Red Rain

then they show tremendous confidence.

His mind spun away from the issue at hand. Maybe they will make an interesting book. I could do it as a diary of their development as they adapt to a whole new world.

Lea had her arms wrapped tightly around the front of her beach wrap. She looked tense, but so far, she hadn’t said a word of protest.

They stood defiantly, eyes locked on Mark. Stone statues.

Elena couldn’t hide her surprise at their stubbornness. “You two are weird.”

Lea pulled Mark to the back door. “You can’t win this fight,” she whispered. “Remember trying to get Ira to zip his coat in the freezing cold last winter? They get these ideas about what’s cool and what isn’t, and you can’t ever win those fights. Kids are stronger and crazier than we are.”

“Then what am I supposed to do?” he snapped, eyes on the twins. “Just do whatever they want? Is that really your policy? So far, you haven’t said no to them once.”

“Let them go to school. The other kids will let them know how dorky the arrows are. They’ll learn soon enough. From their peers.”

Mark shook his head unhappily. He shrugged. “Okay, I give up. I surrender.” He turned to Elena. “Where’s your brother? Go get him. He’s going to be late.”

Elena turned toward the hallway door and shouted. “Ira-get down here. You’re going to be late!”

“Don’t shout. Go get him,” Mark snapped.

Elena groaned and pushed between the twins to get to the kitchen doorway. But the back door opened, and Ira came walking breezily in from outside. “Hey, what’s up?”

Mark couldn’t hide his surprise. “What were you doing in the backyard? Why weren’t you in your-”

He stopped midsentence when he saw the blue arrow on Ira’s right cheek. “What the hell-”

That made the twins giggle.

Mark rubbed his finger down Ira’s cheek. “No, Ira. No. No way.”

“I’m going to rule the school,” Ira said brightly.

Mark shook his head. “No. No arrow. Please. Tell me I’m dreaming this.”

“We’re going to rule the school,” Daniel repeated. He raised his palm, and Ira slapped him a high five.

“Go remove it. All three of you,” Mark insisted.

“Why weren’t you in your room?” Elena asked Ira.

He pointed to the twins. “I’m living with them now.”

Mark’s breath caught in his throat. “You’re what? You’re giving up your room?”

Lea: “When did you decide this?”

Ira shrugged. He seemed to have no idea of how poorly this was going over with the rest of his family. Or maybe he doesn’t care? Mark thought.

But that didn’t make sense. Timid, fearful Ira always needed the acceptance and support of Mark and Lea. He was desperate for their attention, their approval.

“It’s cool,” Ira said. “I moved some of my stuff out last night. The twins and I-we’re going to stick together.”

Mark took a long breath. “Isn’t this something you should probably discuss with your mom and me? You can’t just move out of the house without telling us. I mean, whose idea was this?”

He turned to the twins, who were spreading grape jelly onto their toaster waffles. “Was this your idea?”

Before they could answer, the phone rang.

Mark squinted at the ID screen. “I don’t recognize the number.” He picked up the phone from the kitchen counter and clicked it on. “Hello?”

“Hello, Mark? This is Ginny Margulies. Ethan’s mother?”

“Oh, yes. Hi, Ginny. How-”

“Is Ethan there? Did he stay over there last night? I’m really worried. He wasn’t in his room this morning and. . and. . is he there with you?”

43

Mark felt his throat tighten. He turned to Ira. “Did Ethan spend the night here last night?”

Ira nodded.

“Are you kidding me?” Mark exploded.

Ira grabbed a toaster waffle. The twins giggled.

“Ethan is here?” Mark demanded. He heard Ginny Margulies shout something in his ear. “Where is he?”

“Out back,” Ira replied. He loaded the waffle into the toaster.

“Your mom and I were out. Didn’t Roz check on you last night? She said she checks on the guesthouse every night.”

Ira shrugged. “Axl was crying a lot. Roz didn’t come.”

Mark looked to Lea to say something. But she stood frozen, leaning against the refrigerator with her arms crossed. Just watching. Why isn’t she giving me a little support here?

“You’re not going to school till you explain this,” Mark said to Ira. “And you are all going to remove those stupid arrows from your faces.”

“I don’t think so,” Ira said softly.

“Is my family getting weird?” Elena chimed in.

“Ethan is here,” Mark said into the phone.

“Oh, thank goodness.” He heard a long sigh at the other end.

“But we didn’t know-”

“You don’t know who’s staying in your own house?” Her worst fear over, the woman quickly turned angry. “I don’t understand. Why didn’t he call me and tell me where he was? Why didn’t you call me? Somebody?”

“Please. Calm down. Ethan is fine. There was a mix-up, that’s all. My sister was supposed to check on them.”

Mark wanted to end the conversation. But he knew there was just more confrontation facing him after he hung up.

What is Ira’s story? Why is he acting so un-Ira-like?

“Can I at least talk to him?” Mrs. Margulies’s voice was tight and challenging.

“Well, no. I don’t see him yet. He-” Mark realizing how feeble he sounded.

“Well, where is he?”

Mark lowered the phone. “Ira? Can you go get Ethan? His mother wants to speak with him.”

Ira took a bite of toaster waffle. He stared back at Mark as if he didn’t understand the question.

The twins giggled again.

Elena rolled her eyes. “What is your problem this morning?”

Lea finally uncrossed her arms. “We should have a family discussion later, don’t you think?” She turned to the twins. “If you have guests back there-”

“We’re not exactly guests,” Ira interrupted. “We live there now.”

“The school bus!” Daniel cried, pointing at the window that looked out on the driveway. “Let’s go!”

“Not so fast!” Mark made a grab for Ira. But Ira dodged out of his hands and burst out the kitchen door.

The twins followed, shouting their morning chant, which was beginning to sound more and more unpleasant to Mark. “Rule the school! Rule the school!”