Mia's Golden Bird

  She gave Nemo one last pat and whispered, “Sorry.”

  If it could talk, she was pretty sure it would have said, It’s okay, Mia. Hang loose. Because Nemo was awesome like that.

  At lunch the next day, Mia scarfed down a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a few chips in about three minutes and then stood up from the table.

  “Where are you going?” Josie asked.

  “I, uh, need to go to the library and do some research,” Mia said, crumpling up her paper sack.

  “For what class?” Salina asked.

  “Not for class,” Mia said. “Something for my mom. Sorry, I gotta go. See you guys later.”

  They probably thought it was strange, but she didn’t want to tell them what she was doing. Besides, now they could sit and talk about surfing and soccer all they wanted and didn’t have to worry about Mia feeling left out. Not that they seemed to worry about that very much anyway.

  When she got to the library, the librarian, Mrs. Lennon, said, “Hey, Mia. How’s it going?”

  “Okay, I guess,” she said. “I was wondering if you have any books on birds or bird watching?”

  “I think I remember ordering a couple of books that might fit the bill,” Mrs. Lennon replied. She typed something on her computer keyboard. “Let me check and see if they’re in.” She glanced up at Mia, shifting her eyes just above her reading glasses, which sat low on her nose. “Are you taking up a new hobby?”

  “Well, I’ve met some people who like to go bird-watching, and I want to learn more about it,” Mia told her. “I’m actually going along with them and taking pictures.”

  “Mia, that sounds wonderful.”

  “Do you really think so?” Mia asked. “You don’t think it’s … weird?”

  Mrs. Lennon laughed. “You have to remember, I’m a librarian. Any time a student tells me about a new learning opportunity, I’m going to think it’s a good thing.”

  Mia smiled. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I wish I could know for sure whether my friends would think the same thing.”

  “My aunt is a bird-watcher,” Mrs. Lennon said. “I’ve gone with her a few times. It’s fun!” She pulled out a piece of paper and wrote something down. “I know it’s hard, but try not to worry about what other people think. If you like it, that’s all that matters.”

  “I guess,” Mia said softly. “I just don’t want them to make fun of me.”

  “I know,” Mrs. Lennon said. “I think the key is to make sure they know how important it is to you. If they care about you, and they know it’s important to you, they should support you. Be understanding about it, right? That’s what good friends do for each other.”

  Mia nodded. When she said it like that, it made perfect sense.

  Mrs. Lennon reached her hand out, holding the piece of paper. “Here are the numbers you want to look for in the nonfiction section. Do you remember how the Dewey decimal system works from the talk I gave the first week of school?”

  “I think so,” Mia said.

  “Well, let me know if you need help,” she said.

  Mia found the books fairly easily and checked them out. “I hope you enjoy them,” Mrs. Lennon said.

  “Thanks,” Mia replied.

  She rushed to her locker, hoping to get there before Salina so she could stick the books in her backpack in privacy. But it didn’t work out that way.

  “What books did you get?” Salina asked, stepping aside so Mia could get in to the locker.

  There was no getting out of it now. Mia held them out so Salina could see them. “Birds?” she asked. “Your mom is interested in birds?”

  Mia shrugged. “What’s wrong with birds?”

  “Nothing,” she said quickly. “I just … it wasn’t what I was expecting, that’s all.”

  Mia thought about what Mrs. Lennon had said. She should probably be honest and tell Salina the books were really for her. But then Salina would probably start talking about Lacy Bell again, and she didn’t want to talk about her.

  Mia sighed as she put the library books into her backpack so she wouldn’t forget to take them home.

  “Is everything okay?” Salina asked. “You’re acting kind of different. To be honest, you’ve been acting different for a while.”

  Mia turned around, a wave of anger washing over her. “You mean, since I broke my foot, I’ve been acting different? Well, I bet you would be too, if all your friends were going off, having fun without you, doing things you can’t do.”

  Salina bit her lip and didn’t say anything for a few seconds. It was obvious she was trying to figure out how to reply. Finally, Salina narrowed her eyes and said, “I’m sorry, Mia. I’m sorry if you feel left out. But what do you want us to do, sit around and feel sorry for you? That’s all you seem to want to do.”

  As soon as the words hit Mia, she could feel her eyes and nose tingling, like the tears were going to start falling any moment. She turned around, grabbed the books she needed for her next class, and slammed the locker door.

  “Thanks a lot,” Mia muttered as she walked away, not as quickly as she would have liked because of the stupid cast. She headed for the bathroom, where she could cry in peace until the bell rang.

  What do you want us to do, sit around and feel sorry for you?

  The words Salina had said after lunch played on repeat in Mia’s brain for the rest of the afternoon. On the bus ride home, she tried to tune them out by putting on her earphones and listening to some music, but it didn’t work very well.

  How could one of her very best friends say that?

  Mia fingered the charm bracelet, thinking about her best friends from camp. None of them would ever say something like that. Would they? Then she remembered what her mom had said on Sunday. This negative attitude of yours. I don’t like it.

  Didn’t her friends here at home understand how hard it was for Mia to have to sit on the sidelines? What was she supposed to do, pretend she was happy when she wasn’t?

  If only she were an actress, like Lacy Bell. Maybe she could just act her way through life. But the more Mia thought about it, the more she wondered if maybe the words had been hard to hear because they were kind of … true.

  What was she going to do about it, was the question. So she couldn’t do her favorite things for a while. It wasn’t like her foot would be in a cast forever. It was temporary. In the meantime, one amazing thing had happened to her, and she needed to focus on that. She had a job to earn money for camp. Not just any job, but a job that allowed her to do one of her favorite things — take photos.

  Mia made up her mind then and there to not let her broken foot get her down anymore. There were plenty of other things to be happy about, including the letter from Hannah that she found waiting for her on the kitchen counter when she got home.

  Her mom, who closed the café every day at three so she could be home with Mia after school, greeted Mia with a snack of apple slices and string cheese.

  “How was school today?” her mom asked.

  “I checked out a couple of books about birds and bird watching from the library,” Mia said as she pulled off a string of cheese. “I want to learn more about it before Sunday. Oh, and that reminds me, I need to go to the drugstore and get this week’s photos developed. Can you take me when I’m finished with my snack?”

  Her mom looked at the clock. “Give me about fifteen minutes, and I’ll be happy to take you. I need to make a phone call first.”

  “Okay, thanks,” Mia said.

  Her mom took the phone into her bedroom and shut the door. Mia opened the envelope and started reading Hannah’s letter.

  Dear Mia,

  Your poor foot!!! Oh my goodness, I feel so bad for you. Does it hurt? I bet you’re missing soccer and surfing something fierce.

  Somehow, you have to look on the bright side. Let’s see, what would the bright side be? I know, you could learn how to do something new, something you’ve always been interested in.

  Like, you could learn to knit or
crochet. My grandma crochets beautiful hats and baby blankets. Does that interest you? Oh, wait, you probably don’t have much of a need for hats or sweaters or blankets in Southern California, do you?

  What about cake decorating? I’ve always thought it would be so fun to learn how to do that. Except that requires you to be standing in the kitchen a lot, and maybe you don’t want to be standing too much.

  I know! You could learn to play an instrument, like the piano or guitar or violin or something. I could see you playing the guitar. What do you think?

  There must be something you’d like to learn more about. You know how much I love animals, I’d probably be using some of the downtime as a way to learn more about animals I don’t know much about. Like koalas, for instance. I know they’re cute and they live in Australia, but that’s really all I know. Maybe you can go to the library and check out some books on subjects you’ve always wondered about. While your leg gets better, your brain will get bigger. Your mama would probably love that, right?

  Nothing much to tell you about things around here. Maybe in my next letter. Mostly I just wanted to write to tell you I was thinking about you and hope your foot heals up real nice and things are back to normal for you soon.

  Your Cabin 7 BFF,

  Hannah

  Mia couldn’t believe that Hannah had suggested she should learn more about animals after she had just checked out two books about birds. What were the chances? It made her miss her camp friends even more, and she realized she felt closer to them at the moment than the friends she’d known forever at home. She’d have to write Hannah back and tell her about her bird-watching adventures. Of all people, Mia knew Hannah would be excited and would think it was a fun opportunity.

  The more Mia thought about it, the more thankful she felt that Lacy and Gail had invited her to join them on their bird-watching adventures. It was like a special gift sent along by the universe just for her.

  She looked down at her charm bracelet. It really was lucky, Mia thought. No doubt about it.

  The rest of the week crawled by at a snail’s pace. Mia had apologized to Salina for the way she’d been acting, and Salina had said she was sorry for what she’d said, but things still felt different between them. Strained. Mia didn’t like it, but she didn’t really know what to do about it either. So she just kind of kept her distance and spent a lot of time in the library, reading the books she’d checked out.

  Mia was thankful when Sunday finally arrived. Maybe she couldn’t go surfing with the rest of her friends and play on the beach all day, but she could take pictures and get paid for it. Hopefully Camp Brookridge wouldn’t be just a onetime thing for Mia. After all, she wanted it to be an every-year thing. Until the four girls were too old and couldn’t go anymore, of course. What they’d do after that, who knew. Maybe they’d travel the world together. That could be fun. Or maybe they’d all attend the same college and be roommates. That would be awesome!

  She told herself to stop worrying about the future and focus on the here and now. When Mia and her mom got to the café Sunday morning, her mom gave Mia a muffin and some hot chocolate for breakfast while they waited for Gail and Lacy to arrive.

  “Could you put two muffins in a bag for them?” Mia asked her mom. “Like, a little gift from us to them?”

  Her mother did as she asked and handed the white bag across the counter to Mia. “Gracias, Mamá. Not just for the muffins, but for letting me go with them again.”

  “De nada, mi hija. I hope you three have a nice time.”

  Just then, Lacy and Gail strutted through the front door like a couple of colorful peacocks.

  “Good morning to you fine ladies,” Gail said, tipping her safari hat toward the two of them. She had on the exact same outfit as last time.

  “Good morning,” Mia and her mother said together.

  Lacy took off her sunglasses and beamed at the three of them. She wore white pants with some adorable red flip-flops and a red-and-yellow tank top. In her hand was a bright yellow clutch. It was kind of funny, how different Lacy and her grandma dressed for bird watching. Gail looked like a professional, while Lacy looked like she was going to a museum or something.

  Mia looked down at the shorts and T-shirt she wore, basically her uniform outfit, and realized maybe she should have thought about her clothes a little bit more this time. Compared to Lacy, she looked kind of pathetic. At least she’d taken a shower and made sure her hair looked halfway decent today.

  Lacy gave a little wave. “Hi, Mia! I’m so happy to see you again,” she said as she walked over and gave Mia a little hug. Lacy smelled like spicy vanilla. It seemed strange to Mia to be hugging when they hardly knew each other, so she just patted Lacy’s back a few times before Lacy stepped back.

  “May I order some coffee to get this lovely day off on the right foot?” Gail asked Mia’s mom.

  “Certainly,” she replied. “What may I get you?”

  “I have muffins for you too,” Mia said, holding up the white bag.

  “Wonderful,” Gail said. “Splendid. Lacy, what would like to drink?”

  “I think I’ll take a caramel macchiato this time,” she replied.

  While Mia’s mom took their order, Lacy chatted away with Mia. “I’ve been so excited about today. I told Grandma one of the smartest things I’ve ever done was invite you to go along with us last week.”

  “Oh, well, thanks,” Mia said. “Do you want to see the photos I took from last time?”

  Lacy squealed. “Ohmygosh, I can’t wait.”

  The girls took a seat at a table, and Mia placed the envelope of photos in front of Lacy. She opened it up and started flipping through the photos.

  “Oooh, I love this one,” she said, showing Mia a photo of the white pelicans. It was one of the best ones she’d taken that day. Two pelicans stood back-to-back, and their long, colorful beaks really stood out.

  Lacy continued looking until her grandma came over and handed Lacy her drink. “Grandma, wait until you see these. They are fabulous.”

  Gail looked at Mia and winked, something she seemed to enjoy doing quite a bit. “Of course they are. Just like the girl who took them.”

  Lacy put the photos back into the envelope and stuck it in her purse. Then she stood up with her drink in her hand and said, “Okay. Let’s get this show on the road, as my mother likes to say.”

  Mia grabbed her camera bag and the muffins, and they headed outside, where a much simpler car, though still very nice, waited for them. The town car, Mia assumed. The driver opened the door for the girls, who climbed into the back while Gail got into the passenger seat in front.

  “So, how was your week at school?” Lacy asked as they began driving down the road.

  “Not too great,” Mia admitted.

  “Oh no,” Lacy said. “How come?”

  Mia stared out the window. She remembered how she’d promised to not feel sorry for herself anymore. This was her chance to show the new Mia in action. She turned and looked back at Lacy. “You know, forget I said that. It was fine. Just kind of … long. I’m glad the weekend is here.”

  Lacy leaned her head back against the seat. “Oh, me too. I had two twelve-hour days on the set. One of the other actors kept forgetting his lines. It was miserable.”

  “I don’t know how you do it,” Mia said. “Memorizing all of your lines, I mean. Isn’t it hard?”

  “I guess sometimes it is, but I don’t really think about it. It’s what I have to do, so I just do it. I read them over and over, out loud sometimes, because that really helps.” Lacy smiled. “Isn’t it strange? To you, memorizing lines seems hard, and to me, I can’t imagine being able to get up on a surfboard and stay there through the crashing waves. Like, it just seems impossible.”

  Gail turned around and asked, “Mia, I’d love to have that muffin you brought along, if you don’t mind.”

  “Oh, sure. Sorry, I forgot.” Mia passed her the bag, so Gail could take hers out, and then Gail passed it back to Lacy.
She set the bag down beside her.

  “I’ll save mine for later, if that’s okay. I had some toast before we left.”

  “Does your grandma live with you?” Mia asked.

  “Kind of,” Lacy replied. Mia looked at her curiously. “She has a little house on our property. That way she has her own space, but we’re nearby. I see her just about every day. Sometimes in the evening she comes up to the house and we watch that TV show where they visit different farms and follow the people around to see what it’s like. She grew up on a farm, so she loves that show. Gosh, I can’t think of the name of it right now. Do you know what it’s called?”

  Mia’s eyes lit up. “Yes! It’s called Heart of the Farmer. I love that show too!”

  Lacy laughed. “You do? I thought we were the only people who watched it. I don’t know why it’s so fascinating to me.”

  “It seems like such a simple and hard life, all at the same time,” Mia said. “Sometimes I think I’d love it, and other times I think I’d hate it.”

  “Exactly,” Lacy said. “Me too. You know how you went to summer camp last year?”

  Mia nodded.

  Lacy fiddled with her ring. “I thought about going to this camp where everyone lives like pioneers. You make quilts, learn about canning, and cook things like stews and corn bread. Oh, and you have to do laundry the old-fashioned way, with a washboard. Plus, the whole time, you wear pioneer clothes and bonnets.”

  “Seriously?” Mia asked.

  “Doesn’t it sound amazing?” Lacy said.

  “How come you didn’t go?” Mia asked.

  “Mostly because of work,” Lacy said. She sounded so sad about it, Mia felt bad for her.

  “You must miss out on a lot of stuff I don’t even think about,” Mia said.

  “And it’s not just because I’m busy all the time,” Lacy said. “I don’t like to go because it’s not much fun being swarmed by people or being followed everywhere I go by the paparazzi. I can’t even remember the last time I went to the movies. Or shopping at the mall.”