Chapter Thirteen

By the time Mac was dressed and in the car, she’d had enough coffee to motor down the Amazon and collect her own beans. She touched Barb’s arm as she took a turn. “Please, Mackenzie whispered, “just a little slower around the curves.”

As they pulled into the school parking lot, they could see they were the last to arrive. Mac heaved herself out of the car and stood, holding onto the door for support. “Barb?”

“Hmmm?”

“How long is everything going to stay all spinny?”

“Still? Oh, honey, how much did you drink?” Barb took the pack out of the trunk, and handed it to Mac, who started toward the bus. Lily bounced along next to her big sister, elbows sticking out at right angles as she held both hands in an airtight grip over her mouth. Mackenzie had promised her an extra special surprise present when she got back from the trip if she stopped talking, since Lily’s inside voice volume exceeded everyone else’s outside-at-a-football-game.

Lily started making muffled squealing noises and ran off, and Mac turned to see their father walking toward Barb.

Most of the parents were there hovering, and giving last minute advice while kids loaded their packs under the bus, and bikes onto the trailer behind the van.

Mackenzie slipped her pack off and bent over to set it on the pile under the bus, making sure not to move too quickly. Then a sound pierced her eardrums and giving her the distinct impression that her head had exploded.

“Oh, oops, sorry, Mac. Didn’t mean to whistle that loud, but when you bend over like that, it’s hard to resist,” Charlie said. “Guess you had a rough night, huh?

Mackenzie lifted her hands to her head and was surprised to find it still in one piece. “You were there?” she croaked.

Charlie raided his eyebrows and whistled again, sending another piercing pain straight through Mac’s brain from one ear to the other.

“Where’s your bike?”

“Trailered,” Mackenzie said. “In a hard pack.”

“Oh, I wondered if you’d put that fine piece of machinery in the rack.” Charlie said. “Remember, if you get sick of riding that baby, I’m at your service…”

Mackenzie grunted and waved him off. Her head thrummed, and felt like there were little needles sticking into it from all angles. Even though she wore sunglasses, she squinted, and concentrated hard on getting from point A to point B without having to turn her head too fast. She had no idea how she was going to survive a noisy bus full of excited Bike Geeks.

Barb was talking to MaToya. Mackenzie hobbled over and waited as they finished up.

Ma turned to Mac and smiled. “Don’t worry. It won’t last forever,” she said as she walked toward Frankie and her folks.

Mac frowned and turned to Barb and whispered, “You told Ma?”

Barb walked her a few steps away, toward the car and said, “Mackenzie, have you looked in the mirror today? I think she figured it out on her own.” She glanced back at her husband, who seemed oblivious to everything except Lily. She reached out and cupped Mac’s chin in her hand. “You take care of yourself on this trip, okay? No more worries about this boy. We’ll see you in six weeks, and I bet you’ll have forgotten all about him by then, though I certainly hope it’s a lot sooner than that!”

Mac peeked around Barb and caught snatches of the conversation between her dad and Lily. Over by the grassy median, Mac’s father looked up from Lily, and gave a wave. Lily looked unhappy and Mac knew she was upset about being separated for so long. They’d never been apart for more than a night or so, and Lily had been acting up ever since Mac explained about her trip.

But the date of the dance was getting closer and that would be a good distraction for Lil. Even though Mac was sure her dad threw her dress away years before, she’d figure she’d cheer Lily up if she could actually find it so she could wear it. But after she’d gone through the top shelves of her closet and every other nook, cranny, and box, no polka dots were to be found.

Like a tugboat steering an ocean liner, Lily took her father’s hand and dragged him to where Mackenzie stood. Watching them approach, she felt that familiar irritation, and finally accepted the fact that maybe she actually was jealous. Not of Lily taking her father’s attention, though. She snorted when she realized she was jealous of her father, taking Lily’s affection away from her.

Lily dropped her father’s hand and stood back, staring at the ground. Mac could tell she was trying to put off saying her goodbyes. Stan patted Mac’s back and mumbled something about having a good time and climbed into the passenger seat of Barb’s car.

Mackenzie kept reminding herself that this trip wouldn’t come between her and Lily. After all, she was the one who took care of her sister. Protected her from the bully down the street and the monsters under her bed. When Lily ran to her when nightmares chased, Mackenzie was the one who curled around her little sister like a cocoon.

Mac crouched down, opened her arms, and waited until Lily finally sailed into them, burying her head in Mackenzie’s shoulder. Mac whispered, “What kind of kiss?”

Lily pinched her lips together with her fingers and shook her head. She refused to look into Mac’s eyes.

“What do you mean, no kiss? Of course we need a kiss! Okay, Lilybean. I’ll tell you. I’m going to give you a six-week kiss. Do you know what a six-week kiss is?” Lily shook her head again, her eyes still on the ground. “It’s a kiss that lasts six whole weeks.” Mackenzie gently kissed Lily’s left cheek, barely dusting it with her lips.

Lily turned away and walked to the car, and leaned against the door, still stubbornly examining the dirt at her feet.

Barb hugged her and started to turn toward the car, but Mackenzie realized she needed to tell Barb one last thing.

“What is it, honey? Did you forget something?” Barb asked, motioning to Lily that she’d be right there. Stan called to Lily to climb into her car seat.

“Yes,” Mac said, glancing at the car to make sure her father couldn’t hear them. “I forgot to say thanks.” She lifted her eyes to meet Barb’s.

“Don’t be silly. What are mothers for?” Barb waved her off and started to go to the car. Mac followed.

“No, seriously. Thanks for helping me this morning, and for not grounding me, and…” She looked into the car where her father was talking to Lily, “…for not telling Dad.”

“Well, your dad has a tendency to be a bit overprotective when it comes to you,” Barb said.

Mac frowned. “Overprotective isn’t what I’d call it.”

“Oh yes,” Barb insisted. “I remember when your mom passed away. He was a wreck, he was so worried over you. If he had to work nights and I was babysitting, he’d always come home first to make sure everything was all set before going back to the office.”

“Geez, Barb, I don’t even remember you sitting for me,” Mac said, feeling the same Twilight Zone thing she had when looking at her picture at the dance on her father’s computer.

“Well, you were usually put to bed before I got there. He was so afraid I’d let you drown in the bathtub, or not know how to give you the exact right kind of cuddle before tucking you in that he made sure all that was done before he left.”

“He wouldn’t let you do that stuff?”

Barb chewed on her bottom lip. “Well, I don’t know if I’d go that far. He felt guilty, I think. You’d lost your mom and he probably thought he was the only one able to care for you and love you the right way.”

Mac said, “Well, you’re right about that.”

“See? I knew it.”

But she didn’t see. She didn’t understand what Mackenzie meant; how could she? Something else was nagging at the back of Mac’s brain, but it was like dropping a ball under a dresser and stretching, stretching for it, but it was just beyond arm’s length. And then, once your fingertips finally made contact, it inched away even further. Mac couldn’t get her mind to make contact with this idea and it just kept rolling away, out of reach.

“You have a great trip, and we’ll see you when you get home.”

Lily knocked on the window. Barb made the ‘okay’ sign with her finger and thumb, and waited while Mac opened the door and kissed Lily on her hands. Lily finally looked at Mackenzie and threw her arms around her neck.

“That’s a new kiss, huh, Lilybean? A finger kiss, we’ll call it,” Mac told her. Then she promised she would write her real letters so when she checked the mailbox there would be mail waiting for her. When she stood up and closed the door, Barb pulled Mac close for a goodbye hug, taking her by surprise. She patted her back, then without another word, drove off. Lily opened the window and waved goodbye with both hands, still keeping her quiet promise.

“You okay?”

Mac turned to find Frankie and Dante by her side. “Oh yeah, I just caught a bit of dust,” she said, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

“I think she meant are you okay after last night?” Dante said, and shot a smile at Frankie.

“Oh, right,” Mackenzie said, rubbing her temple. “Thanks for everything—Barb told me you guys brought me home. I have no recollection of anything after coming downstairs. Did the place get cleaned up, D?”

“Yeah, but I still made Charlie give me money for a cleaning service. My neighbor’ll let them in later today.” Dante fished around in his pocket and pulled out a little cellophane package.

When she saw what he was holding, Mackenzie smiled. “Oh, man, Dante. You’re saving me again! Right now, earplugs are the best gift you could give me.”

By the time all the parents had driven off, the gear loaded, and the bikes secured, Mac was feeling a little better. Excitement ricocheted through the bus. Even the driver was happy to go, and let out a holler as they pulled out of the lot. And Otis, following in the van, started honking like crazy.

As they got onto the highway, Charlie turned around in his seat and kneeled, hanging over the high back in order to face Mac. “So, you seem like you recovered pretty fast,” he said, wearing his usual smirk.

“Why, thank you, Charlie. I have,” Mackenzie said, smiling, determined not to let him ruin the first moments of her long-anticipated trip. She scooched down in her seat, folded her arms, and shut her eyes.

But Charlie didn’t let that spoil his fun. “Really? I would’ve thought finding out that the love of your life is doing his old girlfriend—uh, I mean, new sister—would give you the freaks. Hmmm. Guess I was wrong.”