Remember When **Under MAJOR Editing**

Chapter 11

I'D always lived on the ocean. I mean, right on the ocean, with the noise of the surf drowning out the TV when I opened the windows. But I never, ever took the ocean for granted, because most people in our town lived inland. Including Mckenzie and Lily.

I woke on their den sofa at my normal time in the morning, which was pretty early. A lot earlier than other teenagers who told me they slept until the afternoon on weekends. I didn't understand this. I had homework to do and books to read and data to enter. Mckenzie and Lily's younger siblings weren't even up watching cartoons yet.
Now the headache was bad enough for painkillers, but not so bad that I was careful about moving my head too quickly. I was getting back to normal. So I approximated my normal routine. Routine was important. Since my mom tried to kill herself, routine reassured me that my life was still perfectly normal. First thing in the morning at my dad's house, I always stepped out on my balcony to watch the ocean and breathe the air. Here, after picking off the Lego pieces stuck to my face, I stepped out the den door into their backyard.
I'd been here a lot. I should have known which direction their house faced. But it was in a labyrinth of a neighborhood like Zack's with even less structure, winding curves rather than right angles in the roads. I always got confused coming here. And this morning, low gray clouds blanketed the sky, almost as if it were winter. Where was the glowing patch indicating east and the sun? I had no idea which way was south and the ocean.
Whirling from back door to swing set to garden gnome, I choked out a cry and slapped my hands over my mouth. There was no direction. I held my breath to keep from panicking. My heart thumped in my chest. Tears stung my eyes.

Finally I turned back toward the house. One of Mckenzie and Lily's little brothers stood in the open doorway in his Superman diaper, pink elephant under his arm, watching me. Oh, I knew what he was feeling, watching a Big Person go crazy.
I sniffled and made a quick pass under my eyes with my fingertips to dry up. "Good morning!" I called. "I just realized I lost something. But no worries. I'll find it."
Superman eyed me warily.
"Do you want to help me make breakfast?" I asked, imitating Mckenzie's enthusiasm.
That got his mind off my erratic behavior. Soon Princess Diaper joined us in the kitchen. I ended up making breakfast for what seemed like fifteen or sixteen children. I liked kids. I ran
the birthday parties at Splash Central, and of course as a lifeguard I watched kids all day long. But at Splash Central I blew a chirp on a whistle when I needed their attention. I gave thema command with a nod of my head, and they followed orders because I was scary with my face stern and my eyes hidden behind my sunglasses.

In contrast, these kids didn't understand the meaning of, "Don't do that." I cleaned up a lot of flour from the kitchen floor and inadvertently thought really hard about the new half sibling I
would have soon. Britney's baby was due on Valentine's Day.

Then I read to the kiddies until I was hoarse. But I could only stand so much of this. I wanted to go home. I had no toiletries except what I'd taken in my backpack to the swim meet, and I
was too tall to wear Mckenzie and Lily's clothes.

More than this, I wanted to find out what had happened to me. And that required a visit to the place where I'd wrecked.

"Is your mom going to sue Mike?" Mckenzie asked. My friends lumped all lawyers into one category and made a lot of lawsuit jokes, forever asking whether my mom was going to sue people. My mom was a public defender. She'd never filed a lawsuit in her life (disappointing my dad, who said only a spoiled brat would go to school all those years and choose to make as little money as possible). I was glad Mckenzie asked this, though. It meant she thought my mom was still working. News hadn't gotten out yet.
"No, the wreck wasn't Mike's fault," I said. "Or mine. My mom just wants me to take some measurements while the evidence is still here. She might be able to get me more insurance money." I hated lying to my friends, especially since they'd taken care of me last night and they were helping me now. I was getting desperate.