9781422288139

C HAPTER 1

14

not play well with others,” “Is disruptive in class,” “Does not show proper respect for the possessions of others”—you get the idea. The last box on the note is the clincher, the one that we all hope and pray our teachers never check: “Teacher requests conference with parents.” By the time Connor was in kindergarten, our oldest brother Kevin was fifteen and in the tenth grade, and Tim was in eighth, so my parents were pretty old, I guess, but not old enough to have that much gray hair. Not old enough to look that tired, either, but they did. And every day that Connor brought home another note— which was most days—they looked a little grayer and a little tireder. Meanwhile, I had my own problems. Since I was working so hard on being a normal sixth-grader, like I already explained, it was necessary for me to ignore Connor when I saw him in the hall at school or on the playground. I explained this all to him at home the night before his first day of school. (This may sound mean, but I swear I did it in the nicest possible way.) “Look, Connor,” I told him while we walked Cuddles to the park, “I know you’re my brother. And you’re a pretty good one, too,” I added, so he wouldn’t feel bad or anything. “But when we’re at school, it would be better if people didn’t know we’re related. So don’t talk to me there, okay?” Connor didn’t say anything, for once. I tried again. “You know, like where you see me in the hall, Con- nor. Or when we’re on the playground.” “Why?” he asked. I thought for a minute. “I can’t explain that; it’d be too hard for you to understand.” “But lots of people already know I’m your brother!” he said. “Right. But we don’t want to remind them about that too often, you know? Like, if we don’t talk while we’re at school, maybe they won’t make a big deal of it. So just don’t talk to me when you see me, okay?” “But what if I need you, Shauna?”