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supplies stayed in the basket—and took a seat beside him. When we were younger we’d often end up here—me, Naveen, Stella—just talking about nothing andpicking grass to braid into shapes or studying caterpillars we’d lure onto sticks. Summers were changing, though. I already knew Naveen was doing a science camp and a Lego camp this year and I’d probably never see him at the pond, even if I wasn’t already living somewhere else, which I probably would be. And there was talk of Stella going back to horse camp and starting to really get into dressage, which I pretended I thought was awesome but actually thought was kind of silly. What was the point of making horses do all that fancy footwork? Though the camp would be a good place to get my hands on some fecal matter.
    â€œSo why the summit?” Naveen asked.
    â€œI’m having a hard time a) finding fecal matter and b) figuring out how I’m going to make the house smell bad without being caught.”
    Stella arrived and jumped off her bike.
    â€œYou were right,” I said as she came to sit next to me. “I’m having some trouble with my plan. The open house is tomorrow at ten and I’m going roller-skating with my mom since we can’t be home. So how can I make the house smell if I’m not there? Also, do you want to come skating?”
    â€œSure, I’ll ask.” Stella was winded, her cheeks flushed. It was sunny, warm. Like the first official feeling day of spring. March was being true to that whole lion and lamb thing for once.
    Naveen said, “No need to get the stuff if you can’t figure out where you’d put it and how. I think you’ll have to do some kind of double back. Like, say you forgot your skates or something?”
    â€œThat could work,” I said slowly. “So I have to hide the stinky stuff somewhere that I can grab it really fast, but then where do I put it?”
    â€œYou need to think in terms of maximum stinkage potential,” Naveen said.
    â€œYes. Maximum.”
    â€œYou know every inch of that house.” Stella sounded bored. “If you can’t figure it out, we’re not going to be much help.”
    â€œI could hide it in the fireplace?” I said.
    â€œToo obvious.” Naveen shook his head. “They’ll find it right away. Unless you’re going to somehow rig it so that it’s dangling down the chimney out of sight.”
    â€œSounds complicated,” I said. But I filed the idea away for later.
    A couple of ducks were making lazy circles on the pond. I took a mental tour of the house room by room, like a possible buyer, then decided to focus on the living room and kitchen area, where I figured people would spend the most time. The loft over the kitchen was just outside my bedroom door. All that was up there, though, was a desk my dad used and a beanbag chair.
    â€œMy beanbag chair!” I said.
    â€œHuh?” Naveen said.
    â€œI can put it in the beanbag chair.”
    â€œOh, man,” Stella said. “I love that chair.”
    â€œSorry.” I laughed. “But there may have to be some casualties. I’ll open up the stitches in the bottom of it today. And tomorrow, when I slip back into the house, I’ll shove a bag of stink inside the chair.”
    â€œI have to admit,” Naveen said. “I’m impressed.”
    â€œBut where are you going to keep the stuff overnight?” Stella now sounded more annoyed than bored.
    It had to be close to the beanbag chair. But I couldn’t exactly stink up my own room.
    â€œI’ve got it,” I said. “I’ll figure out a way to just hang the bag out my window overnight.”
    â€œI’m a little scared by how good you are at this,” Stella said.
    Naveen was nodding his head. “As am I, ladies. As am I. So you’re all set, then.”
    â€œMmm,” I said, wincing. “Not exactly.”
    They waited,