CHAPTER ONE Did you hear the news Liv Hernandez blurted out She didn’t even say hi first She walked right up to Michael and Leo and announced Tina Maria Carlos is moving away Michael Wilson and Leo Hammer were sitting on Michael’s front porch steps working on Leo’s computer Leo had been having trouble with the cooling fan inside the laptop It was supposed to blow all the time so the computer wouldn’t overheat Instead Leo’s fan was starting up with a weird soft humming sound and seconds later it would sputter and die The computer was a present from Michael He’d rescued it from the trash and fixed it up Sometimes things didn’t work the way they should Today was one of those days It was bad for a computer to get too hot It could even start a fire if they weren’t careful The two boys were so involved in the problem that for a moment they didn’t understand what Liv was saying They both stared up at her Tina Maria is MOOOVING she announced again in a loud clear voice Huh Michael asked When he was working hard on something it took a while to get his attention He tipped back his baseball cap and stared up at his cousin Liv and Michael were both ten years old Like their moms who were sisters they were best friends Their other friend Leo was nine Leo was so smart he’d skipped a grade and was in Liv and Michael’s class As the reality of what Liv said sunk in Leo jumped up off the steps Tina Maria he exclaimed But she just moved here Leo spent a lot of time with Tina Maria They were both great at math Their teacher
had picked the two of them to represent the school in a citywide math competition It can’t be true Leo insisted Tina Maria didn’t tell me she was moving I just talked to her yesterday No way He pushed back his long sandy brown hair to get a good look at Liv’s face Yes way Liv replied Are you sure Michael asked Liv He squinted at her sideways Maybe you heard wrong Tina Maria told me herself Liv said shaking her head hard Her dark brown ponytails swished and her glasses slipped down her nose She pushed up her red frames and said The moving truck’s coming tomorrow Leo started down the porch steps Michael’s house was at the top of a long hill on Shaker Street Tina Maria lived near the bottom Leo hated going up and down the hill but this was important I’m going to talk to her She can’t leave town The math competition is in two weeks Leo put his hands on his hips I have to convince her to stay How are you going to do that Liv asked him I don’t know yet Maybe I’ll start with begging He imitated the way he’d do it Please don’t leave Please Leo looked at Liv and asked Do you think it’ll work You need to convince her parents Liv said She’s leaving because they want to move Hmm Leo considered the problem I think I should bring them a present He checked his pockets They were empty I don’t have money for flowers or candy he said Turning back he asked Michael What can we make Michael set Leo’s computer down on the porch Let’s go see he said Michael’s family lived in a tall purple Victorian house His grandfather his dad’s dad lived in a round tower on the top floor Grandpa’s glass windows overlooked the
whole street and all the kids in the neighborhood called him Grandpa Henry When Grandpa Henry retired he’d given his backyard toolshed to Michael and his friends They used it as a clubhouse The shelves were stacked with things that Michael had found at garage sales and in neighborhood dumpsters They called the clubhouse the Maker Shack Michael believed that nothing should be thrown away Anything could be used to make something new Tina Maria likes gardening Liv said as they went through the gate to the backyard I think we should make her family a box to plant seeds in She reached out for the doorknob to the Maker Shack I think there are some recycled wood pieces behind the Michael grabbed her hand Wait he said pulling her fingers off the knob Something’s wrong He pointed at a thin white string It stretched down from the house’s tower window to the top of the Maker Shack door What’s that Leo asked Michael Are you and Grandpa Henry working on a project Maybe some kind of telephone wire Liv giggled She was the only one of the three of them who had a cell phone Are you talking about an old tin-can phone she asked The kind where Grandpa Henry would have a can on one end and Michael would have a can on the other That’s actually a good idea Michael said It would stop Grandpa from yelling out the window all the time Maybe I’ll make one later Then Michael looked at the string and frowned But this isn’t for a can phone So what’s it doing here Michael glanced up toward the tower window Grandpa Henry was standing in the frame They could all see him smiling He shouted down at them Go on you whippersnappers Open the shack
That means we shouldn’t open it Leo said stepping back Something bad will happen if we do You always think something bad is about to happen Liv teased as she reached for the knob Leo’s a chicken Yep Bawk-bawk Leo admitted I agree with Leo Michael said squinting at the string Don’t pull the doorknob Liv Leo could see it now The cord was attached to something at the top of the door Grandpa Henry loved to prank them They never knew what he might do Or when it would happen This seemed suspicious What was he up to this time You two are silly Nothing will happen Liv assured them She pulled open the door to the Maker Shack When the wooden door swung open a crack a little bell rang That’s it Michael said A bell He glanced up at his grandfather who was still watching from the window Leo could now see that Grandpa Henry was pulling the string to ring the bell He smiled and waved Leo waved back See That wasn’t so baaaaa Liv started to say But when she pushed the door the rest of the way open a bucket fell from the doorframe Hundreds of feathers fell out covering all three of them with white and yellow fluff The bell was just a distraction Grandpa had tricked them
