Excerpt
andlt;bandgt;Chapter 1andlt;/bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Once there was a girl with hair the color of dead leaves, teeth the size of piano keys, freckles as big as polka dots, and eyes that couldnand#8217;t see squat. Everyone laughed at her and called her Polka Dot. Poor Polka Dot felt like a total weirdo, and always wished a fairy godmother would appear and cut her some slack.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;But that was just too darn bad, because fairy godmothers only care about beautiful girls with wicked stepmothers. So when Polka Dot spotted a fairy godmother resting on a park bench, she kept her wish simple and begged for better eyesight. Sweet naive Polka Dot, no one ever told her some fairy godmothers have ginormous attitude issues.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Iand#8217;m on a coffee break, kid,and#8221; said the fairy godmother. and#8220;Get yourself some glasses and stop pestering me.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Could you please stop writing in the car and talk to me?and#8221; Mom asked, flicking the turn signal and heading into the left lane.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Thereand#8217;s nothing to talk about,and#8221; I answered, putting the finishing touches on my new story, and#8220;Polka Dot and the Cranky Fairy Godmother.and#8221; and#8220;I donand#8217;t want glasses. People who wear glasses get made fun of.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Callie, weand#8217;ve been over this already. Your headaches are happening for a reason. It could be that you need glasses. A vision test wonand#8217;t take that long.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Youand#8217;re right, it wonand#8217;t.and#8221; I closed my journal and tucked it under my seat. No way was I showing up to Pacificview Middle Schooland#8212;my new prison, as of tomorrowand#8212;with nerd-tastic glasses on my face. With my freckles and crazy-frizzy hair, it would be like painting a target on my face and handing out bows and arrows to the student body. So last night, Iand#8217;d come up with a planand#8212;a way to make sure I didnand#8217;t get stuck wearing glasses, no matter how bad my eyesight was.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I shifted in my seat and looked at Mom. and#8220;Dad said I should get contacts instead of glasses.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Momand#8217;s lips stretched so thin they practically disappeared. and#8220;If your father were aroundand#8212;other than via his cell phoneand#8212;maybe we could afford contacts. But heand#8217;s not.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Mommy, whenand#8217;s Daddy coming home?and#8221; Sarah, my four-year-old sister, asked from the backseat.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Usually when Mom kicked Dad out only a couple of weeks passed before they made up. But heand#8217;d been gone for a month already. He was staying with a friend up in northern California until they worked things out.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Mommyand#8217;s not sure,and#8221; Mom answered.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Sarah started singing to herself, and Mom and I were silent. These days it seemed like if we werenand#8217;t fighting, we didnand#8217;t have much to say to each other. Our conversations were usually limited to arguing about chores or exchanging phone messages. I thought about holding my breath until she asked me somethingand#8212;like how I was feeling about starting seventh grade, or if there were any boys I likedand#8212;but I figured Iand#8217;d pass out first.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Mom turned the car into a weathered strip mall. Squished between a dry cleaners and a doughnut shop was a tiny store with the word OPTOMETRIST painted in white block letters across darkened glass.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;It looks creepy. Are you sure weand#8217;re in the right place?and#8221; I asked as we got out of the car.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Itand#8217;s not creepy. And I need to pick up a few things for my classroom.and#8221; Mom pointed to a teacher supply store on the other side of the dry cleaners.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Mom handed me a blank check. Then she took Sarahand#8217;s hand and headed toward the supply store. I stared at the optometrist sign. Iand#8217;d been to this strip mall a million times with Mom and never noticed an eye doctorand#8217;s office before. Hadnand#8217;t the dry cleaners been next door to the doughnut shop? And what was up with the tinted windows?andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;A small bell jingled when I opened the door, and the inside was seriously weird-looking. Heavy purple drapes hung behind red velvet couches in the cramped waiting area. Beaded lamps cast shadows on the walls. A single dusty display case housed a small selection of glasses frames.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;A plump woman sat behind a large wooden desk. Thick glasses hung from a beaded chain around her neck. and#8220;Are you Callie Anderson?and#8221; she asked, smiling.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Yeah.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Iand#8217;m Mrs. Dillard. Dr. Ingram is running late. Why donand#8217;t you pick out some framesand#8212;just in caseand#8212;and weand#8217;ll finish up after your exam?and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I nodded and wandered over to the display case. After trying on several dorky-looking frames, I handed the least gross ones (caramel colored with rhinestones dotting the sides) to Mrs. Dillard. I tried not to think about all the weird looks Iand#8217;d get if my plan didnand#8217;t work and I had to actually andlt;iandgt;wearandlt;/iandgt; them.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I did not want attention. I got nervous around people about as often as a mouse got nervous around a hungry cat. I didnand#8217;t know why. Neither of my parents were shy. Mom taught fifth grade; Dad said she spent her days bossing people around. And Dad sold industrial vacuums to businesses and stuff like that; Mom said he spent his days turning on the charm. So who knew where my shyness came from? Maybe I was just a genetic mutant.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Callie Anderson?and#8221; a male voice asked. I turned. A man with a shiny bald head and a bushy gray beard smiled at me. He wore a white overcoat and thick black glasses. and#8220;Iand#8217;m Dr. Ingram. I apologize for the delay.and#8221; He motioned to his office. and#8220;Follow me.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;After I settled into the examination chair, Dr. Ingram spent the next several minutes trying to blind me by flashing a white light into my eyes and asking me to blink.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Do you like wearing glasses?and#8221; I asked.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;What, these?and#8221; Dr. Ingram tugged on his thick black frames. and#8220;Of course. Theyand#8217;re quite useful. They help me see who merely needs eyewear and who requires vision correction.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Arenand#8217;t they the same thing?and#8221; I asked, but Dr. Ingram didnand#8217;t answer.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Excellent.and#8221; Dr. Ingram switched off the light. and#8220;Your eyes seem quite healthy. Now we shall check your vision.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Iand#8217;m ready,and#8221; I said, smiling. and#8220;Bring it on.and#8221; I might have been a C-plus student (and that plus was only because of my A in English), but I knew how to study when it andlt;iandgt;reallyandlt;/iandgt; mattered. Last night, I Googled the eye chart and memorized the whole thingand#8212;from the ginormous andlt;iandgt;Eandlt;/iandgt; at the top, to the microscopic andlt;iandgt;Dandlt;/iandgt; at the bottom. Twenty-twenty vision, here I come!andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Dr. Ingram flipped a switch, and a projector turned on showing rows of increasingly smaller letters. But instead of the andlt;iandgt;Eandlt;/iandgt;, there was a andlt;iandgt;Gandlt;/iandgt; at the top. As I scanned the rest of the chartand#8212;the rows I could actually see, anywayand#8212;I realized the letters were completely different from the chart I memorized.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Isnand#8217;t there another chart we can use?and#8221; I asked. and#8220;Like maybe one that starts with an andlt;iandgt;Eandlt;/iandgt;?and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Do you mean the one with an andlt;iandgt;Eandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;Fandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;Pandlt;/iandgt;? Followed by a andlt;iandgt;Tandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;Oandlt;/iandgt;, and andlt;iandgt;Sandlt;/iandgt;?and#8221; Dr. Ingram asked.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Yeah, thatand#8217;s the one. Except itand#8217;s not an andlt;iandgt;Sandlt;/iandgt;, itand#8217;s a andlt;iandgt;Tandlt;/iandgt;. Thereand#8217;s no andlt;iandgt;Sandlt;/iandgt; on that chart.and#8221; I clapped a hand over my mouth, realizing what Iand#8217;d just said.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Youand#8217;re very observant,and#8221; Dr. Ingram said, grinning. and#8220;But I think weand#8217;ll stick with this chart today.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Oh, okay,and#8221; I said, swallowing hard and wiping my sweaty palms on the leather seat.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Dr. Ingram quizzed me on the eye chart and my stomach knotted up like it always does when I take a test. And as the letters grew smaller, my answers grew unsure.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Um . . . andlt;iandgt;Zandlt;/iandgt;?and#8221; I said, squinting. and#8220;No, wait. andlt;iandgt;Sandlt;/iandgt;? No. andlt;iandgt;Gandlt;/iandgt;?and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Itand#8217;s not a spelling bee,and#8221; Dr. Ingram said kindly. and#8220;Though Iand#8217;m sure youand#8217;re quite competent in that subject. But alas, your vision is impaired. We shall have to find a suitable solution. Iand#8217;m afraid you require glasses.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Dr. Ingram pushed a metal machine in front of my face. He loaded it with different lenses until I could read the bottom row of letters without squinting. Then he switched off the projector, and I started to rise from the exam chair.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Not so fast. Weand#8217;ve only begun to check your vision. Weand#8217;ve still got quite a ways to go.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Dr. Ingram flipped the switch again. This time, instead of letters, I saw really funky black-and-white pictures. My dad, who liked to paint, wouldand#8217;ve said they were abstract.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Whatand#8217;s that?and#8221; I asked, pointing to a picture that looked like a spotted lump of nothing.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;You tell me,and#8221; Dr. Ingram said. and#8220;Thereand#8217;s no right or wrong answer. Tell me what you see. Better yet, tell me what that image reminds you of.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Um, andlt;iandgt;okayandlt;/iandgt;.and#8221; I wondered if there was an answer that would get me out of his office without glasses. But after thinking about it for a minute, I decided to just tell the truth. and#8220;I see Charlie Ferris.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;You see Charlie Ferris?and#8221; Dr. Ingram repeated, raising two bushy eyebrows.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Charlie Ferris, yeah. He used to tease me last yearand#8212;and the year before thatand#8212;and call me Polka Dot. Because, well, you know.and#8221; I tapped my freckly cheek. and#8220;Almost everyone called me Polka Dot.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;The next picture showed an image of what looked like a swan fighting off a dragon.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;After I told that to Dr. Ingram he said, and#8220;And what does that remind you of?and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Um . . . I guess it reminds me of my best friend, Ellen Martin. Sheand#8217;s fearless. She wouldnand#8217;t care if anyone made fun of her. Not like anyone would. Sheand#8217;s really pretty. And really smart.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Dr. Ingram showed me a few more pictures. The last one looked like a group of stones on one side, and a larger, solitary stone next to a square object on the other side.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;I see Ellen making a bunch of friends at middle school. Then I see meand#8221;and#8212;I pointed to the larger stoneand#8212;and#8220;reading a book or writing a story in my journal.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Do you find that easier than making new friends?and#8221; Dr. Ingram asked.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I shrugged. and#8220;Books and journals canand#8217;t make fun of you or call you names.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;I see.and#8221; Dr. Ingram switched off the projector. and#8220;I think thatand#8217;s quite enough.and#8221; He scribbled on a slip of paper. and#8220;Here. Give this to Mrs. Dillard and sheand#8217;ll take care of the rest.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Whatever.and#8221; I stuffed the paper into my pocket.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Is something wrong?and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I stared at Dr. Ingram, and something in me snapped. Iand#8217;d spent all summer dealing with thoughts about middle school the same way I dealt with chores, fights between my parents, and zits: ignore them and hope theyand#8217;ll just go away. But now those thoughts crashed into me like a tidal wave.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I wanted to tell Dr. Ingram all the things I couldnand#8217;t say to anyone else. That I missed my dad, and wished heand#8217;d come home soon. That I felt nervous about starting middle schooland#8212;especially since Iand#8217;d gotten stuck with drama for my elective. How I worried that, just like elementary school, Pacificview would be a place where I didnand#8217;t fit. How I felt like there was some all-seeing eye fastened on meand#8212;just waiting for me to screw up so everyone could laugh at me.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I wanted to tell him those thingsand#8212;but instead I said the same thing I told Mom whenever she asked me that question.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Nothingand#8217;s wrong. Iand#8217;m fine.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Dr. Ingram peered at me through his thick black glasses and said nothing. He stayed silent for so long I thought heand#8217;d fallen asleep with his eyes open.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Dr. Ingram,and#8221; I said. and#8220;Are youand#8212;and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Do you want to see?and#8221; Dr. Ingram interrupted. and#8220;I mean, andlt;iandgt;reallyandlt;/iandgt; see.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Uh, andlt;iandgt;yeahandlt;/iandgt;,and#8221; I said, confused. and#8220;Thatand#8217;s why Iand#8217;m here, isnand#8217;t it?and#8221; andlt;iandgt;Duhandlt;/iandgt;, I wanted to add but didnand#8217;t.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Wonderful. Iand#8217;ll be right back.and#8221; Dr. Ingram disappeared through the door and returned a couple minutes later holding a small black case. and#8220;I spoke with Mrs. Dillard. Regrettably, there is a back order on the lenses weand#8217;ve selected. They should arrive in a few weeksand#8212;and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Thatand#8217;s okay. I donand#8217;t really care whenand#8212;and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;In the meantime, it just so happens I have a pair with your exact prescription that you may borrow.and#8221; He opened the black case and held up what had to be the ugliest glasses in the entire world. They were huge. Their thick black frames looked like theyand#8217;d survive a bomb blast. Actually, they looked a lot like the frames Dr. Ingram wore.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Except he wasnand#8217;t wearing them anymore, I realized. Now Dr. Ingramand#8217;s glasses were thin silver frames.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Hey, werenand#8217;t you justand#8212;and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;These glasses are very valuable.and#8221; Dr. Ingram interrupted, placing them back in the case. and#8220;So please be careful.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Okay,and#8221; I said, thinking heand#8217;d probably tell my mom if I refused. and#8220;Iand#8217;ll take them.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I grasped the case, but Dr. Ingram didnand#8217;t let go.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;You realize these are just loaners? You must return them when the time is right.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;When my other pair arrives, yes.and#8221; Out in the waiting area the bell jingled, and I heard Mom ask Mrs. Dillard if I was almost finished.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Youand#8217;re sure you want them?and#8221; Dr. Ingram asked. and#8220;You never know what youand#8217;ll see when your vision is corrected.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Iand#8217;ll take them, if youand#8217;ll give them to me.and#8221; I looked down at his hand.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Dr. Ingram let go. and#8220;Use them wisely, Callie.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Of course Iand#8217;ll use them wisely,and#8221; I said.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Whatever andlt;iandgt;thatandlt;/iandgt; meant.