The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak by Brian Katcher Read Free Book Online

shower.

ANA
3:01 PM
    And now, everyone is mad at me .
    Clayton is mad because I won’t let him go off and get in trouble with Duquette.
    Duquette is pissy because he’s missing his stupid little fairies and Martians club.
    The rest of the team is mad at me for not being at the helm during that last round. They didn’t say anything, but I could just tell. I should have been there. I should have insisted. I let them down.
    And Mom and Dad . . . they’re always disappointed in me. It’s not that I don’t do well, it’s that I don’t do well enough. It’s like I have to be perfect just to be average.
    Nichole was the one who screwed all that up. And now Clayton and I have to play catch-up all of our lives.
    Guys like Zak can go out and have fun—heck, they can take it for granted. They don’t know what it’s like to have to beg to go out for pizza with the debate team. To not be allowed to go to a friend’s house unless it’s school related. To have to tell guys you don’t date, rather than you aren’t allowed to date.
    Focus, Ana, focus .
    But that’s something to think about later. Right now, I need to take a shower, change, and grab some food.
    My phone rings. I’m surprised—normally Mom wouldn’t call to check up on me until later in the evening. I glance at the screen.
    Domino’s Pizza .
    Gleefully, I answer. It’s not the pizza place, of course, but when your parents are in the habit of checking your phone records, you don’t want any strange numbers arousing their suspicions.
    â€œNichole?”
    â€œHey, girl.”
    Instantly, the stress of the day fades away. I sit on the bed and close my eyes. I can almost imagine it’s like before, with Nichole and I sitting in her room, just talking. Just talking like sisters. As long as we want to.
    I can’t believe I haven’t seen her in almost two years.
    â€œAna, I got your text. Are you at school? Everything okay?”
    â€œYeah.” I make an effort to keep my voice firm, in control. “I’m at a quiz bowl tournament. Just wanted to talk to you while I could.”
    There’s silence on the line. I instantly regret my choice of words. While I could . While Mom and Dad aren’t around. So they won’t know I’m talking to you.
    â€œSo, did you win?” she asks eventually. Nichole was never one who was really focused on school, but she was always proud of me. She still is.
    â€œYeah. Thanks to Clayton.”
    â€œHow’s . . . how’s he doing?”
    â€œPhenomenal, as usual. Last week he got the top score on—”
    Nichole interrupts, her ADD kicking in. “And how are you doing?”
    â€œOh, just fine.”
    â€œListen, Ana, I can tell when you’re upset. I have to leave for work in a couple of minutes, but if you need to talk, I can call in.”
    â€œNo, no. I’m great. Really. It was just a long day.”
    â€œAna . . . I know when you’re lying. Now, when are you coming up to visit us?”
    I hold the phone away from my face for a couple of seconds as I try to keep my voice even. “Soon, Nichole. Soon.”
    â€œYeah.” Nichole packs a lot of cynicism into that one syllable.
    â€œI promise! I’ve just been really busy, with speech and quiz bowl and—”
    â€œI have to go, Ana. Please. Try to get up here some weekend. I’m on a regular schedule at work now, so we could have the whole time together.”
    â€œNichole, you know it’s not that easy for me to get away.”
    â€œTry.”
    She hangs up.
    I don’t cry. I don’t. I stand there, mentally reciting my informative speech from last month’s debate tournament.
    I am strong. I am strong.
    I am a pathetic little weakling who won’t visit her only sister .
    I am strong. I am strong.
    I am a bad sister. I won’t argue with my parents. I won’t stand up to them. I won’t