I waited for a response. For an hour! Did her phone die? Was she teasing me? WHAT WAS GOING ON?

Then it came through. An emoji, the one with the tongue hanging out, and a message.

Sorry. Mom took the phone till I finished homework. When I was in first grade, I lived in the same place I do now!

Really? Where is that?

West 77th.

My stomach felt like it jumped into my throat. Just nine blocks south of me!

Hang on, Loopy! I’m coming to find you! Just as soon as I can get this token to heat up!

Chapter 33
Christmas Tree Climb

For the next two weeks, I rubbed the token, I talked to the token, I spun it around on the chain, I pounded it into my chest. But nothing happened.

One Saturday morning, I lost it. “Heat up, you ROTTEN chunk of gold!” I immediately apologized. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. I know you’re testing me, and I HATE it! Okay, maybe I understand a little. But it sure seems like you’re picking on me! Can’t you give a guy a break? It’s almost the holidays and I could use a little Christmas cheer!”

Zoe pounded on my door. “ARCADE! OPEN UP!” She busted in. “We have another Loopy post! And your silly dog now has 1,000 followers!” Zoe handed me the phone.

“What is this picture?” I asked. “Looks like a building under construction.”

“Yeah, that’s what it LOOKS like. You need to enlarge it. You won’t believe it!”

I pressed my thumb and forefinger to the screen and pulled them apart. The picture zoomed in. The construction was tall, with pieces of wood layered on different levels of that famous New York City scaffolding. In between the wood pieces, looked like . . . tree branches?

“It’s the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, Arcade! They’re decorating it! And Loopy’s there!”

As soon as she said that, the token began to burn.

*  *  *

I handed Zoe her phone back, pulled out the token, and rubbed it between my palms. “Today’s the day, Zoe! I know how far back in time to go now.”

Gold, red, and orange glitter swirled around my room, like autumn leaves falling from the Central Park trees.

“Be careful, Arcade! I can’t believe I’m saying this, but remember what Doug said—Be specific!”

“Well, I know we can’t go back six years in age. I was a doofus in first grade.”

“You’re a doofus now.”

“Very funny. But a first grader can’t run around New York City alone. So, I have to be specific about that. I know what to say.”

My closet doors turned to golden doors, and I held the token in my hands, close to my heart.

“Take us to Rockefeller Center six years ago. But keep us the age we are now.”