Ten Ways to Make My Sister Disappear (10 page)

M
OM
orders in Chinese take-out from Su Lin's on Friday night for the dinner party. Sprig and Dakota empty all the paper cartons into serving bowls. “Much prettier,” Mom says, arranging the bowls on the dining room table. The two girls set out plates and silver and glasses, and put music on the stereo, and by the time the guests arrive, Sprig and Mom are ready to greet them at the door. They're all going to eat and then look at the DVD Dad sent home about his first two weeks in Afghanistan.

Mr. and Mrs. Hampler, Krystee's parents, are much smaller than Sprig expected. And nicer too. Can Krystee really be their daughter? “Dakota's still combing her hair,” Sprig tells her, and Krystee bounds up the stairs. Bliss's mother kisses Sprig, and her father ruffles Sprig's hair and calls her “Buddy,” as in, “How ya doin', Buddy?”

“Daaad,” Bliss says, but Sprig just laughs. She likes bearded Mr. Gardner.

Dakota and Krystee go over to help Miss Ruthie, who's just home from the hospital. Her niece Roberta will be coming to stay with her, but meanwhile, she needs help going up and down stairs. As soon as Miss Ruthie comes in, she holds out her arms to hug Sprig. “My little hero,” she says, and she starts telling the Hamplers and Gardners the whole story of that Saturday when she had a stroke. “And guess who saved my life!”

“This is so embarrassing,” Sprig whispers to Bliss.

“Oh, come on, you love it,” Bliss says.

“Everyone, sit wherever you want to,” Mom says. “We're not formal here. Girls, if you don't want to stay at the table, that's fine.” Krystee and Dakota immediately take their food and leave, but Bliss and Sprig decide to stay. What a mistake! The grown-ups can't stop talking about how good Miss Ruthie looks, and what they've read about Afghanistan, and how marvelous it is that Dad is keeping a documentary record for the family.

“Let's leave,” Sprig whispers to Bliss, and they retreat upstairs to the bedroom. “That was so boring,” Sprig says.

“Tell me about it!” They sit on the floor, backs against the bed, plates on their outstretched legs. “Now we can really talk,” Bliss says.

“So what do you think?” Sprig asks, picking up a thread of a previous conversation. “Is Russell just a friend, or is he something else?”

“Friend to me,” Bliss says. “Good friend, but you'll always be my best friend.”

“Same here,” Sprig says. “But you know, those kisses —”

“I think they were friendly kisses.”

“Me too. I hope so, anyway, because, well, like my mom says, we've got plenty of time for boys —”

“Boys?” Dakota says, walking in with Krystee. She goes over to her bureau and opens the top drawer. “Are you talking about boys?” She takes out a scarf and wraps it around her hair.

“Never mind what we're talking about,” Sprig says.

“Yeah, it's boys,” Krystee says. “Look at their faces, they're all red! Come on, you two, tell! What boy is it? What's his name? Huh? Huh?”

“Oh, let's leave them alone,” Dakota says, and the older girls leave.

“You know what,” Bliss says. “We should have a code for talking about you-know-who, so other people don't get in on our private conversations. We could call him —” Bliss thinks for a moment “— the giraffe, and every time we want to talk about him, we'll say, ‘the giraffe' —”

“Russell, a giraffe?” Sprig says. “We might as well call him a blue mouse.”

“Perfect,” Bliss says. “Do you think blue mouse has been different since the party?”

“Different how?”

“Well, blue mouse was so nice that night —”

“Did I hear you say
blue mouse
?” Dakota says, sticking her head in the door.

“You've been eavesdropping!” Sprig cries.

“Now, now,” Dakota says, glancing over her shoulder at Krystee. “Would I do that?”

“Just tell us who blue mouse is,” Krystee coaxes.

Sprig and Bliss look at each other and shrug. “Us to know, you to wonder,” Bliss says.

“If you don't tell us, you can just leave this room,” Dakota says.

“I'm so sorry,” Sprig says, so sweetly she makes her teeth ache, “but it's your turn to sleep in the study. On the floor,” she adds.

“Don't you want to switch with us?” Dakota says. “You had so much fun last time.”

“Now
you
can have the fun,” Sprig says.

“Brats,” Dakota says. “Let's go, Krystee.”

“Shut the door behind you,” Sprig calls.

“Nice going,” Bliss says.

“Thank you,” Sprig says. “Now where were we? Oh, yes, we were talking about blue mouse….”