Lemons

On Sunday, Lemonade meets Debbie, Tobin’s mother, who is a nurse. She was friends with Lemonade’s mother in high school. As Charlie and Debbie visit, Lemonade hands them cookies from Mrs. Dickerson, saying she seems to always call about sightings but never actually sees anything. Debbie explains that Mrs. Dickerson’s husband died a decade before and that she is likely lonely. Debbie agrees to the camping trip as long as Charlie chaperones. They plan to go to Bluff Creek, where the famous Patterson-Gimlin film was shot. As the others enjoy each other’s company, Lemonade feels isolated, thinking about how she rarely feels happy anymore. She hates to remember the last days of her mother’s life, when she was too sick to move. Lemonade goes to lie down, and Charlie watches her concernedly.

Tobin maps out places to look for Bigfoot evidence, and Charlie and Lemonade pack for the weekend trip to Bluff Creek. On the drive out, Charlie announces Lemonade’s fall school enrollment. Tobin mentions Lemonade’s plans to go back to San Francisco, and Charlie peers at her in the rearview mirror. He tells her that if she decides to stay, she is registered in Tobin’s class. Lemonade grows angry and has difficulty breathing; she shuts down for the rest of the car ride. When they arrive at the campsite, Lemonade is horrified to find that she must use the woods as her bathroom. She expects to have a terrible weekend.

Charlie makes a fire, cooks hot dogs, and tells goofy ghost stories. Tobin falls asleep, but Lemonade stays awake, and Charlie whittles a piece of wood. He explains that after his wife, Elizabeth’s mother, died, he and Elizabeth fought because of their grief. He wanted to make amends, but it was too late. He is filled with regret. Lemonade says that she did a fine job of taking care of her sick mother, which Charlie agrees with. Lemonade asks Charlie how to get over her grief, and Charlie tells her to take things “one day at a time” (87). Lemonade decides that the wood in Charlie’s hand looks like a bunny, and they both recall how much Elizabeth loved bunnies.

Lemonade falls and scrapes her knee, panicking that it is gangrene. Tobin laughs, telling Lemonade that it’s a grass stain. Lemonade is surprised to learn that Charlie was a doctor; he tends to her knee, making her feel better. As the group makes its way through the woods, searching for evidence of Bigfoot, Lemonade starts to sneeze from allergies. She is bombarded by mosquitoes. Tobin complains about Lemonade’s noisiness, and Lemonade is disgusted to learn that they’re looking for Bigfoot poop. When they stop for a break, Lemonade sits down to eat a squished Twinkie and spots something strange below her feet.

Lemonade finds a huge footprint, complete with toes, and yells at Tobin and Charlie to come over. Tobin agrees that the finding seems legitimate and even spots some smaller footprints of the same sort nearby. Lemonade feels proud to have made the discovery, remembering her title as “Assistant Bigfoot Detective” (98). Lemonade gets down in the dirt to get a closer look, pointing out the dermal ridges. Charlie mixes plaster to create molds of the footprints, and Lemonade films the scene, adding commentary. Tobin reminds her that the film is silent, but Lemonade continues, enjoying bugging Tobin. When the plastic dries, Tobin is thrilled to see a midtarsal break, the joint in the middle of a primate’s foot, in the mold, which seems to confirm that it isn’t human. The team feels proud and accomplished.

Tobin and Lemonade make a display out of the plaster footprints in Charlie’s shop. While coloring a map poster for the display, the group of boys who have been bullying Tobin show up and start bothering Tobin and Lemonade. They demand to know where Lemonade is from and tease Tobin about dating and kissing her. Charlie intervenes, and Tobin goes back to coloring, nearly ripping through the paper in anger. Lemonade tells Tobin to learn better comebacks and says that the boys might be jealous of a 10-year-old who already has his own successful company. Tobin smiles.