Lisa Greenwald - Dear Friends

SYLVIE REBECCA BANK!

Im outside on the porch picking at a piece of banana bread from my favorite Longport bakery, actually called Banana Bread, when I see Sylvie walking up the path to my house. Her dirty-blond curls bounce against her shoulders. My heart feels like Pop Rocks when I see her, like weve been apart for years and years, not just two months. Us being back togetherthat makes my world feel complete again.

I put down my plate and run down the steps to meet her. Eep! Im so happy to see you. Pontoon follows behind me; this shih tzu always wants to be included. I wrap my arms around Sylvies neck and we stay in an awkward, about-to-get-sweaty hug.

Hi, Len, she says when we pull apart, not cheerful-sounding but not grumpy-sounding either. Somewhere in the middle. Hi, Tuney Tune-Tunes.

She reaches down to pet him and he stands up and licks her knee.

We walk back to the porch together and sit on the rocking chairs and Sylvie looks at me, sort of seeming suspicious. Your hair is so curly, did you sleep in braids or something?

Nope. I hold a few strands in my hand and inspect them. I think it looks the same wavy brown it always does. I shrug. I missed you so much, Sylv! I have this overwhelming need to tell her everything right away, every single detail about what happened at camp with Maddy and how I felt so alone, but I feel like I need to wait. I dont want to start our first after-camp hang on such a sad note.

I missed you, too, she answers, sort of flat.

Were silent then, like somehow we forgot how to talk to each other. I read somewhere that you actually have more to talk about with someone you talk to all the time. When you dont talk for a while, theres less to say, even though youd think it would be the opposite.

Whats with these binders? she asks, looking at the porch floor. Ooh, that looks like my handwriting!

It is your handwriting. I laugh. Im doing the thing I always do when I get home from camp. Putting the letters I sent home in one binder and the letters I got in another binder, archived forever. I roll my eyes. You know how my mom is.

Right, yeah. She leans back in the chair. You didnt really write me as much this summer, though.

My face turns hot for a second. Well, it was kind of a hard summer. Remember my friend Maddy? I ask her.

Um. She thinks for a second. Not really.

I feel a little surprised that she doesnt remember. Well, she got super obsessed with soccer and pretty much stopped hanging out with me and I was stuck with these other girls who were fine but not my favorite. I pause. Im so grateful to be home with you now, and so excited to hang with everyone and just get ready for middle school together.

Sylvie nods and stretches her legs out in front of her. Yeah, I mean, I hung out with Annie and Paloma all summer pretty much. You may not get all of our jokes and stuff, no offense. I ignore the all-over body sting I feel when she says that. I mean, we hung out, like, every single day. It was mostly Annie and Paloma, though, since Zora was at her grandmas in Maryland for half the summer, but sometimes Zora was there, too. She pauses. We called ourselves APS. Like appetizers.

Or applications, I suggest. Like on a phone?

That too. Yeah. Sylvie giggles. But when Zora was there, we were ZAPS.

I nod and force a smile. I wonder if theres room for my E in their acronym. ZAPES has a catchy ring to it.

Sylvie goes on. I hung out with Anjali sometimes, too, after art class, but not that much. She was on this road trip with her parents for a while. They rented an RV!

Wow. My eyes bulge. That sounds pretty awesome.

Yeah. Paloma and I became super close, though, she muses, and I try not to feel that twitchy-heart feelingthe one I got a lot over the summer when Maddy was with Wren and Hattie and the other soccer girls all the time.

Oh, fun, I say, trying to find some enthusiasm. Whatd you guys do together?

Went to the beach mostly. Oh! And we made all these new varieties of smores on her firepitlike check this out. One Oreo, one Chips Ahoy!, and then a marshmallow and a piece of chocolate.

Wow, I say again.

And we did soo many combinations like that. With all the different Oreo flavors. She goes on and on and I start to zone out a little bit.

Very cool. I pick off another tiny crumb of banana bread. I want to finish it because its so good, but suddenly my stomach is tangled up like computer wires. Such a fun summer. I feel bummed that mine wasnt so great. And this Maddy thing was totally out of the blue. I still dont really understand it.

Yeah. Thats weird. She pauses. Um, Anyway. She folds her hands on her lap, almost like shes waiting for me to say something, but Im still tied up from all the Paloma talk and the smores varieties. I feel left out of something I was never going to be part of in the first place. So can we please talk about my birthday party? I know its our tradition to start planning as soon as youre home from camp, but it was really hard for me to wait that long this year.

Yes, but first! I do a little drum roll on my lap, feeling relieved I can bring something fun into this bummer conversation. I have the best best best idea for our costume for the sixth-grade overnight.

Oh yeah? Sylvie asks. Did you already add it to the list of our costume ideas? I cant believe weve been talking about this since third grade!

I didnt add it yet, but if you like it, I will. I turn to face her a little bit. A bar of soap and a loofah! Two counselors wore it for Masquerade Night at camp and it was so awesome.

Really? Sylvie asks, her face scrunched. I dont know. That feels weird, Len. No offense.

I scratch the back of my head. Well, it was just an idea. Anyway, we still have time.

So now can we please please please brainstorm my party? Sylvie claps and gets a notebook and a pen out of her Longport Cones (only the best ice cream shop in the history of ice cream) tote bag. She smiles a cheery smile and I push my left-out feelings away. Maybe all the Maddy stuff seeped into my brain and made me overly sensitive to the ZAPS talk.

Sylvies here, like always, and were planning her birthday party, like always. Everythings fine. So what that she wasnt into my idea? I mean, maybe soap and loofah feels too personal, even in costume form.

Yes! Ready to rock! I raise my hands in the air, mimicking my counselor Natalie from camp this summer. First tell me all of your ideas, so I know what youre already thinking.

A backyard thing for sure cause my smores summer was so magical. And since September is still so warm. I kind of just want to extend summer as much as I can. She pauses. So like backyard movie night?

Oooh! Yes! You can order those little containers of popcorn. Maybe even rent a real popcorn machine, I suggest.

Yes! Brilliant! She claps, all excited.

Guest list? I ask, staring at a squirrel who keeps running up and down the same tree.

Obviously Annie and Paloma. Zora. You. Anjali and maybe the other girls Im friends with from art class. She pauses. Maybe Liam and Patrick from across the street? I dont know. Theyre going to Catholic Middle School, so we wont see them so much anymore. And should I make this a boys-girls thing or no?