He shrugs and then is quiet, concentrating on filling in the tiniest bubble with three shades of blue. When it looks like it came from the depths of the sea, he replies. “I like having something no one else knows … for myself. When I knock over a bookshelf or trip up the stairs, that’s the guy they expect. I like being more than that. They don’t even know what they’re missing.”

“When you bring it to art class, they’ll know then.”

“Yeah.” His grin is profound. “No one’ll know what hit ’em. I’ve been getting As all year for simple drawings of the admin building and a pinch pot that a baby could make. Even Miss Jarvis has no idea what I can do. I’m going to take this in the last day, and she’s going to go nuts. They hang the three best projects up in the hall for graduation, and I’m not bragging, but there’s no way this won’t go up. My folks will see it and think I’ve been Ernie the Artist all along, the guy they know. They’ve never even heard about Gale warning.” I hope that becomes true.

I glance up to the clock, and I’m ten minutes late. “I have to go decorate for prom.” Which gives me an idea. He clearly has an amazing eye. “Come with!”

The look on his face borders on shock. “I’ll probably knock something over.”

“You’re an artist! You have to help.”

“I don’t think anyone but you really wants me to …”

“Well, I’m the boss of me, and I’m asking.”

He looks at the paper and mulls. When he starts gently rolling his canvas, I know I’ve won. Finally, someone here is doing what I want! And hopefully, he won’t break anything.

The lower floor of the shop building is all aglow. The broom-making equipment is quiet, and a sheen of straw dust coats everything, but the swing sits on a sea of drop cloths at one end. It’s pretty clever, I have to say: a tricked-out love seat swing you’d see on a verandah, but fronted with a crescent moon, its lower sliver obscuring the bench, and its top sliver covering the bar the swing hangs from. Ma Elena sits in the swing, giving it a try, and it’s kind of perfect, the way her legs dangle off the crescent. Chaz and Leeza stand to one side, disagreeing about something. They all look surprised to see Ernie with me, but Ma Elena seizes the moment.

“More recruits! Perfect!” She hops off the swing and strides over. “You can help us settle a debate. Leez thinks—”

“I can speak for myself! I think we should only paint the moon in white and leave the rest of it natural wood so the moon stands out. Otherwise, why—”