“Austin,” she said, all serious, “please imagine the following scenario: You are monitoring the hallway. You observe a student walking to their classroom several minutes after the bell has rung. What is your first line of action? Is it (A) Yell for Ms. Mendoza? (B) Remind the student to stop by the office for a late pass? Or (C) Tackle the kid and yell ‘Touchdown!’?”

“B,” I said.

“You have just won a million dollars!” Bertie said, all excited. “Next question. Double or nothing. The new category is cafeteria etiquette. Exactly how much warning do you give a table before it’s time to clear their trays? Quiet in the audience, please.”

That was funny because it’s not like anyone was watching us.

I leaned in and scrunched up my face like I was thinking real hard. I knew the answer, easy peasy, cheddar cheesy, but I wanted Bertie to think maybe I didn’t. It made it even more exciting.

Finally I said, “Five minutes. It’s a five-minute warning.”

“Correct!” Bertie shouted.

We played until I had won the grand prize, a billion-bazillion dollars, and it was time for Bertie to get picked up.

“I wish the money was real,” Bertie said. “Then I could bring you to Colorado with me this summer.”

“I wonder if they have a fair,” I said.

“Oh, I love fairs,” Bertie said. “We could get wristbands and go on all the rides. Then we could come back and go swimming every day.”

Like she did with most things, Bertie had summer all figured out.

At five o’clock on the dot, I walked Bertie downstairs and waited with her until her dad pulled into the parking spot marked V for visitor. He rolled down his window and waved. He seemed like a nice dad.

“Bye, Bertie!” I called after her. “See you tomorrow!”

I went back upstairs and sat at the counter. My mom wasn’t in the kitchen. Maybe she was in her room.

I spun around a few times. I picked up my phone.

“Bertie came over today,” I said.

“I’m not sure I understand,” the nice phone lady said.

“We played a fun game.”

“I’m not sure what that means. If you’d like, I can search the web for We Play to Sun Game.”

“That’s okay,” I said.

“Right, then.”

I looked at the vivid tangerine paper and thought about all the things Bertie and I were going to do this summer. Like go to the fair and go swimming and do the two training days, or technically half days, and learn how to be Safeties.

“Could you sign my form?” I asked.

“Hmm. I don’t have an answer for that,” she said. “Is there something else I can help you with?”