“Hey—” I began.
“Oh good,” he said over me.“I wanted to talk to you before he gets home, but I didn’t want to interrupt you while you were writing.”
“Yes,” I said.“Because I was writing.”
“I threw Keme’s clothes in the wash.I hope that’s okay; he’s embarrassed to ask.”
I stared at him.
“Did I do something wrong?”Bobby asked.“I won’t do it again if—”
“No,” I said.“No, of course not.I just wanted to make sure it was okay if I started the dryer.I think you forgot.”
Bobby gave me that big, goofy grin and smacked himself in the forehead.
Life, I decided, just wasn’t fair sometimes.
4
Indira paused in the middle of frosting a cinnamon roll to look at me.“You said today was a special day.”
“Todayisa special day,” I said.
“I made you cinnamon rolls because you were so excited.”
“I’mveryexcited.That’s why I made the sign-up sheet for the TV.”I displayed said sign-up sheet.Every time slot from now until Monday morning was filled with my name.“That’s why I reserved it for the whole weekend.”
“For a video game?”
“Okay, one, the tone.And two, not justanyvideo game.Wizard Cheeseburger.”And then, because I didn’t think she was getting it, I added, “Three.”
Keme made a disgusted noise as he tried to filch one of the freshly frosted cinnamon rolls.
Indira slapped his hand without looking.“Wizard Cheeseburger?”
I nodded.“Three.”
Keme was trying to get one of the rolls again, but he shrank back when Indira’s gaze flicked in his direction.
“I don’t understand,” Fox said.They were orbiting the cinnamon rolls as well, drawn away from whatever project they’d been working on.“Are you a wizard who’s also a cheeseburger?”
“What?No, that would be a terrible game.”
“Are you a cheeseburger who’s also a wizard?”
“Wouldn’t that be the same thing?”
“Are you a loser with no friends?”Keme muttered.
I stared at him in betrayal.“You told me you lovedWizard Cheeseburger 2.You said you even beat the secret level.”
The boy at least had the decency to blush when Indira turned in his direction.He snatched one of the rolls and sprinted out of the room.
“Well, if we’re helping ourselves—” Fox said.
But Indira picked up the spatula, and Fox took a precipitous step back.
“If you’re not a wizard who’s also a cheeseburger, then what are you?”Indira asked.
