Barefoot Dreams (Loverly Cave #5)

Prologue

Dear Diary,

Today something very big happened. At recess, Owen was being a bully like always.

He was chasing me, calling me those names he made up for me.

Then his friends started running after me too and I was running so fast, I tripped and fell on my knees, scraping them raw.

Owen was laughing, saying that I’m red everywhere now and I started crying even harder.

Everyone was laughing at me. They always do but then Griffin came out of his class and saw Owen being mean to me and he punched him!

HE REALLY DID!!! And he said Owen can’t touch me anymore. Like, ever! Or he will punch him again!

Griffin has never done that before. He, Luke, and my brother, Callum, never play with me. They say I’m too small and don’t care about me, but today Griffin cared! He took me to see the nurse and he even gave me his favorite Pokémon card afterward because I was still crying.

I think he’s my hero! Like the one I saw on TV when we watched that movie with Mom and Dad. The hero saved that pretty girl and then they got married like mommy and daddy are. I am not that pretty but Griffin saved me.

Does that mean we are going to get married too?

I guess that’s okay. But do we have to get married now or after school? I don’t think Callum will like that. He always says Griffin is his friend, not mine.

Why are all the boys so mean? Well, Griffin is not mean.

Yeah, I think I will marry him!

XOV,

Julie Birdy Lovinski

Julie – Age 8

Dear Diary,

I think you should know that last night I asked my mom about getting married to Griffin.

But maybe I should’ve done it after the dinner because when Cal heard it, he made a weird face like he was throwing up, then he laughed and sing-songed that I have a crush on Griffin. I think he was making fun of me.

Mom smiled and I think that means she liked that idea, but she said I’m too little and I need to grow up first.

Callum said Griffin would never marry me because I have too many cooties. I DON’T! Why does everyone say that???

And Cal doesn’t know anything. I will marry Griffin because he’s my hero!

XOV,

Julie Birdy Lovinski

Julie – Age 9

Dear Diary,

Why are people so mean? I really don’t understand it.

I haven’t done anything bad to any of my classmates and I thought things would change this year. I thought they would forget Owen’s nicknames and taunts, but 4 th grade started no different.

Maxine tripped me when I got to class, making me stumble and as usual my pale cheeks turned very bright red, and everyone roared in laughter. Later, Owen stole my lunchbox, took all the pretty heart-shaped sandwiches I had made and filled it with grass and a note that said: Food for cows like you.

He also added a new nickname for me today. A red nerd. Why is it so bad that I get good grades and can read and write really good?

What have I ever done to him?

I wish Griffin was there to see it. Maybe he’d punch him again?

Mommy and Daddy keep telling me to keep smiling and be kind because kindness will always win, and I believe it, but I think I might like Griffin’s way better.

XOV,

Julie Birdy Lovinski

Julie – Age 11

Dear Diary,

Today was a weird day, not good, not bad. Just weird. And I really dislike that word, so maybe it was bad and maybe I should be mad, but I’ve never really felt mad at anything or anyone—not even Owen with his ridiculous nicknames for me—so I’m not sure how to do it.

Mom says I have a kind heart and it’s my biggest strength but I kind of wish I could get angry for once because today I overheard possibly the worst thing ever!!!

Griffin—MY Griffin—kissed someone else!

He was telling Callum and Luke about it when they were up in their tree house, and they didn’t hear me climbing up. I’m always very quiet but I almost fell off the ladder when he said those words.

He’s been my hero since I was eight and I always thought he was just mine, but now he’s all grown up. Griffin is thirteen and he’s kissing other girls. Is that normal? It sounded disgusting to me, but the boys were all excited about it and started asking him weird questions about his man parts.

He said he felt that flip flopping sensation in the bottom of his stomach like the kind you get when you go on a roller coaster.

I knew that feeling, I’ve read about it in books, but they all say it only happens when you’re around someone special. I always got it when Griff was around, but he felt it with someone else.

Should I ask Mom about it? Yeah, I think I will. She’s the best! She’ll have the answers.

XOV,

Julie Birdy Lovinski

Julie – Age 13

Dear Diary,

I know what love is! It’s beautiful and magical and all the amazing things my books always talk about. But it also hurts. So so much!

It pierces right through you when you watch someone you love, love somebody else.

I had to watch that today.

Kimmy and Griffin started dating. Officially. And right in the middle of the football field.

The guys won their game today, and I was just about to run out and congratulate them when the cheerleading squad did that with Kimmy leading them and she jumped in his arms and kissed him.

I’ve never felt anything more painful.

In a way, I didn’t feel anything tonight either. Not until Mom was wiping a tear off my cheek with a sad but warm smile.

And then it hurt too much so I grabbed her hand and ran. Mom silently followed me.

No questions asked because she’s the best.

It was when we got home that she said I should never give up. If I love something or somebody more than life itself, I shouldn’t give up. That sometimes our roads are twisted and full of roadblocks but eventually they lead us home.

It hurts to think about it now. Hurts to sit here and know that he’s with her but despite the pain, I can’t erase him from my heart.

Maybe he’ll find his way to me someday, maybe that’s all I have left. Hope.

XOV,

Julie Birdy Lovinski

Julie – Age 15

“Julie, where are you off to?” my mom, Lily, singsongs just as I come to a halt at the front door. My long, ivory skirt tangling around my ankles, and the little flower beads I sewed onto it tickling me.

“Just going to Fifi’s, Mom. I need more seeds for my garden,” I answer just as she rounds the corner, her soft, warm, green eyes smiling at me. They are the same color as mine and I love that we have that in common.

“You already planted everything you had?” She wipes her hands on the towel she has shoved into the waistband of her apron like she always does. Today, it’s the one with the bees on it.

We don’t use paper towels because they are made from the beautiful trees out there and if there’s something we can do to help the planet, we sure will. Plus, towels are so much cuter.

“Yep.” I pop the p . “But I still have some room left, maybe another row of tomatoes? The tiny ones.” I clap my hands with excitement, my long red hair bouncing around wildly as it usually does.

“I think that sounds lovely,” Mom agrees with a smile, glancing at my bare feet. “No shoes already?” I nod. “You are starting earlier this year.”

I nod again, opening the front door.

As soon as the weather turns warm—or warm enough—I prefer to walk barefoot, and the planet welcomes it. She gets abused with everyone marching across her lands like it’s their right and not a privilege already.

“Say hi to Fifi for me,” Mom calls out.

“I will,” I answer, my feet already skip-hopping toward Love Street where most of the stores are at. Our town is small but the best of the very best.

A lot of kids in my class always talk about how they can’t wait to graduate and leave Loverly Cave, but I’ve never understood them.

Who’d want to leave our colorful, fun paradise with the never-ending, magnetic ocean on one side and huge, green mountains with all those wildflowers growing on them for those stuffy, polluted gray streets with glass buildings.

No colors anywhere, no lungful of fresh salty air mixed in with evergreens. Only constantly rushing people who didn’t bother to stop to say hello to one another. Not a word.

Here in Loverly Cave, we always say hi. We also smile. A lot. The streets around us feel alive with all the vibrant-colored buildings. I like to think they talk to us as well, but who’s talking to you in those gray and dull mazes?

See? It’s amazing over here.

Our parents took us to San Francisco once but after I burst into tears seeing all the destruction to the beautiful land, we never went back.

Santa Cruz is a little better. It’s a lot closer to us, so we do make the drive there from time to time because my brother, Callum, likes the roller coasters on the boardwalk while I spend my day at the beach there. But still, it’s not the same.

I continue skipping over the pebbled streets as a new melody gets stuck in my head and I start humming.

Somewhere behind me, I hear giggles and unmistakable taunts thrown my way, but I choose to ignore it.

No doubt it’s someone from my school and as much as easy as it’d be to get upset over their name-calling, I’m not.

Back in the first grade, when my classmate, Owen, first called me Stinky Carrot, I got very upset and ran home in tears.

Mom found me huddled under the blanket and asked what was wrong.

When I explained what happened, she asked if I tried to smile back?

I didn’t understand what she meant, but then she said, “The next time someone is being unfriendly or mean, simply smile, honey, they need it. They are using those hurtful words to cover their own pain, maybe even their own cry for help. And what do we do for those who need our help?”

“We lend them a hand, a kind word, an ear, and a smile,” I said through sniffles, remembering Mom’s teachings, and she smiled warmly. Instantly, I felt lighter as if seeing her smile alone, took all that hurt away, and I understood exactly what mom meant.