Page 84 of The Do-Over

“The last one,” she said and waited for a handful of kids to stop cheering, “is my favorite bird, the cardinal.” She pursed her lips just so and whistled out a high-pitched melody.

A few kids squawked back, another quacked, and more honked. Half of them laughed and ignored the cue to applause when she bowed. For the first time, Lilah’s smile melted a little. Then she took a deep breath and began to toss out air-kisses with abandon.

“Thank you, thank you,” she half sang, half shouted, grin bright with confidence. Just like a professional who dealt with hecklers all the time.

Still, I hated the idea she could hear those laughs and jeers. I had to do something. My purse and the flowers tumbled to the floor as I jumped to my feet. Clapping as loudly as I could, I said, “Great job, Lilah. Great job.”

But the murmur of the audience drowned me out, and the fact that we were way in the back meant Lilah couldn’t see me. I flung my arms in the air and when that still didn’t work, I grabbed Nate’s shoulder and climbed onto my chair. “Lilah!”

Laughing at me, Nate rose and let out one of those mouth–finger combination whistles that could be heard from three blocks away. “That’s my girl!”

Lilah grinned and waved both wings before bouncing off backstage.

After the show, Nate and I met Lilah in the crowded hallway.

Nate lifted her in the air, feathers and all, and squeezed her. “You did a great job!”

“Do you think everyone liked me?” She nibbled at her lip.

“What’s important is that you weren’t mean or unkind or hurtful. And besides, the people who matter”—he waved a finger between him and me—“like you a lot.”

His words brought a smile to Lilah’s face. “I gotta be me, right?”

“Right.”

Nate was a good father, and I was glad Lilah had someone like him to tell her she was okay being exactly who she was. I wished, just once, I’d heard that message from my parents. They may have said the words, but everything my mother did proved the opposite. A wave of sadness rolled through me. I shook it off and held up the flowers. “For you, my dear.”

“Thank you,” Lilah said and buried her nose in the daisies.

Nate set Lilah down, and she grabbed his hand and mine as we walked toward the exit. Halfway there, a thin boy with bright blue eyes, Harry Potter-esque glasses, and a bow tie stepped into our path.

“Hello,” he said, his face serious. “I wanted to tell you I enjoyed your bird calls. I especially liked the blue jay.”

“Thanks,” Lilah said, equally serious.

“Perhaps I’ll see you around school tomorrow.”

Lilah smiled. “Okay.”

The boy nodded at Nate, turned on his heel, and marched down the hallway in the opposite direction.

“Who was that?” Nate asked as we walked out of the building.

“That’s Caleb. The kids say he’s kind of weird,” Lilah said.

“Is he?” I asked.

Lilah shrugged. “I like him. He’s my friend.” She skipped ahead to the car, flapping her owl wings with abandon.

There was something sweet about the whole thing. Lilah’s bird obsession and quirky clothing made her stand out from the crowd, and kids like Caleb could see that and liked her for who she was.

I’d spent my whole life trying to fix all the things I thought were wrong with me—my body, my ambitions, my failures—but what if I was doing this all wrong? What if I just needed to be happy with who I was and never mind what my mother or anyone else thought? What if slightly awkward, slightly chubby Perci with her loud fashion sense and emotional support fish was fine being exactly who she was? What if it took being New Perci to see that Old Perci was pretty okay being exactly who she already was?

As we reached our cars parked next to each other, my gaze drifted to Nate and my heart wobbled. And maybe, just maybe, there was someone out there who would like me for being me.

Perhaps he was thinking of me too, or he likely felt the creepy weight of my stare, because he turned to me then. The corner of his mouth tipped in a half-smile. “I think we need dessert. You want to come?”

Lilah jumped up and down. “Yes! Yes! Please come with us, Perci! Can I still wear my owl costume?”