He helps me up the ramp to the shed, and I see it’s bigger and brighter in here than I thought. There are windows at the back that let the light spill across the floor, or what would be the floor, if it weren’t covered in a teeny-tiny town. It’s like looking down from an airplane window.

“This is Eufaula,” Bert says. He half smiles but won’t look at me.

I lean down to get a better look. There’s the lake in the middle and an actual metal bridge that connects our side to the rest of town. I spot the church and our school, and back down by my feet is Bert’s blue house and also mine and Coralee’s. He even made a gravel path. The Dairy Queen up the road has an actual sign that lights up. Red Oklahoma dirt runs underneath it all.

“Bert. This…” I can’t find the words.

“I know, it’s frivolous, really. Just a bit of fun.” Uh-oh. He’s gone British. He rushes forward to block my view.

“No, that’s not… It’s beautiful.” It’s not the right word. Maybe genius? Or epic? But it makes Bert calm down a little. “Move out of my way. I want to see it better.”

He steps aside and points out the grocery and the Dollar General and the tiny cars crossing the bridge. I spot the Putt-Putt Emporium and something clicks.

“You helped Bill and Will design the course, didn’t you?”

He shrugs.

“Why are you hiding this? It’s amazing!”

I take the tree from his hand and study the leaves. Apparently, it’s autumn here. The leaves are all reds and yellows. He sighs and points to the corner, by the window. For the first time I notice the damage. The hills are smashed and cracked, like they were hit by an earthquake. Houses are toppled into the cracks.

“Some guys at school found out.”

“What do you mean ‘found out’?”

“I stayed after history one day to ask Mr. Rollins if he had any old printouts of the town, and we got to talking about it. I guess word got out.”

He won’t look at me. I turn back to the damage. It’s like a cake sunken in the middle and crumbled to bits.

“Who did it?”

“I’m not sure. But there were notes in my locker. ‘Dudes don’t make dollhouses, Roberta.’ Stuff like that. They smashed up a lot more of it, but I’ve been able to repair a good chunk so far.”

“Didn’t you try to find out?!”

Bert flinches. I didn’t mean to yell, but come on! I’m furious.