Whatever you’d like!”
I know we’ll get no peace down here. “You want to hang out in my room?”
“Sure,” she says, and we head upstairs. “I’d forgotten this nice room, Connors!” Toni says when we walk into the fireman room.
I guess this would be a good time to tell her the truth, but I’m not in the mood to answer questions. The questions about why I’m here. What harm can it do to just pretend a little longer? “Well, my mom said I could have a bigger room, so I’m staying in Michael Eric’s while it’s being painted.” I feel bad about the lie.
“I say you fight to keep this one, Connors.” She laughs as she falls back on my bed.
“So what’s Rainer’s story, anyway?” I ask.
She bolts up. “Rainer? Oh my God! We’ve known each other forever. I mean forever. Our mothers are both totally caught up in the Junior Women’s League. Total do-gooders… on the outside, anyway.”
“What’s a junior woman?” I ask.
She cracks up. “Very funny, Connors.”
Except I was serious.
“So, what’s the deal? Why is he always giving you a hard time? Like calling you Oliver? And what’s a roll stuffer?”
“Who knows,” I lie.
“Maybe he stands too close to the ovens at his parents’ restaurant. They have him working there all the time. I mean, all. The. Time.” She laughs, retying her shoe. “He’s such an idiot! And hetalks tough but you can put him in his place pretty easily. I even beat him up in the third grade.”
“You did?”
“And the fifth.”
“Really?” I crack up.
“Yeah, and he’s still nervous I’m going to hit him. I can tell.” Toni bounces on my bed. “So, enough about that twit, Connors! Ask me anything!”
“Uh… why do you always call me Connors?” I ask.
“I said you can ask me anything. I mean anything on the planet. And that’s the best you can come up with?”
“I’ll try to do better.”
She seems amused. “Well, speaking of names, here’s something interesting, Connors. Actually… I gotta tell you. My name isn’t Toni. Not really, anyway.”
“Huh? What is it then?”
“If I tell you, you swear on a thousand souls you won’t tell anyone?”
“It depends on the souls.”
“I’m not telling you then.”
“Okay, fine. A thousand souls.”
She looks toward the ceiling and attempts an angelic face. “Charity.”
“
Charity
? That’s your name? Charity Byars? Oh my God. No wonder you changed it!”
She sits up straight and her whole face lights up. “I’ve gotta tell you, Connors, when Idina Menzel won the Tony Award for Elphaba, I swore that someday I’d have a Tony Award with myname etched on the front. But I can’t have ‘Charity Byars’ etched on anything!”
“Charity? Really?” I ask.
“At least your last name isn’t
Case.
”
“Yeah, you’re right.” She laughs. “Anyway, my mother, the perfect one, had this idea that I would grow up to be her Mini-Me. She just about keeled over when I told her she could keep the name Charity. That I was going to be called Toni in honor of my future award. Not only that, I’m going to make millions on Broadway and keep every penny.”
“Somehow, I have a feeling you
will
make millions on Broadway.”
“Then split it with my best friend? Is that the next thing out of your mouth, Connors? Because you can forget it. I’m not giving you a dime!”
I guess she’ll think that I’m upset about not getting a cut of the millions when I’m really trying to believe that she called me her best friend.
CHAPTER 26
Walk Off Loss
I plop down on the couch. “So,” I say to Mr. Murphy. “The Sox are down by two points?”
“Yeah, but you say
runs
, not
points
.” He frowns at the TV.
“Oh.” I am nervous now. He sounds angry.
I’ve been wondering about him and the adoption book. I figure that if Mrs. Murphy took out the book, she must be okay with the idea, but I wonder if he will go for it. If he likes me at all.
He is sitting on the edge of the couch,
I know we’ll get no peace down here. “You want to hang out in my room?”
“Sure,” she says, and we head upstairs. “I’d forgotten this nice room, Connors!” Toni says when we walk into the fireman room.
I guess this would be a good time to tell her the truth, but I’m not in the mood to answer questions. The questions about why I’m here. What harm can it do to just pretend a little longer? “Well, my mom said I could have a bigger room, so I’m staying in Michael Eric’s while it’s being painted.” I feel bad about the lie.
“I say you fight to keep this one, Connors.” She laughs as she falls back on my bed.
“So what’s Rainer’s story, anyway?” I ask.
She bolts up. “Rainer? Oh my God! We’ve known each other forever. I mean forever. Our mothers are both totally caught up in the Junior Women’s League. Total do-gooders… on the outside, anyway.”
“What’s a junior woman?” I ask.
She cracks up. “Very funny, Connors.”
Except I was serious.
“So, what’s the deal? Why is he always giving you a hard time? Like calling you Oliver? And what’s a roll stuffer?”
“Who knows,” I lie.
“Maybe he stands too close to the ovens at his parents’ restaurant. They have him working there all the time. I mean, all. The. Time.” She laughs, retying her shoe. “He’s such an idiot! And hetalks tough but you can put him in his place pretty easily. I even beat him up in the third grade.”
“You did?”
“And the fifth.”
“Really?” I crack up.
“Yeah, and he’s still nervous I’m going to hit him. I can tell.” Toni bounces on my bed. “So, enough about that twit, Connors! Ask me anything!”
“Uh… why do you always call me Connors?” I ask.
“I said you can ask me anything. I mean anything on the planet. And that’s the best you can come up with?”
“I’ll try to do better.”
She seems amused. “Well, speaking of names, here’s something interesting, Connors. Actually… I gotta tell you. My name isn’t Toni. Not really, anyway.”
“Huh? What is it then?”
“If I tell you, you swear on a thousand souls you won’t tell anyone?”
“It depends on the souls.”
“I’m not telling you then.”
“Okay, fine. A thousand souls.”
She looks toward the ceiling and attempts an angelic face. “Charity.”
“
Charity
? That’s your name? Charity Byars? Oh my God. No wonder you changed it!”
She sits up straight and her whole face lights up. “I’ve gotta tell you, Connors, when Idina Menzel won the Tony Award for Elphaba, I swore that someday I’d have a Tony Award with myname etched on the front. But I can’t have ‘Charity Byars’ etched on anything!”
“Charity? Really?” I ask.
“At least your last name isn’t
Case.
”
“Yeah, you’re right.” She laughs. “Anyway, my mother, the perfect one, had this idea that I would grow up to be her Mini-Me. She just about keeled over when I told her she could keep the name Charity. That I was going to be called Toni in honor of my future award. Not only that, I’m going to make millions on Broadway and keep every penny.”
“Somehow, I have a feeling you
will
make millions on Broadway.”
“Then split it with my best friend? Is that the next thing out of your mouth, Connors? Because you can forget it. I’m not giving you a dime!”
I guess she’ll think that I’m upset about not getting a cut of the millions when I’m really trying to believe that she called me her best friend.
CHAPTER 26
Walk Off Loss
I plop down on the couch. “So,” I say to Mr. Murphy. “The Sox are down by two points?”
“Yeah, but you say
runs
, not
points
.” He frowns at the TV.
“Oh.” I am nervous now. He sounds angry.
I’ve been wondering about him and the adoption book. I figure that if Mrs. Murphy took out the book, she must be okay with the idea, but I wonder if he will go for it. If he likes me at all.
He is sitting on the edge of the couch,
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