“Wow,” I say.
“That is some powerful magic.” Lenora climbs off the bed, looking in awe at my sparkly clean room. “We’d better finish that code you started, fast. And maybe try not to break it immediately this time.”
I exhale a laugh.
“Guess I’d better call Dad to come get me.” She pulls her phone from her back pocket. “I’m gonna miss those little guys.”
I look at my half-open closet door. All I wanted was to get rid of that toothy lizard and flirtatious, full-of-himself superhero. But now they’re gone, and I realize I might miss them too.
“Hey, Lenora,” I say before she walks out the door.
“Yeah?”
“I couldn’t have done this without you. Thanks.”
Lenora punches my arm lightly. “Yeah, you could have.” With that, she heads out the door.
She’s right, I realize. I had what it took to fix my messy, magical trouble all along.
It was just more fun with her.
SUNDAY MORNING
Thump. Thump. Thump.
“Whah?” I lift my head off my pillow.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
I sit upright, my heart racing. Are Thor and Tiny T back?
“West, you awake?”
I exhale. It’s just Mom knocking on my door.
“Did you finish cleaning?” She peeks her head in my bedroom. “Wait… what? Your room!” She comes in and walks around, running her hand along my desk. Her eyes are as large as pinwheels. “How’d you get it so clean?”
I rub the sleep out of my groggy face. “Lenora helped.”
“But—the burn marks?” She kneels, running a hand across my baseball-shaped carpet.
I yawn. Vacation Brain has to think fast through my fog. “It was… marker. We got it out.”
“Hmm… I’ve got to say, I wasn’t so sure you’d get it done.” Mom sits on the edge of my bed. “But now that I know what a good room-cleaner you are, I guess I can expect it always to be this clean.”
Gulp. May have to do a little conjuring to keep this up.
“You have a visitor,” Mom says.
“I do?”
There’s a knock on my bedroom door, and Josh pokes his head in.
I bolt upright in bed. “Josh?”
“Hey, man.”
Mom walks back to my door. “Have you had breakfast, Josh?”
“Oh, thanks, Mrs. Hopper. I’m good.” Josh stands awkwardly, scratching at the back of his neck.
Mom leaves and shuts the door behind her.
“You’re okay?” I ask.
Josh cocks his head funny at me. “Course. I mean, I have this awful itchy rash all over, but—why wouldn’t I be?”
I toss off my covers and swing my legs over the edge of the bed. “Snake said you were missing.”
Josh stands in the middle of my room, one hand stuffed in his shorts, the other itching his belly, swaying from side to side. “Oh.”
“If you came to see the T. rex, you’re too late,” I say.
“You really had one? And Snake took him?”
I cross my arms. “Yup.”
“I was supposed to help them.” He kicks at my carpet with his left foot. “But… I felt bad. I didn’t want to.”
“Oh?”
He looks at my walls, the floor—anywhere but at me—and itches his thigh. “Yeah. Breaking into your house, taking stuff. It was… kind of extreme.”
“Did you tell them that?”
Josh rubs his nose, looking ashamed. “I took off when they released us from school. Went the long way, through the woods, so the guys couldn’t find me. I think that’s where I got poison oak or something. And I just didn’t answer my phone.”
I think for a minute about what he’s saying. And how Lenora would respond.
“So, you didn’t try to stop them,” I say.
“I mean, it’s not like… How could I?”
I can think of lots of ways. Guess Josh isn’t as creative a thinker as me.
“So why are you here?” I ask.
“To say… sorry. I mean, you kept trying to tell me about this awesome thing you found, and I blew you off.”
“Because of the guys,” I add.
Josh looks at his feet. “I mean, it’s not like it was a believable story.”
“Maybe.” I shrug. “But you didn’t even give me a chance.”
We sit there, silently and awkwardly, for a gazillion minutes.
“So what happened yesterday?” he asks.
“Which part? When I blew up the gym or when Snake stole my T. rex?”
Josh smirks. “Sounds funny when you say it like that.”
“Yeah, super funny.”
“Did you blow up the gym? For real?”
I exhale. “I don’t know. It’s complicated.”
“What happened with Snake? His dad found him, Alex, and Frankie tied up in the rec room last night. But Snake won’t talk about it. Was that you?”
I think about the tiny-Viking attack. I’m sure Josh would think it was cool. But I’m not sure I care anymore. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Oh. Okay,” he replies.
I pull at my pajama bottoms, then glance up, ready to ask what I’ve always wondered.
“Why don’t you ever stick up for me?”
“Huh?” Josh asks.
“You never say, ‘Hey, Snake, invite him to your party. Be nice to him.’ Like that.”
Josh takes in a breath. “It’s not that easy.…”
“I thought we were friends.”
“We were… we are. I just…” He can’t even look me in the eye.
Even yesterday, I would’ve been relieved to hear him say we’re still friends. But I’ve learned a lot in a few days. “Pretty sure friends stick up for each other.” I stand and point at my closet. “I’m gonna get dressed now, so…”
“Oh. Okay. So… should I go? Or… I mean. We could do something?”
“Do something?” I ask.
“I dunno. Like, make something with the magic pouch?”
I squint. We could make something. I could draw that three-headed tree frog for him to show off at school, and he’d probably be my best friend forever.
But that’s not how I want to make friends.
“Here’s the thing,” I start. “If someone was being mean to you, like Snake was to me, I’d probably not want to be friends with them. But maybe you just like Snake better than you like me. Maybe Snake is more fun. Although that’s hard to imagine, since, you know—magic pouch.”
“I’m sorry.” Josh looks away, scratching the back of his leg. “I didn’t know what to do. You act kinda different sometimes. I was afraid if I stuck up for you, they wouldn’t want to be friends with me either.”
“If one mistake loses a friend, maybe a true friend he never was indeed,” I say, channeling Thor.
Josh just crinkles his forehead.
I continue. “Basically, you’re saying you’d rather be friends with the cool, mean guys than me, just because I do weird stuff sometimes.” I shrug. “So, if that’s your choice…”
“No… that’s not… choosing.” He looks up. “Do you still want to be friends?”
I curl my bottom lip, thinking. I miss Josh. Of course I still want to be his friend. But the Josh I’ve seen this past year has been different. And how could I be sure he wants to be friends with me… or with the kid who has magic?
I draw in a deep breath, this time channeling my best Ms. Molly. “Maybe if you start acting like a real friend. That means sharing time, understanding what might hurt my feelings, and sacrificing by sticking up for each other. Then we’ll see.”
Josh tilts his head. “Uh. Okay?”
Just then Mom knocks on the do
or and pops her head in. “Hey, uh, I just got a call from the fire marshal.”
Uh-oh.
Mom doesn’t look mad, but sometimes she has a tricky face first, before she springs the real one on me. Especially in front of company.
“Looks like they were able to determine the cause of the explosion. Very quickly, in fact. And they were quite surprised.”
Oh, I bet.
We’ve determined the cause of the fire was an animated fire monster, brought to life by one Westin Scott Hopper’s irresponsible use of his enchanted artifact.
Here we go. The end of my life. For a second, I thought it might turn out to be a good day.
“Seems there was a slow gas leak in the gym that had started to get bigger. They’re guessing something sparked the explosion—maybe even just West closing the gym door. The fire marshal said it was a very lucky thing it happened Friday when no one was in the gym, because the science fair was scheduled for yesterday. Apparently one student was planning a flaming volcano exhibit. The gym would have blown up with hundreds of people in it.”
“Alex’s flaming volcano!” Josh exclaims. “Whoa. He could’ve died. I can’t wait to tell him.”
Holy cow! My fire monster saved hundreds of people by blowing the gym up a day early.
“Guess it wasn’t you after all.” Josh stands there. Waiting for something. Maybe hoping I’ll change my mind and ask him to stay.
I won’t—not just yet, anyway.
“Are you sure you can’t stay for breakfast?” Mom asks him.
Josh looks at me.
“No, he’s gotta get going,” I say.
Mom shrugs. “Get dressed and come eat then, West. Your dad will be here soon. See you next time, Josh.”
“Uh, okay.” Josh does a quick itch and an awkward shrug. “Bye?”
“See you at school.”
He heads out, and it’s a little sad, but also kind of a relief, to watch him leave.
After I get dressed in my black shorts and Red Sox shirt—Mom was able to get the grape stain out, total hero—I flop down at the kitchen table. Mom pours me a glass of orange juice and scoops some eggs onto my plate, and I gulp them down. It’s been a while since I didn’t have to share my breakfast.
I scarf the last bit of eggs, and my cell phone buzzes. It’s Lenora. I take the phone into my bedroom.
“Hey!” Her voice is squeaky with excitement. “Did you hear? Dad said the school sent out an announcement. Everyone at the science fair would have died! You and that magic pouch are, like, superheroes.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” I say. “Anyway, are you going to be home later?”
“Yup. Just shoveling manure all day. Would love the help.”
“Gross. I’ll be over after Dad picks me up.”
“See ya.”
I grab my sketchpad and start drawing while I wait. The wooden box with the pouch and Marty’s drawings sit beside me at my desk. Even though using the magic without clearing it with Lenora is breaking the one and only rule in my code, I’m going to cheat this once—for good reason.
When I finish, I tear the sketch off the pad and lift the lid of the box to put it inside. I had to do it mostly from memory, but I think I got it. I pull out Marty’s drawings to tuck inside my desk drawer for safekeeping, and as I do, the one on top catches my eye. I didn’t really look at it before—too distracted with the plane ticket and Mustang—but it’s a scene from Uncle Marty’s living room. I recognize the ugly crocodile painting over the sofa. There’s also a guy, who looks a lot like Uncle Marty, putting a red sock on his foot.
I study the drawing closely and realize… it’s not a red sock.
“Holy magic pouch!” I exclaim.
I sit there for a minute with my mouth ajar, then remember to breathe. If this drawing is what I think it is, then Uncle Marty sent himself to the Other Realm. And if he really went into the pouch, then Uncle Marty’s own Vacation Brain is on another planet.
But also… it means he could still be alive. And that is an excellent possibility. I wonder if he’ll run into Thor. That would be seriously awesome. More importantly, I wonder if he wants to come back. If he even can come back.
Mom knocks, and I put Marty’s drawings back and close the box. “Come in.”
She enters and leans over my shoulder. “Dad’s on his way. You have your stuff ready?” She points to my drawing. “Hey, that’s adorable. You’re such a good artist.”
I smile back at her. “Thanks.”
“We could put that one in the charter-school application.”
“Nope.” I turn around. “I’m not going. Not to that school or Dad’s private one. I want to do Mr. Lowde’s art club, and I want to stay with Lenora.”
Mom crosses her arms, her jaw slack. “But the mortgage. Your dad—”
I put up a hand. “I’d rather not hear about that stuff, Mom. It’s between you and Dad.” Dad’s horn beeps outside. “Talk to him. I don’t want to move. Gotta go. See you next Sunday.”
I scoop up the sketch and box, grab my stuff, and kiss Mom’s cheek. There’s no way I’m giving up this sketch for some application. It’s for Lenora.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON
Dad and I pull up to Lenora’s house, and Ned waves to us from the barn.
“You can stop here, Dad. You sure it’s okay if I hang with her for a bit?”
Dad brings the Evidence to a stop and leaves the engine running. “Text me when you’re done. I’ll come get you.”
“We going to Gram’s later?”
“Sure thing, kiddo.” He puts his hand on the side of my baseball cap, and I can feel his thick, warm fingers over my ear. I think he feels bad about getting mad at me for the gym when it wasn’t my fault—technically.
“Dad. Um. About school?”
“What about it?”
“I know we just had a pile of trouble with the explosion and all, but… I really want to stay at my school.” I tense, waiting for his reply.
“Buddy. I know the fire wasn’t you, but still. You need more discipline. You need to know the consequences of your impulsive actions,” he says firmly.
“Dad, I don’t mean to be trouble. I promise. When you get mad, it just makes me feel worse about doing something I couldn’t control. I’d do it the right way the first time, if I could. Really. And if I stay at my school, there’s an art club I can join. I’m really good at art. I want to feel proud of what I do for a change.”
Dad bites on his lower lip, studying me.
“Would you at least talk to Mom about it, please? And not in a fighting way?”
“Uh…”
“Please? Can we just talk about it? But not now. Lenora’s waiting.”
Dad nods. “I’ll think about it.”
I’m not exactly sure what will happen, but at least it isn’t a no. “Okay.” I open the car door. “Love you, Dad. See you later.”
“Love you too.”
I slam the door and run toward the barn with my sketch. The magic pouch and wooden box are both tucked safely in my backpack. I have to wait until Mr. Pickering goes over by the horse corral, so he can’t see what I’m up to. When I’m done, I smile. Lenora is going to love it. I hope.
I run up to the house and knock on the old door. This time, Lenora answers herself.
“What took you so long? You missed all the manure.” She tugs on my arm. “Come in.”
I pull her in the opposite direction. “No, you come with me.”
We start walking down the long, gravel driveway.
“What are you up to?” she asks.
“You’ll see.”
Lenora notices what I’m carrying. “You brought the wooden box? And the pouch?”
We stop, and I thrust the wooden box toward her. “Here. Take it.”
“Huh?”
“To be perfectly safe, the new first order of the code should be that you keep this instead of me.” I push the box at her until she grabs hold of it. “The second order can be that I have to clear its use with you.”
“Why?”
“Because. It doesn’t work for you. That way there’s no temptation. With Vacation Brain, I’ll be drawing stuff in the middle of the night. It’ll start with me acing tests, then money, a brand-new Red Sox jersey. But before long, who knows? Cranky Steve will show up with purple hair and no nose one day. Don’t get me started about what I could do to Mr. Widelot. It’s Vacation Brain we’re talking about.”
Lenora nods. “That’s very mature of you, West.”
I lift a shoulder. “It’s the only time Brain stuck around to make a good decision, I guess. Come look, though. You’ll see exactly why I shouldn’t keep this magic in my room.”
We keep walking, but Lenora gets strangely quiet—especially for Lenora. The crunch of our feet on tiny rocks is the only sound.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“Yeah.” She pauses. “I told my dad I wanted to talk about my mom.”
“Oh. What’d he say?”
“We haven’t talked yet. He got all teary, but he agreed. Said we could go for a walk through the fields later, just us, and talk about her.” She has a wide smile, like it’s her birthday and the first day of summer.
“That’s good.”
She falls quiet again.
“West?” she says, almost choking as she speaks.
“Yeah?”
“I wanted to say… thanks. Seeing you tackle your troubles head-on gave me the courage to ask my dad for what I need.”
I drop my glance to the gravelly path and keep walking. If I stop, she might try to hug me. Then I turn, walking backward at a quick pace. “Don’t thank me yet! Come on!”
I bolt to the chicken coop, and she follows.
“What are you up to?” Lenora pretends to be worried, but she’s all smiles.
I stop in front of the gate. The chicken coop is a small, wired pen with a bunch of spotted brown and red chickens waddling around. Toward the back, there’s a little shed where the chickens sleep at night with a ramp right up the middle.
Trouble with a Tiny t Page 19