Page 71 of Indiscretion

“Oh. No. Yeah, six is good. I have football practice until four thirty anyway.”

“Meet me in the doghouse in my yard. The address is 210 Oak.”

“The what?”

“My dog has a big house in the yard. It’s the only place I can go where my mom doesn’t hover around me. I journal out there sometimes in the afternoons. The fence doesn’t lock. Just come around back.”

“Is the dog going to bite me?”

She held out her hand with the bracelet she made dangling. “No, Moose is afraid of his own shadow. You ready to swap?”

“I’m not sure if I knotted mine right, so you might want to check. Otherwise, you may wind up with beads all over the floor in your next class.” We exchanged, and Bailey headed for the door. “Don’t forget our deal!” she yelled without looking back. “You have to wear it.”

That sounded like more of a challenge than a reminder, like maybe she assumed I thought I was too cool to wear a friendship bracelet or something. Nevertheless, I grabbed my backpack and rolled the elastic over my hand and onto my wrist as I walked out the door.

Looking down at it might’ve been the first time I realized Bailey Anderson and I were going to be real friends. Because my bracelet didn’t have my name. Instead, it listed my best quality.Asshole.

Chapter 20

NAOMI

“You look better.” I smiled walking into my sister’s hospital room. Frannie sat upright in bed, wearing regular clothes instead of a hospital gown, watching TV, and eating what looked like ice cream.

“Ifeelso much better.” She set the Styrofoam container on the portable tray and pulled out her red T-shirt so I could see the wording on the front. “Like my new threads?”

“Threads? I don’t think you’re cool enough to pull off that word.” I chuckled and leaned over to read what was printed on her shirt. “There’s no party like a swab party?”

“The bone-marrow-registry people gave it to me. The website where you can get a free swab kit is on the back. I got you one, too, but yours has the slogan and website all on the back. I figured you’d like the bright red and maybe we could also put that fat ass that Mom gave you to work as you walk down the streets of New York and find me a donor.”

I laughed. “You really are feeling better.”

“Good as new.”

I’d spoken to her oncologist in the hall on my way in and knew that wasn’t true. The transfusions were only a temporary Band-Aid. Frannie needed a bone-marrow transplant, or this was going to keep happening. But she was in good spirits, and I wasn’t going to bring her head down by reminding her of that.

“Did they come in to draw your blood yet? I saw Dr. Stern in the hall, and he said discharge would depend on how your blood count holds.”

“Not yet. But the hematologist is really cute, and he should be in shortly. You should unbutton another button on that blouse. He doesn’t wear a wedding band.”

“Why are you trying to fixmeup with the good doctor? You’re single too.”

Frannie snort-laughed. “I’m such a catch. A thirty-four-year-old widow with two kids and cancer.”

“You’re a catch, even with all that,andterrible taste in music.”

“You’re just jealous that Mom didn’t leave you her Barry Manilow album collection.”

I laughed. “Just because she left them to you doesn’t mean you have to play them daily.”

“He’s the showman of a generation.”

“Yeah, our great-grandmother’s generation. I’ve been introducing your kids to real music while you’re gone. I already have Molly humming Taylor Swift and Gaga.”

“Speaking of Gaga, how are my little monsters?”

Since my sister seemed like herself again, I thought it was time to be honest. “You need to tell them, Frannie. Ryder definitely knows something is going on. You feel better now, but the doctors said this was likely to keep happening until they can find you a donor. What are you going to tell the kids next time? You went to the same sushi place and got sick again?”

She sighed. “I know. I just don’t want to scare them. The C word is a lot to handle. I still remember when Mom told us she had it the first time twenty years ago. I was devastated and terrified. And back then there was no Google to fill your head with awful pictures and outcome statistics.”

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