him or something. Nobody really knows the details, and probably the two sets of parents donât even remember anymore, but the end result is that they hate each other and never ever want their kids to be dating. So Mickey and Philippa are like Romeo and Juliet, because they always have to keep it a secret when theyâre going out. For a while it seemed like they were actually broken up for good, because Philippa announced that she was a lesbian, but then she broke up with this way-irritating girl she was seeing and decided she wanted to be with Mickey again after all.
It was a weird situation, but I really admired how Philippa went out and reinvented herself and tried something crazy and different and risky. I donât think Iâm going to start dating girls anytime soon, but I know in my life how important it is to change and experiment with stuff, so I guess I always kind of looked up to Philippa for giving the lesbian thing a try.
Anyway, none of this explained why she was sittingin my living room, crying, in the middle of the night. I was so surprised to see her there that I dropped Noodles, who quickly scrambled across the living room. He jumped onto her lap and tried to lick away her tears.
âDown, down, little guy!â Philippa pushed at Noodles, laughing a little despite herself. âWhy does your dog smell like Chinese food?â
Before I could answer, Patch came out of the kitchen, eating a sandwich.
âHey, sis,â he said as he went up the stairs. âNew dog?â
âYeah. So whatâs going on here?â
âPhilippa ran away from home,â Patch yelled down the stairs. âI guess sheâll crash with us for a while.â
I nodded, still confused. âWhat happened?â
âI had a terrible fight with my folks,â Philippa said, staring down into her lap. âGod, it was so unbelievable. We were all just beginning to speak to one another again, and then when they found Mickey sleeping in my bedroom, they just totallyââ
âFlipped out? Oh, I could tell you some stories.â Sara-Beth flung herself down on the couch dramatically. âItâs a horrible thing, having a mom and a dad.â
âYeah. They can be such assholes.â Philippa blew her nose loudly. SBB nodded.
âAnd those snakes are out for every cent they can get,â SBB said. âThatâs why youâre going to need a good lawyerâthe best.â
I thought of Judithâs father. Maybe I could send some business his way.
âBut Iâm not just mad at them. Iâm pissed at Mickey too. He totally bailed on me. He thinks this is all just a big joke.â Philippa slumped back on the couch. âThe minute they found him, he was out the window. Literally. He sprained his ankle! Sometimes I think he doesnât care about me at allâhe just likes me because Iâm a challenge. First he canât have me because of my folks, then he canât have me because Iâm into girls. But whoo-flippinâ-hoo, once he gets me, he just totally flakes out. He just treats me like a girlfriend, not like a real friend, you know?â
âThatâs terrible.â I sat down on the couch. It sort of sounded like Philippa was overreactingâMickey was a good guy, from what I knew about himâbut then again I hadnât heard the whole story. Noodles jumped into my lap and I scratched his belly. âSo let me get this straight: your parents found Mickey in your room, Mickey totally bailed on you, and you came here to get away from all of them?â
âBasically, yeah. Plus my parents might be suing the Pardos, but thatâs a whole other issue. Sorry toburden you guys.â Philippa covered her face with her hands. âItâs all a huge mess. I just need someone to talk to, I guess.â
âI love these late-night chats.â Sara-Beth grinned. âItâs like a sleepover.â
âIt kind of