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‘Like girl?’
‘ No,’ he said ‘Like myself’
‘Your dad …’
‘I don’t want to talk about him’
His mother sat for another minute, then left
Park stayed in his rooet him for dinner His dad didn’t look up when Park sat down
‘Where’s Eleanor?’ his dad asked
‘I thought I was grounded’
‘You’re not grounded,’ his dad said, concentrating on his meat loaf
Park looked around the table Only Josh would look back at hi?’ Park asked
His dad took another bite, chewed it carefully, then sed ‘No, Park, at theI’d like to say to you’
CHAPTER 37
Eleanor
Park was right They were never alone
She thought about sneaking out again, but the risk was inco cold out she’d probably lose an ear to frostbite
Which her mom would definitely notice
She’d already noticed the h it was brown and said ‘Subtle, Natural Look’ right on the package)
‘Tina gave it to me,’ Eleanor said ‘Her ed Park’s na lie instead of a ing out at Tina’s house every day, doing each other’s nails, trying on lip gloss …
It would be awful if her mom actually met Tina somewhere, but that didn’t seehborhood If you weren’t born in the Flats (if your faenerations, if your parents didn’t have the sarandparents), you were an outsider
Park always said that hy people left hih he eird and Asian
Because his fahborhood was still cornfields
Park Eleanor blushed whenever she thought about him She’d probably always done that, but noorse Because he was cute and cool before, but lately he seeht so
‘He looks like a rock star,’ DeNice said
‘He looks like Ell DeBarge,’ Beebi agreed
He looked like hiht, but bolder Like Park with the volume turned way up
Park
They were never alone
They tried to make the walk from the bus to Park’s house last forever, and so out on his front steps a while … until his mom opened the door and told them to come in from the cold
Maybe it would be better this suo outside Maybe they could take walks
Maybe he’d get his driver’s license after all …
No His dad hadn’t even spoken to hiht
‘What’s up with your dad?’ Eleanor asked hi one step below him on his front stoop
‘He’slike him’
Eleanor looked dubious ‘Has he been mad at you for the last sixteen years?’
‘Basically’
‘But it always see …’
she said
‘No,’ Park said, ‘never Ifor a while, because I finally got in a fight, and because he thoughttoo hard on you’
‘I knew she didn’t like me!’ Eleanor poked Park’s arm
‘Well, now she likes you,’ he said, ‘so nowme’
‘Your dad loves you,’ she said It seemed to really matter to her
Park shook his head ‘Only because he has to
He’s disappointed in me’
Eleanor laid her hand on his chest, and his mom opened the door
‘Come in, come in,’ she said ‘Too cold’
Eleanor
‘Your hair looks nice, Eleanor,’ Park’s , but she was using the conditioner Park’s iven her And she’d actually found a satin pillowcase in the stack of towels and stuff in her bedroon from God that He wanted Eleanor to take better care of her hair
Park’s mom really did seem to like her better now Eleanor hadn’t consented to another full-onnew eyeshadows on her orwith her hair while she sat at the kitchen table with Park
‘I should have had girl,’ his moht And it only sometimes made her feel like a traitor to think so
CHAPTER 38
Eleanor
Wednesday nights were the worst
Park had taekwando, so Eleanor went straight home after school, took a bath, then tried to hide in her roo
It ay too cold to play outside, so the little kids were crawling up the walls When Richie came home, there was no place for anybody to hide
Ben was so afraid that Richie would send hi in the bedroo with his cars
When Richie turned on Mike Hah Richie said she could stay
Maisie paced the room, bored and irritable
She walked over to the bunk bed
‘Can I come up?’
‘No’
‘Please …’
Their beds were junior-sized, sh for Eleanor And Maisie wasn’t one of those stringy, weightless nine-year-olds …
‘Fine,’ Eleanor groaned
She scooted over carefully, like she was on thin ice, and pushed her grapefruit box behind her into the corner
Maisie cli?’
‘ Watership Down’