The Sugar Mountain Snow Ball (17 page)

Eleanor scrunched up her face like she was having a hard time believing all of this.

“He did? How?”

“Lance asked me to go to the Snow Ball with him
. . . in their limo!
Can you believe it, Eleanor? It's even better than my dream, especially after that whole JB disaster.”

She didn't say anything at first, then replied, “Wow, that is incredible, Ruby. I'm so happy for you that everything came true.”

Even though she was smiling, she didn't seem happy.

“But Eleanor, that's not the best part. You get to go too!”

“I do?”

“Remember? My stepmom has two more tickets from working at the Slope Side Café.”

“But . . . I
can't
go.”

“What? Why not?!”

“Well, for one thing, I don't have anyone to go with.”

“Of course you do! And he'll be here any second.”

“What?” Eleanor looked almost mad. “Ruby, don't tell me you—”

“Hey, peeps!” a voice called from the sidewalk. “Don't you have anything better to do than play at a kiddie park?”

Eleanor groaned. “Anton? You want me to go to the Snow Ball with
Anton?
”

But before I could explain, a flurry of snowballs showered down on us from the playground. Lance immediately ducked his head under the table.

“STOP THAT, YOU TWO!” I yelled at the twins. “You know you aren't allowed to throw those at people.”

“
Geez!
” shouted Anton, who had received most of the direct hits. “Why are you little twerps attacking me?”

Charlie yelled back with his hands on his hips,
“ 'Cause you're the creepy kid who's been spying on us!”

I guess green jackets were popular for boys that year, because it seemed like every boy we knew was wearing one. After all my “green jacket” suspicions, it kinda made sense that Anton would be the spy keeping tabs on Eleanor. It was the kind of goofy thing he would do. Plus, I could tell, he really,
really
liked her.

“You were the spy?” said Eleanor. “Why would you do that?”

Anton finished brushing the snow from his jacket, then asked, “Can I sit down first?”

“Not until you explain,” she replied.

“Come on, Eleanor,” I said, “Anton was the only person in the whole school who stuck up for me on Monday—let him sit.”

She hesitated, then moved to the far end of the bench.

“I wouldn't call it spying, exactly,” said Anton as he slid in next to her. “I just wanted to see what you were doing, since you stopped
going to Math Squad. But every time I walked down here, I lost the guts to come over.”

“Why?” asked Eleanor. “I see you every day at school, and even sit with you at lunch.”

“I don't know,” he muttered. “I didn't want you to think I was
looking for you
looking for you.”

“That's a ridiculous explanation,” she said, and frowned.

“Well, I know exactly what he means,” I chimed in, “so let's agree to move forward and make some party plans! The Snow Ball is soon, and we've got lots to think about.”

But Eleanor said it didn't matter whether or not she wanted to go to a dance with anyone, there was no way her mother would ever allow her to attend.

“Why don't I stop by your house and chat her up?” said Anton. “Adults love me.”

Eleanor rolled her eyes.

“Wait! That's not a bad idea,” I said. “Or how about
I
visit your house, and convince your mother that it's just a bunch of friends going together.”

“Except it's not,” said Anton. He pointed at Lance. “Who's that?”

Lance's head was still tucked halfway under the table in case of another snowball attack.

“Oh I forgot—this is Lance, but he doesn't really like to talk at first,” I explained. “He has Aspirin-berger's.”

“
Asperger's
,” barked Lance, as he popped into view. “And I didn't give you permission to tell people.”

“It's no big deal,” said Anton. “My little sister is an Aspie, so I know all about it.”

Lance studied him out of the corner of his eye and asked, “Are you an Aspie too?”

“Not that I know of,” Anton said, smiling.

“You never told me that you have a sister,” said Eleanor. “Is she okay?”

“Of course she's okay,” said Anton. “She's practically a genius.”

“A genius like you, Eleanor!” I said, and grinned. “Anyway, I apologize about that, Lance. But can we get back to the reason we're all here? The Snow Ball's in just sixteen days, so we have to get your mother on board, ASAP. Why don't I stop by your house on Saturday, Eleanor?”

Eleanor didn't look convinced.

“Ruby, you know how my mother is.”

“What's wrong with your mother?” asked Anton.

“Nothing,” she replied quietly. “She's just traditional, from another country. It's hard to explain.”

“Sounds like my parents,” said Anton. “They emigrated from Russia before I was born, but they still have all these annoying rules no one else has.”

“Really?” replied Eleanor. “That's exactly how mine are too.”

“See?” I said. “Something you have in common! Plus, you just told me how much your mother has changed since she's been back. So I'll just drop by your house and pretend the two of us are going to do homework, even though we only have gym together, but they
don't need to know that. And then I bet your father will invite me to stay for supper.”

She sighed. “Whatever. I guess we have nothing more to lose.”

Lance suddenly spoke up. “Bring flowers.”

“Good point,” said Anton. “Women love flowers.”

I corrected him. “
Most
women like flowers, Anton.”

He glanced at Eleanor.

“Do you like flowers?”

“They're okay,” she said, shrugging her shoulders like she didn't care, but I could see a tiny ribbon smile starting to form.

25

By the time I rang the doorbell at the Bandaranaikes' on Saturday, my bouquet of mint-green carnations from the grocery store had flopped under the frigid temps. Mim had supplied me with another hostess gift, but this time it was a basket of fruit.

“I'm not sure this is going to work, Ruby,” said Eleanor, who stood at the front door, shivering.

“Why not?”

“I don't know. My mother has definitely changed in some ways,” she whispered, “but I'm not sure how she feels about spontaneous visitors, or my friends coming to—”

“Who's there?” a woman's voice called from inside the house.

Eleanor puckered up her face.

“It's me, Mrs. B,” I called out as cheerfully as I could. “Ruby LaRue! Just stopping by to study and do homework.”

Eleanor's mother appeared at the door wearing one of her silky Sri Lankan outfits.

“What is all of this?” asked her mother, taking the flowers and basket of fruit from my hands.

“A little something from me and my stepmother. We know you've been gone a long time, so it's a ‘welcome back' gift!”

“How very considerate. Well, you must come in, please,” said Mrs. B, in that same plucky way Mr. B spoke. “It's quite cold today.”

Without being told, I removed my snowy boots at the door with dainty, ladylike manners, and slipped off my jacket to hang on the coatrack. It dawned on me that a lot had changed since the previous Saturday when I had lain facedown in this very spot, bawling my eyes out.

“We have had our tea, Ruby, but may I fetch a cup for you?”

“Yes, thank you, if that wouldn't be too much trouble.”

Eleanor shook her head at me as if this was all a terrible idea, but I was determined to win over her mother. I knew I had only one chance to get this right, and I didn't want to blow it. So I would be as respectful and polite as I could possibly be.

“Are we really going to do homework?” she whispered.

“We have to at least pretend,” I said.

“In my bedroom?”

“No, out here where she can see us, so we can chat.”

Eleanor moaned.

We sat down on the family room floor in front of the crackling fire and spread our books across the coffee table.

“How do you like your tea, Ruby?” asked Mrs. B, poking her head into the room. “With sugar and cream?”

“However you think is the best way to drink it, Mrs. B.”

“Very well,” she replied, and smiled, disappearing back into the kitchen.

“Ruby, I'm not even sure I want to go to the Snow Ball—it's your dream, not mine.”

“What do you mean?” I whispered, but I felt like grabbing Eleanor's shoulders and shouting. “This could be the most fantabulous thing we ever do in our lives. Besides, my dream isn't complete unless my very best friend in the whole world is there with me.”

“But Ruby, how can you still want to go after the way those despicable girls treated you?”

“Just because a few Outers were awful doesn't mean all of them are,” I said. “Plus, I've realized I don't need to be an Outer to have an incredible time at an incredible party with my own incredible friends!”

Just then, Mrs. B reappeared with a wooden tray.

“May I offer you a piece of fruit from your lovely basket, Ruby?”

“No, thank you,” I said. “Those are all for you.”

She set the tray on a side table, poured the tea into a delicate cup, and placed it in front of me.

“Tell me, where did you learn such lovely manners?” asked Mrs. B. “Your parents have raised you well.”

“Thank you,” I replied, smiling as hard as I could. “Actually, I'm practicing really hard for a fancy event I'll be attending.”

Eleanor cleared her throat as if warning me to change the subject.

“What event is that?”

“The Snow Ball,” I answered carefully, “up at Sugar Mountain.”

“Ah,” she said, nodding. “I thought that was a party for adults who winter in the condominiums?”

“Oh no, lots of kids go . . . although it's mostly for the rich Outers who ski, but a few local people go too. And it's not like a date thing at all—it's more of a fun
group
thing, so we're going as a group, me and some friends.”

I peered over at Eleanor, who was watching for her mother's reaction.

“Except,” I continued, “I have this one friend who would love to go too, as part of our group—and she has a free ticket and everything—but her parents probably won't allow it.”

Mrs. B sank down into the comfortable chair.

“I can understand their reservations about such an event at your age,” she sighed, “but has she asked her parents yet?”

Eleanor shifted nervously and said, “You probably don't want to hear this, Amma. It's silly school stuff.”

“But I do!” said her mother.

“Are you sure?” asked Eleanor. “It will just upset you, and then you'll ask a million questions.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because . . . ,” she stammered, “that's the way you always are . . . about everything.”

Mrs. B tilted forward in her chair, as if she might get angry, but then she smiled.

“That is not true. I know I've been reluctant to accept the way of life here,” she said, “but your cousins in New York helped me to understand that your generation is as much American as we, the older ones, are Sri Lankan.”

And right then I understood exactly how Eleanor must feel, getting pulled back and forth between two worlds, never belonging fully to one or the other.

“Really, Amma?” she said. “Even if you knew that
I
am the friend who wants to attend the Sugar Mountain Snow Ball?”

Just as Mrs. B's jaw dropped to the floor, the back door swung open.

“Hello there, Ruby!” said Eleanor's father. “I didn't know we were expecting company.”

“Hi, there, Mr. B!” I said, and jumped to my feet, anxious to change the mood in the room. “It's so good to see you. Eleanor and I are doing a little homework and drinking delicious tea here with Mrs. B.”

But Eleanor's mother still didn't look happy. She stood up and waved her hands all over the place.

“I do not understand what is going on in my own home—I'm gone a few months and suddenly my eleven-year-old daughter wants to attend an adult
revelry?
”

I didn't know what that word meant, but I knew it didn't sound good.

“Tell me,” said poor Mr. B, trying to smile, “what is this all about?”

“Eleanor wants to go to the annual dance up on the mountain,” cried her mother, “at night—with strangers, and
boys!
”

“You see?” said Eleanor. “I knew nothing had really changed, Amma. Already you are saying no!”

“
Please
,” said Mr. B, clasping his hands like he was about to pray for help. “Let's all calm down and talk about this together.”

The room was so quiet you could have heard a snowflake hit the ground outside, which is where I wished I was at that moment, since I seemed to have made everything a hundred times worse.

Eleanor stared down at the floor now, like she might start to cry.

Mr. B frowned, while Mrs. B took huge breaths in and out.

“Eleanor,” said her father, “please tell us how this all began. Why do you wish to attend this event?”

Eleanor straightened her back and sighed.

“I want Ruby to tell it.”

Now all eyes were on me.

At first I thought that was a bad idea. In fact, I was just about to leave so the Bandaranaikes could sort out this mess among themselves in their own way. But then Mrs. B gazed at me with such sad eyes. I could tell she really wanted to be part of Eleanor's life, but didn't know how to do that without going against everything she believed.

And then I thought about how bad Mim would feel if I didn't share things with her. I mean, not everything, but most things, because that's what made us close.