“I was in a maze at the school carnival,” said Megan, “but it was made out of bed sheets and clothesline. It was like getting lost in the laundry.”
Alexis laughed.
“But we can’t use a garden maze or a carnival maze with a hamster,” said Megan. “Zippity would bust right through the bushes and sheets.”
“A maze that big is too big for a hamster.”
“Exactly,” said Megan. “And too big for the science fair.”
“It’s probably going to end up being about this big,” said Alexis. She stretched her arms to roughly the size of a card table.
“And made of cardboard or something,” said Megan. “Like a big box. Big and flat.”
“Where are we going to find a big, flat box?” asked Alexis.
“Beats me,” said Megan. “The only thing I ever made out of a box was a diorama.”
“Me too!” chimed Alexis. “I made it out of a shoe box.”
“Me too,” Megan chimed back. “I love dioramas.”
“Me too,” said Alexis.
The process of brainstorming their hamster-size maze got stalled once the girls discovered a shared passion for dioramas. “Mine was the Salem witch trials,” said Megan. “I still have it.”
“Cool,” said Alexis. “Mine was the swallows returning to San Juan Capistrano.”
“Cool,” said Megan. She was trying to picture Alexis’s diorama and her own. “Isn’t it amazing what you can do with a shoe box?”
“Absolutely,” Alexis agree.
Megan and Alexis were both quiet for a moment. It would be hard to say which one came up with the idea first. Maybe the idea occurred to each girl at the exact same time. Regardless, it was a mere instant before the girls looked at each other and cried, “Shoe boxes!”
“We could build the whole maze out of shoe boxes!”
“But won’t that take too many?”
“Not really,” said Alexis. She sketched a design on scratch paper to demonstrate how they could build the whole thing with interlocking shoe boxes. Megan offered suggestions as to where the different-colored rooms should go. They agreed that it was no fair putting hamster food in the purple room because that would give purple an unfair advantage over red and blue, the colors they had chosen for the other two rooms. However, they did think it was a good idea to put a little hamster food at different corners of the maze so that Zippity had some reason to travel from one end of the maze to the other.
Megan did a rough calculation and guessed that eight shoeboxes would do the job. Alexis knew her mom had sharp sewing scissors they could use to cut the interlocking slots and hamster-size doorways in the shoe boxes. Megan knew her father had thick masking tape in the garage that they could use to hold the shoe boxes together. Megan, of course, had purple paint, and Alexis was pretty sure that she had red and blue.
“So we’re all set,” said Alexis.
“Wait,” said Megan. “What about shoe boxes? Eight shoe boxes! Will we have enough?”
“Eight is a lot of shoe boxes,” said Alexis.
“That’s why I brought it up,” said Megan.
That October, when Megan had been required to do a diorama of colonial days for class, she had put the project off until the last possible minute and, naturally, couldn’t find a single usable shoe box in the entire house. She only managed to score a decent-size box for her witch-burning tableau because she convinced her mother to hit the mall for a new pair of high heels. Megan couldn’t imagine that she’d be able to convince her mom to buy eight new pairs of shoes so they could build their hamster maze that night.
“I have a brother,” Alexis said shyly, looking in the other direction so that Megan wasn’t sure what to make of the comment.
“Yeah,” said Megan. “That little kid. I met him at the store.”
“He likes sneakers, but he grows through them,” said Alexis.
“Brothers are like that,” said Megan.
“But he never gets rid of his old sneakers,” Alexis continued, “and he never gets rid of the boxes.”
Megan nodded slowly, catching on to the point that Alexis was making. “Fee-fi-fo-fum,” said Megan, “I smell shoe boxes.”
“That’s what I’m thinking,” said Alexis.
“But your kid brother is still little,” Megan observed. “Won’t those boxes be too small?”
“Big enough for a hamster, maybe,” said Alexis.
Megan had to agree. “But you know what?” Megan continued. “My brother is the exact same way. He doesn’t like me in his room, but I bet he’s got every pair of sneakers he ever owned—still in the box, still in his closet.”
“Four shoe boxes from you, four shoe boxes from me?” asked Alexis.
“Deal,” said Megan. “That should do it. I’ll go home and get my brother’s boxes and meet you at your house.”
Alexis flinched. “Actually,” she said, “it’s not such a good idea to meet at my house.”
“But my house is crazy,” Megan responded. “Everything is turned upside down because we’re in the middle of preparations for my birthday party.” Megan caught herself at the mention of her own party—the very same party that Alexis had already announced her intention not to attend. But Alexis didn’t seem to notice the remark at all.
“No, no,” said Alexis. “That’s okay. Your house is a much better idea.”
“Are you sure your house wouldn’t be easier?” Megan insisted.
“No, really,” said Alexis. “Besides, I want to see your house.”
Megan smiled. She was happy to show her house to Alexis. It was almost like they were becoming friends. But why was Alexis so worried about Megan visiting her house? That’s crazy, thought Megan. Why wouldn’t she want me to see her house?
“But I want to see your house too,” said Megan.
“It’s just that,” Alexis continued, “we just moved and we’re still moving and everything is new—so the whole house is upside-down with moving boxes and all.”
Megan realized that Alexis was probably right. “So my upside-down house or your upside-down house?” she asked.
“Yours,” Alexis insisted. “Your house. Really. It would be much, much better.”
“Okay,” said Megan. She reached for a pencil and wrote her address on the corner of their design for the maze. “Come over as soon as you can.”
“As soon as I get the boxes,” said Alexis.
• • •
Matt kept a sign from the hardware store tacked to his bedroom door that read: KEEP OUT. Underneath the stern warning, Matt had used a big red marker to scrawl “And that means you, Megan!”
Megan approached the door to Matt’s bedroom and didn’t give the sign a second thought before she grabbed the doorknob and pushed open the door.
The door didn’t exactly open all the way. Matt’s room was the usual mess. Heaps of clothes were piled on the floor. Basically, it looked like the laundry hamper had exploded. Cardboard boxes were loaded with toys that Matt refused to get rid of even though he didn’t play with them anymore. Megan found a path across the room, sidestepping the discarded comic books and abandoned sporting goods. She reached the closet, shoved the sliding door, and switched on the light.
Megan looked down and was relieved to find exactly what she wanted. Shoe boxes, and plenty of them. She dropped onto her haunches and began tossing Matt’s old sneakers into a tangled clump by the closet door, and then she stacked the empty boxes into a nice, neat pile. She used one hand to pinch her nose firmly shut during the process because Matt’s old sneakers smelled really bad.
Truly disgusting, Megan thought to herself. Absolutely repulsive.
Megan whirled about when she felt Matt tap her shoulder.
“What are you doing in my room?” he demanded.
“I’m cleaning out your closet,” Megan replied, trying to sound as helpful as possible even though she was still pinching her nose.
“You’re throwing out my shoes!” Matt exclaimed.
“Leave my shoes alone,” Matt cried. He seized the foot powder container from her hands and tossed it on top of the bureau.
“But I need your shoe boxes!” Megan protested.
“Not another diorama,” Matt said with a groan.
“No, this time it’s a science fair,” Megan replied.
“I like my shoes in boxes,” Matt insisted.
“You’re so ridiculous,” Megan argued. “Nobody keeps shoes in their boxes. You’re supposed to get rid of the boxes. Besides, this is for science.”
“What are you doing?” Matt asked.
“We’re making a maze for a hamster to run in,” said Megan.
“Cool!” said Matt, without any more argument. “You can have the boxes if I get to watch.”
“Not a problem.”
“Who are you making the maze with?” Matt asked.
“Alexis,” said Megan, not thinking anything of it.
“Alexis!” said Matt. “You mean the new girl who’s not very nice?”
“She’s nice enough,” said Megan.
“You said she was mean before,” said Matt.
“So I was wrong,” said Megan. “Anyway, she’s my science fair partner.”
“Wait, wait!” Matt cried. “I’ve got it! The best science fair project in the world! We’ll lock you and the mean girl in the same room! See which one survives!”
“Funny, funny,” said Megan. She applied herself to counting shoe boxes. She had three. She flung one last pair of sneakers onto the pile and seized the empty box.
“Hey!” Matt protested.
“That’s all,” said Megan. “Only four boxes. We’re hooking them together to build our maze.”
“Why don’t you use a packing box that already has compartments for all the jars and glasses?” Matt suggested. “That way you can use the compartments to make corridors and rooms. And you can leave my shoe boxes alone.”
Megan hesitated. The packing box idea was a good one. But it’s not the idea that Alexis and I came up with, she resolved.
“Because Alexis and I are using shoe boxes!” she declared. With that, she scooped up her boxes and headed downstairs.
• • •
“So,” said Matt, “the mysterious Alexis!”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Alexis. She was standing on the doorstep with four shoe boxes and a small hamster cage.
“Nothing,” said Matt. “I’ll get Megan.” He left the door open for Alexis to step inside as he thundered upstairs, taking two steps at a time. Alexis stepped into the hall and peeked at the doorways to the left and right. A moment later Megan and Matt were charging downstairs together in a wild romp, like puppies in a field.
“I win!” said Megan when she landed in the front hall after jumping the last three steps.
“Only by a nose,” said Matt.
“That’s my brother,” Megan said to Alexis, pointing at her brother.
“We met,” said Alexis. “Hey.”
“Hey,” Matt said back.
“We’re working in the dining room,” Megan urged, tugging on Alexis’s sleeve. “You brought Zippity?”
“Is that the hamster?” asked Matt.
“Looks like one,” said Alexis, holding up the cage.
“Is it dead or is it asleep?” asked Matt, eyeing the chunky fuzz ball inside the cage.
“He likes to sleep,” said Megan. “Just like you.” She pushed Matt so that he would get out of their way, and led Alexis into the dining room so they could get to work on their project.
• • •
It took a lot to surprise Megan’s mother, so she hardly reacted at all when she entered the dining room to find Megan and another girl kneeling on the dining room chairs, huddled over the table, assembling and reassembling shoe boxes in various patterns. Lainee wasn’t even particularly surprised by the hamster cage on the table, although she wasn’t happy about it either.
“Can we get the hamster cage off the dining room table?” Lainee announced, more as a command than a question.
“His name is Zippity,” said Megan. “Oh, and you remember Alexis.” She jerked her head toward the girl kneeling on the next chair.
It was Alexis’s presence in the dining room that caught Lainee by surprise. “Alexis,” she said, almost singsong with wonder. She bobbed her head curiously and smiled politely, letting Megan know that she expected to hear the full story later.
“Alexis and I are doing a science fair project,” said Megan.
“A hamster maze, Mrs. Merrill,” Alexis explained. “With one purple room.”
“One purple room,” repeated Lainee. “Well, that doesn’t surprise me.” She crossed her arms for a moment, watching the two girls at work, and decided it was probably the wrong time to make them clear the dining room table. Zippity was still asleep in his cage, but even so, a hamster was still a hamster. She tapped Megan to make sure she had her attention, and signed, “I’m going to need the table back in half an hour.”
“Okay, Mom,” said Megan. Megan had been applying masking tape to a pair of boxes. Alexis was using big shears to cut a hamster-size doorway.
“Be careful with those scissors,” added Lainee.
“Okay, Mrs. Merrill,” said Alexis.
Lainee eyed the bag of purple feathers resting on the sideboard. “Megan, I asked you twice already to put this bag of purple feathers away before it gets knocked over and we have purple feathers everywhere.”
“Okay, Mom! I’ll take care of it,” Megan snapped, hoping her mother would drop the subject. She didn’t want to mention the purple feathers or the invitations to the Positively Purple Party in front of Alexis.
Lainee lifted the hamster cage off the table with one finger. “And Zippity,” she said, eyeing the fuzz ball inside, “goes off the table.”
Megan scooped the cage out of her mother’s hands and placed it on the carpet in the corner.
• • •
“Should we put purple feathers in the purple room?” Alexis asked after Lainee had left the dining room. She lifted the bag of feathers off the sideboard and studied the contents.
“That’s an idea,” said Megan. “But then wouldn’t we have to put red feathers in the red room and blue feathers in the blue room?”
“Forget I mentioned it,” said Alexis.
“Too much bother,” said Megan.
“Just an idea,” said Alexis. She dropped the bag back onto the sideboard, and Megan promptly forgot about the purple feathers altogether.
It took most of the half hour to assemble the boxes, get the doorways to line up, tape the boxes together, and paint the red, blue, and purple rooms. By that point, they agreed, it was time to quit. They would have to “run” Zippity through the maze in the morning.
“Come over tomorrow,” said Megan.
“I have ballet class on Saturday morning,” said Alexis, “but I could come over after that.”
“Sounds good.”
“Hopefully he’ll be awake,” said Alexis, nudging Zippity’s cage.
“Maybe we should feed him a lot of sugar and get him all wired,” said Megan. Both of them laughed. They lifted the hamster maze off the table and set it on its side against the dining room wall.
“I better call home for a ride,” said Alexis, spanking her hands clean.
“The telephone’s in the kitchen,” said Megan. “Follow me.”
In the kitchen Megan’s mom was tearing open a box of pasta and pouring it into a pot of boiling water. Lainee made eye contact with Megan while Alexis was on the telephone and rolled her eyes in a way that meant “Soooo—?”
In response, Megan clenched her jaw,
cocked her head, and crossed her eyeballs in a way that meant “Can’t explain now, Mom!”
Alexis replaced the telephone in its cradle and announced, “My dad’s gonna drive by in about five minutes.”
“I’ll wait outside with you,” Megan offered.
“You don’t have to,” said Alexis.
“I don’t mind,” said Megan. She tugged on Alexis’s sleeve to lead her toward the front door.
“Bye, Alexis!” Lainee called from the stove. She was stirring the pasta with a big wooden spoon.
“Good-bye, Mrs. Merrill,” said Alexis.
The two girls left the room, and Megan’s mother smiled.
• • •
Outside, it was not exactly dark yet, although the sun had set.
“Look,” said Megan, nudging Alexis and pointing at the sky, “purple!”
She and Alexis were sitting on the front step, waiting for Alexis’s dad to show up in his car. Alexis looked up at the sky and smiled. “I’m glad we’re doing the purple,” she said.
“I’m glad we’re doing the hamster,” said Megan. And she smiled too.
They were both quiet after that, although Megan clutched her knees to her chest and it was a while before she lost her little smile. She didn’t know how to explain to her mom how things had gotten easier with Alexis, but it was funny to think that she had a hamster to thank.
8
Gesundheit
“AAAAHHH-CHOO!”
Megan didn’t hear Matt sneeze, but she could tell that he had by the way he gripped the dining room table and scrambled for his napkin. His hair rattled and his face scrunched as his head bounced forward. Megan saw her mom admonish Matt to turn away or sneeze into his sleeve, and she saw her dad say “Gesundheit!” So she knew it was a sneeze.
Typical, thought Megan. She was in the middle of explaining her science fair project to her dad and she didn’t like to be interrupted. She had already explained to her dad the whole story about the new girl at school who was really perfect—but really difficult—and how she, Megan, had got stuck doing her science fair project with the girl. She said, “Gesundheit, Matt” to acknowledge Matt’s sneeze, and went back to her story. She was deep into the science fair project itself at this point. “And one room is red and one room is blue, but the nicest room is purple.”
Nobody's Perfect Page 7
