“Oh.” Oscar held his arm through the elevator door until I stepped through. “Is, ah, Mr. Chertok there as well?”

“He is!” She beamed like she was an elf taking Oscar to see Santa, then stepped through the opening elevator door and pointed to the hall. “All the way on the right.”

I tried my best not to smirk. I knew the way to my dad’s office, thank you very much, but since this woman hadn’t so much as glanced at me, I didn’t feel the need to volunteer that information. My eyes darted to Oscar’s, but he was looking away, adjusting his bow tie like it was strangling him.

I heard a funny chattering halfway down the hall—the Mystery Spot, I’d named it as a kid—the two square feet where on one particularly bored day, I’d discovered a trick of the ventilation system that let you eavesdrop straight into Dad’s office. Dad talked to himself a lot, so I’d found it an endless source of ridiculousness over the years.

Out of habit, I slowed my step, veered right toward the overhead grate, and heard an unfamiliar voice saying, “Don’t let your moment get swallowed up by his mome . . .”

Oscar glanced back, reaching for my hand. I grabbed on, my skin going cold.

As we reached Dad’s thick oak door, it started to open, pulled by a red-haired woman, her face so identical to Nora’s that I nearly went in for the requisite cheek kiss before realizing that this cheek was a foot higher than it should have been.

“The wonder boy, eeeeee!” she squealed to the room, simultaneously shaking Oscar’s hand and tugging him inside. “I’m Nancy Oneida, Nora’s sister. Tessa’s mom. You’ve probably seen me lurking around Farnwell at school functions.” She winked. “But it is such a pleasure to officially meet you.”

“You too!” Oscar said, way too loud. He was nervous.

“And don’t you look dapper.” She started to shut the door before I could walk in. I pushed it and her eyes looked through me. “Oscar . . .” She turned. “Would your friend mind waiting downstairs? This is a small room and we need to start getting focused—”

Nora swooshed into the doorway. “Nancy. This is Marty’s daughter! Ruby sweetie, ignore her, come on in.”

Nancy gasped. “You’re Ruby Chertok. Oh my God, I am mortified!”

“It’s fine.” I smiled. “Don’t feel bad.”

She reached over to hug me, and I stiffened until she let go and I could turn to Nora for an air-kiss.

Dad waved from his desk, his shoulders jittering with silent laughter. “You’re ‘Oscar’s friend’ now, Rooster. How do you like that for a title?”

I ducked into the dimmest corner of the room to hide my sinking expression. He hadn’t meant to be mean. He couldn’t have known how that would cut.