“There will be fun scheduled from nine to nine oh seven,”

So I’m going to camp with my sister hating me. That’s just fannntastic.

My eyes feel like they’ve been filled with sand then glued together then pried open with pliers. Yeah, that gory metaphor is exactly where my brain’s at. Yocheved’s not speaking to me after she heard me call Levi crazy, and even Libby and Sima were shocked by my words, but at least they came to say goodbye last night and made me camp packages. I mean, I think throwing a Magna-Tile at my head is a valid reason to call the kid crazy, but I agree that I should have checked if Yocheved was around before spewing words like that.

Ma and Ta drive me to the bus bright and early and I can feel the disapproval emanating in waves.

“’Kay, so bye,” I say weakly.

Ma gives me a look. “Let’s find your friends, sweetheart, and drop off your bags. Then I want to make sure you have a good seat on the bus, and enough snacks for the ride.”

She does? Oh. That’s nice. I instantly feel better. I hug and kiss Ta goodbye; wading into crowds of girls crying and screeching is not exactly his thing. He waits in the car and Ma follows me into the chaos.

I shade my eyes, looking around for Zeesy and Debbi. I don’t see them. My hands grow sweaty; I wipe them on my chambray skirt. Ma squeezes my shoulder. There’s so much noise and calling and shrieking, I’m overwhelmed with a sudden desire to just get back in the car and go home to my quiet house, my cozy room. But home has Yocheved and Levi and judgmental Libby and Sima. No, I want to go to camp. Just only if D—”

“Debbi!” Ma suddenly calls out. “Debbi! Yoo-hoo, over here.”

And I’m so relieved to see them that I don’t even mind Ma yelling “Yoo-hoo” out loud, in public.

We hug and hold on to each other.

“Nervous?” Debbi murmurs in my ear.