I made a hang ten sign. “I’m gonna go boarding with Clay. See ya!”
I was about to push the sliding door open when she said, “Hmm. You know what?”
Suspiciously, I asked, “What?”
“It might be nice if you stayed inside today and cheered up Belly. Poor thing could use some cheering up.”
“Aw, Mom—”
“Please, Jeremiah?”
I sighed. I didn’t want to stay home and cheer up Belly. I wanted to go boarding with Clay.
When I didn’t say anything, she added, “We can grill out tonight. I’ll let you be in charge of the burgers.”
I sighed again, louder this time. My mom still thought that letting me fire up the grill and flip hamburgers was a big treat for me. Not that it wasn’t fun, but still. I opened my mouth to say “no thanks,” but then I saw the fond, happy look on her face, the way she just knew I would say yes. So I did. “Fine,” I said.
I went back upstairs and changed out of my swim trunks and then I joined Belly in the TV room. I sat as far away from her as I could. The last thing I needed was to catch her cold and be sidelined for a week.
“Why are you still here?” she asked, blowing her nose.
“It’s too hot outside,” I said. “Wanna watch a movie?”
“It’s not that hot outside.”
“How would you know if you haven’t been out there?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Did your mom make you stay inside with me?”
“No,” I said.
“Ha!” Belly grabbed the remote and changed the channel. “I know you’re lying.”
“I am not!”
Blowing her nose loudly she said, “ESP, remember?”
“That’s not real. Can I have the remote?”
She shook her head and held the remote to her chest protectively. “No. My germs are all over it. Sorry. Is there any more toast bread?”
Toast bread was what we called the bread my mom bought at the farmer’s market. It came sliced, and it was white and thick and a little bit sweet. I’d had the last three slices of toast bread that morning. I’d slathered it with butter and blackberry jam and I’d eaten it really fast before anyone else got up. With four kids and two adults, bread went really fast. It was every man for himself.
“No more toast bread left,” I said.
“Conrad and Steven are such pigs,” she said, sniffling. Guiltily, I said, “I thought all you wanted to eat were grape Popsicles.”
She shrugged. “When I woke up this morning Iwanted toast bread. I think maybe I’m getting better.”
She didn’t look any better to me. Her eyes were swollen and her skin looked grayish, and I don’t think she’d washed her hair in days because it was all stringy and matted looking. “Maybe you should take a shower,” I said. “My mom says you always feel better after you take a shower.”
“Are you saying I smell?”
“Um, no.” I looked out the window. It was a clear day, no clouds. I bet Clay was having a blast. I bet Steven and Conrad were too. Conrad had emptied out his old first-grade piggy bank and found a ton of quarters. I bet they’d be at the arcade all afternoon. I wondered how long Clay was gonna be outside. I might be able to catch him in a few hours; it’d still be light out.
I guess Belly caught me staring out the window, because she said, in this really snotty voice, “Just go if you want to.”
“I said I didn’t,” I snapped. Then I took a breath. My mom wouldn’t like it if I made Belly upset when she was all sick like this. And she really did look lonely. I kinda felt sorry for her, being stuck inside all day. Summer colds sucked more than anything.
