Free It's All in Your Mind by Ann Herrick Page B

Just happened to run into him, and told him about Karl being sent to Vietnam."
    "Viet what? Where's that? You didn't say anything about that!"
    I pulled up in front of Caprice's house and stopped. The paint was faded and the yard overgrown. "Oh, sorry, I forgot to tell you. Karl will be home on leave, then sent to Vietnam. It's in Southeast Asia."
    "What? The Navy couldn't find any place farther away to send him and still be on the same planet? Sheesh. They might as well be sending him to Antarctica!"
    It was sweet of Caprice to be so concerned about Karl. But then, she'd always thought of him as the brother she never had. "Yeah, it's pretty far away, all right." I wondered if Caprice would ask me in. She seemed in a talking mood, but she made no move in that direction, so I just sat.
    "I just can't believe that he's going to be so far away. I mean, we're practically grown up, and now—" She stopped and chewed her lip. "What about you and Nolan? How's that going?"
    "Oh ... it's wonderful. Nolan is so devoted to me."
    "Really? I wonder what Karl will think of him."
    "Um, uh, Nolan won't be there."
    "He 's not coming to the party? Why not, if he's so 'devoted' to you?"
    "He just can't."
    "Well, if he were my—"
    A car pulled into the driveway and Caprice's mother got out with an oily-haired guy who looked as if he were once handsome, but now was red-faced and seedy.
    "Ugh. It looks as if my mother has dragged home another barfly. Can we get out of here? Go somewhere else?"
    "Uh, sure." I started the car and pulled away. "Where'd you like to go?"
    "Anywhere. Just away from here."
    "Okay. Umm ... how about my house? Come for supper. Mama and Papa would love to see you, and you know there's always plenty of food."
    "Sounds good, if they won't mind seeing me in my Saveshop uniform."
    "They won't mind." It's better than you looking like an always-in-black beatnik, I thought, though of course I didn't say that.
    Mama and Papa not only didn't mind that I brought Caprice home for supper on short notice, they were thrilled.
    "It's been too long since we've seen you," Mama said, as she and Papa greeted her with open arms. They fussed over her all through supper, and Mama must have told Caprice at least three times she would have to come to the party for Karl, which was now set for Sunday afternoon. I don't think I'd seen Caprice smile so much since the last day of sixth grade, with summer vacation at our feet and junior high on the horizon.
    When I drove her home, she jabbered on about Mama and Papa and the good food and Karl's party. Her face was so lit up, it reminded me of when she won first prize for a fire-prevention poster in seventh grade.
    As I pulled up to the curb in front of Caprice's house, she said, "Oh, good. That car is gone. Guess it's safe to go in. Thanks so much for having me over for supper! I had such a cool time."
    "You're welcome," I said. "See you."
    When I got home, Mama and Papa were still beaming. "It was so nice to see Caprice," Papa said.
    "Jâ," Mama said. "I'm so glad she'll be coming to Karl's party. I know he'll be thrilled to see her. Ever since she stopped coming around, he was always asking about her. He thinks a lot of that girl."
    That was news to me.
     
     
    Chapter Six
     
    It was the day before the big party for Karl, and I had managed to duck out of the planning and preparations long enough to go to meet Nolan at Nicki's for a little while, with the excuse that I needed to go to The Party Shop in Monroe to get some special balloons for decorating. It was easy enough to make a quick stop for the balloons and still have time for a few minutes Nolan. He said he was swamped with stuff to do that day anyway, so a few minutes was all he had.
    When I pulled into the parking lot at Nicki's, I spotted Nolan's motorcycle. My pulse skittered and I practically skipped inside to meet him. He was sitting in a booth. Standing next to him with menus in one hand and her other hand resting on his shoulder was