Criss Cross

Elsewhere in Seldem, Hector listens to his sister, Rowanne, move through her bedroom. He peeks inside, smiling at her as she gets ready to go out. He and Rowane have similar features but look nothing alike. He catches his reflection in the window, removes his glasses, and wonders how he might change his appearance. Rowanne emerges and invites Hector to join her at a coffeehouse event at Arland Community College.

Hector is surprised by the community college. It looks different than expected. Inside, the siblings meander to the space set up for the event. They join Rowanne’s friends and listen to the performers. Hector feels annoyed by a boy “named Chip or Skip” when he shows Rowanne attention (15).

Hector is moved by one of the guitarists wonders if he could play like that someday. After the event, Skip asks Rowanne out, but she insists she has to drive Hector home. In the car, Rowanne confesses that she invited Hector to get out of a date with Skip. She explains that she doesn’t like the attention he’s been giving her. Hector doesn’t fully understand and changes the subject to guitar. Rowanne encourages him to learn.

On Saturday evening, Hector walks to Phil’s house. He studies the neighborhood and muses on chance and change. Suddenly he realizes he missed the turn to Phil’s.

Debbie, Chrisanne, and Chrissane’s friend Tesey sunbathe in the yard. After Chrisanne and Tesey go inside, Debbie sits alone on her chaise, thinking about a science fiction book she read. She imagines communicating with people via telepathy and tries mentally transporting herself to a peaceful planet. Her dog Cupcake joins her. She wonders if boys would be easier to communicate with if they were “more like dogs” (31).

When Hector doesn’t arrive on time, Phil walks to his neighbor Lenny’s house. The friends sit in Lenny’s dad’s truck and listen to the radio. They wave to Debbie, who’s still lounging in her yard. Lenny puts on the radio show “Criss Cross.” Eventually Hector and Debbie join them.

Lenny, Phil, Hector, and Debbie start listening to “Criss Cross” in Lenny’s driveway on a regular basis. One day, their friend Patty joins them, too. The truck is small, so they have to take turns sitting inside and standing outside the truck. When the radio music comes on one day, Hector and Debbie playfully dance. Their eyes meet, but they both look away. Hector wonders if this discomfort is what Rowane was talking about.

Debbie and Patty sneak into a rhododendron bush so their mothers won’t see them change into “hipper” clothing. Debbie tugs on her new plaid bell-bottoms; she’s wanted a pair for a long time. She and her mother, Helen, went to the mall to find some that Debbie liked. Debbie wanted the kind that dragged on the ground, but Helen didn’t approve. Helen let her get the plaid pair because they were shorter. Debbie also found a pair with a raw edge which she promised Helen she’d hem.

While changing, the friends spot a pair of playful chipmunks. They don’t notice that one of the chipmunks is tangled in Debbie’s broken necklace, which fell off her neck while she was changing.

In the truck, Debbie holds her breath so she doesn’t have to smell Lenny’s chewing tobacco. The other friends complain aloud about the odor. Lenny started chewing it because his dad, Leon, does, and Lenny likes his dad’s scent. Lenny’s mind drifts into the past. When he was younger, he became obsessed with his mother Edie’s encyclopedia collection. The more he read, the more his brain filled with information. Sometimes people teased him for being a bookworm, but he loved learning things, especially scientific facts. He learned about small machinery, too, and discovered how to fix things around the house. Sometimes he feels that no one understands the true him. Finally, he agrees to spit out the tobacco.

Debbie and her father work together to fix a leak in the kitchen sink. They read the instruction manual so they know how to use the wrench. Debbie works hard, careful about each step. She feels proud of herself when she figures it out. Finally, her dad calls her to have lunch. She packs up the plumbing project, hopeful that she’ll be able to fix other things around the house in the future, too.

Hector’s mom arranges for him to take guitar lessons at the local church. In the basement room, Hector feels disappointed. This isn’t what he expected. Pastor Don is leading the group, which includes two older adults, and several local kids, including Robin, Meadow, Dan, and Russell. Hector studies each of his peers, musing on what he knows about them. He’s interested in Meadow but doesn’t know her. He feels irritated by Dan, because he plays sports, and all the girls think he’s attractive. Finally, Pastor Don plays a demo song. He isn’t as good as the coffeehouse guitarist, but Hector appreciates his playing. He starts singing along, deciding not to be embarrassed in front of Dan.

After the class, Hector introduces himself to Meadow. They chat about the meanings of their names and why their parents chose them. Before leaving, Hector greets and briefly chats with Russell. He can’t help feeling disappointed when he sees Meadow talking to Dan. On his way home, he clutches his guitar and thinks of different names Meadow’s parents could have named her.