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Heather had been looking for her sister’s diary, a miniature book of Moroccan leather with a real lock. But anyone could figure out how to jiggle it open without the key. She had found Su
“Heather just admires her big sister so,” their mother had told Su
Wrong , Heather wanted to say. Su
She picked up the Accent section and read her horoscope. In just five days, there would be a horoscope especially for her. Well, for her and the other people born on April 3. She couldn’t wait to see what it said. And next week there would be a party, bowling at Westview Lanes and a bakery cake-devil’s food with white icing and blue roses. Maybe she should buy something new to wear. No, not yet. But she would take her new purse to the mall, an early birthday gift from her father’s store. It was actually multiple purses that buttoned to the same wooden handles, so you could match it to your outfit. She had chosen denim with red rickrack, a madras plaid, and one with a print of large orange flowers. Her father hadn’t pla
“Faddish,” he said. “You won’t want to carry it a year from now.”
Of course , Heather thought. Next year there would be another purse or top that was the thing to have, and her father should be glad for that. Even at eleven she had figured out that you couldn’t run a successful store if people didn’t keep buying things, year in and year out.
SUNNY, FRUSTRATED ALMOST to the point of tears, watched silently as her father left the kitchen. He had been so odd this morning-making pancakes, letting Heather listen to WCBM, singing along and even commenting on the songs.
“I like that one,” he said of each song. “The girl-”
“Mi
“Her voice sounds like birdsong, don’t you think?” He attempted to imitate the cascading notes, and Heather laughed at how poorly he did it, but Su
Then Ringo came on with the “No No Song” and her father did it for her, saying, “There’s only so much a man can take. When I think-”
“What, Daddy?” Heather asked, playing up to him.
“Nothing. What do my girls have pla
And that’s when Heather said, “Su
Su
If he had to wash the dishes every day , Su
“Have you been spying on me?” Su
“You left the schedule out on your desk, with the departure times underlined.”
“What were you doing in my room? You know you’re not supposed to go in there.”
“Looking for my hairbrush. You’re always taking it.”
“I am not.”
“Anyway”-Heather gave a blithe shrug-“I saw the schedule and I guessed.”
“When we get there, I go my way and you go yours. Don’t be hanging around me. Okay?”
“Like I want to follow you around. The only thing you do is go to the Singer store and flip through the pattern books, when you all but flunked out of home ec at Rock Glen last year.”
“The machines there are all torn up, from so many kids using them. The needles are always breaking.” This was the excuse her mother had offered for Su