Zoe reached out and grabbed my token. “Remember our agreement. You don’t go anywhere with this thing without me. If it heats up, do whatever you need to do. Douse it. Jump into the Hudson River, the Central Park reservoir, or the nearest aquarium. You got it?”

I leaned on the door and smirked. “Yeah, I got it.”

She turned to leave. I almost closed the door, but then she came back and pushed through. “Arcade?”

“Yeah?”

“Have a good first day of middle school.” She reached out, gave me a hug, smiled, and disappeared down the stairs.

*  *  *

“Hey, Doug, wake up!” I nudged my roommate, who had been sleeping comfortably on the blow-up mattress next to my bed. “We gotta leave a little early to feed Flames before school. And we’re running low on shrimp, so we’ll have to figure something out this afternoon.”

“Ugh. What day is it?” Doug sat up and scratched his head.

“It’s the first day of middle school! You know, every kid’s nightmare.”

Doug fell back. “Wiley’s gonna punch my lights out when he sees me.”

“I doubt it. He probably won’t even recognize you. You’re like a mile tall now.” I smacked the bottom of Doug’s foot that hung out over the mattress.

Doug cracked his neck. “I guess I do look a little different now.”

“What does this Wiley Overton look like, anyway? Do you think you’ll recognize him?”

Doug thought a minute. “Oh yeah, I’ll recognize him. I’ve seen him around the city a few times since third grade. Hasn’t changed a bit, except he’s gotten huger. I’ve always thought he looked like a big potato.”

Adrenaline surged through my veins. “What kind of potato, exactly?”

“Well, definitely not a sweet potato.”

*  *  *

Loopy met me at the bottom of the stairs for my morning lick of encouragement. “Loop, I wish you could come.” I thought for a second about stuffing him in my backpack to see if I could pass him off as my seventh-grade therapy dog. I hugged him tight instead. “I’ll see you this afternoon.” Then I placed him behind the dog gate in the kitchen.

My dad, who works into the early mornings because of his job, had left me a note on the dining room table. I picked it up and read it out loud to Doug.

Dear Arcade,

Middle School! What a challenge. But you can handle it! Remember your #GOALZ. And also remember this:

‘My son, never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation.’ Proverbs 3:3–4 NLT.

Love, Dad

“I like that part about tying them around your neck,” Doug said. “Sounds like your token.”