“Hi, Mae,” I said. We hadn’t talked much lately, probably because I had been so busy with spelling and we didn’t have our Family Tree Project anymore. She sat down beside me.
“I got these tattoos. You want to do them with me?” she asked.
“Sure,” I said.
Mae placed the strip of tattoos, which had unicorns on them, and the plastic cup, which was filled with water, on the ground between us. “Hold out your arm,” she said.
I rolled up my sleeve further and stretched out my right arm. Mae placed a unicorn on my skin, then dipped the paper towel into the water. Skillfully, she held the unicorn in place and wet the top side of the tattoo with the paper towel.
She pressed her hand against the tattoo and counted very quietly to ten. With the skill of a surgeon, she pulled off the strip, and there, on my arm, rested a perfect white-and-yellow unicorn.
It was great. I smiled and looked up at her. Mae smiled back. “Here,” she said, and handed me half the strip. “I love unicorns, don’t you?”
I guess. I hadn’t really thought about it before. I don’t think Atticus and I had ever talked about unicorns. Not even once. “Yeah,” I said. “Unicorns are cool.”
“My birthday is on March 17,” Mae said as we tattooed ourselves. “My mom is letting me have a slumber party. Hannah and Courtney and Emma are coming. I was wondering if you wanted to come, too.”
“Really?” I said. I had never been to a slumber party before.
“Yeah, it’ll be fun. And Noah wants to see you. He misses you. He thinks you’re deliplicious.”
“Deliplicious?” I said.
Mae laughed. “Don’t ask. It’s his word.”
We helped each other pull the little strips off our arms carefully so the unicorns underneath would come off clean. They did. They were perfect.
As we walked back to class, I looked at my arms and thought, I am covered in unicorn tattoos and I’m going to a slumber party. Who is this new Avalon James?
The next Saturday the weather was still nice, so Mrs. Brightwell decided it was a good idea to drop me and Atticus off at the farm. She said the fresh air would do us good and my mom agreed. “You need a day outside without spelling and flashcards,” my mom had said. But right after another of Granny’s fabulous bacon breakfasts (that Atticus didn’t eat), it started to rain and we were stuck inside.
For the next three hours, Atticus showed me his new computer app about the Titanic. It was a virtual tour of the doomed ocean liner. We looked at the first-class cabins, the second-class cabins, the steerage cabins, the ballroom, the dining room, the upper decks, the lower decks, and the boiler room at least three times.
When it finally stopped raining, I was begging Atticus to go outside.
“Avie, what’s wrong with you?” he asked. “Don’t you have a sense of history?”
“I am so Titanic-ed out,” I groaned, and dropped my head on the table.
“I think Avalon’s right,” Granny said. “You can play on the computer anytime.”
“Okay,” Atticus said. “But I’m hungry.”
Granny made us some sandwiches and put them in little brown bags. It had gotten colder so we put on our coats, grabbed the brown bags, and headed to the hay house. Charlie came, too, and tried to jump on us all the way down the hill.
Atticus was still having dreams and he believed every single one of them was going to come true. Don’t get me wrong, I believed it was Atticus’s Infinity Year power that helped us find M. And I didn’t doubt that he dreamed I was going to the regional bee. But was Iron Man really going to show up for his birthday party?
When we got to the hay house, we settled into our favorite place. Inside, it was warm and we took off our coats. We unpacked our sandwiches and found carrots and chocolate kisses in our paper bags. Today’s sandwich was tomato and cheese. Atticus will eat cheese.
So will Charlie.
Before we finished, we heard the truck horn blow and looked out to see Pop-pop drive up with a load of hay bales in the truck bed. “You kids want to come feed those hungry cows with me?” he asked.
“Yeah!” we yelled, and ran out of the hay house. We climbed into the back of the truck and sat on top of the bales of hay.
“You in there good?” Pop-pop hollered back to us.
“We’re good,” Atticus yelled. Then Pop-pop took off toward the front pasture.
The front pasture is down the hill from the farmhouse—on the front side. As we rode along the dirt road from the barn to the pasture, Charlie chased us all the way. All the cows started mooing when they saw us and the hay coming. When we got to the pasture gate, Pop-pop stopped the truck, got out, opened the gate, got back in, drove through the gate, got out again, closed the gate, and got back in the truck. That’s what he has to do every single time.
Pop-pop drove the truck into the middle of the pasture and all the cows followed us. They sure were hungry. Pop-pop climbed into the truck bed with us and started cutting the strings off the hay bales with his pocketknife. He’s always careful to get all the strings off so that the cows won’t swallow them.
Atticus and I started picking up loose hay squares and throwing them into the pasture. We had done this job many times before. We were supposed to throw them as far as we could so that all the cows could have at least one piece of hay all to themselves. Pop-pop could throw the farthest, and sometimes he accidentally-on-purpose would throw one right on top of a cow’s head. It wouldn’t hurt or anything and the cow would shake off her hay hat after a while, but it was always funny.
“Dang blast dog,” Pop-pop suddenly said.
We looked over and saw Charlie running all around Frank the bull, who was trying to eat his hay. Charlie was barking at Frank and running between his legs.
“Charlie, you are about to get in some big trouble. You leave that bull alone,” Pop-pop yelled.
Charlie is not good at listening, and Pop-pop is not good at not being listened to. Pop-pop jumped out of the truck and walked through the cows on his way to Frank and Charlie.
“Charlie, I mean it.” As Pop-pop got closer, Charlie got the message and ran away from him. That left Pop-pop standing right in front of Frank the bull.
Atticus and I watched as the bull and the farmer looked each other in the eye. Pop-pop always said that bulls, even Frank, were unpredictable, but none of the farm animals ever seemed unpredictable around Pop-pop to me. Granny said he had a way with animals. It was like they had an understanding.
I thought about Pop-pop and his Infinity Year. I wondered if his magical power when he was ten had anything to do with animals.
“Look,” said Atticus. We watched as Pop-pop stepped forward and touched Frank right on the nose. “That’s a good boy,” we heard him say. Then Pop-pop backed away and left the bull alone.
“I want to do that,” Atticus said. He was about to jump out of the truck when I grabbed him by the back of his pants.
“No,” I said. “Pop-pop, tell Atticus he can’t do that.”
“Atticus, you can’t do that,” Pop-pop said, and got back in the truck. As we drove toward the pasture gate, I saw the look in Atticus’s eyes, though. It said he still thought that big Frank was the same as little Frank.
Me and Pop-pop knew better.
THIRTEEN
It was March 17, Mae’s birthday. The day I realized that apparently my Infinity Year power was being unlucky.
All day I had been getting ready for her slumber party. I had my backpack with my toothbrush and toothpaste inside along with my pajamas and my hairbrush and some clothes to wear the next day. I also rolled up my sleeping bag and got it ready because we were going to be sleeping on the floor in Mae’s living room that night.
I had gotten Mae a gift, too. Mae had pierced ears and she liked silver things, so I got her a pair of little silver hoops from the Earring Hut at the mall.
Since I was going to be out all night, Mom decided to work an overnight shift and drop me off early at Mae’s house on
her way to the hospital. I was the first one there.
Mae and her mom were still getting things ready for the party so it became my job to play with Noah, which was fine because I get along well with boys. Noah took me upstairs to his train set that was in his bedroom and told me what he wanted to add.
1. An elevated rail to go over the buildings he had.
2. A bridge to go over the river he had.
3. Three freight cars filled with the sheep and pigs and cows he had.
4. And a new mustache on the conductor he had.
I am somewhat of a train expert from all the time I spent with Atticus and his train sets. So Noah had come to the right person.
We had just finished the elevated rail and were starting work on the bridge when Mrs. Bearman walked in. “Avalon, the other girls are here. You don’t have to keep doing this.”
“Mom, no!” Noah yelled. “Let Avie stay. Look what we did. It’s really great. Avie is really good at trains.”
Mrs. Bearman smiled at me. She’s a nice mom. I could tell. I liked her from the minute we started the Family Tree Project. “It’s very good,” she said with a little laugh. She came over and looked at our train construction more closely. “In fact, if I do say so, this may be your best train work yet.”
Noah smiled really big. “Yeah, it’s the best one!”
“But we’re going to take a break. Mae’s party is starting. Maybe Avalon will come back and help you finish it a little later,” she said. “Would that be okay, Avalon?”
“Sure,” I said, and turned to Noah. “We’ll get it all done. I promise.”
“And Hannah’s here, Noah,” Mrs. Bearman said. “She wants to see you, too.”
“Okay,” Noah said, but I could tell he wasn’t very happy. I reached out my hand and he took it. “Come on, let’s go,” I said, and gave him a smile.
It was weird walking in on Hannah, Courtney, Emma, and Mae. They were all in the kitchen picking out beads for a jewelry project we were going to do. I wasn’t sure making jewelry was going to be my kind of thing. I was probably much better at train building.
Hannah is very pretty and has very long blond hair. Mae and Hannah have been best friends forever. I think Hannah is going to grow up to be just like Caroline. Courtney has red hair and lots of freckles. She plays soccer and ice-skates. She is very athletic but also very small. Emma has crazy wild hair and she wears dresses all the time. She also wears rings on all her fingers and always carries a little purse.
Mae had just gotten her hair cut for her birthday and was wearing a brand-new outfit. She looked right at home with the other girls.
“Mae, you should see what Noah and Avalon have done,” Mrs. Bearman said as we walked into the kitchen.
Mae smiled. The other girls did, too. “Avalon, we’re making necklaces,” said Hannah. “Come get some string.”
And just like that, I was part of the slumber party.
It was a fun night. We made necklaces and bracelets and I was pretty good at it after all. Then we had tacos and birthday cake and gave Mae her presents. I could tell she really liked the earrings I bought her.
When we were getting ready to watch a movie, Mrs. Bearman came up to me and whispered, “Do you mind coming upstairs and helping Noah finish the train set? He just won’t go to bed unless you come see him.”
That was okay with me. I had already seen the movie anyway. I followed Mrs. Bearman upstairs and it took only half an hour for Noah and me to finish the bridge, load up the animals, and get a new mustache for Conductor Bill. I finished by reading him a story.
“I’m glad you’re Mae’s friend,” Noah said as I closed the book. “You should come sleep over every weekend.”
I smiled and thought it might be nice having a little brother.
While Noah was falling asleep, Mrs. Bearman came in and thanked me. I went back downstairs and curled up in my sleeping bag next to the other girls. We watched the rest of the movie, ate lots of popcorn, and then told stories until really late. At some point, we must have all fallen asleep.
If I had just slept through the night, what happened next would not have happened. And my Infinity Year power might not have been being so unlucky.
But I did not sleep through the night. I woke up. Actually, Mae woke me. She needed my help. Noah had wet the bed.
I followed Mae and Noah upstairs. We were being quiet so we wouldn’t wake anyone else up. When we shut the door to his bedroom, Noah started crying.
Mae kneeled down in front of him. “You want me to go get Mom?” she asked.
“No,” Noah said. “Just you and Avie.”
“Okay,” Mae said. She took off his wet clothes, cleaned him up, and helped him put on some clean underwear. Then she pulled the sheets off his bed and wiped off the plastic mattress cover that was underneath. I could tell this wasn’t the first time Mae had done this.
She handed me some clean pajamas. “Could you put these on him while I go get some new sheets?” she asked.
“Sure,” I said as Mae picked up the old sheets and left the room, closing the door partway behind her.
I looked at Noah. I could tell how embarrassed he was. “Hands up,” I said, and put his pajama shirt over his head. I got his arms through the sleeves and then started working on his pants.
“I’m sorry, Avie,” he said.
“Why are you sorry? There’s nothing to be sorry about.”
“Only little babies wet the bed.”
“That’s not true.”
“Yes, it is,” he said.
“No, it’s not,” I said.
“Yes, it is.” I watched as his mouth turned into a giant pout.
I pulled up his pants and sat him on the chair across from the bed. “Let me tell you something, Noah,” I said, and stared him straight in the eyes. “There’s nothing wrong with you.”
He looked away. He didn’t believe me.
“I know what I’m talking about, Noah,” I said. “I do. My best friend still wets the bed. And he’s going to be eleven soon.”
Noah looked at me. “Really?”
“Really,” I said.
“Atticus wets the bed?”
It was Mae’s voice. I turned and saw her standing at the door with fresh sheets in her hands.
I so wanted to deny it, to tell Mae I was kidding, that of course Atticus didn’t wet the bed. But I looked at Noah and knew I couldn’t take it back now.
“Yeah,” I said to Mae. “I was telling Noah that he had nothing to be sorry about, that there’s nothing wrong with him.”
“That’s right,” Mae said, crossing to the bed and smiling at her brother. She and I made Noah’s bed, and all the time I felt a knot growing in my stomach. Mae knew Atticus’s secret and it was my fault. By the time Noah was finally asleep and we tiptoed out of his room, I was freaking out inside.
“Mae,” I whispered as we walked back into the living room, where the other girls were still sleeping.
“What’s wrong, Avalon?” she asked. She acted like she genuinely didn’t know.
“You can’t tell anybody,” I said. “Atticus would be so upset.”
“Oh, you mean about Atticus wetting the bed?” Mae said.
“Yes,” I said, whispering even more softly.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “I would never do that. Especially after you helped me with Noah. It will be our secret. Okay?”
“Really?” I asked.
“Yeah. For sure. You can count on me.”
I let out a sigh. “Thanks,” I said. “Thanks, Mae.”
She smiled at me. I knew she was telling the truth. I crawled into my sleeping bag and sighed.
Whew. That was a close one.
* * *
Monday came quick. The slumber party had been a big success and M was really glad to see me when I got home the next day. Atticus had been at the farm over the weekend so we hadn’t talked. I thought about telling him what happened with Mae and Noah but I decided not to. I knew Mae wouldn’t s
ay anything. I really thought it would be okay.
By recess, the day had been like any other day. I was sitting under my regular tree waiting for Atticus to arrive when I saw Elena running toward me.
That was alarming. Elena rarely ran toward me. She was out of breath when she reached me but started talking anyway.
I couldn’t believe what she said.
“Your boyfriend wets the bed!” she blurted out.
“What?” I said, trying to pretend like I didn’t know what she was talking about.
“You know, Atticus, your boyfriend who thinks he’s so great. He wets the bed. It’s all over school. Didn’t you know?”
“No, he doesn’t,” I lied. But not well enough.
“Yes, he does. I can see it on your face,” she said through a wicked grin. “I knew if I asked you I would know for sure. Thanks.” She turned and looked across the playground. “Sissy!” she yelled. “It’s true.” She ran off toward her equally evil friend.
Atticus’s secret was out. What was I going to do?
I looked for Mae, but didn’t see her anywhere. I had believed her. She said I could count on her. How could she have done this to me?
None of that mattered now.
Atticus’s class was coming out to recess. They were walking single file through the double doors that led out to the recess area.
We saw each other at the very exact same time. He walked up to me, looked me in the eye, and didn’t say a word. Then he walked away.
“Atticus!” I said, but he didn’t stop. I heard some girls giggling and pointing at him as he passed by. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know what to do.
I’d just lost the best friend I ever had.
FOURTEEN
Frank Neuhauser won the first National Spelling Bee. He was born in 1913—the year after the Titanic sank—and died almost a hundred years later. He won by correctly spelling the word gladiolus, which is defined as an iridaceous plant with swordlike leaves and often brightly colored flower spikes. It comes from the Latin word gladius, which means “sword.”
Frank was eleven years old when he became the first champion. It happened on a June day in Washington, DC, in 1925. After he defeated the eight other finalists, he was congratulated by President Calvin Coolidge and awarded five hundred dollars in gold and a bicycle. When Frank returned to his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, the townspeople threw him a ticker-tape parade. They also gave him a bouquet of gladioli.
The Infinity Year of Avalon James Page 11