Instead, they're going to take a bus trip. Not even one full day into their trip, Ariel's mother reveals the truth: They aren't going to drive across the country. Sixteen-year-old Ariel thinks her sister has the body she's supposed to have, and vice-versa. She has her mother's flyway curly-wavy-blondish hair and curves. She prefers flirting to running and covers almost all of her food in ketchup. Twelve-year-old Zena would rather read glossy magazines than novels. Like a pair of Ariel's running shoes, the relationship between the sisters is comfortable and well-worn. Mom, the author of three self-help books, decides that this will be a "realsimple" summer free of cell phones, emails, and computers - hence Ariel's stockpile of stamps and postcards. Her bags packed with lots of socks, shirts, books, notebooks, postcards, and Skittles, Ariel gets into the car with her mother and her younger sister, Zena. After all, this is also the man who gave his daughters their names by randomly flipping to pages in a baby name book and pointing. Now, he's living with his parents, separated from his two daughters and his (ex-)wife, and his oldest daughter is having a hard time believing that her father, the guy who seemed so solid, who helped her pick out her cat from the Humane Society seven years ago, could have done this to his family.īut maybe she can. Finally, he was found out, arrested, and released due to a lack of state's evidence. Throughout it all, he kept his gambling a secret from his family. When that ran out, he embezzled from his company. When that ran out, he used the kids' college savings. From there, it was an easy trip to the horse track, etc."Īriel's father spent his life savings on bets. Like, literally, off his chair and onto the floor and into the dustbin on history. By that time, readers know this road trip with her family won't be like any that she's had before, because er dad won't be coming along. Once those things are done - and they are, about twenty pages in, quickly moving the story along - Ariel thinks she's ready for her trip.
Before leaving for her summer road trip with her family, there are a few things Ariel has to do:ġ) Go to Target (she's been there five times in two days to prepare for her trip)Ģ) Pack up her Skittles (she has six bags stashed in her desk drawer)ģ) Say good-bye to her "semi-new, semi-boyfriend" Dylan (they've been dating for two weeks)Ĥ) Temporarily give her cat to her paternal grandparents (Gloves can't come on their trip)ĥ) Stock up on postcards and stamps (so she can write to Dylan, her friend Sarah, and, yes, even Gloves)
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