down to a science Madeline gets to my house at exactly 7 25 By 7 27 we’re at the table with our cereal and we have the cell phone propped up against the box so we can both see Bella We talk for thirteen minutes During which time my brother is usually telling us it’s not safe to talk so much when we’re eating because we might start to choke But we don’t pay any attention to him At exactly 7 40 Madeline and I say good-bye to Bella rinse our bowls and head out the door As long as we run to school another thing Zack doesn’t think we should do walking is safer we get to our homeroom thirty seconds before the bell rings Today is Tuesday and it starts like every other day Better than any other day because Zack happens to be over at Old Man Max’s We’re supposed to call him Uncle Max but he’s not really our uncle He’s just a random old dude who Mom’s family has known forever Calling him uncle would be like telling a lie and Mom 4
is pretty obsessed with honesty being the best policy So why is Uncle Max the exception The doorbell rings at 7 25 a m like clockwork I’m already in the front hall and I swing the door open Hi Madeline Mom says as we walk into the kitchen Hi Mrs Cooley Madeline replies She pulls her phone from her pocket Hang on girls Mom says Isn’t the big fractions test today Yes I say Unfortunately Madeline adds So maybe you should skip the call to Bella today Mom says Your brother went to Uncle Max’s this morning You can just call him Max I cut in I know we’re not actually related thank goodness Be nice Quinn Mom warns I’m not being mean I say I’m being truthful After all isn’t honesty the best policy Uncle Max has been in our lives for a long 5
time Mom says He feels like family Feels like family is not the same as being family and anyway he doesn’t feel like family to me He feels like a fake Mom lets out a sigh Well Quinn she says Your utterly real and not at all fake brother went to Max’s to get some extra study time in There’s no evidence that Zack is actually my brother either I say My eyes slide to Madeline and I give her a little smile In a split second Madeline glances at Mom to make sure she isn’t looking at her and then she smiles back Oh but there is evidence Mom tells me Quite a bit of it Birth certificates and hospital bracelets not to mention the fact that there were several eyewitnesses including me Whatever I say We’re already late for the call Why don’t you put the phone away Madeline Mom says I’ll go over the fractions with you two right now 6
Madeline is clutching the phone not putting it away She doesn’t have to say a word to tell me what she’s thinking It’s totally uncool for Mrs Cooley to expect us not to talk to Bella like we do every day Here’s another difference between Zack and me He has no friends and I have lots of them So I know it’s important for people to think I’m cool That’s how you get to keep them Madeline’s phone begins to ring in her hand and Bella’s face flashes on the screen We’ll talk to Bella about fractions I tell Mom as Madeline slides her finger across the screen to answer the call She props the phone up against the cereal box Hey I call to my best friend Hi Bella says I was beginning to think you guys forgot about me Never Madeline assures her The three of us start out talking about regular things like whether Bella should get bangs and what Madeline should name her new goldfish 7
