Me, My Elf & I by Heather Swain Read Free Book Online

in banana leaves and sausage made out of blood and drink coconut water.”
    “Are you insulting my Puerto Rican heritage?” Mercedes asks, sticking her hip out to one side and cocking her head toward her shoulder.
    “No, I could say the same thing about my family eating gefilte fish and drinking Manischewitz. All I’m saying is, every family’s a little bit weird. Besides, this is cool. This is Drake Addler’s house,” Ari says with a big silly grin.
    Mercedes laughs. “You’re whipped already, boy.”
    I hear my mom coming toward the kitchen again so I grab Ari and Mercedes to make a break for the back stairs. They don’t need any more evidence that we’re not like other families.
     
    In my room, we find Willow slumped in the windowseat, hugging a pillow and staring into the blue sky. Even though it’s nearly four o’clock, she’s still in her white sleeping tunic with her hair pulled back in a long messy braid that brushes her waist. She’s been like this since we arrived in Brooklyn. All she does is sigh and mope around, missing her boyfriend, Ash. Some days I feel bad for her. She’s too old to go to high school here, not that she’d want to anyway, and she doesn’t want to try an erdler college. What she wants is to be back in Alverland with Ash and her friends. Even though I miss Alverland, especially my cousin Briar, who’s my best friend, I don’t want to go back. There’s too much to do and see and experience here. But Willow would rather everything stayed the same. I nudge her. “Hey, will you go in Mom’s room, please?”
    She glances up at us and stares at Ari and Mercedes as if she can’t quite figure out what they’re doing here. Reluctantly, I introduce everyone. “This is my older sister,” I tell Ari and Mercy. “And these are my friends,” I tell Willow. Her eyes get misty at the mention of friends.
    “Aunt Flora called today,” she says.
    “Mom told me,” I say.
    “Briar wanted to talk to you.”
    “Sorry I missed her.”
    “Ash was there.” She sniffs and wipes a hankie under her nose. “He walked all the way to Ironweed so we could talk.”
    “You must’ve been so happy to hear his voice,” I say, but she lets out a little sob. “Oh, Willow,” I say, and rub her shoulder. I hate to see her so lonely so I say, “You can stay in here with us, if you want.” But Willow shakes her head, grabs a pillow, and shuffles out of the room. “She misses her boyfriend,” I say to Ari and Mercedes.
    “Dang, it’s like Little House on the Prairie , walking ten miles for a phone,” says Mercedes.
    “Is she okay?” Ari asks quietly.
    “Looks like she needs Prozac,” Mercedes mutters.
    “Who’s Prozac?” I ask.
    “What, not who,” Mercedes says. “They’re happy pills.”
    “Really!” I say. “Do you have some?”
    “No,” she snorts. “Do I look like I need medication?”
    “Adderall, maybe,” Ari says.
    “Shut up,” Mercedes says and pushes him.
    “Willow is fine,” I say. “She doesn’t really like Brooklyn, that’s all.”
    “How can you not like Brooklyn?” Mercedes asks.
    “I don’t know,” I say. “I love it here!”
    “Maybe she’s homesick,” Ari points out, and I know he’s right, but I’m tired of Willow getting all the attention because she’s sad. “She’s like some gorgeous, pouting goddess,” Ari says. “Between the two of you, you could have half of Brooklyn on their knees.”
    “Really?” I ask. “In Alverland, Willow and I are nothing special, but ever since we moved here, people stare at us and tell us that we’re beautiful all the time. She hates it.”
    “You like it?” Mercedes asks me.
    I shrug. “Not really, but you know, there are worse things people could say.”
    “Why aren’t you dressed like the rest of your family?” Ari asks. “They all have those cool long shirt things with all those necklaces. Your dad dresses like that, too. I thought it was just some kind of costume for the band, but