Page 122 of The Apple Tree

Kyle

I wokewith a pain radiating from my shoulder to my fingertips, and my whole body tensed.

“Good morning,” Josh said, jumping on the empty side of the bed where Eve had been.

“Buddy,” I said firmly, reaching for his ankle to stop him. “My armreallyhurts when you do that.”

He stopped and frowned. “Sorry.”

“Can you gently lie next to me?”

He not-so-gently plopped down onto the bed.

“Where’s Eve?” I asked with a grimace as the pain lingered. “What time is it?”

“It’s nine thirteen o’clock,” he said, peering at my alarm clock as I stared at the ceiling and fought the nausea that the pain instigated.

“Not o’clock,” I said, breathing slowly and deeply. “Just nine thirteen. Buddy, you’re late for school. You missed the bus. Why didn’t you or Eve wake me?”

“Don’t know.”

“Are you ready for school? Did you have breakfast?”

“Oh man eggs with cheese and vegetables. Toast with butter and strawberry jam. And my teeth are brushed. Eve said you’d walk me to the bus.”

I slowly turned my head to look at him. “Oh man eggs?”

He nodded. “They were melty.”

I narrowed my eyes. “An omelet?”

He nodded, and I tried not to laugh. “Why didn’t you or Eve wake me?” I narrowed my eyes and listened. There was a buzzing noise. “What’s buzzing?”

Josh held still, then he smacked his hand against his forehead. “Eve said wake you up when it buzzed.”

“Didn’t you hear it?”

“I was watching Sesame Street.”

“And you didn’t hear the buzzer?”

He held out his hands, shoulders at his ears. “I forgot.”

I closed my eyes and slowly shook my head. “I can drive you to school or you can play hooky.”

“What’s hooky?” He giggled.

“It’s when you’re not sick, but you pretend that you are so you don’t have to go to school.”

“But school is fun.”

“For now.” I chuckled. Josh caused a lot of pain, but he also made everything better.

“Whoa …”Eve’s voice woke me from my nap.

I didn’t mean to fall asleep. As I sat up in my recliner, she was surveying the mess.

Josh had all of his toys strewn throughout the living room. A chip bag and a spilled cup of milk were on the coffee table, andClifford was working to lick it all up. The TV was on PBS. And Josh was asleep on the sofa with a Matchbox car clutched in his hand.

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