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Could it?
Did my wish come true? A hundred other questions rushed through his head, one after the other. Does this mean I can stay a kid forever? And that I never have to grow up?
“You’re gonna be late for school,” Mom said.
“Come on,” Rita said with an eye roll. “Let’s get you to kiddie school.”
“Seri
ously, nice try with that prank back there,” Rita said, tossing her heavy backpack into the passenger seat. “Very convincing. You should consider an acting career.”
“Uh, right. Totally.” Barrie shivered as he climbed into the back, glancing at the cloudy sky. Even though it was almost summer, the weather was cold and drizzly, but that was typical in their New England coastal town. It didn’t mean it would stay that way. The weather had multiple personalities. The day could go from cold and dreary to warm and sunny in the blink of an eye, then back again before nightfall.
Rita chuckled. “Trying to get presents, a cake, and a party out of Mom and Dad? I gotta give you credit, Goober. Too bad you didn’t pull it off.”
“Yeah. It was a good one, huh?” He forced a laugh. His mind was still reeling, trying to process what was happening to him.
Rita sat behind the wheel and slid the key into the ignition, but she didn’t start the engine. “You’re lucky it’s not your birthday,” she said with a weary sigh, catching his eye in the rearview mirror. “Much better to stay a goober with minimal responsibilities.”
With that, she started the car, shifted it into gear, and sped out of the driveway, heading for the other side of the cul-de-sac to pick up Michael and John. Their two-story brick houses loomed in the distance, as familiar as his own. Barrie had spent countless days playing video games in their bedrooms, or running around Michael’s backyard inventing games of their own.
He remembered what Rita had said the night before about her old friends Hannah and Jessie—how they’d grown apart as they’d gotten older. Barrie would hate it if he wasn’t best friends with Michael and John anymore. He couldn’t imagine his life without them. They were the Lost Boys—nothing could tear them apart.
But hadn’t Rita felt the same way about her friends? And look what had happened to them.
Okay, it was weird that his birthday had been erased. Disappointing and a little bit scary. But if his wish really was coming true…
He slipped his hand into his backpack, feeling the outline of the rusty hook tucked inside. Sure, he had been excited about the cake and party. But not having a party was a small price to pay if he didn’t have to grow up after all.
I could stay a kid forever.
And better yet, he could keep his best friends.
Barrie spotted Michael and John together, tramping down Michael’s driveway. They grinned when they saw him and executed their secret handshake.
Barrie couldn’t wait to talk to them about everything that was happening to him. Even without a party, this was already the best day ever.
* * *
“Get lost, Goobers!” Rita said, dropping them off in front of their school.
“Love you, too,” Barrie called back, knowing it would embarrass her. “See you after school.”
She shot him a glare. “Don’t remind me.”
Then she sped out of the parking lot toward the high school across town. His friends cracked up.
“Your sis is nutso,” John said, twirling his finger in the air near his temple. “But I think all girls are. It’s probably the hormones. And all the hair products. There are major toxins in that stuff.”
“Yeah, they don’t make any sense,” Michael agreed. “My three older sisters are the same way. It’s like trying to understand an alien species that’s addicted to dry shampoo.”
Barrie cracked up, starting to feel almost normal. Kids streamed toward the old brick school building, a relic from the 1970s. The familiar sign read NEW LONDON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. Barrie and his friends followed the crowd toward the front entrance, roving as their typical threesome. John was almost a head taller than Barrie and Michael now, and Barrie often wondered if he’d one day hit a growth spurt like that, too. He could still remember when the three of them had all been about the same height.
“Can’t wait for summer break,” Michael said. “Four more days until graduation.”
“And then we’re officially in junior high!” John added. He glanced at the first graders, who were half their height. “But until then, we can rule elementary school.”
“Lost Boys forever!” they chanted together and executed their handshake.
