suffering sigh, I slipped my scarf off my head and let Alex look at it.
“Oooh, how cute, you have little fuzzy hair coming in. It’s like baby chick feathers.”
“Just read the bumps for chrissakes.”
“Okay, okay. I need to touch your head. Can I do that?”
“Whatever. Just tell me my fortune.”
“Hmmm.” Her fingers flitted over my scalp and it tickled a little bit. I giggled when she placed a thumb on either side of my temple, then spread her fingers across my naked pate. Then she stroked me as if she was petting a dog. Heath started to chuckle under his breath and Kat shushed him.