We rode in the white Toyota, Corolla, as we headed into town. I turned my head when I heard Jonah’s grumbling and Mige’s laughter.

  Maryanne: Looks like Jonah lost rock, paper, scissors again.

  Strength: He sure sucks at it!

  Mark: He’s pulling the game and letting the kid win.

  Jack: Awful nice of him.

  After we came back he changed. You know this.

  I turned back to stare out of my window. Jonah and Mige got along like two wolves in a den.

  They shared common interests despite their age difference while Juaquin was the Alpha, and Mama watched it all in amusement. We parked not too far from the south entrance, the closest entrance to get to Ice Palace.

  It was near the southern end of the mall, at the edge of it. We had some walking to do. We entered through a store entrance and into the mall passing a fountain decorated for Easter, which was in two days.

  The annual Easter hunt took place here and this fountain was home base. There were all sorts of rabbits with baskets and the water was dyed pink. I wanted to run my fingers through it and see if the dye came off my fingers.

  Maryanne: IT MIGHT BE TOXIC!

  Strength: IT SOUNDS LIKE FUN! DO IT!

  Mark: LUG HEAD, IT IS TOXIC!

  Jack: IT’S A PRETTY COLOR, BUT I AGREE WITH BRO. DON’T TOUCH IT!

  I won’t! I’m not that stupid!

  I picked up my pace to find that the others were waiting for me. I blushed and we continued on. As we do, bags crinkled, and people shouted not just to each other, but it seemed to me too. I’m always checking behind my back. I screamed sorry to a display of Maybelline.

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  I felt so lost, and the world was starting to spin in fairy lights and noise. I felt a hand grab mine and looked up. Jonah was starting to worry. He had this furrow through his brows and his eyes were liquid and questioning.

  “Are you ok, Myra?” he asked, with that same worry making his voice slightly lower than normal. I concentrated on his gray and emerald eyes for a minute, nodding and wincing as the intercom static whispered my name again.

  “You don’t have to pretend, sis,” said Mige. “Most of us know what you go through being here.”

  Jonah narrowed his eyes and I winced for a different reason. “Myra? Want to tell me something?”

  I gulped rubbing my neck. “I kinda sorta–”

  “She can’t stand the mall or anything loud like theatres,” said Mige nailing another nail in my coffin.

  I winced as a shout sounded through the mall reverberating through the halls. “I–”

  “Her voices become loud and unruly in these circumstances,” added Juaquin glaring at Jonah. “Which surprised me she wanted to come here.”

  Jonah rose an eyebrow. “She wanted ice cream but if I had known–” he muttered glaring at me.

  I lowered my head. He was probably thinking about that one time he took me to watch a movie or the times we hung at the mall. True I ended with headaches and loud voices after but they were worth my pain. All three times! I glanced at him and wanted to kick myself. He looked sad and unsure of himself.

  “Now I know why Juaquin wanted to murder me the times I suggested–” he began and I sighed glancing away.

  “I’m not made of glass,” I huffed walking faster but he kept up with his longer legs.

  “I know that–”

  I turned to him and glared. “Then why treat me as I am? I had fun those times. Enough about this. I’m gonna lose my appetite for ice cream.”

  “Heaven forbid,” he muttered, smirking.

  Sometimes Jonah was a bit overprotective but I was fine on Earth.

  We came to Ice Palace and it was full to the brim. The columns made of styrofoam had people leaning against them. with the usual display of the happy snow people family frolicking in the styrofoam. We managed to get seats in the far corner booth.

  A bunch of school girls were being noisy in the next booth and I shut my eyes and rubbed my temples. Please let me get my ice cream and be out of here soon. One of the girls turned around and I recognized her. Katilia. There were going to be problems if she noticed Jonah here with me.

  After the prank that was played on her, Jonah dropped her like a used tissue and started hanging out with me instead. It began small. First, we started trading homework and words in the hallway. Then sitting together at lunch hour. Katilia and Ralf didn’t like this and started to pressure and bully me constantly.

  Jonah got mad and after our first outing to the theatres staked his claim so to speak. In front of the general mill, he stood up for me after another bullying by them, and said in no uncertain terms, that I was off-limits to them. This brought a rupture in the golden trio of the school. Katilia got her dad involved and Jonah was forced to still be her friend but he rarely saw her. Ralf had joined the basketball team recently and wasn’t so bad now.

  “Mige that is so not fair,” whined Jonah as he threw another match of rock, paper, scissors. I smiled and stood to help Juaquin with the ice cream. He was juggling the four cones like an acrobat.

  They were big cones and he had trouble carrying two, let alone four. As I rose, I noticed Katilia doing the same. We were bound to run into each other! I hurried to Juaquin’s side. He gave me a suspicious look.

  “Everything ok?” he asked, and I nodded.

  “I wanted to help you out,” I said smiling, and he raised an eyebrow, but handed me two cones of ice cream. Jonah’s birthday cake flavor, and my cheesecake. He took Mige’s cookie dough and his vanilla, and we walked back to the table, where Katilia was making a show.

  Jonah had his hands over Mige’s ears, while Katilia screamed obscenities at Jonah, who shrugged. Mige looked scared, and Juaquin groaned something about troublemakers. I sighed and walked over to the table.

  “Katilia! You are scaring my little brother. What do you want?” I asked, as Juaquin stood beside me glaring at her and handing Mige his ice cream. It calmed him down somewhat, and he began to lick it in large gulps. I handed Jonah his ice cream, and that gained me an icy glare from her.