Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus Read online

  PRAISE FOR DUSTI BOWLING’S

  INSIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF A CACTUS

  “[AVEN] IS A PERKY, hilarious, and inspiring protagonist whose attitude and humor will linger even after the last page has turned. The tale of Stagecoach Pass is just as compelling as the story of Aven, and the setting, like the many colorful characters who people this novel, is so vivid and quirky that it’s practically cinematic. VERDICT Charming and memorable. An excellent choice for middle grade collections and classrooms.”

  —School Library Journal (starred review)

  “. . . A TALE that is not about having differences, but accepting them in oneself and others.”

  —Booklist (starred review)

  “DUSTI BOWLING’S STORY of a regular, hugely likable kid who deals with her unusual challenges with grace and humor is pitch-perfect.”

  —Shelf Awareness (starred review)

  BOWLING’S SENSITIVE and funny novel . . . demonstrates how negotiating others’ discomfort can be one of the most challenging aspects of having a physical difference and how friendship can mitigate that discomfort. . . . [an] openhearted, empathic book.

  —Publishers Weekly

  “CONNOR’S TOURETTE’S SUPPORT-GROUP meetings and Aven’s witty, increasingly honest discussions of the pros and cons of “lack of armage” give the book excellent educational potential. . . . its portrayal of characters with rarely depicted disabilities is informative, funny, and supportive.”

  —Kirkus Reviews

  “A REMARKABLE, original story with true heart, a fresh voice, and an absolutely unforgettable hero. It’s a book sure to give any reader goosebumps, teary eyes, and out-loud laughs. It’s a book that doesn’t just open your eyes, it opens your heart.”

  —Dan Gemeinhart, author of The Honest Truth

  Reading the West Book Award for Children’s Books

  Chosen for the Autumn 2017 Kids’ Indie Next list

  Selected for the 2018 Youth One Book, One Denver program, among other honors

  MOMENTOUS

  EVENTS

  IN THE LIFE OF A

  CACTUS

  DUSTI BOWLING

  STERLING CHILDREN’S BOOKS and the distinctive Sterling Children’s Books logo are registered trademarks of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

  © 2019 Dusti Bowling

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (including electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission from the publisher.

  ISBN 978-1-4549-3330-4

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Bowling, Dusti, author.

  Title: Momentous events in the life of a cactus / by Dusti Bowling.

  Description: New York, NY : Sterling Children’s Books, [2019] | Sequel to: Insignificant events in the life of a cactus. | Summary: After navigating middle school, Aven, born without arms, struggles with the challenges of high school, which test her confidence, strength, and sense of self. | cip

  verifier: please add sequel note to Insignificant events in the life of a cactus

  Identifiers: LCCN 2019011133 | ISBN 9781454933298 (hardback)

  Subjects: | CYAC: People with disabilities--Fiction. | High schools--Fiction. | Schools--Fiction. | Friendship--Fiction. | Self-confidence--Fiction. | BISAC: JUVENILE FICTION / Social Issues / Special Needs. | JUVENILEFICTION / Social Issues / Friendship. | JUVENILE FICTION / Family / Adoption. Classification: LCC PZ7.1.B6872 Mo 2019 | DDC [Fic]--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov_2019011133

  For information about custom editions, special sales, and premium and corporate purchases, please contact Sterling Special Sales at 800-805-5489 or [email protected].

  sterlingpublishing.com

  Cover design by Heather Kelly

  FOR ADLAI,

  WHOSE SUPERPOWERS INCLUDE

  SMILES, SMARTS, AND STRENGTH

  1

  Moving on without you

  Is not something I want to do.

  —Kids From Alcatraz

  (Punk band, est. 2018, Scottsdale, AZ)

  ONCE, WHEN I WAS THIRTEEN YEARS old, my parents moved me from the land of flat, grassy prairies and towering, angry tornadoes and life-giving cool country air to the mysterious land of suffocating dust and prickly cactus and life-sucking desert heat to lord over a park of western-themed amusements that bring delight to many young children and a handful of immature grown-ups.

  In other words, we moved from Kansas to Arizona to run a theme park, but it sounds much more exciting when I say it the other way, and I want you to think this is going to be an exciting story. What I mean is, it’s absolutely going to be an exciting story. Prepare yourselves accordingly.

  There were lots of changes. It was tough. The kids at my new school acted awkward around me. Things were looking dire. I didn’t think I would be able to go on. I nearly gave up all hope until the day I met Connor, because he wouldn’t stop barking at me. Connor became the best friend I ever had. Serious bonding occurred. Serious bonding. The kind of bonding that only happens when you pull the most epic steak prank of all time together. Trust me, it was epic and definitely not a complete and total fail, no matter what you may have heard or read.

  Then we met Zion, and things got even better. Our trio was invincible. We were like Harry, Ron, and, Hermione—but with far less wizarding. And cloaks. Though cloaks would be amazing.

  Connor was one third of us, a puzzle piece we needed to be complete—the bacon in our BLT (I was clearly the tomato since tomatoes are red and don’t have arms and Zion was the lettuce since lettuce is all wilty). Connor was the third wheel in our tricycle, the third foot in our yard, the third bone in our ear. A BLT without bacon is vegetarian and not worth eating. A tricycle with only two wheels is a bicycle, and bicycles are a serious challenge for me. A yard can’t be a yard with only two feet. A person can’t hear with only two ear bones. It’s science, people.

  I tried not to think about Connor as I studied myself in the mirror over my dresser. I was wearing the new green tank top Mom bought me. It had a cute cactus pattern on it I liked, but I turned my head and gazed longingly at the sleeved shirts hanging in my closet.

  Nope. It was still well over a hundred degrees outside, and I was not about to backslide after all that had happened last year. I would wear a green cactus tank top. I would wear it proudly, my head held high. And I would wear it on the first day of school.

  I turned back to myself, my face full of determination. Which kind of made me look like I needed to use the bathroom. I relaxed my face a bit and did my best to seem blasé, which was like the coolest word ever and also how I was going to act about everything this year.

  Oh, that kid passing me in the hall just put his hand up to high five me then burst out laughing with his friends? I’m so blasé I forgot about it the moment it happened.

  Someone put a candy bracelet and Ring Pop on my desk? I’m so blasé I ate them both in one sitting during class and then fell into a deep sugar coma.

  Oh, that kid just yelled, “Catch!” and threw a wadded up paper at me? I’m so blasé I reacted with lightning-quick reflexes and karate kicked that paper right back in his stupid face. Okay, maybe that reaction isn’t exactly blasé. But it’s awesome.

  I continued giving myself my best blasé face in the mirror. No one could get to me. No one. If only my parents would let me tattoo up my nubs like this cool armless woman I knew online. They acted like I had asked to put skulls on each one when all I wanted were some flowers. Or tarantulas. Or some fearsome snake faces with lightnin
g bolts for eyes and silver mercury dripping off their fangs like venom. Really, my parents were so unreasonable about it.

  It didn’t matter. I was going to school on my first day in my tank top, my armlessness on full display for everyone to see. And I didn’t care at all anymore what anyone thought.

  I was completely blasé.

  If only Connor were here to do this with me. I hadn’t anticipated this unexpected, hugely significant event. I always thought we’d be facing this together. I never imagined he’d leave. I never imagined he’d move thirty minutes across the city to a horrible place called Chandler, right on the cusp of starting high school, leaving me completely and totally and hopelessly and utterly alone.

  Well, except I still had Zion and my parents and my brand-new grandmother and Henry and Spaghetti (and a bunch of other way less cool animals) and all the people working at Stagecoach Pass including this girl named Trilby whose family ran the new smoothie place, but still. I never imagined Connor would not be in my life every day—only on a weekly basis, except when he’s busy or I’m busy and we maybe only see each other every other week, or worse, every three weeks. I never imagined that would happen.

  Then again, I never imagined I would make an earth-shattering DNA discovery, ride a horse with hundreds of people watching, stick it to the Man, and have a first kiss right at the start of high school. But you’d be surprised at all I’m capable of. Even without arms.

  2

  I’m never going to fit in

  But being different’s not a sin.

  —The Square Pegs

  (Punk band, est. 2003, Phoenix, AZ)

  HIGH SCHOOL.

  Two words that struck fear into the heart of every armless middle schooler I knew. Which was me. And, like, two people online.

  Three thousand kids.

  Three. Thousand.

  And only seven hundred from my middle school.

  No worries.

  I totally had this.

  Remember—blasé.

  I entered the cafeteria, and the roar of high schoolers nearly deafened my ears. I searched for Zion among the chaos and found him alone at a table. No need to save a chair for me—people weren’t exactly scrambling to sit with us.

  “Finally,” Zion said, though he couldn’t have been waiting for longer than a minute. “I thought you would never get here.”

  “Just getting the kinks worked out in ceramics.” I dropped my bag onto the table and eased my head out from under the strap. “I’m going to attempt the potter’s wheel. It was the teacher’s idea, but I think it’ll be fun.”

  “I think it will be a huge mess,” Zion said. “I’ll have to sit here alone while you clean up every day.”

  I narrowed my eyes down at him. “For my first project, I’ll make you a lovely vase for your room.” I said vase the fancy way—vahz. “It will look beautiful displayed between the pile of dirty laundry and the brown banana peel.”

  Zion rolled his eyes at me as I sat down, slipped my foot out of a flip-flop, and opened the top of my bag with my toes. I had retired most of my flats by the end of summer break. Nothing like catching a waft of major foot stank while trying to put on some lip gloss to make you give up sweaty flats for good, dust or no dust. Now I carried foot wipes with me everywhere I went (okay, yes, they were technically butt wipes, but I used them for my feet, which automatically converted them to foot wipes).

  Someone bumped into me a little bit from behind. I turned around and found Zion’s older brother standing there. “Hey guys,” he said with his big bright smile. Lando must have been the happiest guy on Earth—always smiling. I guess he had a lot to smile about.

  “Hey,” I said.

  “Hey, bro,” Zion said with his usual look of consternation. If Lando brightened up a place with his ever-present smile, then Zion consternated it up with his constant . . . consternating. Though Lando was only one year older than Zion, they were so different it was hard to tell they were brothers.

  “How’s everything going?” Lando pulled out a chair next to Zion. “How’s your first day of high school?”

  Zion took a loud bite of his apple and chewed like eating it required the effort of an aerobics class.

  “Uh-oh.” Lando scanned the cafeteria, an exaggerated fearsome look on his face. “Do I need to beat someone up?”

  Zion and I both shook our heads. I knew Lando wasn’t serious, but still . . . he was pretty protective of Zion. Except when they were the ones fighting. Brothers. I didn’t get it.

  “How’s it going, Aven?” Lando said.

  I shrugged as I dug around in my bag with my foot. “Oh, fine. I mean, the faucets in the bathrooms are impossible to work, especially with no actual countertop for me to sit on, and I could live without the ridiculously shaped hand blowers I can’t fit my feet down into.” I finally found what I was searching for and pulled it out. I held it up in my toes. “Good thing I have foot sanitizer!”

  Lando laughed and held out his hand. “Let me in on that.” I squeezed some into his hands, which he rubbed together. Then he held them to his nose. “Ah!” he cried. “It smells all fruity.”

  “Yes, now you smell like a girl,” I told him.

  “You should have warned me.”

  I smiled innocently. “Sorry, Lando-lina. Would you like some of my lip gloss, too?”

  “Pass,” Lando said. “So everything else is going okay?”

  “You don’t have to worry about us,” Zion said. “You can go sit with your friends.”

  “You sure?” Lando said. “It’s your first day of high school, man.”

  “I’m sure. It’s your first day of school, too.” Zion motioned toward a table of cool kids. How did I know they were cool when it was only the first day of school? Trust me, you can tell. It was like they gave off a smell—like the kind a tarantula hawk gives off that alerts tarantulas to its presence. If I were the tarantula, then the cool kids were definitely the tarantula hawks giving off their strong stay away from us or we’ll sting you so we can use your paralyzed body to feed our babies smell. Or something like that.

  “All right,” Lando said. “I’ll catch you guys later.” I watched as he sat down at the table next to a girl with perfectly shiny long brown hair. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him, and I could hear her high-pitched squeals all the way across the noisy cafeteria.

  I glanced around to see who was watching me as I pulled a granola bar out of my bag. Lots of kids. I tried with all my might not to care. Seriously, it was like the might of a hundred bodybuilders. Then my eyes stopped on this one boy. He raised an eyebrow and gave me a look I’d never seen before. It was a, “Hey there, lady,” face straight out of one of the soap operas Josephine now watched since her life had turned into a parade of never-ending boredom over at the Golden Sunset Retirement Community. I turned away from soap-opera boy. Weird.

  “What?” Zion said.

  I shook my head. “Nothing.” I glanced back at the boy. He was still staring at me. Even weirder was that I could tell he was one of the cool kids. I hoped he wasn’t making fun of me in some bizarre way.

  Zion followed my gaze. “What is it? Why is he looking at you?”

  “I don’t know. Do you know who he is?”

  “Oh, you mean Joshua Baker?” Zion said. “That guy is the biggest jerk ever.”

  “How do you know him? Is he a freshman?”

  “A sophomore. I remember when he was in eighth grade. He called me Lardon.”

  I thought for a moment. “I don’t get it.”

  “Like Zi-on, but with Lard instead of Zi. Get it?”

  “That’s like the worst name ever. It’s not even creative.”

  “Actually it kind of is,” Zion said. “I Googled lardon, and it turns out it’s a piece of pork fat used in a variety of cuisines to flavor savory foods and salads.”

  I frowned. “Exactly how many times did you Google it?”

  Zion ignored me as he glared at Joshua’s back. “Even Lando hates th
at guy. And Lando likes everyone.” I didn’t know Lando very well—whenever I was at Zion’s house he was always out with friends or at football practice with friends or in his room talking on the phone. With friends. Dude had a lot of friends.

  “Chili has started doing the funniest thing,” I said, trying to move away from what was obviously a sore subject for Zion, but he kept glaring at Joshua’s back. I cleared my throat. This was important information I was about to relay and it required his full attention.

  He finally moved his eyes to me. “What’s that?”

  “She’s started putting her head down to my foot to pet her. Isn’t that the cutest?” He didn’t seem nearly as impressed as I’d hoped. “Can you believe how smart she is?”

  “Yeah, I know,” Zion said. “She’s a smart horse.”

  “She’s a genius horse,” I said. “She’s the only horse I trust enough to make the jump.”

  Zion’s eyes widened. “Did you do it?”

  “Not yet. But soon. I feel it coming. Maybe next lesson.” I gazed at a colorful poster of the food pyramid on a nearby wall. I didn’t eat nearly enough vegetables. My personal food pyramid required its own ice cream space. “It’s going to be amazing—like flying. I can’t wait.”

  “And I can’t wait to see you do it at the horse show. When is it again?”

  “November.”

  “That’s a relief. I was worried it was going to interfere with Comic Con. That would have been a serious catastrophe.”

  I slipped my other foot out of my flip-flop and worked on tearing the wrapper off my granola bar with my toes. “Comic what?”

  “Comic Con,” Zion said louder, like that would help me understand. “Down in Phoenix. It’s for all the geeks, the dweebs, the comic book nerds. You know, the people like my parents.”

  I glanced at Lando’s table. “I wouldn’t be so quick to exclude the two of us from the dweeb group. What do you do there?”

  “People dress up as their favorite characters and there’s a bunch of comic book and movie stuff to check out and they have panels that discuss all kinds of important issues in the nerd world—like who’s the best Ghostbuster and what exactly are the magic rules surrounding Gandalf’s powers. My parents have been on panels before.”