Wrong Way Summer by Heidi Lang

Author:Heidi Lang
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Abrams
Published: 2020-04-21T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 17

“I keep telling you, Dad. Sorry people don’t smile.”

His grin got even wider, and he hid it behind his hand. “Better?”

Claire sighed and walked away from him, but she could still feel him smiling, all the way back to their van.

“Ready to roll?” her dad asked, popping his head inside the van.

“Almost.” Claire quickly scribbled the rest of her note, signed it, and climbed out of the van. “Just need to drop this off.”

“Hop to it, then. The open road awaits!”

“What do you think we’ll do about school?” Claire asked Patrick that night as they brushed their teeth at a campground just outside Albany, New York. “We’re supposed to start in a month and a half.”

Patrick garbled something at her, toothpaste foam sliding out the corners of his mouth.

“Ew, gross. Spit and then talk.”

He spat. “You asked me a question. You know I’m a messy toothbrusher.”

“You have paste on your chin.”

Patrick wiped his chin with his sleeve, then grinned at her. “Minty fresh.”

Claire shook her head. “I can’t believe we’re related.”

“Me neither.” He shuddered, and she messed up his hair. “And I don’t mind skipping school,” he added, swatting her hand away.

Claire frowned. “We can’t. There are laws and things.”

“Homeschooling?”

Her stomach dropped. No way her dad wanted to homeschool them. “Or maybe,” she said, testing out her theory, “he wants to live in Maine.”

“Nah,” Patrick said, completely dismissive.

Claire wanted to argue more, but she was afraid Patrick would bring out his own theory, that they were on some kind of rescue mission for their mom.

“Anyhow, I like life on the road,” Patrick said.

“You might not like it after another week. Or a month. Or a year.”

“Or I might,” he said. “And you might, too.”

Claire shook her head.

“You might,” he repeated, jabbing her in the shoulder with his wet toothbrush.

“Ew, don’t touch me with that.”

He held it up like a sword, grinning.

“Don’t,” Claire warned, backing up.

“Or what?” He took a step, then another.

She uncapped the toothpaste, and he froze in place. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

“Fine. Truce for now.”

Claire nodded solemnly. “Truce for now.”

They walked back to the van, the trees swaying above them. There were a few other families camping down the road, some with super-elaborate setups: pop-up shade tents, fancy hammock stands, the full REI catalog. But even those people seemed envious of their van. Claire hated to admit it, but it made her feel almost . . . proud.

“You know, I like you better on the road, too,” Patrick decided.

Claire stopped. “What?”

“You’re funner.” He scrunched his face. “More fun,” he self-corrected. “At least, for you.”

Before Claire could think of a response, he sprinted ahead.

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