“Oh,” Joel said, patting his chest, “I didn’t, either!”
Back at the house, Joel rushed into the kitchen, while Nina went to rummage the hot-water bottles out of the moving truck. “How’s the toilet going, Mom?” Joel called.
“Good!” she replied from the bathroom. “All unclogged. I took a moment to set up the goldfish tank, and now I’m working on the shower drain.”
“Great. Say, I’m going to heat water… um, for tea. Do you want some?”
Mrs. Popper ducked into the kitchen, wiping her brow, a confused expression on her face. “You’re making tea? Since when have you liked tea?”
“Yeah, um, I heard all the kids here in Hillport and Stillwater like tea. So I thought I’d try it out. I’d have something to talk about in the cafeteria, you know, to make myself some friends on my first day.”
“Aww, honey,” his mom said, coming over to give him a hug. “You’ll make friends in no time. I’m sure of it. You’re just the loveliest boy.”
“So how does this work?” Joel asked, fiddling with the knobs on the stove top.
“It’s gas, which luckily wasn’t shut off,” his mother said. “Here.” The stove top clicked, and blue flames came out of a burner.
“Wow, fire,” Joel said. “Let’s make lots of hot water, because I want, um, lots and lots of tea!”
“Okay, okay,” his mother said distractedly, filling a kettle with water from the sink. “After you drink your tea and do your reading for Monday, I’ll need your and your sister’s help. I want to give that front hall a good scrub.”
“Sounds good,” Joel said, staring at the beads of water forming on the sides of the kettle.
Right then Nina came through the front door, an empty hot-water bottle in either hand. “Got ’em!”
“What did you unpack those for?” their mother asked.
“I just like the comforting feel,” Nina replied, pressing the rubber against her cheek.
Mrs. Popper narrowed her eyes.
“You know,” Joel added hastily, “must be new-school jitters.”
“You poor kids,” their mother said. “This will be the last new school you ever have to go to, I promise.”
“I can handle heating the water from here,” Joel said. “Then we’ll go do our reading.”
“I want to do my reading in the basement!” Nina said.
Joel nodded rapidly. “That’s a great idea, Nina.”
“Are you kids sure you’re okay?” their mother asked, pressing her hand against Joel’s forehead.
Nina bounded down the steps into the basement. “Yep, totally! We’re great! See you down here once you’re ready, Joel!”
“Study hall is in session!” Joel said a few minutes later as he raced down after her with two hot-water bottles in hand. He hoped they wouldn’t be too late.
OORK!
IT WAS THEIR first day of school, and Joel and Nina were taking a very long time getting their book bags ready. There were the usual folders and pencil cases and notebooks to color-code and arrange, of course, but there were also secret extra items: fleece blankets, hot-water bottles, and penguin eggs, one for each backpack.
“What’s taking you kids so long?” their mother asked from the front doorway. “You don’t want to be late on your first day!”
Joel and Nina gingerly noodled their arms into their shoulder straps, one at a time. “Gently, gently,” Joel said as they tiptoed toward the front door.
“What is wrong with you two?” their mother asked, concern on her face as her children crept toward her.
“Oh, you know, first-day jitters,” Nina said.
“My dear little ones,” Mrs. Popper said. “You’ll have friends in no time. I’ll walk you there and make sure you get in okay, too.”
“No, thanks, Mom,” Joel said quickly. “It’s only a few blocks away. You took us on that practice run last night. We’ll be fine.”
“Okay then,” she replied, her expression turning wistful. “I’ll be right here once the school day’s over. I’ll want to hear every detail.”
“Sounds good, bye, Mom!” Joel said as he and Nina tiptoed out the door. Their mother raised an eyebrow at them, then they were on the sidewalk.
Did Joel feel a nudge inside his backpack? Was that possible?
After arriving at school, they parted ways to go to their separate homerooms, Joel to fifth grade and Nina to third. Joel moved so carefully through the hallways that he was the last kid to arrive in his room. After greeting him, Mrs. Mosedale placed him in the back row. “I’m seating you next to Michael,” she said. “He’ll be your guide for the day. Michael, you’ll take good care of our new classmate, won’t you?”
“Of course I will,” Michael said, his face beaming a little too much. He patted Joel on the shoulder, as if they were already friends. “I’ll make sure our new buddy knows exactly where he belongs.”
For some reason, Joel didn’t get a good feeling about Michael. Not at all.
The day started with math, and while Mrs. Mosedale demonstrated how to multiply decimals, Joel’s mind wandered. How were Nina and her egg faring in her class? Then he started thinking about the penguin egg in his own backpack. He’d checked on it all weekend. It was almost killing him now not to be able to look at it.
“Mrs. Mosedale?” he asked, raising his hand once she’d assigned them a set of exercises. “Could I go use the bathroom?”
“Of course. Take the hall pass,” she said. “Michael, please show Joel the way.”
“Sure, Mrs. Mosedale!” Michael said, beaming again. “I’ll take him right there.” His brightness felt cold, like a fluorescent bulb.
Joel gripped the straps of his backpack and stood.
“You don’t need to bring your bag to the bathroom, new kid,” Michael said sharply.
“I’d like to,” Joel said, and hurried out of the classroom.
“You’re weird,” Michael said flatly as soon as the door closed. “No one brings their bag to the bathroom.”
“I do,” Joel said.
“Okay, whatever,” Michael said. “The bathroom is down that hall. I’ll wait here. I’m not going in with you.” Joel could feel Michael’s eyes against his back as he cautiously made his way down the hallway.
As soon as he was in the
