“Joe, you know why they call it a pigskin?” Gary called after him.
He watched Joe and Zack give each other high and low fives. He wished he’d get a chance to go out for a pass sometime, instead of always having to hike the ball.
7.
Gary rode the elevator up to the fourth floor. The elevator was old and made bumping and creaking noises, like it was ready to break down at any moment. Gary thought it would be fun to be stuck in an elevator and have to be rescued, but despite all its bumping and creaking the elevator never broke down, at least not when he was in it.
He knocked on the door to Angeline’s apartment.
Her father opened the door. “Hey, Gary, what’s cookin’?” asked Abel Persopolis.
“Mashed potatoes and gravy,” Gary replied. He stepped inside. “Where’s Angeline?”
Abel looked puzzled. “At her school,” he said.
Gary’s heart dropped. “But she called me this morning. She said she was home.”
“That’s impossible,” said Abel. “You sure you weren’t dreaming?”
He wasn’t sure of anything. He shrugged.
“Boo!” shouted Angeline as she jumped up from behind the sofa.
Gary jumped, then laughed.
Angeline laughed too. She was ten years old, but she looked even younger. She only weighed sixty-four pounds.
Gary looked back at her father.
“Gotcha!” Abel said.
Gary smiled. Angeline’s father was normally very stiff and serious. It was nice to see him able to clown around.
“So, you know any new jokes?” asked Angeline.
“Does Mother Goose know any nursery rhymes?” said Abel.
Gary smiled. “Okay,” he said. “Why did Mrs. Snitzberry stand in front of the mirror with her eyes closed?”
Angeline and her father looked at each other. “I don’t know—why?” said Angeline, her face glowing with expectation.
“She wanted to see what she looked like when she was asleep.”
Angeline cracked up. She thought it was the funniest joke she ever heard.
Abel smiled, then walked into the kitchen, leaving the kids alone.
Gary and Angeline sat on the sofa. It was also where Angeline slept when she was home. The sofa folded out into a bed.
“I get to come home every weekend!” Angeline announced.
“Wow, that’s great!”
“We can start playing croquet again,” said Angeline.
“I’ve got lots of hats,” said Gary.
She beamed at him.