“Magnolia Mae! You watch that mouth of yours, young lady.” Her stern expression has me lowering my eyes to the floor. “A lady never says such things.”
“Sorry, Mother.” But I’m not. Lora Ann is one of the last people I’d want to be friends with.
“So…” I hesitate. “May I please go over to Hollis’ and play?”
A long sigh. Then she stands, turning to look at me. I work hard not to fidget in front of her. She hates that.
“Are you sure Hollis is the type of friend you should be hangin’ around with?”
“Yes, ma’am,” I answer. “He’s really nice and mannerly. And he doesn’t let anyone make fun of my teeth.”
I stand taller, prouder, because he really is a good friend. The best friend I’ve ever had. I don’t even care that he’s a boy because he’ll play wedding with me as long as we’re inside the treehouse where no one can see. I make him practice oohing and aahing over me in my tiara and veil and fake bouquet. He’s tried to play the preacher instead of the groom, but I’ve told him that messes everything up.
Of course, he doesn’t do the whole kissing the bride part, which I’m totally okay with.
Other times, he lets me help him with a new model car he’s putting together. It’s fun to watch him when he’s concentrating hard, because he gets this little wrinkle between his eyebrows. I’d never tell him, but he looks cute when he does that.
Most of the time, though, we’re in the treehouse pretending to be the last two people on earth and on the lookout for zombies. Mother never lets me play with toy guns, but Hollis has a few that make sounds, and they’re really cool.
She walks over and bends her knees to look at me eye to eye. “Now, remember what I always tell you, Magnolia.”
It’s really hard not to roll my eyes. “Yes, ma’am, I know.” I raise my hand and tick off each thing with a finger. “Don’t eat too much sugar. If I dress like a lady, I need to act like one too.” I tick off more. “Hang around the right people. Go to college. Find a man who comes from a good family, has a good education and job, then marry him and live a wonderful life.”
My mother’s mouth lifts up into a faint smile. “I only want the best for you. For you to be happy.”
I know I’m only ten, but sometimes, I wonder why what she wants for me are things that other people can see.
“I’m happy when I’m with Hollis. He never makes fun of my teeth or anythin’.” I grin proudly. “He’s my best friend.”
My mother looks like she’s tasting something sour. “Go play and get it out of your system. But be sure to be home in time for dinner.” She turns away and mutters under her breath, “Hopefully you’ll grow tired of this Hollis boy.”
I frown at her back. Even though it’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her I hope I never get tired of Hollis, I don’t say a word. He’s waiting on me, and I don’t want to make him wait forever because he said he has a surprise for me.
So, I turn around and rush to my room to change clothes. After slipping on my sneakers, I head over to his backyard.
It’s funny how much lighter I feel when I cross into Hollis’ yard. I race up the ladder to the treehouse and push open the door, popping my head inside.
“’Bout time.” Hollis is sitting on one of the nice cushions his dad found at the secondhand store. He’s reading some magazine with a shiny car on the front. Without looking up, he says, “Thought I’d get your surprise all to myself.”
I climb inside with a huff, pulling myself to my feet, and put my hands on my hips. “Now, Hollis Barnes, that wouldn’t be very gentlemanly.”
His dark brown eyes lift to mine and I can’t see anything below them because of the magazine. The crinkles at the corners of his eyes make me think he’s trying hard not to smile. “You sound like one of them old biddies at church ’bout to clutch their pearls.” He drops the magazine to his lap and his grin is a mile wide. It’s so not fair how he has perfect teeth.
I drop down beside him with a sigh and lie back to stare up at the ceiling.
“Your mom givin’ you a hard time again?”
I love that I don’t have to say anything. That he just knows me. And he never makes me feel like a whiny baby or a drama queen.
I close my eyes and let out another sigh. “She wants me to hang out with Lora Ann and for my teeth to be perfect.” My words are snippy, but I don’t have to hide that with Hollis.
My eyes spring open when he brushes my hair back from my forehead. His eyes look sad and I hate it. He has such pretty eyes for a boy, and I don’t ever want him to be sad because of me.
“You’re perfect the way you are.” He says it like it’s a fact. Like he’s ready to punch anyone in the face who disagrees.
I really wish I could believe him.
I tear my eyes away and shrug. He shifts to his side and props his head in his hand. I feel him staring, and it makes me antsy.
“Stop starin’ at me.”
“Not until you give me that smile with the gap that makes you, you.”
I glare at him. He just grins.
“Come on. Let me see it.”
I bare my teeth, and he laughs. “I reckon that’d be good if you wanted to scare off those stray cats that hang around the dumpster behind the gas station.”
I huff out a breath, and he pokes my side, knowing how ticklish I am. I squeal and shove at him.
“Come on. Give me a good smile and you can have your surprise.”
“Fine.” I smile. He squints like he’s trying to figure out if it’s good enough. I roll my eyes and laugh.
“That’s it!” He grins and shoves off the cushion, grabbing something off the top of one of the small shelves. That’s where we store some board games, a few of his magazines, some toys, and a few juice boxes.
I sit up and wait for him to slide back in his spot beside me. He turns to face me.
“Okay, so this has to be a secret because your mom would tan my hide if she found out.”
I give him a duh kind of look. I never tell her anything we do. I’d never hear the end of it if she knew I’d hammered nails in the treehouse boards a few years back when I helped Hollis and his dad. Because she’s told me time and again that “ladies don’t get dirty or do hard labor.”
Hollis smiles wider. “Close your eyes and hold out your hand.”
I squint at him dangerously. “You’re not fixin’ to put a slimy toad in it, are you?”
He rolls his eyes. “No. Now, just do what I said.”
“Fine.” I close them. “Bossypants.”
“You kiss your mama with that mouth, young lady?” I laugh at how he tries to make his voice sound like my mother’s.
He puts something in my hand that feels like a small packet.
“Okay, now look.”
I glance down, and my jaw drops. “Hollis!” Lunging for him, I hug him tight. “Thank you!”
“Welcome.”
I back away and look down at the packet of Pop Rocks candy. I’ve been wanting to try this for what seems like forever, especially since my mother doesn’t let me have candy.