Caitlin.
Me too. They’re first graders. I think. At least Michael is.
She does her turtle neck jerk. Michael Schneider?
I don’t know. Does he wear a red Potomac Nationals baseball cap?
He often does. Caitlin. Do you remember the name of the teacher who was killed at the middle school?
Of course. It was Mrs. Roberta L. Schneider. And then I think about Michael’s last name. Oh. Are they related?
Mrs. Brook nods. Michael’s mother.
I knew his mother was dead but I didn’t know she was shot like Devon. Is that why he was at the memorial service?
Yes. I think all of us were at the memorial service. We’re a small enough town that we’re like one big family. But . . . still . . . how odd for you two to find each other.
It’s not odd, I say. I’m at little kid recess now. Remember? And he was crying the first time I saw him so I was being nice to him. And he knew about Devon. He said I was the weirdo whose—
The what? Mrs. Brook jerks her neck again.
He didn’t really mean weirdo. He said he was sorry. He’s nice. And so am I. So it’s not odd for us to be friends.
She smiles. You’re right. I think you and Michael have a very important friendship.
Me too. I’m glad I have stickers and gummy worms for him.
When little kid recess starts I give Michael more planet stickers and all the gummy worms in my pocket.
Thanks! He looks at the worms. What are their names?
I start to name them but then I stop. You can name them.
He grins. He dangles the orange one in front of me and then the red. This is Henry and this is Mudge.
Like in the book, I say.
He nods. And these two green ones are Frog and Toad. Have you read those books?
I have all of those books.
Me too, he says. Hey guess what!
What?
My teacher says we’re getting fifth-grade reading buddies! Will you be my buddy?
I haven’t heard anything about fifth-grade buddies. I don’t know if I’m doing it. Maybe they do it during first recess when I have Mrs. Brook time.
He shakes his head. Nope. It’s at the end of the day. It starts Thursday.
Oh. I wonder if Mrs. Johnson told us and I just wasn’t listening. Sometimes that happens. A lot.
Hey guess what? Michael says. It’s Tyler’s birthday . We got cookies with gummy bears on them.
Lucky.
And he’s having a skating party on Saturday. What kind of party are you having?
What?
You said your birthday is next month.
It is.
So what kind of party are you having?
I don’t have parties.
Oh. What do you do?
I go to the mall with my brother.
His Bambi eyes open wide and he doesn’t say anything for a few seconds. Isn’t your brother dead?
Yes. But I still want to do it.
He nods slowly. I know. I still want to do stuff with my mom too.
I feel glowy and warm because Michael Gets It. My dad doesn’t Get It, I tell him.
My dad doesn’t Get It either.
Does he still want to play football?
Michael sighs. All the time.
He must really love football.
Yeah. I don’t think he’s very good at it though.
Why not?
I heard my grandmother say that he’s keeping his head up but pretty soon he’s going to crash and burn.
I turn and Look At The Person. You mean in a car accident?
Michael Looks At The Person too. No. It means he’s going to be really bad at something. My grandmother says that kind of stuff all the time. She says shake a leg when she wants you to hurry and perk up your ears when she wants you to listen and be a doll when she wants you to get her a glass of iced tea.
I can’t help giggling. I try to picture a doll holding a glass of iced tea.
Michael laughs too. Want to know my favorite thing she says? When she wants you to be patient she says . . . keep your pants on!
I laugh too. Why would you take your pants off?
I don’t know! He howls.
And we both end up giggling until the bell rings.
When I get home I remember what Mrs. Brook said about Dad and Devon and I have a plan to make everything okay. I sit on the sofa and start talking about Devon a
Me too. They’re first graders. I think. At least Michael is.
She does her turtle neck jerk. Michael Schneider?
I don’t know. Does he wear a red Potomac Nationals baseball cap?
He often does. Caitlin. Do you remember the name of the teacher who was killed at the middle school?
Of course. It was Mrs. Roberta L. Schneider. And then I think about Michael’s last name. Oh. Are they related?
Mrs. Brook nods. Michael’s mother.
I knew his mother was dead but I didn’t know she was shot like Devon. Is that why he was at the memorial service?
Yes. I think all of us were at the memorial service. We’re a small enough town that we’re like one big family. But . . . still . . . how odd for you two to find each other.
It’s not odd, I say. I’m at little kid recess now. Remember? And he was crying the first time I saw him so I was being nice to him. And he knew about Devon. He said I was the weirdo whose—
The what? Mrs. Brook jerks her neck again.
He didn’t really mean weirdo. He said he was sorry. He’s nice. And so am I. So it’s not odd for us to be friends.
She smiles. You’re right. I think you and Michael have a very important friendship.
Me too. I’m glad I have stickers and gummy worms for him.
When little kid recess starts I give Michael more planet stickers and all the gummy worms in my pocket.
Thanks! He looks at the worms. What are their names?
I start to name them but then I stop. You can name them.
He grins. He dangles the orange one in front of me and then the red. This is Henry and this is Mudge.
Like in the book, I say.
He nods. And these two green ones are Frog and Toad. Have you read those books?
I have all of those books.
Me too, he says. Hey guess what!
What?
My teacher says we’re getting fifth-grade reading buddies! Will you be my buddy?
I haven’t heard anything about fifth-grade buddies. I don’t know if I’m doing it. Maybe they do it during first recess when I have Mrs. Brook time.
He shakes his head. Nope. It’s at the end of the day. It starts Thursday.
Oh. I wonder if Mrs. Johnson told us and I just wasn’t listening. Sometimes that happens. A lot.
Hey guess what? Michael says. It’s Tyler’s birthday . We got cookies with gummy bears on them.
Lucky.
And he’s having a skating party on Saturday. What kind of party are you having?
What?
You said your birthday is next month.
It is.
So what kind of party are you having?
I don’t have parties.
Oh. What do you do?
I go to the mall with my brother.
His Bambi eyes open wide and he doesn’t say anything for a few seconds. Isn’t your brother dead?
Yes. But I still want to do it.
He nods slowly. I know. I still want to do stuff with my mom too.
I feel glowy and warm because Michael Gets It. My dad doesn’t Get It, I tell him.
My dad doesn’t Get It either.
Does he still want to play football?
Michael sighs. All the time.
He must really love football.
Yeah. I don’t think he’s very good at it though.
Why not?
I heard my grandmother say that he’s keeping his head up but pretty soon he’s going to crash and burn.
I turn and Look At The Person. You mean in a car accident?
Michael Looks At The Person too. No. It means he’s going to be really bad at something. My grandmother says that kind of stuff all the time. She says shake a leg when she wants you to hurry and perk up your ears when she wants you to listen and be a doll when she wants you to get her a glass of iced tea.
I can’t help giggling. I try to picture a doll holding a glass of iced tea.
Michael laughs too. Want to know my favorite thing she says? When she wants you to be patient she says . . . keep your pants on!
I laugh too. Why would you take your pants off?
I don’t know! He howls.
And we both end up giggling until the bell rings.
When I get home I remember what Mrs. Brook said about Dad and Devon and I have a plan to make everything okay. I sit on the sofa and start talking about Devon a
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