that nothing exciting was going to happen in his life until his birthday on May 4 Derek turned over in bed restlessly and thought about his best friend and almost next door neighbor Rory Dunn The two boys were in the same fifth grade class at the Woodside Elementary School and they did everything together Chances were that Rory was in his bed at this very moment thinking the very same thoughts that he was Both boys had been counting the days until December 26 Ever since their neighbor Mrs Golding had told them that her great niece Bolivia was coming to visit for a week during the winter recess from school it was all they talked about Although Bolivia Raab was exactly their age Derek and Rory would never have met her if she hadn't spent last summer visiting her relatives in Woodside New Jersey Bolivia lived in upstate New York and until her visit the boys had never heard of her Now months after she returned home they still talked about her all the time Bolivia was unlike any girl they had ever known before
Derek heard the crackle of paper from the other side of his room It wasn't his parents wrapping another gift for him The sound was actually coming from one of his gifts Derek had received a hamster in a cage from his parents He couldn't wait to show off Hamlet to Bolivia the next day He began counting what other things he had to show her There were the new hockey skates that both he and Rory had gotten Their mothers often went shopping together He hoped Bolivia remembered to bring her ice skates He also hoped he would get a chance to spend some time alone with Bolivia There was something important that he wanted to discuss with her It was something he didn't want Rory to know he was going to talk about Bolivia was scheduled to arrive at two o clock and Mr and Mrs Golding had invited Derek and Rory to go to the airport with them Derek had been to the airport a few times before But he had never been in an airplane When he had asked Bolivia last
summer how many times she had flown to far off places she had not been able to say Imagine flying more times than you could remember And imagine that after so much traveling Bolivia insisted that Woodside New Jersey was one of the best places she had ever been Do you think she will have changed Derek whispered to Rory as they were driving toward the airport They hadn't seen her for four months and Derek worried that she might be different Suppose they didn't like her anymore Suppose she didn't like them Rory shook his head It's irrelevant he said using one of the big words that his father was always teaching him Even if she changes she'll still be more interesting than anyone else we know And more fun said Derek remembering their past adventures There was a lot of traffic around Newark Airport Look how many people are traveling Mrs Golding marveled I bet they are all going to Florida
Why does everyone want to go there asked Derek They want to escape from the cold said Mr Golding I could use a bit of hot sun myself right now How silly grown ups were Derek thought It was a cold day but that didn't bother him Winter was supposed to be cold And if they were lucky they would get a couple of good snowstorms before the season ended Inside the waiting area Mrs Golding checked the flight board The plane is on time she announced Derek had never even considered that it might be delayed He had waited long enough for this moment He could not bear waiting one minute more Here I am Bolivia shouted as she pushed her way past the other passengers disembarking from the plane She looked exactly as he remembered Her red hair was poking out of a red and white woolen hat and she had a long red and white scarf hanging around her neck
