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maps?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
    Crystal turned and produced them side by side at her desk.
    â€œThis is the northern and this is mid-country,” she said. “There is also a southern route. I found out that it could still snow and be nasty in the Rockies,” she continued, “so we might want to avoid that. We take 17 East to the Jersey Turnpike for starters,” she said.
    â€œHow long does it take to get all the way to California?” Butterfly asked.
    â€œIt depends on the route we eventually follow, but if someone traveled all day, every day and didn’t sightsee, probably four days,” Crystal replied. Then she turned to me.
    â€œAll right, Brooke, I did what you asked. Now, tell me just how you intend to get us all across the United States of America,” she said and sat back with her arms folded across her chest.
    â€œI’m driving us,” I said, shrugging as if it were the most obvious thing.
    â€œYou don’t have a license,” she quickly pointed out. “You never went for your test.”
    â€œYou need a license to be legal, not to drive. Don’t forget, I took drivers’ education.”
    â€œOkay, but you need something to drive,” she countered. It was as if we were playing chess with words.
    â€œWe have it.”
    â€œWe have it?” She looked at Raven, who shrugged, and then at Butterfly, whose eyes widened with surprise. “Where is it?”
    â€œRight out there,” I said, grinning and nodding at the window, “waiting for us.”
    Crystal started to smile, thinking I was joking, and then stopped as she realized what I meant. Sherose and went to the window. Butterfly and Raven joined her and they all looked down at Gordon’s station wagon.
    â€œYou want to take his car?” Raven asked first.
    â€œWhy not? He takes from us, doesn’t he?”
    They were all quiet, staring at me as if I had gone completely bonkers. Then Crystal gathered her wits and put on her teacher’s face.
    â€œIf you take his car, he’ll call the police and they’ll come after us,” she said.
    â€œNot for a while, and anyway, all we need is to get far enough away to find other means of transportation, maybe buses or a train. We can study those maps and try to stay off the most traveled highways. We don’t have to cross the country in four days or five or even ten. We can take our time,” I said.
    â€œIt takes money to take your time, Brooke. Traveling is expensive.” Crystal said.
    â€œI know. Tomorrow, we’ll all go to the bank and take out our savings. Unless you all spent some that I don’t know about, I calculate that together we have nearly fourteen hundred dollars,” I said.
    â€œIt’s not a lot of money when you consider what we want to do. We’d probably use it up the first few days. There’s gas and food and tolls,” Crystal replied. “Not to mention motel rooms and unforeseen problems with the vehicle.”
    â€œSo? We’ll find work along the way. You, Raven and I have all held jobs before and Butterfly . . .” I smiled at her. “. . . Butterfly can probably get people to give her money easily. She’ll dance on a street corner or something.”
    â€œThis is a pipe dream,” Crystal said, wagging her head. “I knew it.”
    â€œStop saying that,” I cried. “It’s not a pipedream to me. I have it all planned out. I know where Gordon keeps his car keys. He keeps them in that beat-up leather jacket that he leaves hung on the inside of his bedroom door. I’ve seen him put them there.”
    â€œYou’re going to sneak into Gordon’s bedroom and steal his keys?” Butterfly asked.
    â€œI am. It won’t be hard. Louise doesn’t lock their door at night.”
    Butterfly stared at me, amazed at my courage.
    â€œHe might not call the police,” Raven said suddenly, her