CHAPTER 8


I Have Seen the Future and It's Like the Present, Only Longer. - Dan Quisenberry

Summary

Tibby found herself mourning the days before she had a little brother and sister. Days when there wasn't a wash-and-wear carpet on the floor. Days when she didn't have to cut up food for a little boy who threw it on the floor. Days when her mother didn't expect her to be a co-parent. Days when she could talk to mother who now never seemed to have the time. Now she spent all her free time in her room with a quiet little guinea pig and a computer that no longer lit up with IM messages, because her friends were all far away.

The scene shifts to Bridget. Bridget was sunning with Diana when Eric strolled by. He noticed her, of course, just as she had intended. Then, she got up and went over to where he was sitting, flirtatiously leaning over him, her long hair hanging down seductively, and whispered her question, What time is the scrimmage? Her friends were all properly impressed.

Later, she wrote a letter to Carmen explaining about how flirtatious she was being with Eric and how bad that made her. Ha! Ha! She also mentioned traveling to the little Mexican town of Mulegé where Eric's Mom lives. She was touching all bases in her campaign to win him over.

Lena had one more day with the Pants before she had to mail them on. She decided she had one more day to have an adventure with them. She walked up to the crest of the hill above the village and came upon an exquisite little arbor. There was also a spring-fed pond and olive trees. She set up her easel and began to paint. Later, sweaty and dizzy from the sun, she came to wish she had brought her bathing suit. She looked around and realized she was alone, so she stripped down to her bra and underwear. However, the Pants seemed to encourage her to take them off, too, and she decided it would be okay to skinny-dip. She floated serenely on the water until suddenly she stood on the bottom, aware that someone was there. She pulled herself out of the water just as a figure emerged from behind a tree. It was Kostos. She became supremely angry at him, believing he had followed her and spied on her while she was naked. When she arrived home, her clothes askew, her grandmother gasped at the sight of her and asked what had happened. Lena began to cry and told her that Kostos was not a nice boy! before she stomped off to her room.

Notes

Bridget continues to slide down a very slippery slope with Eric while Tibby seems to have no life at all. Lena finally has an adventure with the Pants, but it is far from that exciting moment she had envisioned. She doesn't realize that she herself is the obstacle to having any excitement in her life.