In spite of my fears, no one arrested me at school the next day. In fact, it appeared that no one even missed me. Only my English teacher, Mrs. Johnson, asked where I was. I said I was sick, which wasn’t a complete lie since I had had a stomachache after lunch. (Though probably just worry-induced indigestion.) Mrs. Johnson made a sharp check in her roll book as I took my seat and didn’t even ask for a note from home. I guess I just looked so squeaky-clean that no one thought I was capable of breaking rules.

My mom went to the bank on her lunch hour and left the money from my paycheck on my bed, just beating the snowstorm that completely whited out the city for about an hour. It had slowed to a gentle fall by the time I got home from school.

I got the rest of my money from the jar under my bed, then rode my bike about a mile and a half to the nearest hardware store to get Grace’s present.

I had decided several days earlier what to get Grace for her birthday. It was the most expensive thing that I had ever bought. I hadn’t considered how I would get it home on my bike. The box it came in was way too big to fit in my schoolbag and too bulky to hold under my arm. I had to balance it between my handlebars and straddle it with my legs. It was a miracle I made it home alive.

When I got home I stowed the box in the garage. Then I walked to Heller’s, a small bakery just three blocks from our home where I bought a small round chocolate layer cake. It was covered with dark fudge frosting and the woman from the bakery wrote Happy Birthday on it in red icing. She asked if I wanted to put a name on it but I said no.

I brought it home and put the cake in a travel case in the garage, then I went inside to get Joel. Not only had he decided to attend the party but he had drawn Grace a birthday card and put one of his favorite baseball cards inside. I almost said something about girls not liking baseball cards but for once I did the right thing and just kept my mouth shut. We were about to go out to the clubhouse when my mother stopped me.

“Eric, we’re about ready to eat. Would you please set the table?”

“Sure. Just give me a minute.”

“No, right now.”

I turned to Joel and whispered, “Go tell Grace we have to eat first.”

“Okay.” He ran off.