“Have you ever seen mints explode? You put them in soda and PFFFFFFFFFF.” I make my best explosion noise, but it’s not as good as Finn’s.
“This is some kind of science experiment?” His voice squeaks.
“Oh, no. I don’t have science yet. Not until third grade.”
Marvin shakes his head and makes grunting noises. “Do you understand you aren’t allowed to bring liquids on the plane? Liquids like vinegar, liquids like soda.”
“I would have understood if Finn let me read the whole sign, but he said we had to—”
“You stay here,” he snaps before I even finish explaining.
When Marvin comes back, Mommy, Finn, and India are with him. Marvin hands me my suitcase. It’s very light. He’s taken all the good stuff out.
My mom hugs me like I have been away a long time.
“How am I supposed to control her? That’s why Maddy calls her the Demon Child. Plus she lies,” India tells Mommy as we all hurry up.
“No she doesn’t,” Mommy says.
“She lied about Maddy.”
“Ancient history, India, come on. I thought we agreed not to talk about that anymore. Now, let’s go. We gotta hustle here.”
We are in the land on the other side of the metal detector again. My mom is half running, pulling me along to gate number thirty-seven, where she bustles us into the “C” line.
“What if she took out her underwear like she did when we went to Grandma’s?” India yells. “What’ll she wear?”
“You’ll have to let her borrow some of yours,” Mommy answers.
“No,” I say, “India’s are too small.” The bigger you get, the smaller your undies. I do not understand this.
“She can’t borrow mine. Let her wear Finn’s,” India snaps.
“INDIA! Boy’s underwear!” India is sickening sometimes. I feel like biting her. I did that once when I was really mad, but my mom took away my peanut butter and honey sandwiches for one whole week.
“Uncle Red’s then?”
“IN-DIA!” I stop in my tracks in front of the magazine stand.
“Did you take them out?” India demands. “Because if you did, you’ll have to borrow Uncle Red’s!”
I punch her then. There’s nothing else to do.
Mommy gets in the middle so India can’t punch me back. Usually Finn does this, but he doesn’t like underwear talk. He’s pretending he isn’t our brother right now.
“That is the last of that! The next time I see you two, you will be treating each other with respect, you understand me?” Mommy tells both of us.
The “C” line is moving up to the ticket lady. Mommy squats down so she can look into my eyes. She smells like oranges and crackers. “Mouse, you understand what’s happened?”
“I wasn’t supposed to bring the science explosion stuff.”
“That’s right.” She nods. “And where are you going?”
“Uncle Red’s house.”
I know everything. I never miss even one on my tests at school. India says that’s because kindergarten is so easy. No one misses any problems in kindergarten, but Mommy has been giving me tests for fifth graders and I never miss any on those either. India doesn’t like to hear about that.
“Look, sweetie, you’re going to have to be a really good girl at Uncle Red’s. You’ll need to mind India and Finn and Uncle Red. Can you do that? I will call you every night and I will come as soon as I can.”
My shoulders slump low down. I feel low down too. “How long is as soon as I can?”
“Three months.”
“How many hours is that?”
My mom brushes my hair back with her hand. “A lot of hours. Too many to count.”
“I could count. I’m a very good counter. Do you want me to? I know! How about if I stand right here and wait for you? I could sit down when I got tired.”
We are up at the very front of the “C” line now. India hands all three of our tickets to the airline lady in the blue skirt.
“You’ll have fun at Uncle Red’s. You will,” Mommy says.
Bing is nodding his head. He thinks it’s going to be fun too. I hate when he sides with Mommy.
Mommy hugs Finn and India, but she leaves the last hug for me. My face is smushed up in Mommy’s shirt, so my voice is smushy too. “Are you sure you can’t come now?”
Mommy nods the for-sure way. Not the maybe way.
I pucker my lip and do my sad puppy face. “Will you at least wave from the window?” I ask.
“I promise, sweetheart. I will wave from the window.” Mommy’s lips get shaky. Bing says she’s trying not to cry.