Devory jumped up. “Well, thanks for ruining the ending!” She slammed the book shut

M

iri closed the door to her room and sat down next to Shoshi.

“Okay, ready? One, two, three!”

They tore open their Share and Care envelopes.

“196,” Miri said. “What’s yours?”

“22.”

There was silence as they each read their card.

“Wow,” Miri said when she was done. “There actually is another girl going through the same thing as me. She has a three-year-old sister. Her father died when she was ten, and her mother got married again to a man with, like, a zillion kids. There’s one girl around her age, and they fight like cats and dogs.” Miri glanced at her card again. “She even likes to do the same things as me.”
“Miri.” Shoshi came to a sudden realization. “I don’t even know what your hobbies are.”

“Reading, painting, and listening to music.”

“Me too. Except for painting.”

“What does your partner like to do, and what’s her story?”

Shoshi glanced at her card. “She’s the oldest in the family and has three brothers. She likes to bake and draw. Her mother works crazy hours and is hardly ever home. Her father, too. She basically does everything.” Shoshie slid the card back into the envelope. “You want to answer these now or later?”
“Later. Let’s get something to eat first.”

“Fine.”

“Let me just put my envelope in a safe place. I don’t want Devory to know I joined.” She opened a drawer and placed the envelope between a stack of sweaters. “Okay, let’s go.”
“Maybe your mother cut up some fruit again.”

“For sure. I told you we always have cut up fruit in the fridge.”

Devory was sitting at the table, reading, when they walked into the kitchen.

“Hi,” Miri said.

Devory mumbled hello without looking up from her book.

“Good book?”

Devory shrugged.

“What’s the title?”

Without glancing her way, Devory closed the book halfway, showing the cover.

“Oh, yeah! I love that book. I read it, like, a hundred times. I’m totally obsessed.”

“Me too,” Shoshi said. “When I finished it, I was so upset. I wish there were a sequel.”
“Yeah!” Miri said. “I’d love to know what happened after they finally decide to move to London.”

Devory jumped up. “Well, thanks for ruining the ending!” She slammed the book shut.

“Oh, no!” Miri’s hand covered her mouth. “I’m sooo sorry! I didn’t realize ...”

“Yeah, right.”

“No, really, I didn’t mean to tell you the ending. We were talking about a sequel and…”

Devory grabbed the book and stormed out of the kitchen.

Miri groaned. “No matter what I do, I just can’t get it right.”

“It was an innocent mistake, Miri.”