“Sorry. I was just checking out your roomy backpack. I lost mine a couple weeks ago and this old one is ripping in spots, so I’m in the market for a new one. Do you like having such a big backpack?”

“Oh, yeah. I can carry everything in here.”

“Can I see inside?”

Wiley whipped the backpack over his shoulder. “Another time. I gotta go to my next class. I think you do too.” Wiley pointed up at the clock, which showed that I had two minutes to get to history.

“What’s your next class, Wiley?”

“English. The worst.”

“Oh. Sorry to hear that. Maybe I could help you sometime.”

Wiley wiped his hands on his rumpled, brown shirt. “Not necessary. I feel like things are going to turn around for me real soon.” He patted his backpack and raised an eyebrow. “See ya, Arcade.”

“See ya.” I headed toward the door. But Wiley didn’t. Instead he walked over toward Mr. Dooley’s desk. Mr. Dooley had stepped out with most of the class when the bell rang. Wiley unzipped the side pocket of his backpack and pulled out a stick. He started jamming it into the lock on the top drawer of Mr. Dooley’s desk.

“I think his lock is broken, Arcade. What do you think?” He shoved the stick back in his backpack and laughed. “Yeah, things are going to turn around real soon.” He pushed by me to get out the door. A bell rang.

Yeeaaah. That would be the tardy bell for history.

Chapter 22
Letter from the Past

The following Saturday, Doug and I finally got to do a face chat. I was in my room reading a library book when my phone buzzed.

“Arcade! Check this OUT!” Doug held a plastic flamingo up to his phone screen. “These ugly pink things are all over the place around here! It makes me miss Flames. How’s he doin’?”

“He’s okay. Getting a little bigger. And more orange.”

“Hey, I got good news on the greenstone! Gram’s taking it off the market for a couple months. We gotta figure out what to do with all her stuff, and right now she isn’t feeling well, so she doesn’t want to deal with the hassle of all the paperwork. I’m coming for a week at Thanksgiving and we’ll figure it out then. I told her your family would look after the house. Is that okay?”

“Is that okay? Doug, that’s great! I was wondering what I was going to do about Flames. I think I really should take him home.”

“Home? Like to BEIJING? Dude, I wanna go this time!”

I reached down and grabbed the token in my hand. “If only I knew how to really control this thing.”