Molly asked.
"Slam dunk?" Alex gasped.
"One-on-one with Jordan," Molly said.
He'd missed a one-on-one with Michael Jordan in his own school? Alex's knees suddenly felt weak. He leaned against the door jam. "I feel faint."
Suddenly, Molly started to laugh. "He bought it! What a dork!"
Alex straightened up. Stan was grinning evilly at him. "I didn't think chicken pox affected the brain. I was wrong."
They'd been goofing on him, Alex clenched his fists. Kill!
10
The next morning, Alex lay in bed with the thermometer in his mouth again. He'd watched TV all morning. Now he was watching the weather channel, where an announcer was talking about a powerful front moving in from the west and picking up moisture from a low pressure area coming up from the Gulf of Mexico. At the same time, a blast of Arctic air was going to sweep down from the Rockies. The result looked like a major snowstorm heading for Chicago.
Excellent, Alex thought with a smile.
His mother was coming up the stairs. Alex picked up his semi-automatic bubble gun and hid it under the covers.
His mom came in. But instead of wearing slacks and a sweater, she was wearing her business clothes.
Alex frowned. "How come you're all dressed up?"
"I have to go to work for a little while, hon," his mom said apologetically, and took the thermometer out of his mouth. "You're just a hair over ninety-nine."
Alex made a face. "Didn't you tell your boss that I'm desperately ill?"
His mom nodded. Alex took out his bubble gun and shot a stream of water bubbles at her.
Mrs. Pruitt smiled crookedly and took the gun away. "Thank you, hon. Yes, my boss knows you're sick."
"What about the Family Leave Act?" Alex asked.
"I just have to pick up some work, sign some papers, and show my face," his mom explained. "I'll be gone an hour at the most. I've called Mrs. Hess and told her you were going to be alone. She—"
"You called Mrs. Hess?" Alex wrinMed his nose. "She knows I'm going to be alone?"
"She said if anything comes up, she'll come right over," Mrs. Pruitt explained. "She wasn't happy about it, but she agreed."
"What if she gets tanked up on iced tea and comes over and makes me smoke cigarettes?" Alex asked apprehensively.
"Don't be ridiculous," his mom said. She reached behind him and fluffed up his pillow. Alex didn't want her to go.
"Did you know that there are an awful lot of safety hazards in the average home?" he asked. "I just watched a show on the subject. It was really frightening."
"That's why I want you to stay in bed," his mom said.
"If something happened, our family could be the subject of an embarrassing and lengthy television tabloid news inquiry," Alex went on. "We could get the nod to represent the fraying of the family fabric, which is a hot topic today."
His mom gazed at him and pursed her lips. "Alex, don't do this to me. I have to go. I don't have a choice."
But Alex wasn't ready to give up. "What if there's a tornado?"
"They don't happen in the winter," said his Mom.
"Hurricane?"
"We're not on the ocean."
"Earthquake?"
"In the Midwest? Not for millions of years."
"There's a blizzard coming in from the mountains," Alex said.
"Not in the next hour," replied his mom.
"Social unrest?" he was grasping for straws.
She smiled. "I don't think so."
"Boredom?" Alex ventured. "I hear it's deadly in old folks."
His mom kissed him on the forehead. That was always a bad sign. She stood up and started toward the door.
"What about crooks?" Alex gave it one last try. He was surprised when his mom actually hesitated for a moment. "I don't think that's a problem during the day, honey. At least, not around here."
But her hesitation gave Alex hope. "Why not?" he asked. "Nobody's home during the day. I'm only eight and I figured that out. Don't you think a grown-up crook could figure it out, too?"
"This is a very safe neighborhood," his mother replied patiently. "The doors will be locked, and you have numbers where you can reach me. I'll be home as
"Slam dunk?" Alex gasped.
"One-on-one with Jordan," Molly said.
He'd missed a one-on-one with Michael Jordan in his own school? Alex's knees suddenly felt weak. He leaned against the door jam. "I feel faint."
Suddenly, Molly started to laugh. "He bought it! What a dork!"
Alex straightened up. Stan was grinning evilly at him. "I didn't think chicken pox affected the brain. I was wrong."
They'd been goofing on him, Alex clenched his fists. Kill!
10
The next morning, Alex lay in bed with the thermometer in his mouth again. He'd watched TV all morning. Now he was watching the weather channel, where an announcer was talking about a powerful front moving in from the west and picking up moisture from a low pressure area coming up from the Gulf of Mexico. At the same time, a blast of Arctic air was going to sweep down from the Rockies. The result looked like a major snowstorm heading for Chicago.
Excellent, Alex thought with a smile.
His mother was coming up the stairs. Alex picked up his semi-automatic bubble gun and hid it under the covers.
His mom came in. But instead of wearing slacks and a sweater, she was wearing her business clothes.
Alex frowned. "How come you're all dressed up?"
"I have to go to work for a little while, hon," his mom said apologetically, and took the thermometer out of his mouth. "You're just a hair over ninety-nine."
Alex made a face. "Didn't you tell your boss that I'm desperately ill?"
His mom nodded. Alex took out his bubble gun and shot a stream of water bubbles at her.
Mrs. Pruitt smiled crookedly and took the gun away. "Thank you, hon. Yes, my boss knows you're sick."
"What about the Family Leave Act?" Alex asked.
"I just have to pick up some work, sign some papers, and show my face," his mom explained. "I'll be gone an hour at the most. I've called Mrs. Hess and told her you were going to be alone. She—"
"You called Mrs. Hess?" Alex wrinMed his nose. "She knows I'm going to be alone?"
"She said if anything comes up, she'll come right over," Mrs. Pruitt explained. "She wasn't happy about it, but she agreed."
"What if she gets tanked up on iced tea and comes over and makes me smoke cigarettes?" Alex asked apprehensively.
"Don't be ridiculous," his mom said. She reached behind him and fluffed up his pillow. Alex didn't want her to go.
"Did you know that there are an awful lot of safety hazards in the average home?" he asked. "I just watched a show on the subject. It was really frightening."
"That's why I want you to stay in bed," his mom said.
"If something happened, our family could be the subject of an embarrassing and lengthy television tabloid news inquiry," Alex went on. "We could get the nod to represent the fraying of the family fabric, which is a hot topic today."
His mom gazed at him and pursed her lips. "Alex, don't do this to me. I have to go. I don't have a choice."
But Alex wasn't ready to give up. "What if there's a tornado?"
"They don't happen in the winter," said his Mom.
"Hurricane?"
"We're not on the ocean."
"Earthquake?"
"In the Midwest? Not for millions of years."
"There's a blizzard coming in from the mountains," Alex said.
"Not in the next hour," replied his mom.
"Social unrest?" he was grasping for straws.
She smiled. "I don't think so."
"Boredom?" Alex ventured. "I hear it's deadly in old folks."
His mom kissed him on the forehead. That was always a bad sign. She stood up and started toward the door.
"What about crooks?" Alex gave it one last try. He was surprised when his mom actually hesitated for a moment. "I don't think that's a problem during the day, honey. At least, not around here."
But her hesitation gave Alex hope. "Why not?" he asked. "Nobody's home during the day. I'm only eight and I figured that out. Don't you think a grown-up crook could figure it out, too?"
"This is a very safe neighborhood," his mother replied patiently. "The doors will be locked, and you have numbers where you can reach me. I'll be home as
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