{"id":6238,"date":"2021-07-13T12:40:01","date_gmt":"2021-07-13T16:40:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whitefire-publishing.com\/read\/?p=6238"},"modified":"2022-08-10T13:49:48","modified_gmt":"2022-08-10T17:49:48","slug":"hearing-lies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whitefire-publishing.com\/read\/hearing-lies\/","title":{"rendered":"Hearing Lies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Olivia Smit<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

They\u2019re all fighting different battles \u2026 and no one wants to tell Skylar the truth.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a year of navigating her final year of high school, Skylar Brady can\u2019t wait to go back to Golden Sound. But when she gets there, nothing is quite like she expected. Anastasia is gone, the library is in danger of closing, and there\u2019s something Cam isn\u2019t telling her. Skylar is sure she can rescue the library. But can she save Cam?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike, on the other hand, never wanted to return to Golden Sound, but after his summer internship falls through, he finds himself headed straight back to the unresolved mess he left behind. So many secrets: the summer job that went wrong. The woman who paid the price. And the fact that Eric knows the truth \u2026 and plans to hold it over his head in more ways than one.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t

Chapter 1<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Skylar<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Anastasia\u2019s moving<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The library might close<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can you come?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been staring at the same three texts all day, and so far, nothing\u2019s changed. Cam\u2019s words from this morning are no less ominous than when I first read them in the dim light of my bedroom. I thought the morning sunshine, the normalcy of a late spring day spent studying for exams, would chase away the uneasy feeling in my belly, but so far, no good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My own line of texts trails away after his, twelve different responses (all equally inadequate, some bordering on insensitive) all trying to fill the gap where everything okay is supposed to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anastasia can\u2019t leave Golden Sound. The library can\u2019t close. What is a small town without its treasured inhabitants? What\u2019s summer without shelving books with my two favorite people?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI need this,\u201d I whisper to myself, like it will make a difference. \u201cDon\u2019t take this away from me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Someone pokes my shoulder, and I flinch before I can stop myself, glancing up from my phone to find sunshine pouring in my bedroom window. I\u2019m still not used to the random, out-of-the-blue taps and touches that make so much more sense when you can hear the footsteps or sniffles or even the sound of someone\u2019s clothing rubbing together. Instead, it\u2019s like being kicked in the dark at a sleepover. No warning. Instant pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Janie leans off the end of my bed, poking the back of my shoulder with her pencil. She\u2019s saying something, but I took my hearing aids out when she started playing music a half hour ago. I roll my desk chair out a little so I can reach the bottom drawer where I usually stash them, turning each one on before winding the plastic cord carefully around my earlobe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Janie\u2019s voice leaps into my head mid-sentence, and I have to squeeze my eyes shut for a second to let my brain adjust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2014party, and I said\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSorry\u2014\u201d I hold up a hand like I\u2019m directing traffic. Cam\u2019s texts still spin around in my head. \u201cCan you start over?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Janie\u2019s smile looks like it\u2019s stuck on at one corner, slipping half-heartedly off her face as she sucks in a deep breath. \u201cI was just going to say,\u201d she starts, and then waits for me to nod before continuing. \u201cIf you want to come to the grad party, you can.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The end of her sentence, unspoken, rings loudly in my imagination. Even though you\u2019re not graduating with the rest of us.<\/em> Even though my injury from eleventh grade has confined me to yet another semester stuck within the halls of our high school in the least-victorious thirteenth year ever taken. Even though my other friends are moving on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThanks.\u201d I untie my hair and begin twisting it back into a braid. \u201cWho\u2019s hosting again?\u201d I won\u2019t remember. I won\u2019t attend. But they don\u2019t know that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDaria.\u201d Janie holds her phone out to me. \u201cSkylar, you should totally come. We\u2019ll have fun.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I nod, pretending to be focused on the end of my braid so I won\u2019t have to look her in the eyes. Will we have fun? Or would<\/em> we have had fun, if everything was the same as it used to be?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSkylar\u2026\u201d Janie bounces to a sitting position and throws her pencil gently into my lap. \u201cIt\u2019s no big deal. About the extra year of school. You know that, right? No one cares!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I toss her pencil back and flip my braid over my shoulder. My smile feels like a mask. \u201cThanks, girl.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust turn your volume up to 100 and we\u2019ll be good to go!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m saved from having to respond to the inaccuracies of that statement by Janie herself\u2014her gaze flicks abruptly over to my desk, and before I can spin to see what she\u2019s looking at, she\u2019s reached over and scooped my phone into her hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSomeone\u2019s boyfriend is calling,\u201d she laughs, picking up the call and turning the phone to face herself, scooting away from me on the bed. \u201cHello?\u201d She\u2019s laughing, eyes crinkled at the corners, but my stomach drops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cam and I usually schedule our video-calls. He must be upset if he\u2019s calling now, with no warning. Did he forget Janie and I were studying today? Or is he desperate enough not to care?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe\u2019s here.\u201d Janie\u2019s still laughing. \u201cBut I need to hear the password before I hand you over.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hold my hand out for my phone, but she pulls away, listening. After a second, she claps a hand over her mouth, eyes wide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh my gosh!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d I reach over and tug the phone out of her grasp, flipping it around so I can see Cam\u2019s face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026 too cute!\u201d says Janie in the background, but I\u2019m looking at my boyfriend, whose smile only looks slightly forced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJanie\u2019s here\u2014obviously,\u201d I say, but when he tries to say something back, I can\u2019t quite make it out. \u201cCan I call you later?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He nods and flashes me a thumbs-up and a quick smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Okay?<\/em> I mouth to him, raising my eyebrows to emphasize the question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He nods, bringing the back of one hand to rest on the palm of the other. GOOD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOkay, good,\u201d I say out loud. \u201cTalk to you later.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He waves, then ends the call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo.\u201d Janie leans in, forcing herself into my frame of vision while I\u2019m still staring down at the now-blank screen of my phone. \u201cHe\u2019s so cute, Skylar! How come you never talk about him? I wasn\u2019t even sure the two of you were still together!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re definitely together.\u201d I think longingly of our Christmas-break visit to my aunt\u2019s in Golden Sound, and how Cam took a few days off school to stay with us during my March break. My parents even let me miss Friday classes to visit him on the weekend last month. \u201cI miss him a lot.\u201d I have to find a way to make it to Golden Sound. My parents were fine with a weekend here and there, but can I convince them to let me go away for an entire summer?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I glance down at my phone, firing off a few texts to Cam while Janie prods me for more details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can you give me more details? Is Ana really leaving? Why is the library closing? Are you okay? What will we do?????<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome on, Skylar.\u201d Janie knocks the back of my phone with her knuckles. \u201cWhy do I feel like you never tell me anything anymore?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I meet her gaze. My phone lights up with a text, but I force myself not to break eye contact with her. How do I answer that question?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNever mind,\u201d she says, after the pause is just a beat too long. \u201cI guess you\u2019re entitled to be mysterious, if you want to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s another opening. I could still tell her now\u2014we could have a girl talk gossip session, just like we used to. But where would I even start?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Janie glances back down at her phone, flopping onto her back on my bed. \u201cHey, Skylar.\u201d She holds her phone out to me. \u201cCheck this out.\u201d It\u2019s one of Daria\u2019s Instagram posts of her sitting by her backyard pool. \u201cGrad party next week\u2026\u201d says Janie, grinning. \u201cCome on. Say you\u2019ll come?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I\u2019m here, it might be fun. \u201cOkay.\u201d I glance over at Janie, but she\u2019s giggling at something on her phone. When I glance over her shoulder, she\u2019s watching Instagram stories, not even on Daria\u2019s profile anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I should feel disappointed, or lonely, or even a little bit left out. But instead, my chest loosens as I open my own phone and go into my messaging app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cam\u2019s reply to me is short: Relax, Sky.<\/em> I\u2019ll call you in half an hour?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Janie\u2019s mom will have picked her up by then, but I don\u2019t want to wait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is it her daughter? Eva?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Talk soon<\/em>. I wish there was at least an emoji to follow his response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHey.\u201d Janie nudges my knee with her toes. \u201cMy mom\u2019s going to be here in five.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll help you pack up.\u201d Together, we dump stray pencils into their cases, close loose-leaf papers back up into their binders, and toss the remainder of Janie\u2019s never-ending stash of study candy back into her backpack. I slip my phone into my pocket and walk Janie downstairs, through the quiet house, and out onto the porch, where we sit on the steps side-by-side, just like we\u2019ve done since we were kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She scrolls through Instagram; I re-read Cam\u2019s messages from today and try to figure out what the heck is going on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When at last her mom\u2019s van rolls up, I have to force myself to stand and wave until they\u2019re out of sight when all I want to do is get Cam on the video screen across from me, pronto. I punch the video call button before I\u2019m even inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At last, his camera turns on, and his grin meets me on-screen. I can\u2019t help smiling back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLet me get up to my room.\u201d I put my mouth close to the speaker, even though I know he can probably hear me just fine. \u201cOne sec.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a quiet room with the sound on my phone turned up all the way, I can usually manage to hear about half of what Cam is saying. If the internet connection is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have questions.\u201d I slam through the front door and lock it behind me\u2014Dad\u2019s rule when any of us is home alone. \u201cAbout Ana. And the library. And everything. And why didn\u2019t you respond to any of my texts?\u201d I glance around the kitchen\u2014still empty, Dad must be picking the kids up from school\u2014and flop down at the island counter. \u201cOkay. Empty house. Sound turning on \u2026 now.\u201d I pin down the volume button and watch the bars increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cam says something, garbled and faint. Tinny. Broken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne sec.\u201d I train my eyes on his face, ready to watch his lips. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI miss you,\u201d he says, slow and clear. He\u2019s probably yelling. I kind of love him for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMe too.\u201d I blow him a kiss. \u201cNow, please, tell me what\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He opens his mouth to reply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, wait.\u201d I hold up a hand. \u201cFirst, how could you drop that on me over text? And what\u2019s with the radio silence after?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cam\u2019s crooked grin isn\u2019t as wide as usual. ALL-DONE? He signs with one hand, eyebrows raised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I nod.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026 \u2026 at the library. I forgot \u2026 \u2026 my phone.\u201d He shrugs, one shoulder hiked exaggeratedly up so I\u2019ll be sure not to miss the gesture. \u201cI didn\u2019t mean \u2026 \u2026you waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay.\u201d I rest my chin in my hands, propping my phone up against the flowerpot by the sink. \u201cSo tell me about Ana.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s good news,\u201d says Cam, and then launches into some sort of story about Ana, her daughter Eva, and a moving truck. I lean as close to the camera as I dare, trying to read his lips and piece together all the different parts of the story. Even with half the conversation missing, I fit here. We understand each other. Five minutes with Cam relaxes me in a way a whole afternoon with my childhood best friend just can\u2019t anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWait.\u201d I cut him off mid-sentence. \u201cAna\u2019s really moving?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He nods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause of Eva? Or something?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe\u2019s moving closer to her family<\/a>.\u201d Cam leans toward the phone, and this sentence emerges in a burst of clarity. \u201cBut \u2026 \u2026 librarian to replace her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan\u2019t you do it?\u201d Cam and I both worked as assistant librarians last summer\u2014he knows how to do it. Plus, he knows the people. And in a small town like Golden Sound, that counts for a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He shakes his head. \u201cThey only want me there to pack books. So it\u2019s tidy and ready to close.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIs that it? It\u2019s all been decided already?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cam rubs his eyes with the tips of his fingers before replying. \u201cFeels that way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s so well-used!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\u2019s already nodding along with me. I KNOW.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShouldn\u2019t the people get a say?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He shrugs, unbuckling his watch and then fastening it again. And again. \u201c\u2026 not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRidiculous.\u201d I can\u2019t believe they would do this! Not to us. Not to Golden Sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan you come?\u201d He leans in close to the camera. \u201cHelp \u2026 figure it out?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His face relaxes into a smile\u2014just as wide as I remember. I grin back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIs that the only reason you want me to come?\u201d If he was sitting across from me, I\u2019d poke him. Gently. But I have to content myself with verbal jabs instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His eyebrows jump up. \u201cMaybe. Maybe not. \u2026 \u2026 \u2026 show up and find out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMeanie.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m teasing, Sky.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a flicker of movement by the front door, and I can\u2019t help glancing up\u2014away from whatever Cam is saying\u2014to find Sara\u2019s face plastered to the narrow window beside the door, peering in at me as Dad fiddles with the lock. By the time I glance back down at the phone, the twins have entered and the sound level in the room has crept up at least triple. I can see Cam\u2019s lips moving, but his voice just meshes with the wall of background noise assaulting my hearing aids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can\u2019t hear you anymore.\u201d I turn the camera to face the twins, who crowd forward. Sara\u2019s head almost reaches my shoulder, and when she waves enthusiastically at the camera, she nearly smacks me in the face. \u201cOkay, guys. Clear out. Leave Cam alone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sara calls some sort of greeting into the phone and then crosses the kitchen to tug open the fridge. I turn my gaze back to the phone to find a more texts waiting for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you come, I want to take you somewhere special. On a real date. Not just hanging out at the house together<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou know I like hanging out with you anywhere, right?\u201d But my heart does a little double-beat inside my chest. Spending Christmas and spring break together isn\u2019t enough. I miss him like crazy. \u201cLet me go upstairs so we can finish talking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He shakes his head, points to the text box. I have to go. Let me know what your parents say?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I nod. \u201cI\u2019m coming. I\u2019ll convince them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He grins. That\u2019s my girl.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m beaming at him when he disconnects the call, and when Dad waves at me from across the kitchen, laptop balanced precariously on top of the groceries he\u2019s supposed to be unloading, I simply re-direct the smile to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He spreads his hands wide, palms up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCam.\u201d I gesture at the phone, and he nods understandingly. \u201cHey, Dad?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He waits, nudging his glasses up to his forehead so he can study me in greater detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I drive up to visit Cam after exams?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He winces. My smile freezes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026 \u2026 ask your mom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I pose the question to Mom after work, she sets down her purse, listens patiently as I outline the whole situation, and then puts a hand on my arm. \u201cI\u2019ll need to talk to your dad about this one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe told me to talk to you!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Skylar.\u201d Mom rummages through her purse, passes Sara a bobby pin, licks her thumb and wipes a smear off Aiden\u2019s cheek, and then looks back at me. \u201cIt\u2019s a long trip, and you and Mike share a car \u2026 you\u2019ve never driven that far alone \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI need to go.\u201d I grab her arm so she has to look me in the eyes. \u201cMom. It\u2019s really important.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She meets my gaze, eyebrows pinched just slightly. \u201cSkylar \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike passes us on his way out the door, guitar case slung over his back. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d He leans in over my shoulder, so his words ring clearly through my hearing aids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI need to go to Golden Sound.\u201d I clench my fists behind my back. \u201cThe library is closing, Cam\u2019s stressed out\u2014it\u2019s really important.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike glances over at Mom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour dad and I will discuss it.\u201d This is said with finality and a firm nod before she turns to tug the groceries out from under Dad\u2019s laptop, half-melted ice cream leaving condensation puddled on the dining room table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike shrugs. \u201cGood luck, Sky.\u201d And then he\u2019s gone, too, the door swinging shut behind him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hour before dinner crawls by. With no homework to do, I trail after Aiden and Sara, allowing them to rope me into playing a round of UNO until Dad comes in with their backpacks and reminds them that even though I\u2019m done with my classes, they still have homework. Then he fixes me with the same look and asks about exams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I beeline for my room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Mom texts an hour later, calling me down for dinner, everyone is already around the table. Except my older brother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s Mike?\u201d I accept the tray of taco shells half-flung across the table by Sara and slide two onto my plate before handing them off to Dad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mom reaches for the salsa, turning her face toward me even though she\u2019s looking in the other direction. \u201cTeaching guitar lessons again tonight. He\u2019s trying to get as many hours in as possible before that internship starts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dad scoops sour cream onto his taco. \u201cI\u2019m really proud of him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mom nods. \u201cHe\u2019s really got himself back on track.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She doesn\u2019t say the words after last summer<\/em>, but I know we\u2019re all thinking it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I take a bite of my taco and instantly regret it. Mouth full, I force out the words. \u201cWhat\u2019s his internship, again?\u201d For all intents and purposes, I\u2019m ignored, although it\u2019s difficult to say if that\u2019s because no one hears me or they\u2019re just more focused on Sara and the entire glass of milk she tips into her lap while reaching for the chicken. I wait for a good moment to ask them about my own traveling plans this summer, but a good moment never presents itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After dinner, I can\u2019t catch either one of them before they vanish into Dad\u2019s office, which is mostly just used as storage. I stand outside the door, forehead pressed to the frame, and when Aiden walks by, I grab his arm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat are they saying?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He leans in, presses his ear to the door. His forehead wrinkles. \u201cThey\u2019re talking about you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut what are they saying<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He shrugs. \u201cCan I go now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I let go of his wrist and press my forehead against the door, wishing I could hear anything beyond the faint roaring of air in my hearing aids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minutes pass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When someone puts a hand on my arm, I shrug them off, assuming it\u2019s Aiden or Sara. \u201cNot now. I\u2019m waiting for Mom and Dad to finish talking about me and come up with some answers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pressure increases, and when I turn to scold whichever twin is cutting off my circulation, I find Mike looking back at me instead. He places a finger to his lips, leans his ear against the door, and closes his eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, without warning, he scrambles back, motioning for me to do the same. I have barely enough time to step back from the doorway when it opens, and my parents step into the hallway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mom flicks a suspicious glance between us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow was the meeting?\u201d I hold my hands behind my back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dad sighs, adjusting his glasses. \u201cSkylar, your mom and I have had a chance to talk, and we\u2019ve decided that you can spend a weekend or two in Golden Sound this summer, but it\u2019s not really reasonable for you to go away for the whole summer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mom chimes in, ending my protest before it can really begin. \u201cIt\u2019s a long time to be away, Skylar. You and Mike share a car, and he\u2019s going to need it, too, to drive to his internship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSorry, Sky,\u201d mutters Mike into my left ear, exiting the hallway in a hurry. I\u2019m on my own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIs that it? Just the car?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My parents glance at each other. \u201cIt\u2019s a long time to be away from your family,\u201d adds Mom. \u201cAnd with your aunt traveling so\u2026spontaneously\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s one word for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe couldn\u2019t count on having her there to keep an eye on you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not twelve years old. I\u2019ll be with Cam! It\u2019ll be fine!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy doesn\u2019t Cam come here for a little bit?\u201d Dad suggests, cleaning his eyeglasses on his shirt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How have they missed the entire point? \u201cBut the library is closing! He can\u2019t leave Golden Sound now!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mom pulls me in for a hug. \u201cSometimes this happens with small towns, sweetie. Things just close.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI need to go there so I can help him fix this.\u201d I know before the words have left my mouth that it\u2019s not going to work. I might as well be speaking to a wall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe can talk about it again tomorrow,\u201d says Mom, but I know I\u2019m not going to change her mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How in the world am I going to get to Golden Sound?<\/p>\n\n\n