Mase and Dray return home from school. Along with better grades, Mase has brought home his friend Zoe.
Me-Me is in the kitchen when they arrive, so she’s the first to greet her.
Melisa: *surprised* Oh, hi there! You must be a friend of—
Me-Me isn’t sure whose friend this is. She’s guessing Mase since he’s still loitering around, but she doesn’t want to assume. Zoe happily fills her in.
Zoe: – Mase, yes. I’m Zoe.
Melisa: Nice to meet you, Zoe. I’m Mase’s mom – Mrs. Banks.
Melisa: Will you stay for dinner?
Zoe: No, ma’am – my sibling will pick me up in a few hours.
Melisa: Well, you’re welcome if you change your mind.
Drawn by the sound of a female voice other than my mom’s, I hurry down the stairs. I can’t help but smile when I see Mase’s new friend standing there talking to Ma. I can’t remember her name, but she’s still top-notch, and I’m proud of Mase for finally bringing her to the house.
Not wanting to interfere, I quickly say hello and hurry out the door.
Melisa: So, Zoe – do you live here in Henford?
Zoe: No, um, Windenburg with my sibling and their wife. Yeah
Mase picks up on Zoe’s awkwardness, so he steps in.
Mason: Ready to play chess?
Zoe: *relieved* Uh, yep – that would be great.
Mason: Our board is in here.
Mase opens the door to the office and leads Zoe in.
While Me-Me meets Mase’s friend, Dray goes outside to find his father. There’s a problem he’s run into at school that he wants to discuss.
Kai is outside, tending the animals just as Dray suspected. Dray waits until Kai has finished sheering the first sheep before he approaches him.
Drake: Dad! I have an issue at school.
Kai: It’s just the first day. What issue could you possibly have?
Drake: My hair! The principal told me that I couldn’t have green hair at school.
Kai: It’s a private school. They have a dress code. I should have warned you.
Drake: But dad! It’s not fair. Why does my hair matter if I can do the work? She said only natural hair colors are allowed.
Kai: Listen, Dray, this is one battle we’re not fighting. That’s just how it is at private schools. Your hair is another part of your uniform. Just wash it out. It’s fading anyway.
Drake: There’s a girl with pink hair in Dub’s high school yearbook. Why didn’t she have to change her hair?
Kai: That was then, and this is now. Maybe it’s a new rule.
Drake: *grumbles* I want to go to regular school.
Kai: You’ll survive. High school doesn’t last forever. When you’ve graduated, you can dye your hair rainbow if you want to. Wash it out, Dray.
Dray isn’t amused, but he has no choice but to listen to his dad. However, he knows there has to be a loophole. Dray walks away while pulling out his phone.
Drake: *to phone* A.I. – what’s the range of natural human hair colors?
When I arrive at Perla’s house, it’s rainy and dreary in Windenburg. As I approach, I rehearse everything that I want to say in my head. I want to make this quick and get it over with.
Perla answers the door, and although I expected to see a little girl, a grown woman is at the door. She must have celebrated a birthday while I was in Batuu. Seeing her again makes me weak, and I forget everything that I want to say.
Perla: I’m so glad you’re here. Do you want to sit down for a while?
Wade: I, uh, yeah. Sure
I don’t understand why Perla has this effect on me. She’s not the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen. Her features are all clustered together in the middle of her face. Her eyes are too small, and she has a long chin. But somehow, all of that comes together into a perfect beauty.
We sit in Perla’s living room, and I regret agreeing to stay a while. On one side of me is her younger sister.
Perla: You remember my sister Mabel, right?
I remember she was just a little girl when I last saw her.
Wade: *awkward wave* Yeah, hey, Mabel. Good to see you again.
Then Perla’s father, my dad’s best friend, Mo, enters the room and sits beside us.
Maurice: Wade! What a surprise. How are you?
I redirect my wave toward him.
Wade: I’m good, thanks.
Maurice: I spoke to your dad the other day. He said you and your brothers were in Batuu.
Wade: Yes, sir. We just got back yesterday.
I have nothing else to say, and Perla seems to sense it.
Perla: Well, we’d better go.
Wade: Yes, good to see you both again.
I lead the way out the door.
Rather than going to an overcrowded coffee shop, I decide on a different destination.
Wade: This is my Gran-Peri’s Art Center. I haven’t been here since I was little. I figured it’s a good place for us to talk.
Perla: I guessed that it belonged to your family from the name – Banks Art Center. I always pass this place on the way to the library, but I’ve never been inside. I’m not much of an artist.
Wade: Me neither, but I’m glad to be the first to show you around.
We enter the building, and memories of Gran-Peri flood my mind.
I take Perla upstairs to show her some portraits that my gran painted of our family.
Perla: Is that you? You’re so cute!
Wade: Thank you!
Perla: Your grandmother was a gifted artist.
Wade: She was. She was always painting – her hands constantly covered in it. She painted the one with me and my brothers days before she died.
Perla: I’m so sorry.
Wade: Me too, but it happens.
Now is not the time to get emotional and be vulnerable. I’m here for one mission: to let Perla down easy. But that can wait –
Wade: *changes the subject* Maybe we should see what we can do.
Perla: What do you mean?
Wade: There are two easels here. Let’s paint!
I realize this isn’t what I wanted us to get together to do. I’m supposed to tell Perla about my move and break things off with her, as I promised Mase I would do. But I’m delaying the inevitable and proving that I did not inherit my Gran–Peri’s skill for painting. My work is looking like that of a three-year-old.
(Generation 4 Chapter Summaries)
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