the crowd during the Maui Food Festival with a brief caption explaining why they rescinded our prize. Thankfully, there’s no mention of my name or Callum’s, just that Tiva’s was caught breaking the festival rules and that we were disqualified.
Mom leans closer to the laptop screen and squints. “A violation of the rules? What are they talking about?”
I shift the mouthpiece of the phone away from me. “I’ll explain in a minute,” I whisper.
“Ignore the Flavor Network’s post,” Penelope says. “Chic just tagged you in something. Be sure to read the whole caption.”
I go to Chic TV’s Instagram account and see their latest post: a photo of our food truck.
“Oh wow! That’s us!” Mom says before I read the caption:
We here at @ChicTV had a great time at the Maui Food Festival! Maui, you’ve got some seriously delicious eateries! Congrats to @Tivas for kicking major a$$ and winning the grand prize! Sadly @theFlavorNetwork has gone back on its promise to deliver prize money to the winner for a second year in a row (something’s #fishy about that, #amirite?). But @ChicTV would love to deliver where @theFlavorNetwork has fallen short. @Tivas, we’ll give you your rightful prize money if you promise to shoot a commercial for our network this fall. What do you say?
A sharp intake of breath is all I have as a response. My head spins at how Penelope has flipped our course completely for the better.
“I just got off the phone with the food division at Chic TV a half hour ago, and everything is official. Someone from the contracts department will email you soon with all the details. The ball is officially rolling on this, so you don’t have to worry.”
I can’t speak. All I do is breathlessly stutter.
“Shoot, are you okay?” Penelope asks.
“It’s just . . . Penelope, how did you do this? Why did you do this?”
“Because it’s my job. And because you’re my friend.”
This time when my eyes water, it’s not because I’m angry or heartbroken. It’s because I’m overwhelmed with joy that someone as kind and successful as Penelope would even consider me their friend.
The word “friend” settles somewhere deep inside my chest.
“Look, I know I came off like a weird fangirl when we met at the farmer’s market,” Penelope says. “You’re an amazing cook and run the best food truck on the island. Everyone in the Maui food scene was blown away by you, myself included.” She pauses for a breath. “I know we haven’t known each other long, but my friends are important to me. Whenever I can do something for them, I try. And that’s what I’m doing now. Trying to be a good friend.”
At her words, I crack my first smile of the day.
“I know it’s hard making friends when you move to a new place,” she says. “I’m so happy I found you here in Maui.”
After nearly two years of struggling on my own, I have a friend. “That means a lot, Penelope. Do you maybe want to get a drink tomorrow after I finish up at the food truck? I owe you for how you helped us today. And for listening to me wail yesterday.”
It’s something so simple—two friends spending time together. But it’s been so long since I’ve experienced that. And I miss it.
She drops to a more wistful tone. “I really am sorry about you and Callum. You can talk to me anytime about anything. And you don’t owe me. I would love to get a drink with you tomorrow though.”
“Seriously, Penelope. You are beyond amazing.”
I promise to text her when I get off work, she promises to think of a good place to meet, and we hang up.
I turn back to face Mom, bewilderment clear as day on her face. But I can’t be too surprised. I went from crying in front of her to smiling in the span of a few minutes.
I take a breath. “It’s going to be okay now. Penelope fixed everything. We still won, and we’re still getting the money. We’re just going to do the commercial for a different network. Chic TV instead of the Flavor Network.”
That joyful smile from before spreads across her face. “She did? Oh my gosh, we are? Oh, Chic TV is way better than the Flavor Network! They’re so stylish! And that’s your auntie Nora’s favorite channel, remember? Oh, I can’t wait to tell her! I’m going to call her now actually.”
She scurries to the bedroom for her phone, leaving me alone again in