Free My Life in Dioramas by Tara Altebrando Page B

to oversee; my dad was designing a book cover on a rush schedule and also announced that he was working on a new song. He’d be headphoned and out of it all day. For the first time in forever, it seemed like maybe they were actually making some money, but it was too late.
    â€œOh,” Stella said, when we got off the bus. “Here.”
    She took a tall stack of envelopes out of her backpack and handed me the top one.
    â€œOh,” I said. “Cool.”
    I hadn’t been sure whether we’d had a fight or not, so I was a little bit relieved.
    Then Stella was off flitting around, handing out invitations here and there and by lunchtime, all any of our friends were talking about was Stella’s party. I sort of felt bad for people who weren’t invited, maybe because I knew what that felt like. But I slapped on a smile and joined the conversation Stella was having with our friends Sara and Maggie.
    â€œI want to sing this one,” Sara pointed at a list of songs they’d been studying.
    â€œOh, sorry,” Stella said. “Birthday girl calls dibs on that one.”
    Maggie said, “I want number seven-eight-six-four. Write that down for me!”
    â€œOh,” Stella said. “Really? I have that on my list, too.”
    The boy thing was bad enough, but with Stella going all diva, it really didn’t seem like this party was going to be any fun at all.
    â€œYou’ll have to take a break for cake at some point, eh, Stella?” I said.
    Maggie smiled. Sara laughed.
    â€œHa ha,” Stella said. “Very funny.”
    Then the bell rang and we had to hurry to Gym, where we were playing kickball, a game that I found to be fun for the three seconds it took to kick. Otherwise it seemed there was a lot of waiting around. Unless you got picked to “pitch”like Sam Fitch did, mostly because he was better than anybody else at actually getting the ball to roll over the plate.
    At one point, at least, I ended up waiting in line to kick with Naveen next to me.
    â€œSo.” He seemed amused. “You going to the big party?” He waved his hands like he was a crazy person.
    â€œRight? It’s not just me?”
    He nodded a few times, slowly. “She’s excited, that’s for sure.”
    â€œI’m her best friend, so I’ll be there. You?”
    â€œTotally.” He nodded then flashed his sly smile; one of his front teeth was just slightly crooked. “I bet you don’t know this about me, but I’m a pretty good singer.”
    â€œYou’re pretty good at everything, Naveen.”
    â€œI take offense to that!” He nudged me. “I excel at most things. I’m pretty good at a few additional things.”
    â€œWhat are you going to sing?”
    â€œI haven’t decided yet. I’m going to spend some time considering the options. They have them on the website.”
    â€œCool.” I hadn’t managed to even peek at the list the girls had at lunch so I had no idea what I would sing.
    â€œHow about you?”
    â€œI don’t know.” I really didn’t understand the whole planning ahead thing. “Maybe some eighties hair metal. My dad’s way into that stuff so I know a ton of lyrics.”
    â€œThat’d be awesome.” Naveen nodded.
    â€œRight?!”
    We both laughed.
    â€œDid you get your food stewing?”
    â€œI did.”
    â€œAwesome.”
    But then Naveen looked sort of faraway and sad, and I said, “What?”
    â€œYou know you won’t be able to keep it up forever.”
    â€œI know.” It felt like a bubble popping between us.
    â€œIt’s pretty sad to think somebody might knock Big Red down,” he said.
    â€œWhat are you even talking about?”
    â€œI looked it up. The listing for the house. The ad said it was a fixer-upper or possible partial teardown on amazing property.”
    I felt sick. “A teardown?”
    â€œThey