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had paid her money and was launching herself onto the seat. She turned to me and raised her hand in a single wave — and smiled. Surprised, I waved back and watched her ride away down the street. She had
smiled
at me.
    So — she didn’t live on a farm with rich parents. There was no fancy car, or a pet horse in a paddock. A camper at the trailer park didn’t seem right to me, somehow, but then neither had her mom when I’d first seen them at school. It was as though they didn’t fit together the way my family did. I didn’t know where Julia had come from, and how long she was going to stay. Somehow, she and Bon had met before they both started school on the same day. Then I realized they would easily have found each other at the trailer park.
    Bon needs someone who cares about him.
I didn’t want to understand why she had said this.
    I thought you guys would be friends.
I didn’t want to be told this. Talking with Julia hadn’t quite gone the way I’d expected.
    â€œThat’s a face I haven’t seen before,” Mom commented as we climbed into our car. “Is she new at school? Does she have a name?” Working at the only supermarket in town meant Mom got to know most of the faces from around town.
    â€œJulia,” I replied.
    â€œJulia? Julia who?”
    â€œI don’t know,” I said. “Julia Someone.” But I was tumbling last names around in my head.
Barrie, Barlow . . . Barrett. Julia Barrett.
    Without looking, I could tell that Mom had found something humorous and was smiling at me. “Julia Someone,” she repeated. “Hmm.”
    I tried to ignore her, staring out the window as we left the streets of Dodge City and headed back into the main part of town. I thought of Julia’s wave and that single last smile, and I wondered if she would have anything to say to me back on the playground at school.
    I knew, though, that I wasn’t about to start looking after Bon. And I sure wasn’t going to be his friend.

Dad was leaving me behind again.
    Once more he had chosen Guthrie Street, with the steepest hill, and I launched myself at the slope with all the energy I could muster. Dad stopped long enough to smile at me before jogging away toward the old train station, leaving me to catch my breath and then stumble after him. I was determined to keep up.
    Finally, after jogging past the old bridge alone, I caught up, but only because Dad had paused to talk. Lenny and Danno, who worked for the town, were on their early-morning rounds and had stopped to empty the sidewalk trash bin outside the convenience store. I could hear their laughing voices above the utility truck’s idling engine.
    â€œWatch out, Tony, the young fella’s catching up!” one of them said, laughing. They both wore official town hats and fluorescent safety vests, and I could never remember who was who.
    â€œTime to get going, then,” Dad replied, glancing back at me and making it sound like a cheerful family joke.
    Lenny and Danno cheered me on as I jogged past, and I managed a wave and a grin that I hoped made it look as though I had buckets of energy left over. I was so close behind Dad now that I could smell his sweat and hear his puffs of breath. And then I spotted Bon.
    Although the Tealeaf Café still had a CLOSED sign on its front door, Bon was inside and seated at one of the tables. A tall mug steamed gently on the table in front of him. He was reading something, a comic or a magazine, and lifted a slice of toast to his mouth. He didn’t see me outside, although I’d come to a stop to look at him and try to size up what was happening. There was no sign of his mom.
    â€œHe’s having breakfast,” I mumbled. “The café’s not even open yet.”
    Bon kept reading, taking slow bites of toast and then a sip from the mug. Though he sat at an angle away from the front window and the sidewalk, I could see that his