Tomorrow Starts Today Read online

  “Hi, Jonah,” she said, trying to sound like she wasn’t mentally freaking out and instead sounding disappointed to see him.

  “Hey,” he said, nodding in greeting. Since Andi had joined the Ultimate Frisbee team—at Jonah’s request—they had become friends, sort of. But they didn’t really hang out or talk much off the playing field.

  Andi cocked her head, waiting to hear why he had come over. Please don’t ask about my mom. Please don’t ask about my mom, she chanted silently.

  “So. Your mom thing—”

  Andi’s stomach dropped, and so did her expression. “You heard,” she said, shooting Cyrus a look. He was so going to pay for this later.

  “Yeah,” Jonah replied. Then a huge smile broke out on his face. “That’s soooo awesome!”

  Andi, who had been crafting an elaborate story about Cyrus’s delusional mother who liked to make up things, felt her mouth drop open. She shook her head to be sure she wasn’t hearing things. “It is?” she said, confused.

  Jonah’s smile grew even broader. “I’m so boring compared to you,” he said.

  Looking at him, Andi had to admit he did look impressed. Which just made this whole thing even crazier. Because why would Jonah Beck, who was hands down the least boring person she knew, think he was boring compared to her? It made zero sense. Maybe she had entered some alternate universe, like on one of those shows Ham liked to watch from time to time. Where things seemed completely normal but were actually totally out of whack.

  “Can I take a selfie with you?” Jonah asked.

  Yup, she thought as Jonah leaned over and put his arm around her, holding up his camera. I’m definitely in some alternate universe. But if this universe included Jonah Beck wanting a picture of the two of them, she was totally fine with it. Even if it meant everyone now knew her biggest secret.

  When Bex had come back to Shadyside for good, she had promised her parents she was going to get a job. She had told them she was going to be responsible. Grow up. But it turned out that getting a job and being a grown-up weren’t exactly fun, and they also weren’t easy. The only job she had been able to get was at a store on Main Street called The Fringe. It was full of clothes that Bex would have probably worn when she was Andi’s age, and carried other random party favors, accessories, posters, and an oddly large assortment of hair dye. That was what Bex now found herself sorting by color at the request of her boss, Brittany—who happened to also be someone Bex used to babysit.

  Hearing the jingle of the bell on the front door, both Bex and Brittany looked up. “Customer,” Brittany said to Bex. “Handle.”

  Bex bit her tongue. She had only been working at The Fringe for a few days, but she was already finding it a bit, well, annoying, to be given orders by someone a decade younger than she was. She had smiled through the “orientation” and rolled her eyes when Brittany explained the computer to her like she was senile, but she wasn’t sure how much longer she was going to be able to take it.

  Sighing, Bex nodded and headed to the door. To her surprise, she saw it was Andi. “Hey,” Bex said happily. “What brings you here?”

  Andi glanced around as though she were worried people might be hiding behind The Fringe’s thick pink curtains to spy on her. Satisfied no one was listening—or watching—Andi leaned in close. “Jonah Beck knows,” she said.

  “Knows what?” Bex asked, confused.

  Andi waggled her eyebrows. “About…you know,” she said, putting emphasis on the “know,” which did nothing to erase the look of confusion on Bex’s face. “The thing. Us.”

  Bex had been dreading this moment since she had opened her big mouth and spilled the beans. She had been ready for her parents’ anger. She had even anticipated that Andi would be upset. But she’d had zero idea how Andi would feel when other people began to find out. She looked closely, trying to read the younger girl’s face.

  “He said it was…awesome!” Andi let out a little squeal.

  Bex let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “Thank you, Jonah Beck!” She knew that in Andi’s world, an endorsement from Jonah was as good as it got. “So…you’re not mad at me anymore?” she asked hopefully.

  “I’m not mad at you,” Andi answered, “…right now.” She wasn’t willing to completely forgive Bex for the lying and the secrets and the pretending-she-was-her-sister-when-she-was-really-her-mother thing quite yet.

  “I’ll take it,” Bex said. Then she paused as what Andi was saying finally sank in. “I can’t believe you told him.”

  Andi shook her head. “I didn’t,” she said. “Cyrus told his mom, so now it’s out. Everyone knows.”

  “Everyone?” Bex repeated slowly. “As in everyone?” Her face went a few shades paler and her voice was shaky. Concern—and a solid amount of fear—filled her eyes. Pulling out her phone, she hit a number and then held it up to her ear. As Andi continued to tell her about all the different people who had come up to her during the day, telling her she was strong or offering the number of their family shrink, Bex listened to the phone ring on and on. Finally, it clicked, and she had a moment of hope, but then she groaned. “It’s going straight to voicemail,” she said, growing more and more worried. If her mother—Celia—knew that the secret was out…Bex shuddered. The thought was enough to send shivers of terror up and down her spine.

  “Who are you calling?” Andi asked when she realized Bex was barely listening to her.

  “Mom,” Bex answered. “We’ve got to get home.” Getting a surprisingly quick okay from her boss to leave work early, she grabbed Andi’s hand.

  Before Andi could ask any more questions or even protest, she found herself being dragged out of the store. She wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but she was very sure that she had never seen Bex look quite so freaked out before.

  Unfortunately, despite her best efforts to get home before Celia found out the whole town knew she was not a mother of two daughters but rather a mother of one and a grandmother of another, Bex failed. It turned out Cyrus’s mother’s gossip reached far and fast, and it had taken only minutes for the Macks’ neighbor—and an all-around busybody—to confront Celia. The neighbor had gotten hosed down, and Celia had ended up in need of a break from reality.

  Walking in the front door, Bex found her parents on their way out, suitcases in hand. “Hey, guys,” Bex said cautiously. “Everything okay, Mom?”

  “What’s with the luggage?” Andi added, nodding at the blue and black bags they parked at their feet.

  “Your father seems to think I’m a menace to society,” Celia said, answering both girls’ questions. Her voice was oddly flat. And for someone whose husband had called her a menace, she seemed eerily calm.

  Bex and Andi exchanged looks. “What happened?” Andi finally said. Even as she asked, though, she had a growing suspicion that whatever happened had something to do with Cyrus, his mom, and Shadyside’s secret of the century getting out.

  “Your mother engaged with a neighbor,” Ham said, confirming Andi’s suspicions.

  Celia shook her head. “I was attacked,” she clarified. “And the garden hose only reaches so far.”

  Andi cocked her head. She had never seen Celia like this. It was kind of…scary. Her eyes were cold, and her mouth was pinched so tight Andi was pretty sure she could see wrinkles forming. She leaned back a bit, as though it were only a matter of time before Celia exploded. Maybe going away for a while was a good idea.

  Ignoring the looks both Andi and Bex were giving her, Celia rummaged around in her purse, making sure she had everything she needed. Then she looked up at Bex. “I’m trusting you,” she said.

  Bex smiled, surprised. Her mother had never left her home alone with Andi. “Thank you.”

  “I don’t want to,” Celia responded flatly. “Your father is forcing me.” Without another word, she pulled up the handle on her suitcase and followed her husband toward the garage.

  Silence descended over the kitchen. Sitting down on the stool nex
t to Andi, Bex clasped her hands in front of her. She was still shocked her parents had left her in charge. And Andi was equally shocked that they had left Bex in charge—of her. Only a few days ago, Celia had been furious with Bex for letting Andi watch a scary movie. And now she was leaving them home alone? Whatever the neighbor had said must have been really, really bad.

  “Well, kid,” Bex finally said when the shock wore off, “it’s just you and me. We can do whatever we want.” Spreading her hands wide, she turned and smiled at Andi. “Got any ideas?”

  Andi stared at the air in front of her, visions of freedom dancing in her head. Did she have any ideas? Ha! She had soooo many ideas! Where to begin? Did she want to stay up late? Did she want to have candy for breakfast? Or wear pajamas all day? Maybe not do her homework? She couldn’t decide. The options were endless. “Let’s have dinner in the living room,” she finally said. “While we watch TV.” That was a definite no-no when Celia was home. “And each have two desserts!” She looked over at Bex, pleased with her rebellious suggestions.

  Bex frowned. “Okay, sure,” she said, agreeing. “We can do that. But…think bigger,” she suggested. Had Andi’s life really been so controlled that dinner in front of the television was her idea of a great time?

  “Scratch the dinner!” Andi said. “We’ll just have dessert!”

  Sighing, Bex put her hands down on the counter in front of her. It looked like she was going to have to spell things out for Andi. “Do you realize what just happened?” she said.

  Andi shrugged and nodded. She thought she had realized. But from the look on Bex’s face, she was beginning to think she had missed something.

  “Mom and Dad are gone. I’m in charge,” Bex said. Andi was still looking at her blankly. “Andi! Don’t you get it? We can have a party!”

  Andi tilted her head to the side. A party? She wasn’t so sure that was the best idea. If Celia had been mad about a scary movie, a party would probably make her furious. There was no telling what she would do to Bex—and Andi—if she found out. And honestly, Andi wasn’t sure she was willing to find out, even if a party did sound like fun….

  While Andi was still pretty sure a party was a terrible idea, Bex, apparently, was not. In fact, she seemed pumped to party. Dragging Andi back to The Fringe, she began stocking up on all sorts of party favors and must-haves. Or, at least, that was what she called the boas and light-up accessories she was throwing into her basket.

  “I really don’t think this is a good idea,” Andi said for the hundredth time as Bex grabbed a blond wig and a black-and-red cowboy hat.

  “Look,” Bex said. “You’re getting older. There are some basic life skills you need to learn.” She paused, weighing her options between blue and orange hats. Shrugging, she added both to the basket. “One of them is giving a party.”

  Following Bex as she continued her shopping spree, Andi asked her, “Will I get a merit badge?”

  Bex heard the sarcasm in Andi’s voice but ignored it. “Yes,” she said, “as a matter of fact, you will.” She stopped in front of a set of shelves. Turning, she gave Andi a serious look. “You are fulfilling your responsibility to kids whose parents are not going out of town.”

  Before Andi could point out that she actually had zero obligation to those kids, Bex spotted something intriguing across the room. Letting out an excited “Ooh! Look!” she took off. Following her gaze, Andi saw the collection of masks and bunny-ear headbands. For the first time since Bex had suggested this harebrained idea, she was beginning to think this could be fun. After all, who didn’t love an excuse to wear bunny ears?

  “Was this your emergency?”

  Brittany’s high-pitched voice snapped Andi and Bex out of their accessory-fueled fun. Turning, they saw the girl standing with her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed. Bex gulped and shifted on her feet nervously. Andi’s head swung back and forth as she looked between them, wondering what would happen.

  “You had to have a party?” Brittany went on, nodding toward the baskets overflowing with party favors.

  “Kind of?” Bex answered. She was worried. She really couldn’t afford to lose a job she had just gotten. “I can explain—” she started to say.

  “Don’t bother,” Brittany said, interrupting her abruptly.

  Bex bit back a groan. She was going to get fired. In front of Andi. Talk about mortifying. And if Mom and Dad found out? She could just imagine the field day they would have with her most recent failure.

  But to her surprise, Brittany kept going. “The whole mom thing?” she said, her frown fading, replaced by a look of curiosity. “Crazy! I just heard.” She leaned closer. “Was it that guy who used to come over when you were babysitting?”

  Andi’s head snapped up. Had she just heard correctly? Bex used to babysit Brittany? That was odd. And probably a little bit awkward. But more important, there had been a guy? Who had hung out with Bex a lot? Maybe babysitting guy and Toaster Tart guy were the same guy!

  From the frantic denials Bex was throwing out, Andi suspected she might be right. But before she could grill Bex, Brittany pointed at Andi. “Is this her?” she asked, holding out her hand. Bex nodded. “Hi, I’m Brittany.”

  Reluctantly, Andi took the girl’s hand and shook it.

  “Those glasses over there,” Brittany said, turning her attention from the mother/daughter news to the more pressing party planning, “are great. They just came in.”

  As Andi watched, Bex, rejuvenated by Brittany’s approval, resumed her shopping. She threw everything from ninja suits to black-light paint into her basket. Brittany watched the whole time, a smile on her face. And then the smile grew broader as she reached over and pulled a can off a shelf. “You’re going to need air freshener!” she squealed. Andi was confused…until Brittany pressed down on the top of the can, sending a spray of string flying into the air.

  “What do you think?” Bex asked when the string stopped spraying and they stood there, covered in strands of pink.

  Andi sighed. “I think it’s going to make a big mess,” she answered honestly. Messes and the Mack house did not go together.

  Bex nodded in agreement. Then she turned to Brittany. “We’ll take twenty.” Putting on a pair of oversized black shades, she waggled her eyebrows at Andi.

  There was nothing Andi could do but roll her eyes back at Bex. She had protested as much as she could protest. She had warned Bex as much as she could warn her. It didn’t seem to matter. Bex was determined to make the most out of their freedom. They were having a party—even if it was probably the worst idea in the history of ideas.

  The rest of the afternoon went by fast. Too fast, in Andi’s opinion. She would have liked some more time to wrap her head around throwing her first official party, but between shopping for party snacks, decorating, and buying the perfect outfit, it was party time before she knew it.

  Running upstairs, she stared down at the dress laid out on her bed. It was perfect. Just looking at it made her smile. It was a gorgeous yellow, with a pleated front that made the short skirt billow out right above her knees. She had added handmade bows to the shoulders and found a slim silver headband with four yellow flowers on it to match. When she had seen the dress on the rack, she had known she had to have it. But now, looking at it on her bed, Andi’s stomach flipped nervously. It was one thing to wear it in her room. It was an entirely different thing to wear it in front of a room full of people at her first party.

  Taking a deep breath, she put it on. There was no use overthinking it now. She looked at the clock on her bedside table. People were going to be arriving any minute. Checking her reflection one last time in the full-length mirror, she ran her hands over the yellow skirt and headed downstairs.

  As she made her way down, she heard Bex humming to herself. Pausing midway down the stairs, she looked out over the living room. It had been transformed. A glittering ball swung from the ceiling, catching the dimmed lighting and making the whole room sparkle. Bex had strung pixie lights across th
e ceiling and over the fireplace mantel, adding to the chill vibe. Balloons hung from various pictures on the walls and lined the corners of the room. There were bowls of snacks and party favors spread out, and Bex had set up a DJ table in the middle.

  It looked amazing. And for the first time that day, Andi allowed herself to get a little excited.

  Hearing Andi’s footsteps, Bex ran over. Her eyes shone with emotion as she watched Andi come the rest of the way down the stairs. Mistaking the look for disapproval, Andi nervously fiddled with the skirt of her dress. “Do I look okay?” she asked.

  “You look okay,” Bex said, straight-faced. Andi’s heart dropped. But then a huge smile spread across Bex’s face, and she let out a squeal. “You look amazing!” she cried.

  Relief flooded Andi. “So do you!” she said. And it was true. Bex had put braids in the front of her hair and was wearing a flowing cardigan over a white crocheted top. She looked like she was ready to go to an amazing concert, not a middle school party.

  Just then, the doorbell rang. “Our first guests have arrived!” Bex said, giving Andi an excited look. “Door’s open!”

  A moment later, the door swung open, revealing Buffy and Cyrus. Their eyes grew wide. When Andi had told them she was having a party, both of her friends had been surprised. Andi was not one for breaking the rules. And she was definitely not one to throw a party. But as they looked around the transformed living room, it was clear to them that Andi was changing.

  “We aren’t the first ones here, are we?” Buffy asked after they had given their approval. At Andi’s nod, she let out a huge groan. “We are soooo lame! Who else is coming?”

  “Everybody who saw my post,” Andi answered quickly. Although, she added silently, I didn’t post that long ago. Maybe no one saw it? Maybe no one would come? Maybe her first party would be a total dud? But then, just before her brain exploded, Cyrus piped up.

  “Oh, and I told my mom,” he said.

  Andi looked over at Bex. A slow smile spread over her face. If Cyrus had told his mom, they weren’t going to have to worry about people coming.