“Did we brush our teeth?”

“We didn’t.”

“Go.”

“Bears have teeth and they don’t brush,” Zoe said as she slowly climbed the stairs.

I cleared my bowl and put it in the sink. “So why are you going to Albany?”

“Oh…” She squirted dishwashing liquid onto a sponge. “Walter and I are taking turns going to Albany to pick up food.”

“What happened to your suppliers?”

Mom leaned forward and scrubbed hard at a perfectly clean plate with a sponge.

“Mom, what happened to the suppliers?”

“Nothing,” she said.

“Mom, I’m not little anymore. I can—”

“Yeah, what’s up with that, anyway?” It was Dad, coming down the stairs with his laptop. “There’s been all too much growing recently. Cut that out, will you?” He flashed me a goofy smile.

Would it kill them to be straight with me?

“I have to go. Knife skills practice.”

“Bye,” Dad said.

“See you later,” Mom said.

I was at the door when something inside me broke loose, and what I’d been looking for just floated up.

“Hey, Mom,” I said, turning back.

“Yeah?”

“Butternut squash, goat cheese tacos with a tomatillo salsa.”

“Woah. I’d eat that,” Mom said.

“Me too,” Dad said.

“I hate squash,” Zoe said from the top of the stairs where she’d been sitting instead of brushing her teeth.

Maybe I really did stand a chance.

Chapter 13

The Petersville Gazette

Vol. 1, Issue 11

Town Happenings

Petersville’s First Gamemaker Named: At its last meeting, the Petersville Town Council voted to create the position of Town Gamemaker. The Gamemaker will be charged with designing, scheduling, and running live action games to be held in town. The first Gamemaker will be Clyde Hammond, who had this to say: “I’m fired up! The kickoff game will be my own safe-for-all-ages version of Assassins. I think people are going to flip for it.”

Five brand-new calves born at Stinky Cheese Farm: Owners Riley Carter and June Simms invite anyone and everyone to come visit with Sparky, Spanky, Spartacus, Sprocket, and Spy.

The Petersmobile hits the road: Tris Levin, along with his family, Josh Bell, Mayor Jim Partridge, and Winnie Hammond head out tomorrow for NYC. If you see Tris around town, wish him luck on Can You Cut It?!

Featured Series

Things Most People Get Wrong and How YOU Can Get Them Right

By Jeanine Levin

Have your parents ever told you that you can’t swim right after you eat? Not true. Studies show that swimming immediately after eating poses no risks. So next time you want to take a dip right after a meal and your parents tell you to wait thirty minutes, give them the facts.

The truth will set you free!

You’re welcome!

The ceiling of the Airstream was so close to my face, I had to just lie flat and stare up at it. The thing is: that first night, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep even if I had been able to lie on my side with my feet against the wall like I usually do.