Did I give you THE FORGOTTEN DOOR? Maybe it’s in my mom’s house. I kinda want to read it again.
Love love love love love
Joel
PS This is the list. What are yours?
1. SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE
2. BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE
3. 1984
4. STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND
5. OLD YELLER
6. THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES
7. THE FORGOTTEN DOOR
8. BLACK ELK SPEAKS
9. BRAVE NEW WORLD
10. CUSTER DIED FOR YOUR SINS
Phoebe
When I got to Amma’s house, I gave her a hug and then ran all the way to Suze’s. I banged on the door, but she wasn’t there, and I poked my head inside the church, but there was only a woman sweeping in the kitchen. “Have you seen Suze?” I asked.
“She’s made friends with the young lady over there,” she said. “Mary. Sweet girl, comes over to help with the food sometimes at church. Makes macramé.”
“Thanks.”
I followed the sidewalk around the side of the church, down the side of the house, across the alley lined with tall lilac bushes. Beneath three towering alder trees, the house sat in a wide pool of shade. On the generous front porch, a pretty girl with hair the color of pale sunlight sat in front of an enormous jute creation of knots. Next to her was Suze, her own hair shortened to the same length as Mary’s, to her hips. She’d claimed her hair was so heavy it was giving her headaches, and the school nurse agreed, so her dad let her cut it. She was wearing a halter top made of what looked like scarves, her shoulders bare and tan. I’d never seen her look like this, and it gave me an odd feeling. When had she changed so much?
She caught sight of me and leaped to her feet. “Phoebe!” she cried, and ran down the steps and over the sidewalk in bare feet to hug me so tight I almost couldn’t breathe. Happiness burst through me as I hugged her back. She was much taller than me now, and her arms and legs felt strong and ropy. Her hair fell in my face. I smelled Herbal Essence shampoo and sunshine, and I thought life could not be much better than this.
“Oh my God,” she said. “I’m so happy to see you! I missed you with my own entire heart.”
“Me too, me too, me too.” I rocked her back and forth, and she laughed, then took my hand.
“Come meet Mary.”
“Where’s your dad?” I asked, alarmed on her behalf if he saw her in this outfit.
“Karen’s holding down the fort. He’s at a conference. She doesn’t care about what I do.”
“That’s pretty good.”
“Tell me about it.”
I allowed myself to be led, but it was like being a mortal entering the land of fairies. Mary and Suze were so slim and tall and ethereally beautiful that I felt like a troll with my curly hair and big boobs and big butt. All the things my mother said came back, that I needed to be more fashionable, that I needed to diet, that I should get a different haircut, that I just needed to be friendly. I felt my blush rise.
Mary stood, smiling, and came over to me, taking both my hands in hers. “Phoebe! I’m so happy to meet you at last. Suze has been talking about you nonstop.”
A puff of ease blew through my dark thoughts. “Thanks. I mean, I’m glad to meet you, too.”
“Do you want some lemonade?” she asked. “Suze will get it for you.”
“Um, sure.”
“Come sit by me.” Mary patted a paisley-printed cushion. A nice breeze blew through the area, and from inside came the sound of music I didn’t know. “Mary,” called a voice. “Maybe some Rolling Stones, huh?”
“You’re in charge, Victor.” She grinned at me. “My brother. He doesn’t like the music I pick.”
Suze came out of the house with a big purple aluminum glass, already sweating. “It’s the best lemonade I’ve ever tasted,” she said, and another tiny thread of jealousy or something wound through me. It used to just be us. I didn’t mind Joel, although he was in Seattle for the summer, but I didn’t want to share this short, precious time with Suze. I took a sip to be polite.
The lemonade hit the back of my throat with a shock of sugar and lemon, sour and sweet, and a smoothness I’d never tasted in lemonade in my life. “That’s so good!” I gasped, and took another drink.
Suze sank down beside me. “Told you.”
Right then, a guy came out, clearly Mary’s brother. They could almost have been twins. He was lean and tall, with long limbs and long blond hair tumbling down his back and the slightest goatee around his mouth, so pale you had to look close to see it. His eyes were light blue, and the only word I could think of was “kind.” He sat beside Suze, and I tried not to stare, but it was impossible.