Free Pink & Green is the New Black by Lisa Greenwald Page B

exciting,” Dad says. “Sushi with my favorite ladies!”
    â€œOh, Sam,” Grandma says. “Such a charmer.” I’m not sure if she’s teasing Dad or not. Even though I’ve known Grandma all my life, I can never tell exactly what she’s thinking.
    Kai, our favorite waiter, comes over to take our order, even though he knows exactly what we like: pretty much one of everything and extra-spicy tuna rolls. Soon he brings over our edamame and glasses of water with lime, and I start to relax.
    No one knows I’m here. Maybe it’s better that Sunny forgot her phone and that she doesn’t know I’m here. And they probably won’t have to walk by us as they leave. This is a pay-your-waiter kind of place, and we’re not sitting by the door.
    I’m safe. I can eat and enjoy my sushi without having to see Yamir or Travis.
    But ten minutes pass and the Ramals are still sitting there.
    What are they waiting for?
    I want to go to the bathroom so I can sneak a glance and see if they’ve paid their check, but that seems like a bad idea because then they’ll see me.
    â€œLuce, you okay?” Mom asks. “This is a celebration for you, and you seem like you’re about to be arrested.”
    â€œJane!” Grandma yelps. “What kind of thing is that to say to your daughter?”
    Mom rolls her eyes. “Ma. I’m not saying she’s going to be arrested. I’m saying that’s how she’s acting.”
    â€œOh Lord,” Grandma says under her breath. The last thing I need right now is for them to get into a fight. So I put on a smile and continue eating edamame. I just need to pretend that no one I know is here.
    We finish the edamame, and Dad’s miso soup comes—and then it seems like all the craziness that could possibly happen happens all at once.
    Kai brings over a platter of sushi pieces, everything we like: tuna, salmon, yellowtail, fatty tuna, and a bunch of other stuff that I always forget the names of. He’s adjusting it on the table when Mom knocks over a cup of water.
    Grandma holds her head in frustration. She acts like Mom just lit the restaurant on fire.
    â€œNo big deal. No big deal,” Dad says in his calm, “everything’s okay” voice. To be fair, this is pretty much his everyday voice.
    Kai sends a busboy over to clean it, and then I’m not sure how this happens exactly, but it seems like Mom elbows him accidentally. The busboy stumbles and falls. The owner of the restaurant, Gari himself, comes over to see what’s going on.
    And that’s when the Ramals decide to leave.
    â€œEverything okay here, Desbergs?” Mr. Ramal asks, laughing.“You are all going to be kicked out and asked to never return.”
    I’m glad he thinks this is so funny.
    â€œEverything’s fine.” I smile but don’t turn around. I can’t tell if Yamir is there with his dad or not. I’m praying that he walked out the other way.
    Someone taps my shoulder, and I’m scared to turn around until I hear, “Funny seeing you here,” in her classic Sunny giggly voice.
    â€œWell, you would have known if you’d checked your phone!” I say, sounding too angry for someone eating at Sushi of Gari. I finally turn around.
    Sunny is standing there with both Yamir and Travis.
    Forget about eating all the delicious sushi that’s on the table. All I care about right now is not getting sick in front of everyone at this restaurant.
    My parents are talking to Sunny’s parents, and of course I’m trying to eavesdrop. It might be my imagination, but I swear that Mrs. Ramal says, “Yamir insisted we eat here tonight. We never go to restaurants during the week.”
    Did I just make that up? No. She really said it.
    Maybe he wanted to eat here because he knows it’s my favorite restaurant. If you think Sushi of Gari, you automatically think Lucy Desberg. He was