PoV: AMANDA
When I wake up the next morning, I immediately check the time on my SpongeBob alarm clock (Leo's gift to me after our final eleventh birthday). 9:45—I really slept in!
As I expected when I turn on my cell phone, a message from Leo is waiting for me.
LEO: text me when you get this
So I do.
AMANDA: hey :)
AMANDA: this already feels weird
When I come back from my morning bathroom routine, I read Leo's reply.
LEO: I know, but it's only day 1—we've got this!
AMANDA: easy to say, until everyone in school is staring at us
LEO: who knows? Angelina might make them all super cool about it or something. We know she could if she wanted to
AMANDA: yeah, but I doubt it…
We told Rory and David Goldberg (Bee Boy) that we would meet them at Apple Grove to do some routine maintenance on the baby trees. Leo and I started hanging out with Rory more often after we really got to know her at our twelfth birthday party last month, where we first planted aforementioned trees in the Grove. And Rory babysits for the St. Claire's daughter Emily pretty often, whose next door neighbor is Bee Boy, so I guess that's how those two know each other. We've hung out a few times this summer and it's been fun. I wish Stephanie could be part of the group too, but she always goes to sleepaway camp during the summer.
LEO: ok, see you at the Grove
AMANDA: roger that
When Rory's eyes land on me—in all my chalkboard-wearing glory—as I enter the Grove, I automatically second-guess my confidence in this method of communication.
"Um…" she starts, unable to finish her thought. Her eyes are glued to the board.
I throw my arms up in the air and let them drop. "Long story short: Angelina needs our help—me and Leo—and in order to help her we can't speak to each other for a whole year, so…" I gesture down to the chalkboard.
"You mean literally speak? With your mouths?" Rory asks to clarify, just like Leo did. She still looks mystified, but at least she understands the Angelina part. This will probably be harder for David to absorb.
I nod. "Yup. Actually, he should be here right about…" I crane my neck around her and see his mom's car pulling up in the lot. She waves energetically at us, and I smile and wave back.
Leo climbs out, chalkboard swinging from his neck as he does so, and jogs over to meet us. Just like me, he's sewn part of the dish towel around the itchy string where it touches his neck, and glued on a little container to hold our chalk when we're not using it.
Leo takes his out and writes, NOT BAD
I reply with FOR NOW…
Rory's eyes flick back and forth between us, but I can see she's slowly starting to understand. "You know the whole school is going to talk when they see this, right?" She says, as gently as one can make such a statement.
"Don't remind me," I grumble. School is still about a month away, so plenty of time to get used to the boards; but that doesn't mean the rumors won't start early.
"Don't worry about us, Rory. It's only a year," Leo assures her.
"Hey guys!" A chipper voice says from behind us. David stands carrying a pale and shovel, wearing yellow gardening gloves with black trim that further reinforce the nickname I gave him. "Are we ready to go?"
It takes him a second to realize something's different, and this time I let Leo explain it. Once we get to work, a comfortable silence settles over us. We overturn soil, preen and water the little trees, and pick up any trash that may have blown into the Grove from the parking lot. Somewhere along the way David starts singing, as he usually does; a Jewish hymn none of us recognize. But he's a very good singer, and if you ask me, I think the trees like it. I feel like they stand at attention when he sings, but I'm yet to share my theory with the others.
I tap Leo on the shoulder and scrawl on the chalkboard. A little thrill goes up my spine as I write, which I'm sure will go away once I'm more used to it. WHEN HE SINGS. TREES LIKE! Leo raises an eyebrow, and I point at the tree I'm currently tending to, wiping my previous words off the board with my arm to make room for new ones. HELPS THEM GROW.
I see it click in his mind, and he nods in agreement. "David!" He calls over his shoulder. David stops singing and looks up.
"Yeah?"
"Amanda has a theory. And it's pretty cool," he says, gesturing to me.
"I think the trees like it when you sing," I tell him. "I'll have to do some more research to see if it's legit, but either way I definitely believe in it."
"You think?" David wonders, looking down at the sapling in front of him. "Wow. Even trees like music."
"As they should," I attest, thinking of my long hours spent banging away on the drums in my basement.
We go back to working, with David's melody floating around us in the air, and when the breeze comes in it looks like the trees are swaying to the rhythm.
A/N: Good news! I have the whole week off school, and that means daily updates are BACK! Reviews make my day :)
