Toya is on her seventh home and she’s only 16 years old. Next stop, a residential treatment facility. Toya has no clue what a residential treatment facility is, but she knows she wants know parts of one. So she has to clean up her act. No more cussing, no more drinking, no more fighting and no more internet videos—the kind that got her kicked out of her last two foster homes. She’s just been moved to a new foster home—possibly her last foster home—and all is well. A new home in a new town, but her old ways seem to follow her wherever she goes. Not only that, but one of her fiercest demons has just stalked out of the darkness of her past and threatens to drag her down once again. In order to survive, Toya must do something she hasn’t dared to do in a very long time…trust. Boy Toy is the story of one girl’s journey from the lost to the loved.
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Want to start your own Boy Toy book club?
Click here for Discussion Questions |
Many thanks to Lisa W. Tetting - author of The Mistreatment of Zora Langston, who interviewed me about Boy Toy in her blog at lisawtetting.com. Want to read it? Click here.
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sample chapterAt this point in the story, Toya has been working hard to take advantage of her clean slate. She's in new school where no one knows about her past. Until her arch nemesis, Jenelle, humiliates her by exposing to the whole class, the internet video that seemed to haunt Toya everywhere she went. Score one for Jenelle. Now it's payback time. Back in the day, when the Old Toya sought revenge, she took no prisoners. But this isn't the Old Toya anymore...
Chapter 9 You take my rep and I’ll take your man. That was my new motto. I had made my choice. The “clean slate” experiment was officially over. The whole thing was just too hard. It was much easier being the old Toya. I was good at being low down, devious and scandalous. And I was an expert at paybacks. Which is why as soon as my suspension was over, I was busy launching my attack on Jenelle. The cost of destroying my clean slate? One boyfriend. Luckily, Jenelle’s suspension was twice as long as mine, so I had three more days to lay the groundwork on Devon. Not that I needed the extra time. A few minutes of flirting, telling Devon how his T-shirt really showed off the muscles in his back, and I had his phone number. We spoke on the phone that night and every night after. Apparently Devon’s mom didn’t have a problem with girls calling her son after eleven o’clock at night. Then one night, when we had been on the phone for three hours, Jenelle was on the other line. Devon did not click over. I knew I had him hooked. He was all mine. And tonight, he was all mine in my bedroom. Miss Angie and Chelsea were off at Chelsea’s dance recital. I was invited to go, but I told Miss Angie I had some homework to catch up on due to my suspension. It wasn’t a complete lie. I did have work to catch up on, but I wouldn’t dare ask Devon for help. The boy must have taken too many hits to the head while playing football, because he was clueless. The only things he knew anything about was football, girls and TV. So, we sat on the floor in my room watching TV. The Simpsons. Devon loved cartoons–but apparently he loved kissing on me more. He barely even glanced at the TV, too busy kissing and nibbling my neck, his wider receiver-sized hands pawing at me like I was a football. And I was into it. At least, I tried to be into it. But something was missing. Devon was kissable. His lips were full, soft like pillows. Just like the last boy–and the one before that, and the one before that. The same old same old. There was nothing special here. And strangely, I was feeling a strong desire for something special. I kissed Devon harder, trying to lose myself in the moment. This wasn’t about special. It wasn’t about love. It was about revenge. Who cared if my heart wasn’t in it? I did, apparently. As hard as I tried to push out Miss Angie’s words, they kept creeping back into my head. All that mumbo jumbo about planting seeds and watering flowers had really gotten to me. I didn’t think it had. I tried to blow it off. But every time I looked at my window sill and saw my little African violet in a cup, struggling to live, it moved me. I found myself rooting for the poor thing–almost as if I was rooting for myself. I did want that pretty garden. I did want the good seeds to take root and flourish in my life, but I wasn’t sure I could really have it. Was I destined to be every man’s amusement park ride? The girl every boy wanted to screw and no one wanted to take out to dinner and a movie? Would I never be a “decent girl?” “I want you so bad, girl. Man! I can’t wait to…” Huge drops of sweat were dripping off of Devon’s forehead. He had slipped off his T-shirt and was now working on the buttons of my shirt. I barely noticed all of his exertions. The wheels of my mind were churning faster than Devon’s fingers could unbutton. I never really had a boyfriend before, just sex buddies. Devon would be another buddy. A clean slate? Who was I fooling? My slate was so dirty, even when I tried to clean it, it got splashed with something else. I did enjoy that time, though –those few days when my slate was clean. I had felt good about myself—nervous at first, but I was starting to get my confidence back. Another thing I noticed was the quality of people I had started to draw to me. Positive people. Kids who were about something: Terry and Emily, of course. But then there was Shay and Sharita from the church –who read to kids at the homeless shelter once a week, because they wanted to, not because some judge ordered them to. Dominic, from my gym class who was involved in every club, group, organization and society the school had to offer. He was always inviting me to meetings, but I never got that vibe that he was doing so because he was trying to get in my pants. He said I had excellent leadership skills. Me? Excellent? Leader? Skills? Of course, it wasn’t all positive. Jenelle was definitely the rotten apple in the bunch–a dirty, stinking, rotten apple, with fuzzy mold growing all over her. I couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when I popped up at the school with Devon’s arms around me. Sweet satisfaction. Sweet revenge! But would it really be sweet? Sure sleeping with Devon would hurt Jenelle, but so what? This was strange. These thoughts running through my mind. For the first time I was really starting to think about the “C” word. Consequences. Jenelle may be hurt, but she wouldn’t be surprised. If I was being honest with myself, it would be the kind of thing everyone expected a girl like me to do—use my body to get revenge. What would Terry think of me if he found out–when he found out? I would never, ever, ever, ever have a shot at being his girlfriend. If I had a shot at all, that would destroy it all together. And then what about Chelsea? The girl was annoying, but she had been growing on me. What would I tell her? Girl, you gotta use what you got to get what you want. No way. I didn’t want to corrupt that sweet, innocent child. Miss Angie would be disappointed, of course. It saddened me to think about the look on Miss Angie’s face when she picked me up at the school that day. I didn’t want to disappoint her again–especially after all the personal stuff she had just shared with me. I noticed Devon had taken a break from groping me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him dig in the pocket of his jeans and pull out a condom. He snickered, “Always come prepared. That’s what they told me in the boy scouts.” The look of excitement in his eyes. Like a kid waiting in line to get on the roller coaster. I had invited him over to watch TV, but in Devon’s mind I had invited him over for a freak-fest. That’s what he expected from me and I was about to give him no less. What would he say if I said no? If I told him the roller coaster ride would be closed until further notice. He’d be pissed, but who cared? I still might have a shot with Terry. Miss Angie wouldn’t be disappointed. And there would be one less stain on my slate. Then what about Jenelle? No big payback? No sweet revenge. I remembered my grandmother once saying, “Sometimes the best revenge is living well.” Pay Jenelle back by not stooping to her level but by rising above it? It sounded like something I might have heard in Sunday school, but maybe there was some truth to it. Jenelle had pulled that stunt to drag me down, to make me look bad in front of my classmates. What if I came back to school better than ever? Smiled more, laughed louder, showed off some of those “excellent leadership skills” by joining a couple of Dominic’s clubs? Show Jenelle, and everybody else, that no matter what they threw my way, I was coming back bigger, bolder, better than ever! Ah…Sweet Revenge! “What the…” Devon must have been having trouble with my bra, because he stared at the lacey, blue contraption with a puzzled look on his face. The same look he got when the Mr. Chamberlain asked him to work out a geometry problem on the board. Finally, he said: “Can you help me out here?...Toya?” I finally looked at him, really looked at him, as if meeting him for the first time. That smooth, dark chocolate skin. His muscle bound chest, rising and falling with anticipation. I felt his enormous hand on my bra and I saw the look in his eyes–that Yay! I’m-about-to-get-me-some look. I saw his jaw drop when I finally said the words, “I can’t do this.” “I know, man, this bra is crazy.” “No.” I knocked his hand away and started re-buttoning my shirt. “I’m not talking about the bra, I’m talking about this. Having sex with you.” He looked stunned. “What? Why? Is it my breath?” “No, it’s not your--” “I’ve got gum.” “I didn’t say it was--” “It’s okay. Jenelle makes me keep gum with me all the time.” Devon started rummaging through his pockets for the gum, until I grabbed his arm. “Devon, stop. Your breath is fine. It’s me.” “You? Your breath smells good.” “Will you stop talking about bad breath!” I snapped. “I’m trying to tell you something.” “What?” Devon slipped into smooth operator mode and slid his arm around me. “What is it, baby?” “It’s me. I can’t do it with you Devon. It’s wrong.” “Wrong?” “Yeah. I mean, you and I both know the only reason I’d be doing it is to get back at Jenelle.” Devon tipped his head back and let out a loud cackle. “Is that what this is about? It’s okay, baby. You can use me. I don’t mind.” He leaned in to kiss my ear. I pulled away. “No, it’s not fair to you. Or to me. I don’t need any more drama in my life.” “There don’t have to be no drama, girl. Jenelle don’t have to know what we do.” I buried my head in my hands. I could tell this was going nowhere. Saying no to Devon was like giving him a shot of Viagra. Now he was massaging my shoulders. And he smelled so good. Calvin Klein's Eternity for Men. I could feel myself weakening. If I was ever going to take a stand, I had to do it now. It was time for drastic measures. I held Devon’s hands in mine and looked deeply into his eyes. |
“I love you, Devon,” I said, and could immediately feel Devon’s hands turn ice cold. It was working already. In addition to the tips, another thing I picked up while working in Miss Angie’s salon was relationship advice. The best way to cool off a man who wants to have sex is to talk about love or religion. If that didn’t work, cry. I hadn’t been listening enough in church to talk about religion, so I thought I’d give love a try. “I didn’t plan for this to happen, Devon,” I said. “But I really do love you. I want us to spend every moment together.” “Toya I-I…I mean, J-Jenelle and--” Devon stumbled over his words, barely remembering how to speak. “I know. I know. You’re with her. It’s my loss.” I tried to say with a straight face. “But can’t you see? How can I make love to you then watch you walking down the hallway with her, holding hands and stuff, on Monday morning? It would break my heart.” Devon let out a deep sigh, speechless. Then he jumped up so quickly, I thought he was going to bolt for the door. He paced the floor, scratching his head—as if it would bring the right words to surface in his mind. “Listen, I--” “You don’t have to say it. I know you don’t feel the same way.” I rested my head in my knees so he couldn’t see me laughing.” “Aw, don’t cry.” “No, I’m okay. I’ll be okay.” My voice was muffled by my knees. I lifted my head and whimpered, “You’d better go now.” Devon’s head hung low as he turned and slowly walked to the door. He put his hand on the door knob and my heart leapt. It had worked. It had actually worked. Then he stopped. Devon rested his head against the door then sighed. “I can’t.” “You can’t what?” “I can’t leave you like this.” Uh oh. I quickly straightened up. “No, no. You go on. I’m fine. See, I’m better already.” I flashed him a big cheesy grin. “You don’t have to pretend with me, Toya. I can see right through you.” “No, really…I’m not pretending.” Devon walked back to my side, with a look of determination. “Truth is…I love you too, Toya.” “You what?” “I love you, girl.” Now it was my turn to forget how to speak. I sputtered. “Huh?…B-but, what…what about J-Jenelle.” “She’s gonna kill me. She’s gonna kill us both. But I don’t care. You’re so much nicer than she is. And when we talk on the phone, we talk about real stuff–football and X-box. Jenelle only wants to talk about shopping.” Devon rushed over and took my hand in his. “And you never yell at me or call me names like Jenelle. Last week when I forgot it was our eleven month anniversary, she called me a big, dumb Jock-a-saurus” “That’s a pet name! She only does that to show you that she loves you.” I couldn’t believe I was actually defending my arch enemy. “Nah. That’s not love. What we have…it’s true love.” This was not going well. I almost wanted to have sex with him just to get him to shut up. I didn’t want to mess with the boy’s head. Maybe the truth would come in handy here. “Listen, Devon…I’m not really--” A thud interrupted me. “What was that?” Me and Devon whispered in unison. Next came the unmistakable jangle of Miss Angie’s keys. “My foster mom. She’s home,” I hissed. “I thought you said she wouldn’t be home--” “I know what I said. I guess she changed her mind.” The thump, thump, thump, of Chelsea’s lead feet on the stairs followed. “You gotta get out of here.” “I can hide in the closet.” “Uh-uh…with my luck, she’ll come up here and head right for the closet looking for her tennis racket or something.” I gripped Devon’s arm and dragged him to the window. “Trust me you do not want to mess with Miss Angie. You think Jenelle is scary?” “Okay, okay…” Devon’s body was dangling half out the window, half in. “Hey. Aren’t you going to kiss me goodnight?” Suddenly Chelsea burst through the door, saying, “Don’t laugh, I got stage fright. Threw up before I--” Panicked, I shoved Devon out the window with one hard push. A yell, tree branches crackled, then a clunk. I peeked out the window just in time to see Devon climbing back to his feet. “Oooh!” Chelsea howled like a siren. “You had a--” “Shhhh!” I slapped my hand over Chelsea’s mouth, just as Miss Angie barged in the room. “What in the world is going on up here?” “Nothing,” we replied, innocently. Miss Angie stood there with her hands on her hips and I realized how it must look: Me standing there holding Chelsea in a headlock, my hand clamped over her mouth. I slowly released the girl. “Um…Chelsea was about to throw up and I was helping her hold it in.” Chelsea nodded her head vigorously. “Uh huh. But, I think I’m okay now.” She breathed out an exaggerated sigh of relief. “Whew! Thanks Toya. That was a close one.” Miss Angie folded her arms and said, “I thought I heard someone yell.” “It was a cat,” we answered, a little too quickly. It freaked me out, a little, that me and Chelsea were so different, but in the heat of the moment came up with the same lie. Chelsea added, “Uh…there was a cat outside, howling. I think it was in heat.” Miss Angie stared at the two of us as if reading our minds. We looked guilty. Though, of what, she couldn’t even imagine. Chelsea had only been in the house for thirty seconds. Not nearly enough time to get into trouble. Finally, Miss Angie gave up on the mind reading. “Well, whatever… Chelsea, I put a glass of ginger ale on your night stand. Drink it and then go take your shower.” “Yes Mommy,” Chelsea said then disappeared. Miss Angie turned her eyes to me. “You get your homework done?” “Most of it. How was the recital?” “Fine. What we could see of it. Chelsea got sick just before she was about to walk on stage.” “That’s a shame.” “Well, last year she threw up in the car on the way to the recital. So, at least we’re making progress.” Miss Angie walked over to the window and peeked outside. Nothing but trees and houses. “I’m going to check on Chelsea. Goodnight, Toya.” “Goodnight.” As soon as Miss Angie left, I flopped on the bed and exhaled. That was a close one. It was a good thing Devon played football. Any other boy falling out of that window would have still been laying there with a broken leg, just waiting for Miss Angie to come down and break his neck too. My cell phone chirped and I nearly leaped off of her bed, startled. Clutching my chest with one hand, I picked up the phone with the other. A text message. Devon: “I luv u, gurl!” 
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Book Club Questions
Want to start a Boy Toy Book Club? Here are some questions to get you started.
1. When we first meet Toya, she has just arrived at her seventh foster home in five years. What kinds of adjustments has she had to make in her life in having to move from house to house to house over those five years? How has it affected her?
2. We know that Toya was attracted to Terry from the moment she first laid eyes on him. Yet when she had to chance to hang out with him for the first time and braid his hair, she ended “stabbing him in the head with a comb?” What did Terry do to upset Toya that day? In spite of that rough beginning, why do you think Toya and Terry became friends so quickly?
3. When Toya called Terry for the first time, she encountered his mother—who was not pleased that Toya had called her son so late at night. Before hanging up on Toya, she told Toya “…you are not a decent girl.” Those words seemed to haunt Toya throughout the book. Why do you think those words stuck with Toya for so long, even though others had said far worse things to her?
4. What was it about the Toya’s fight with Jenelle and the video that had upset Miss Angie so much? In what way did Miss Angie see a part of herself in Toya? What significance did the African violet plant have for Miss Angie?
5. Toya had the perfect opportunity to get revenge against Jenelle by stealing her boyfriend. At the last moment, however, she couldn’t go through with it. Why not? What affect would it have had if Toya had actually gone through with her plan to get revenge on Jenelle?
6. Why do you think Toya agreed to see her mother, Tamika, after she had been out of her life for so long? How did running help Toya get through the stress she was feeling in the days leading up to her visit with her mother?
7. Through the photo albums that Tamika gives to Toya, we get a glimpse of Toya’s family and what her life had been like before foster care. How would you describe Toya’s natural family?
8. What motivated Mr. Rick to approach Toya that day as she walked home from school? Why do you think Toya decided not to tell anyone about her encounter with Mr. Rick?
9. Toya never seemed to be a shy person at any point in this story, so why do you think chose to go through the pretense of the “mystery date” with Terry instead of just telling him she wanted to go out with him? Why did Emily’s suggestion that Terry might not be excited about the thought of Toya as his mystery date cause her to freak out?
10. Toya finally revealed the truth to Miss Angie about being stalked by Mr. Rick. In what way was the response different this time than years earlier when Toya first told the truth about Mr. Rick? How was the response the same?
11. Toya had just experienced a great victory in the courtroom, celebrated with a fabulous dinner and experienced the excitement of seeing Miss Angie and Mr. Kevin finally becoming a couple, but that night all she could do was think about her mother. Why was she so worried about her mother? What did the decision to start calling Miss Angie now Mom-Angie say about her feelings about her mother?
12. Everything was perfect for Toya’s first official date with Terry, so why was she so unhappy? Why did Terry’s gift make her feel worse instead of better? What was it about her conversation with her Mom-Angie that calmed her down?
13. After reading the letter from Granny Jean, do you think it’s possible for Toya to have a relationship with her new little brother? With her mother?
1. When we first meet Toya, she has just arrived at her seventh foster home in five years. What kinds of adjustments has she had to make in her life in having to move from house to house to house over those five years? How has it affected her?
2. We know that Toya was attracted to Terry from the moment she first laid eyes on him. Yet when she had to chance to hang out with him for the first time and braid his hair, she ended “stabbing him in the head with a comb?” What did Terry do to upset Toya that day? In spite of that rough beginning, why do you think Toya and Terry became friends so quickly?
3. When Toya called Terry for the first time, she encountered his mother—who was not pleased that Toya had called her son so late at night. Before hanging up on Toya, she told Toya “…you are not a decent girl.” Those words seemed to haunt Toya throughout the book. Why do you think those words stuck with Toya for so long, even though others had said far worse things to her?
4. What was it about the Toya’s fight with Jenelle and the video that had upset Miss Angie so much? In what way did Miss Angie see a part of herself in Toya? What significance did the African violet plant have for Miss Angie?
5. Toya had the perfect opportunity to get revenge against Jenelle by stealing her boyfriend. At the last moment, however, she couldn’t go through with it. Why not? What affect would it have had if Toya had actually gone through with her plan to get revenge on Jenelle?
6. Why do you think Toya agreed to see her mother, Tamika, after she had been out of her life for so long? How did running help Toya get through the stress she was feeling in the days leading up to her visit with her mother?
7. Through the photo albums that Tamika gives to Toya, we get a glimpse of Toya’s family and what her life had been like before foster care. How would you describe Toya’s natural family?
8. What motivated Mr. Rick to approach Toya that day as she walked home from school? Why do you think Toya decided not to tell anyone about her encounter with Mr. Rick?
9. Toya never seemed to be a shy person at any point in this story, so why do you think chose to go through the pretense of the “mystery date” with Terry instead of just telling him she wanted to go out with him? Why did Emily’s suggestion that Terry might not be excited about the thought of Toya as his mystery date cause her to freak out?
10. Toya finally revealed the truth to Miss Angie about being stalked by Mr. Rick. In what way was the response different this time than years earlier when Toya first told the truth about Mr. Rick? How was the response the same?
11. Toya had just experienced a great victory in the courtroom, celebrated with a fabulous dinner and experienced the excitement of seeing Miss Angie and Mr. Kevin finally becoming a couple, but that night all she could do was think about her mother. Why was she so worried about her mother? What did the decision to start calling Miss Angie now Mom-Angie say about her feelings about her mother?
12. Everything was perfect for Toya’s first official date with Terry, so why was she so unhappy? Why did Terry’s gift make her feel worse instead of better? What was it about her conversation with her Mom-Angie that calmed her down?
13. After reading the letter from Granny Jean, do you think it’s possible for Toya to have a relationship with her new little brother? With her mother?
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Book Excerpt:
Chapter 5
A Flight to the Never Mind
A Flight to the Never Mind
“Everyone, meet Astrid,” Jax announced, after yanking open the door to the dusty blue van.
Astrid peered in. She saw three children, but only heard one voice reply, “Hi Astrid.”
The cheerful voice came from the little boy sitting in the back. He was about her age, small frame, with white blond hair and ocean blue eyes. “I’m Owen.”
She waived timidly.
Jax looked over his shoulder. He knew he didn’t have much time, but he didn’t want to scare Astrid any more than she already was by hurrying her along. “Go on, little one. It’s okay,” he said, kindly. “They won’t bite. I promise.” Jax held out his hands and Astrid raised her arms, allowing him to lift her into the van.
Now that she was fully inside, she could see the other two children. One, a girl—older, around ten. Painfully frail, with short bushy hair. The other, a boy Astrid’s age, round, plump with curly red hair. They looked miserably hot, like they had been riding around in that van for hours. And since neither of them had spoken to her, she decided to sit beside Owen. The only one who had said a word to her and the only one with a smile on his face.
She maneuvered her way to the back of the van, toward the boy with the beaming smile. His legs were really thin—too thin for the rest of his body. Just behind him, Astrid could see parts of a metal contraption that she assumed was his wheelchair.
As soon as Astrid sat down, Owen’s eyes turned dreamy. “You’re beautiful.”
“She looks like a boy,” the plump one said. “What’s wrong with your hair?”
“Shut up! It’s trendy,” snapped Owen. “Don’t listen to him, Astrid. That’s Grant. He’s a grouch.” He chuckled. “Grant the Grouch. That’s funny.”
“You’d be a grouch too if you’d been torn away from your family and forced to ride around in this big, dumb, stupid van.”
The bushy haired girl finally spoke, rather, she signed the words, “We’re all in the same boat.”
Astrid’s eyes lit up. She signed back. “You sign too?”
The girl nodded.
“That’s Lyric,” Owen added. “She can’t talk and she’s deaf, but she can read lips.” He looked at her purple cast. “You broke your arm?”
“Duh! No, she’s just being trendy,” said Grant.
“I meant, how…” Owen said quickly, feeling foolish for his choice of words. “How did you break your arm?”
Just then, she heard the door up front slam shut and the van grumbled to life. They lurched forward and were on their way. Astrid looked back and, through the small square window, she saw the familiar sights of Daisy Street begin to shrink from view. Waves of sadness washed over her. Already she was missing Uncle Russ, and the chickens, and the trees, and the mud pies.
A warm sensation found its way to her hand. She looked down and saw that Owen was holding her hand. “It’ll be okay, Astrid. I’m right here with you.”
Even though she didn’t know him, she felt comforted.
“Watch it, Romeo.” Jax warned, glaring at Owen through the rearview mirror. “Keep your hands to yourself.”
He quickly dropped Astrid’s hand.
“Aw! Let him hold her hand, it might shut him up,” said Grant. “I mean, he’s been flapping his lips ever since we picked him up.”
“I can’t help it if I’m friendly,” Owen said, not at all phased by Grant’s glower. “You want me to be all mean and yell at everybody?”
Grant thought it over. “Actually, yes. Yes, I would like that, Sunshine.”
The whole scene made Lyric snicker.
Grant didn’t find anything funny. He just groaned and declared, “I’m hungry!”
“Yes, child, you sang that tune to me already,” said Jax. “What happened to the fruit and crackers I put back there for ya?”
“He ate all of it,” Owen spoke up, with a little bitterness—the first note of any anger from this one.
“No way! You had some too!” said Grant.
“Yeah, me and Lyric had like four crackers between us. You ate the rest and the berries.”
Lyric signed along, emphatically agreeing with Owen. Echoing every word.
Jax sighed. “Hold on children. One more stop to go.” He made a hard right and they were are tossed to one side of the van.
The one more stop was to pick up twin boys. Blue and Teal. Born premature and blind, they had been at a facility for the past two years. Astrid would later learn that the kitchen staff had arranged for Jax to come and get them because the guards were so cruel to them. Blue and Teal weren’t identical twins, but they had the same shyness, the same quiet demeanor. The same dingy, gray, North Ward uniforms. The same scared look on their faces when Jax herded them into the van.
Owen, the social coordinator, jumped right in with the introductions, adding a little bit of backstory with each name. “…and this is the beautiful Astrid. She doesn’t talk with her mouth, but she says a lot with her eyes.”
Astrid shook her head, briskly.
“Yes, you do. See? You just did it right there. Your eyes are saying, ‘this boy is bananas.”’
Astrid started to laugh, but quickly caught it, by covering her mouth.
Grant perked up. “Bananas? I’d love a banana right about now.”
The van erupted with laughter from the other children, until they felt a subtle rocking, as Jax climbed back into the van.
“That’s it,” Jax announced. “Now, we’re ready to go.”
“Go where?” asked a very irritated Grant.
Jax bit his tongue, choosing not to answer that question again. Instead he swore and fought with the ignition until, at last, it revved up. They were on their way.
Thankfully, “where” was not too far away. Just a twenty-minute ride, over a very bumpy, twisting, narrow road.
Oceali Airfield North. Jax had to admit, he was glad to see the sign. Between the heat and the whiny kid in the back, he would be happy when this leg of the journey was over. He drove right past the gate. No need to show a badge or ID. Only a few planes used the airfield. Oceali was no longer a tourist hotspot. There were a few shipments and only a handful of medical personnel that used this field in any given week. Airfield East was slightly busier, used by the more affluent citizens of Oceali. Airfield South was exclusively for the royal family. And Airfield West closed down years ago, overrun by rising tides.
Airfield North should have been shut down too, due to lack of use. The Kassan family, one of the wealthier families on the island—and also very loyal to the Underground—bought the airfield to be used for their import-export business, which was really a cover for its true purpose. Jax only had to call them the day before, so they could fuel up the jet, falsify some documents and make the necessary arrangements to ensure safe passage.
It had always worked like clockwork. So, there was no reason to doubt it would be that way this time too. And it was.
There was a cascade of gasps and excited whispers when the children finally caught glimpses of the plane.
“Oooh! Are we going up in an airplane?” one of them yelled from the back.
“We sure are.” Jax pulled the van right up alongside the Cessna aircraft and started barking out orders. “All right, listen up little people…We just have a little further to go. Let me get us loaded up and we’ll be on our way, okay?”
They nodded in unison, hanging on his every word, just waiting for the signal. For him to say “go” and they would pile on to the magnificent machine.
“When I put you on the plane, buckle up and don’t touch anything. Ya hear me?”
More nodding.
“Good!” he said, sternly, then his eyes lit up when he said, “Now, who wants to go for a ride?”
The van rocked with cheers.
Blue and Teal climbed aboard first. They felt their way among the seats until they reached the last row and sat down. The plane was divided into three rows of two-seaters on the left side and three rows of single seats on the right. The twins took the two-seater in the back. Lyric took the single seat across the aisle from them. The other children waited outside for their turn to be seated, while Jax carried Owen and gently placed him in the next two-seater.
“Thanks, Mr. Jax.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Can you hurry up? It’s hot,” Grant complained. Now that they were out of the van, Astrid could see that his left arm was far shorter than the right. She had been wondering what his deficiency was—other than being annoying. “And this smell is making me sick.”
“It’s probably just the jet fuel,” Jax replied then mumbled, “Or all the crackers and berries you ate.” Then he turned and said sweetly, “Do you want to sit next to your new friend, Astrid?”
Astrid looked at Grant who was starting to turn green and then at Owen, whose lovey dovey grin was making her nauseous. A tough decision. She pointed to Owen.
“All right, in ya go!” He scooped her up and set her feet down on the carpeted floor of the plane.
Owen smiled and asked, “Do you want the window seat?”
That was nice of him. Astrid smiled politely and shook her head.
Last to get on board was Grant. Jax tried to help him, but the boy just brushed his hand away. “I am more than capable of climbing up three steps, thank you.”
Jax sighed, “Buckle up, everybody,” as he disappeared from sight.
Everyone seemed to manage their buckles rather easily, except Astrid. Even Grouchy Grant managed to stop complaining long enough to get buckled in. She had been able to buckle herself in Russ’ car, but, with one hand, this one seemed to be fighting against her.
“Here.” Owen reached over and managed to click it in two simple moves.
She mouthed the words, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Have you ever been on a plane before?”
Astrid reached into the blackness of her memory and couldn’t recall ever being on a plane. She shook her head.
“I have,” Grant interjected, as if someone had asked him. “Plenty of times. We used to take vacations all over the world.”
“All over the world? Really?” said Owen, pretending to sound impressed. He leaned into Astrid and tried to keep their conversation more private this time. “I was on a plane once. When I was a baby. My mom said they took me to this special doctor to see if he could fix my legs. She said I cried the whole time. Of course, I was too little to remember.”
“My parents flew the doctors in,” Grant inserted himself into the conversation once again. “Doctors from Asia, Africa—”
“Lunch!” Jax announced and Grant’s list was cut short.
Jax handed out white cardboard boxes to each of his passengers. “Blue…Teal…” One by one the boxes found their way to their rightful owners, who greedily tore them open.
Teal took a deep breath and said, “Yes! My favorite.” Just from its scent, he could tell the box contained thick slices of ham, cheese and apples. He turned his head in his brother’s direction. “What did you get?”
Blue waived his box in Teal’s direction and let him inhale the smell of steaming hot chicken pot pie. “My favorite.” How long had it been since he had had a pot pie? Now everyone was eager to see what was in their boxes.
“Tacos!” Owen cheered. “I love tacos.” He looked back at Lyric and let her read his lips. “Is that your favorite, Lyric?”
She nodded, her face already covered in strawberry ice cream.
Why hadn’t it melted? Astrid thought. It must’ve been sitting in that hot van for hours. Why was Blue’s pie steaming hot? How was any of this possible? Then she remembered Jax and his legs stretching and a shrinking as needed. Was he a magician?
Her train of thought was broken by a weird gurgling sound. She looked over at Grant, who was shoveling mounds and mounds of chocolate candy into his mouth with his dominant hand. She assumed that was his favorite.
“Astrid.” Jax set a box on her lap. Her heart leaped, picturing a pile of Uncle Russ’ cookies waiting for her to devour them. But they weren’t there. No chunky chocolate cookies. No cookies at all. Instead she found two yellow cupcakes, glistening with white icing. She leaned in a little closer and took a sniff. Lemon.
“Is that your favorite?” Owen asked, with a mouth full of chicken tacos.
Astrid shrugged her shoulders.
Owen replied, “It has to be. Everyone else got their favorites.”
“Who cares,” said Grant. “Eat it. Or will.”
Astrid took that threat seriously. She broke off a piece of lemon cupcake and hurried to shoved it into her mouth.
Delightful. Light and moist. Tangy and sweet. A tiny piece of heaven in her mouth. How did they know she would like it? —Love it. How did they know that this would be her new favorite? How did they know that she would finish off the first cupcake in three bites? How did they know? And who were they anyway?
Jax finished putting the last of the bookbags, suitcases and shopping bags onto the plane. Finally, he slipped Owen’s wheelchair onto the small space between the passengers and the cockpit.
When they saw him again, he was climbing into the pilot’s seat.
“You’re flying the plane too?” asked Grant.
“That’s why they call me Jax Offalltrades.” He fired up the plane’s engines and they could hear the whirl of the propellers starting to turn.
“Hey! Can I sit up there with you?” Grant asked, while licking the chocolate off of his fingers.
Jax smirked. Looking at the annoying boy, with the chubby cheeks and the chocolate covered fingers, he suddenly didn’t seem so annoying anymore. But the thought of going the next hour and ten minutes with Grant as his copilot, getting chocolate all over his dials and levers? “Maybe next time, kid. Maybe next time.”
Soaring among the clouds felt like a dream—literally a dream. Astrid fell asleep in Uncle Russ’ car last night and just a few hours later she was flying in a plane, for the first time ever, with a bunch of strangers, on her way to some unknown place. It was part dream and part nightmare, because she had no idea what was waiting for her when this plane landed. But Uncle Russ assured her it would be good, and she trusted Uncle Russ. Besides, no one else seemed worried. Everyone else was just enjoying the ride. Except Grant. He was nauseous from the moment the plane lifted off. All the candy he had stuffed down his throat was trying to force its way back up. He just leaned his head against the window and groaned the whole time. “Ugh! When are we going to get there?”
“Won’t be much longer now, kid. Hang in there,” Jax yelled over his shoulder. He passed a paper bag to him. “Here ya go. Just in case.”
Grant snatched up the bag. But he didn’t throw up, thankfully. He just moaned a little longer, until he finally fell asleep. Astrid almost felt sorry for him. If he hadn’t scarfed up the last bit of her lemon cupcake when she turned her head to look out the window, she would have definitely felt sorry for him. Right now, she was feeling quiet vindication. She went back to looking out the window.
Astrid regretted turning down Owen’s offer to sit by the window. The view was amazing. A vast expanse of ocean as far as the eye could see, with the occasional dot of land. She had read about it in some books and Uncle Russ had told her all about it too. The Shift. The climate shift. When temperatures grew warm, causing the icebergs to melt. Water levels began to rise. Barely noticeable at first. But over the past one hundred years or so, huge chunks of land had been swallowed up by water. It was fascinating to hear his stories: fleeing his home in a boat, the great storms that wiped whole towns away, watching his father’s truck get swept away by a rush of water, while he, his parents and his two brothers clung to the trees for dear life.
It was one thing to hear his stories, but to see the aftermath with her own eyes was simply stunning. Astrid drifted off to sleep with her head on Owen’s shoulder, dreaming that she was floating on a sea of lemonade, in a boat made of chunky chocolate cookies.
The next words she remembered hearing were: “Wake up, sleepy heads.”
Jax was still in the cockpit, pushing nobs and levers, but occasionally looked back to say, “We’re here. Get ready for landing.”
Here. Where was here? Astrid craned her neck to see out of the front of the plane but all she saw was white. No more ocean. Thick clouds had surrounded the plane and seemed to be escorting them to their final destination. She felt a sinking in her stomach. The plane was dipping lower. Her excitement was elevating. This was an adventure. A full-on adventure. Not knowing what was going to happen next was scary, but also thrilling because she was with people she could trust. Whatever happened they were in it together.
The plane jolted, jiggled and jumped, tossing everyone from side to side. Before the panicking and crying started, Jax took charge. “Just a little turbulence. The plane is dancing on the air, little ones. Relax. No need to worry.”
Grant completely disregarded his words, “Relax? We’re about to fall out of the sky!”
“Stop being dramatic, boy! You think I’d put you on a plane that would drop you out of the sky?”
Another jolt and the plane dipped some more.
Astrid looked behind her. Lyric’s eyes were closed and she was quietly praying. Blue and Teal were gripping the arm rests, tightly, like they were trying to stabilize the plane on their own.
Astrid tried not to panic. She wanted to believe Jax. But with each jolt, that was getting harder and harder to do. She heard another voice in her ear, soothing her. “We’re safe. We’re almost there,” Owen said, softly.
Him, she did believe. Astrid reached her right hand over her broken left arm and grabbed on to his hand. Better. She felt much better. Owen was a rock. He didn’t even seem to mind how hard she was squeezing his poor hand. He had the same sweet smile on his face, which gave Astrid permission to hold on until the plane touched the ground.
The first thing Astrid noticed when she stepped off the plane was the air. Warm, but not that thick soup of pollution and humidity from back at home. All around her was green. There were lots of green trees and grass on Oceali—at least she thought they were green. Not like this green. Deep and lush shades of green, like she had never seen before. Beautiful. That was the only word she could think of.
The only thing that wasn’t beautiful was the sound of Grant’s retching, throwing up on the other side of the plane. He had been doing that for the past five minutes, bringing up lemon cake, candies, crackers and berries, along with whatever it was he had for breakfast.
From out of nowhere, came the music, startling Astrid. She turned around and saw the band. Children with their horns and drums, playing a festive song. Above them was a sign that said Welcome in purple letters trimmed in gold.
As the band hit its final note, she emerged.
A statuesque woman in navy blue, pinstriped trousers and silvery white silk blouse. She looked like one of those women in the old-fashioned magazines that used to belong to Uncle Russ’ wife that he, for some reason, refused to throw away. The woman took a few graceful steps and stood right in front of this group of children, who stared at her, wide-eyed, as if under her spell.
“Welcome children. My name is Allison French and I am the Dean of Education at the Academy. Welcome to the Isle of the Never Mind.”
