"Just a bike ride, Jerri." She looked confused. She probably was confused. "Don't worry, Jerri. It's going to be okay," I said.

"Okay, Felton," she nodded. "You give me a call. Okay?"

Maybe she wasn't confused.

"Okay, Jerri," I said.

At the end of the driveway, I looked back. Jerri was still standing there outside the garage.

"Does she know what we're doing?" Andrew asked.

"I don't know," I said.

It was probably good for my back to be riding the Varsity. It hurt like crazy to go up the hill on the main road, but by the time Andrew and me got to the top, I was sweating, and my back was looser. Because he's small and really isn't and will never be an athlete, Andrew rode incredibly slow. I could've biked circles around him. If my back didn't hurt, I probably would have. We only had one conversation as we rode. It was very short.

Going up the hill, I said, "Andrew, why did you burn your clothes?"

"I wanted to scare Jerri into talking to me."

"That backfired."

"Yes. She told me the only way to move forward is to destroy the past."

"I guess that makes sense," I said.

"It makes no sense," Andrew said.

"I mean, that explains her behavior."

"Her whole stupid life."

We didn't say anything else as we rode, just pedaled. But when we hit the edge of my paper route, Andrew stopped.

"I think we should call Grandma Berba now," he said.

"Why?" I really didn't want to call her.

"Because she's a terrible person and if she tells usayou knowatells us where to stick it, we'll have a different situation on our hands. You know what I mean, Felton?"

"No."

"I want to have our situation in hand before we go to the Jenningses so we can tell them what's going on truthfully and completely," he said.

"Oh, yeah. You're smart."

"Yes," Andrew said. He swung his backpack around and pulled out Jerri's address book. Then he handed it to me.

"You call," he said.

No. No. No. Grandma Berba has never liked usa"me and Andrew knew it. She called on our birthdays, said happy birthday, and then hung up. At Christmas, she'd send cards to Andrew and me and always wrote "Happy Chanukah" in them because our father was Jewish, even though there was always a Christmas tree or a baby Jesus on the front. She'd also send ten dollars. She never came to visit. She never invited us to Arizona. She moved there right before I was born. I only remembered her at all because she was around right after Dad died. Before she went back to Arizona, she shouted at Jerri. I don't remember what it was about, but Jerri shouted back. Jerri freaked on her. She wasn't a very good grandma. Jerri wouldn't ever even talk about her. So I wasn't exactly excited to make the call. I found her number in the address book.

"Okay," I said to Andrew. "I'm calling."

I punched in the numbers real slow. My heart pounded. My back hurt. I pressed the Call button and then held my breath. All this fear expanded in my chest. My phone hand was shaking. In a second, the phone at Grandma Berba's was ringing. It rang three times. Then someone picked up.

"Hello," the voice said. But it seemed too young to be a grandma.

"Um, could I talk to Carol Berba?"

"Speaking."

"Grandma?" I said.

There was a long pause.

"Yes?"

"This is Felton. Felton Reinstein."

"I know who this is, child."

"WeaMe and Andrewa"

"Tell me you're safe."

"IaI don't knowa" And then I just started sobbing. I couldn't hold it in. I was totally sucking air. Gulp. Gulp. Gulp. Snot poured out my nose like in that football movie with the broken legs, and my eyes burned. I choked. Finally, I got out: "Grandma?"

"I've been expecting this call for ten years. What's your phone number? Is it the phone you just dialed from?"

"Yes."

"Felton. Please. Are you safe?"

"I think so."

"I'll call you back in ten minutes with my itinerary. You hold on, Felton."

I hung up the phone and looked at Andrew. He was bawling.

"She's not interested in us, huh?" he said.

"No. No. She's coming."

CHAPTER 45: GRANDMA.

It's 5:41 a.m. I think most of the time, Grandma is up by now. She's not this morning. I just went upstairs to take some of her iced coffee out of the fridge because I just want to stay awake. It was a long night, and Grandma is snoring in the guest bedroom. I'm sorer right now than I was riding the bike to Aleah's that day.

You can't think Grandma is mean any longer. I won't let you, okay?

Grandma sold insurance, and she made a lot of money, and Jerri told her she didn't want Grandma's money-grubbing values to affect us kids because Grandma wanted to go after Dad's parents for more support money after he died. Jerri capped our presents at no more than $10, so Grandma sent $10, and Jerri told her there was no reason for us to see Grandma's Arizona condo with the pool or Grandma's BMW because then we'd value money overawhat? Not family, because Jerri kept us from our family. Maybe vegetables or nature. So Grandma backed off and waited, even though she knew it made me and Andrew think she didn't like us. She also said that maybe Jerri was right about some of her values because me and Andrew sure turned out to be sweet kids.

Okay.

Let's go.

CHAPTER 46: BRAIN MASH: PART I.

The next hour of my life had to be the weirdest on record. After the phone call, Andrew and I went directly to the Jenningses'. I had to ring the doorbell fifteen times before Aleah came to the door. Andrew kept saying "She's not here." I kept telling him she was. Finally, she opened up and was all groggy-eyed. At first, she was kind of pissed we were there. Then she locked in to how serious I was.

"Aleah," I said. "You know that I wouldn't mess with your sleep except in case of emergency. Andrew and I have been experiencing an emergency."

"What?" she asked.

"Our mother has gone crazy."

"Alcohol?" she asked.

"No. No. This has been coming for a long time, I think."

"You never said anything."

"I knowaBut, Aleah, this is serious."

"Okay. It's not like I didn't know you were losing it."

"Yes, I was. Is there any way we can stay with you for a day or two?"

"What?" Aleah shook her head, totally confused.

"Our grandmother is on her way," said Andrew, "But, honestly, we don't know what to expect from her. We don't know our grandma."

"Uh oh," Aleah said, squinting at me.

"Uh oh?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Uh. Oh. Would you like some iced tea?"

"Do you have any food?" Andrew replied.

"Come on in," she said.

"Thanks, Aleah. Thanks."

"You're a very weird family," Aleah said as I straight-leg zombie-walked past her (my back hurt).

Then, while Andrew and I sat on the couch and gulped down chips ("Beats tomatoes," he said) and that berry-tasting iced tea, I began to tell the whole long story of Jerri's complete collapse as a mother and a human being.

"You told me nothing. That's not good," Aleah said.

"I wanted you to like me and not be freaked."

"Hmm."

While I was telling her the sordid story, I began to get text message after text message about my back. Apparently, word was spreading around. Most of the texts were from honky football players or friends of football players asking me how I was. A couple were from honky girls who'd heard about my injury.

"From who?" Aleah asked. "That Abby?"

"Uh, just friends," I said.

A conversation with Cody went like this: Cody: talked to dad. he'll arrest ken if you want. says it was definitely assault.

Me: no. not hurt.

Cody: dad might anyway he's pissed.

Me: tell him thanks but it was more accident than assault. ok?

Cody: ok. but might be out of my hands.

On top of the messages, I received two phone calls. One was from Coach Johnson.

"How many people do you know?" Aleah asked as my phone buzzed.

"Yeah?" Andrew asked.

I held up my finger to let them know I was answering.

"How are you doing, Felton? Your back feeling better?" Coach asked.

"I'm feeling fine," I said, even though my back really hurt.