Page 54 of Lovebug
“I’m sorry to hear that, pal. But hey, listen. I may have some good news for ya,” this big beautiful man says as he crouches down to the little kid’s level. “I happen to live right down by the lake. I have quite a few boats. And I actually have some bunny rescuing experience. What do you say I row out to the middle of the lake and see if I can get your bunny back to shore?”
“Yes, please!” Holden says with hope blooming on his face. For the first time since he ran up the hill, his breath evens out, and he stops crying.
“Great. Then that’s what we’re gonna do. Your friend Mabel and I will head out there right away and see what we can do.”
“We will?” I ask.
“Course,” he says. Unless you have more pressing matters to attend to?”
His eyes lock with mine.
“No, I… what could be more pressing?”
“My thoughts exactly,” he says.
“Bow-chicka-wow-wow,” April sings.
“APRIL!” I scold, then pull my volume back and smile when I realize I’ve startled everyone. “April… please return to your group down at theornithology tent. And be sure to meet me at the canteen after dismissal. We need to discuss a few things before you leave today.”
“Sure thing, boss!” April says happily, and without a care in the world, it seems, as she takes her time sauntering off to rejoin her group.
“So, uh—” I stumble as I look at Wally. I’m going to stop calling him The Wall. His name is Wally—well, Wallace—but I can’t help it. He just feels like Wally somehow.
It’s silent for a moment. They’re all waiting for me to continue. I snap out of it.
“Yeah, so Holden buddy, does that sound like a good plan?”
“Yes!!” he practically squeals.
Geez, I hope we can find this thing. Because something tells me Holden won’t accept a replacement biodegradable balloon bunny.
“Great, so, Chloe, why don’t you and Holden head back to your group and Mister, uh, Mister…”
“Bieber.” Wally fills in my blank in a most unexpected way.
“Bieber?!” we say in unison. That’s right, Chloe, myself, and even Holden find this a bit funny.
“Yes,” Wally sighs.
“Sorry,” I say while stifling my smile. “Something tells me you don’t want to discuss it.”
“Not my favorite topic, no.”
“Okay, I’ll drop it,” I say magnanimously. “So—”
“For the record, though?” He raises his voice. “Biebers existed long before that man-child musician came on the scene, and they will continue to exist long after he and his little heart handshape pulsing-at-the-camera thingy is over.”
“Oh, he doesn’t do that anymore,” Chloe explains, “except when doing it ironically as a throwback to his early work. Yeah, the ‘heart handshape pulsing-at-the-camera thingy’ harkens from his debut hit song, ‘Baby,’ featuring Ludacris, which released in 2009 and eventually went on to oust Elton John’s ‘Candle in the Wind’ from the highest multiplatinum single spot.” She pauses for a moment, then says, “I was a devout Belieber in kindergarten. How about you, Mabel?” Chloe continues.
“How about me, what?”
“Were you a Belieber too? Probably, right? I wouldn’t be surprised since we already have so much in common.”
My eyes dart between Chloe and Holden, whose big, wet saucer eyes are staring up at me while he tries his six-year-old best to be patient.
“Do we?” I ask, really confused as to why she’s choosing this moment to force more bonding with me. But since I’m me, I can’t just shut the poor girl down. She’s new in town. Clearly, she’s trying to make friends.
“Of course!” she says wih confidence. “The red hair, our general genial disposition, our love of bugs, and now our love of Biebers!” She looks at me with such hope.
