CHAPTER 1 It is ten minutes before the bell on a Friday but I am heading for the bathroom with a queasy stomach We're studying the living organisms that help decompose a fallen tree Miz Liz showed a time-lapse video with so much oozing slithering and wriggling my stomach started doing the same that I push open the door to find my best friend standing on a toilet seat with her ear pressed against the wall I almost drop the bathroom pass a horse missing one leg Char I say What are you doing Shhhhh she says wooden On the other side of the wall is Ms. Bertoli's office She's the counselor and everyone calls her Bertie The bathroom's smell-combo of sweat and lemon soap puts another twist in my stomach Come and listen with me she whispers If someone catches us eavesdropping Char will 1
try to talk her way out of it I try to avoid trouble in the first place Close the door at least I squeeze into the stall with her and slide the lock Joy you've gotta hear this She tugs my arm to help me up but let's face it I'm twice as big as she is so I do the heavy lifting and haul myself up next to her Bertie's door is closed Good reason to stop listening Everyone in school knows that Bertie's closed door means something private is happening on the other side I'm listening Char pauses for dramatic effect because of who's in there Who I ask Char uses her drawn-out stage whisper Eeeee-an Eeeee-an My Ian Suddenly the queasy feeling turns rock hard What could my little brother have to say that's private I press my ear to the wall What are they saying I'd be able to hear if you'd stop talking The wall is cool and the voices on the other side are muffled I strain to make out words If he was in trouble or hurt the door wouldn't be closed There's one thing private enough to talk to a 2
counselor about behind a closed door and he better not be talking about that That's family business Through the wall I hear Bertie's clear voice How are things at home I don't hear Ian's answer but more of Bertie's words come through father splitting time between your mother and I don't need to hear more I can't let Ian answer those questions Or the ones that would follow What if he mentions how some days Mom barely leaves the couch What if my sweet talkative brother spills all our family secrets I jump down from the toilet fling open the stall door and barrel out of there Char's Hey trails me into the hallway I charge straight into Bertie's office swinging the door open so fast it bounces off the doorstop with a boing Big clumsy Joy strikes again Dad always says I don't know my own strength Two shocked faces stare at me and Bertie's fuchsia lips form an O My eyes zero in on Ian's backpack open between them Inside I see bags of carrot sticks fruit cups and packaged bran muffins Ah Joy Bertie says I was just checking in with 3
