These Lying Eyes (6 page)

The thought almost pushed a cackle out of her.

On her knees, Mina leaned low to check under the cars for feet. The way was clear, but nevertheless she crawled down a few rows before popping up next to a battered Honda.

Her heart froze when she saw Max balancing on the fence next to the empty track field.

“I waz trying to tell you, Mina!” Poppy said. “But you wouldn’t lizten.”

Hitch sat on Max’s shoulder. Blue hair glistened as Hitch lounged in a sunbeam, blowing Mina, or was it Poppy, a kiss.

“Thought you forgot our date.” Max said.

“Business before pleasure.” She drawled. Um, did he say date? Would
they
date? Mina looked at him for a moment, remembered that first thrill of interest before she knew he was her old Max and wondered. Maybe.

“Enemy?” He asked, jerking his head towards her brother’s car.

“Nah,” she beamed at the lowered car and explained, “an ongoing war.”

Max walked around the car and said, “I’d say you just won this round.”

Her evil snicker escaped.

An arm dropped around her shoulder, and she jumped, turned, and found her cousins Peter and Ben. Neither noticed the lowered car, and Mina casually stepped forward, leading them away from her work.

“Mina,” Ben said, glancing at Max, “Peter says you’re going to the camp outs from now on, I think we can all agree that you can only come back if you have some of your mom’s chocolate cupcakes.”

“You remember Ben, Max?” Peter asked before adding, “Clearly, she’s bringing snickerdoodles. Those are my favorite, and as her favorite cousin, I get to select the toll.”

“No, she can bring raspberry tarts instead. Or brownies if they have frosting.”

“Did you buy your lunch yet, guys?” Peter asked as they wove their way into the overcrowded cafeteria with lines that wrapped around the room.

“This is your best bet.” Ben said pointing to pre-made sandwiches in the shortest line.

“Get the veggie,” Peter said, “The meat is iffy.”

Her cousins led the way to the table where Hailey and Charlie had saved…two seats. It didn’t matter though. Peter grabbed a spare chair from the table over, and Ben squeezed onto Hailey’s seat.

“Get off, you idiot.” She screeched.

Ben cackled, squeezing Hailey and Charlie’s shoulders. “Leave?” Ben gasped. “I’m between my two favorite people.” He theatrically clutched them again.

The torment he tossed at Hailey reminded Mina of how lunch had been before, in grade school. It was déjà vu, especially with Max next to her, though now he was all tall and no longer squeaky. She slid into the seat next to Peter leaving the other for Max.

Peter kicked the bottom of Mina’s shoe. He turned to Mina with a smile as wide as Christmas and said, “Guess what, Mina?”

“You discovered pirate treasure?” she said.

He shook his head like they were four.

“You found my copy of
The BFG
.”

“It was always mine,” Peter countered, “and no.”

“It was clearly mine.” Mina argued before guessing, “You discovered you can fly, but you’re afraid of heights?”

“I got into Jazz Band!” He shouted.

“What? That’s amazing.” She grabbed Peter into a huge hug.

“It’s an early class, and my parents are getting me an electric guitar if…I do all this extra stuff…but I got in. I’m the only guitar player.”

Mina was thrilled, glancing around for the sprites to share the elation, but they had disappeared again. And then, Mina was fretting and hating herself for it. At least one of the sprites had always showed up for lunch—it was, after all, the worst time to be a loner at school.

Maybe they wouldn’t show, she thought. Maybe they really would finally fade. Fear choked her for a moment as she rolled her apple across her tray to distract herself.

And then they were there.

Zizi, Hitch, and Poppy dove and dodged each other near the ceiling, rounding about Hailey’s head, and spitting into her salad.

Then, Poppy stole an orange slice from the next table while Hitch snagged a french fry and a large hunk of something chocolate. Zizi bounded between another slice of orange and a piece of banana from a fruit salad. Mina pulled an avocado slice from her sandwich and set it on the wrapper. Zizi would know it was for her.

“Do you still do that?” Hailey asked scornfully, nodding to the vegetable, “Haven’t you given up your imaginary friends yet, Mina.”

“I just don’t feel like avocado,” Mina lied, “they’re not ripe.”

“Sprites, right?” Ben asked staring at the vegetable. Zizi froze next to it, waiting for the others to look away before she picked it up, and it disappeared into her glamour. He gazed thoughtfully at the vegetable before glancing at Peter who was also staring at the wedge. Then Ben asked, “That’s what we called them right? Sprites?”

A flash of irritation crossed Peter’s face, and Mina couldn’t help but wonder if her only cousin who’d remained a part of her life since grade school realized her secret just as…but no, Mina wouldn’t go there.

“Something like that,” Mina answered, carefully not biting her lip. She hoped her face didn’t show her fury at Hailey while Mina was also attempting to not follow Zizi’s leap to the light fixture.

“Do you remember, Max?” Mina asked, looking at him and carefully crumpling her sandwich wrapper to hide the vegetable’s disappearance.

“Oh yeah,” Ben grinned as if he didn’t feel the tension at the table, “we always had the most fun when you were weaving your stories.”

“You always were a little weird.” Hailey said as if she hadn’t once said much more.

“I like it.” Max and Peter said together.

Zizi landed on Mina’s shoulder and whispered, “There he is. Our old Max?”

Poppy nodded though Mina could only see it out of the corner of her eye. Then the sprite added, “I always liked him.”

“Me too.” Hitch said, laughing as she added, “Member when he climbed that oak tree? Never should’ve made it beyond the first branch.”

“He waz pretty little.” Poppy added.

Mina closed her eyes, trying to ignore the sprites while her cousins and Max kept talking.

“But he did. He made it all the way to the top and laughed for the longest time.” Zizi finished.

The sprites were attempting, sweetly, to distract her from what she’d done. She’d revealed herself—in front of her cousins. On the second day of school.

“You know what I remember?” Ben asked, poking Mina as he spoke. “The stupidly good things
your mom makes
for the campouts.”

“What are these campouts,” Max asked, leaning back with his chips. The sun glinted in his hair through the wide cafeteria windows, and Mina’s heart skipped a beat in a way she never expected it would for
Max.

“The whole family,” Peter said.

“Thankfully not really.” Ben interrupted.

“Anyhoo,” Peter continued, “Some of us go up to this land our grandparents have.” He handed Mina a chunk of his orange.

“A bunch of us camp out up there a few times a year. It’s fun. There’s room for soccer or volleyball.” Ben said, finally getting up to get his own chair.

“Or dancing,” Hailey added.

“Blech.” Ben said as Peter added, “We bring a bunch of friends.”

Ben took a sip of Mina’s bottle of water, “but hardly any aunts or uncles come. They take turns showing up only to ignore us, so we can…” Ben glanced at Peter.

“Revel?” Peter asked.

“Carouse,” Ben answered.

“Whoop-de-do,” Peter countered.

“Engage in high jinks?” Max asked with a flash of white teeth and a glint of too blue eyes.

“Exactly,” Peter and Ben said together.

“But,” Ben continued alone, “Mina has been snubbing us for quite,” he paused, “some,” he drew out, “time,” he finished.

Peter punched Ben as he said, “Mina wouldn’t snub us. She’s snubbing you. Who would avoid me? I’m awesome.” He squinted at her as if examining a bug through a microscope before adding, “I think the time for excuses is over; it’s time to play with us again.”

Mina watched Hailey cut her salad into smaller and smaller pieces knowing what invitation Hailey would give. And it wouldn’t be an invitation to go to the campouts.

“You know.” Peter emphasized, “Grandma’s cabin, tiki candles lining the field, playing soccer when the sun is setting, sometimes stupidly swimming in the lake, s’mores, and bon fires.”

Peter batted his lashes at Mina pleading, maybe sincerely, for her to come.

“You should come, Max.” Ben added, and again Mina couldn’t help but think about Max, just for a moment, as something more than a sidekick.

But then, Max glanced at her, just as he’d used to. Looking to her for…something. Permission? Agreement? Confirmation? Always, his wide blue eyes would look to her to lead. That maybe wasn’t what she wanted in that effervescent
more
with a boy. Not now. Even if he was just looking for her to say it was ok for him to crash her family party.

All the same, she nodded, “you should come. If you want. They’re pretty fun, though it’s been a while.”

“Are you going?” he asked. The dimple hovered on his cheek, and once again, she had a flash of little squeaky Max.

“Yes.” Mina said calmly watching Ben and Peter high five but mostly, she was enjoying Hailey’s sudden scowl.

“Then, I’m in if Mina’s in,” Max said, dimple out in full force.

And he was so pretty, so handsome with shoulders broad for another Freshman that she had to laugh at herself. She was a twig overburdened with hair; he wanted to be around her because of they’d been friends before and not because he wanted something…more.

Chapter 5

School began passing in a blur. The last of the stolen summer days had passed and the rain had begun. The gentle white noise of it pushed Mina into deeper, cozier sleep, but she didn’t think that Sarah was having the same luck.

“Are you ok?” Mina asked as they walked down to the kitchen together one gray morning. Her sister’s face was paler than usual, and with her white-blond hair, it made Sarah ghostly.

“Hmmm? Oh, yeah. Just didn’t sleep well.”

“Have you slept walked again?” Mina asked as they paused at the bottom of the stairs.

Sarah glanced away as she said, “No.” Her sister spun and walked into the kitchen while Mina followed more slowly.

“She is not being truthful, I think.” Zizi said as she zipped ahead to follow Sarah.

“Yeah,” Poppy and Hitch said together before following Zizi.

Mina pasted a half smile on her face as she followed. The triplets were lined up on the far side of the table. One was dressed, the other two in pjs. Their mom was standing behind them, arranging the toddler’s hair one after another. Ams’s hair was braided; Annie’s was half-done, and Aly’s hair was a ‘fro of fine blond snarls. Her stupid brother was shoveling eggs into his face while also teasing the triplets. Dad was sitting at the end of the table, smart phone out.

“Morning,” she said as she picked up an apple and sat at the table.

“You need to eat more than that,” her dad growled.

“Ok,” Mina said as she bit into the apple.

“I’m not joking with you,” he said, adding, “Kate never gave us this much trouble in high school. And you Erik, you’re twice the trouble as Jase.”

Sarah placed a plate of eggs and toast in front of Mina.

“Thanks,” Mina murmured as Erik demanded, “What about my car?”

“Erik, I don’t know. This is the third time this year that someone has let the air out of your tires. Maybe you should figure out who you’ve offended.” Dad scowled down at his phone not even bothering to look up.

Mina took a careful, expressionless bite of eggs under the watchful eye of both parents before they turned to her brother.

“You’re just going to have to ride the bus, Erik,” Dad said.

Mina pulled a face at the triplets and smiled while they giggled in unison. Ams’s face was covered in nutella and peanut butter from her toast, while Annie had a streak of ketchup along one cheekbone.

“Dad,” her brother said, “I have practice after school and stuff.”

Stuff
, Sarah mouthed, before shoving her eggs around her plate. If her parents watched Sarah as closely as they did Mina, they’d see she wasn’t eating. But, Mina wasn’t going to tattle, so she took another bite pretending to not mind her Mom’s watchful eye.

“I will drop them all off today,” Mom said, and Mina forced herself to hide the rush of fury as she realized that their mom would take them to school to shut
Erik
up.

Typical.

Dad said something, distracting her mom, and Mina slid out of her chair quietly, scraping her plate, and dropping it into the sink before they could see that she’d only taken a few bites.

“Mina,” Dad said as she walked to the door, “I expect you to start talking in your appointments with Dr. Seal. We aren’t paying hundreds of dollars for you to paint your nails.”

Mina glanced down at her crimson nails, but didn’t respond as she followed Sarah into the garage.

“You ok?” Sarah asked as Mina opened the outer door.

“Yep,” she lied before adding, “Tell Mom I took the bus.”

And she escaped into the gray drizzle outside with the sprites flying ahead of her.

* * *

Mina lurked in the trees watching the triplets climb into the car with their princess backpacks. Her mother questioned Sarah, and Mina could see her sister’s gaze on the trees before she nodded her head emphatically. Then, Sarah wordlessly climbed into the back seat letting their brother have the front. Mina knew without needing to be there that it was so Sarah wouldn’t have to hear her brother rage if he didn’t get it. Their father kissed her mom’s cheek and slid into his sleek luxury sedan. He drove slowly down the leaf filled ruts before disappearing into the trees. Her mother’s black suburban followed, bouncing jauntily over the same ruts, windows filled with the blonde heads of her siblings. Ams met Mina’s eyes, somehow finding her in the trees. Ams’s little mouth opened, but Mina lifted a finger to her lips. Ams laughed, but pressed her lips closed as she passed her sister hidden among the cold gray trunks.