Page 211 of Finding Us

“Then she’s probably not your friend. You should like your friends, Lilly.”

What am I saying? For most of my life, I didn’t like my friends. They were chosen for me. Knowing Katherine, it wouldn’t surprise me if she forced Lilly to be Jacqueline’s friend because of whatever connections her parents have that Katherine needs or wants.

“Jacqueline doesn’t like my dolls,” Lilly says. “She says they’re for kids. And she doesn’t like to swim because her hair gets wet.”

Jade’s giving me the thumbs down and shaking her head.

“Maybe you should find a different girl to hang out with,” I say.

“I like to play with Max.”

“Max? Is that her nickname?”

“Max is a boy. His name is Maxwell, but everyone calls him Max.”

I feel heat rising in my veins as I think of Lilly with some boy.

“Does he wear a bow tie?” Jade asks.

“Yeah. He has different colors. Today he wore a blue one.”

“You shouldn’t hang out with boys.” I say it a little too forcefully.

Jade shakes her head at me. “What he means is that you should find some girls to play with. Boys are messy and loud and they smell bad.”

“Garret doesn’t smell bad.”

“I don’tnow, but I used to smellreallybad.” I overemphasize the ‘really.’ “All boys do at your age. They don’t grow out of it until they’remyage. So stay far away from Max. And if he comes near you, spray him with air freshener.”

Jade’s laughing so hard she has to leave the room.

“I have to go,” Lilly says. “I hear Dad downstairs and I want to see him before I go to bed.”

“I’ll talk to you later. Call me whenever you want.”

“Okay, bye.”

“And stay away from Max.”

She already hung up.

I go in the bedroom. “What so funny?”

Jade’s sprawled out on the bed, laughing. “You. Talking to Lilly.”

“I had to say something to get her away from that kid. And you’re the one who told her that stuff about boys.”

“Spray him with air freshener?” Jade’s got tears in her eyes, she’s laughing so hard. “She’ll get kicked out of school if she does that.”

“Good. It’ll get her away from Max.” I lie on the bed, leaning against the headboard, my arms crossed over my chest.

Jade wipes her eyes and sits next to me. “Garret, Lilly’s only 7. She’s not interested in boys that way. She’s just friends with him.”

“Time’s have changed, Jade. Boys start going after girls much younger now.”

She laughs again. “You sound like an old man. We’re not that old. Times haven’t changed that much.”

“That kid, Max, needs to back off and stop making moves on my sister.”

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