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CHEX
    In Socko’s experience, nothing that cost money happened fast. He was used to waiting for new shoes, school supplies, even milk. One year they’d celebrated Christmas in February. He figured he’d have plenty of time to convince his mom to forget the whole moving idea.
    But just five days after Delia found her dream home, someone knocked loudly on the door of 4A.
    He and Damien were on the sofa spooning Marshmallow Fluff straight out of the jar. Mouths full, they looked at the door, then at each other. It was a little after three and Delia was still at work.
    “Express Mail,” barked a voice outside the door.
    “Just leave it,” Socko yelled back. He wasn’t opening up. Anybody could say “Express Mail.”
    “I need a signature.”
    Socko raised his eyebrows at Damien.
    His friend shook his head and dug his spoon into the fluff.
    “Who’s it from?” Socko called.
    “Some law firm,” said the voice.
    Law firm?
mouthed Damien.
    “Which one?” Socko asked. Anyone could also say “law firm.”
    “Do you want the letter or not?”
    “Just a sec.” Socko put his fluff spoon down on the arm of the sofa and walked slowly to the door. Keeping the chain on, he opened it a crack. The front of a blue postal worker’s shirt filled the gap.
    “Can
I
sign for it?” asked Socko.
    “You got a hand?” A clipboard slid edgewise through the gap. “Line four.”
    Socko signed line four with the pen attached to the board, then passed the clipboard back. The mailman thrust a cardboard envelope at him. Staring at it, Socko closed the door. Between the blue eagle printed on it and the words “EXPRESS MAIL” in all capital letters, it looked pretty official.
    “Open it!” Damien jumped off the couch and sprinted over. “It’s gotta be about the house.”
    “It’s addressed to my mom.”
    “So? The house is our business too. Mine especially. I wanna know how long I have to live.”
    Socko slid his thumb under the flap and tore it open. Inside was another envelope—a thick one with an embossed return address. “Sweeney, Marcum, Jarvis, & Petty, Attorneys at Law.”
    Damien snatched the envelope and ripped it open. He pulled out a sheaf of folded papers. Clipped to the top sheet was a check. Damien let the other papers fall to the floor. He held the pale blue rectangle in both hands. “You are
rich
, man!” Resting his back against the door, he slid to the floor. As soon as his butt touched down, he twisted around and slapped the door with his palm. “Is this thing all-the-way locked?”
    Socko threw the extra bolts, and then slid down beside him. Reading the figure on the check for the first time, he thought he might pass out.
    “Look at all the zeroes!” Damien breathed. “With this I could live easy the rest of my life.” He surveyed his torn jeans and the baggy T-shirt left behind by one of his mother’s boyfriends. “First I’d buy me some nice threads, then a car …” He was grinning so big, Socko could see the Marshmallow Fluff between his teeth. “Don’t worry, my man. I’d buy you one too.”
    “Don’t drool on it!” The check was making Socko nervous, and the check in Damien’s hand was driving him right to the edge of crazy. “We gotta hide it good!”
    “I’m on it!” Damien scrambled to his feet.
    They looked everywhere, Socko trailing Damien as he waved the check around, but no place seemed really safe.
    “Genius idea!” Damien folded the check and stuck it under his Superman lid. “Super protection!”
    “No!” Socko jerked the hat off his friend’s head and caught the check before it fluttered to the floor.
    “Don’t get so jumpy! I’m just messin’ with you.”
    “Why’d you go and fold it?” Socko had zero experience with checks. Folding one seemed risky.
    “Wait—genius idea number two!” Damien plucked the check from Socko’s hand. “No one’ll look in here.” He stashed it in the oven, leaned casually against the oven door, and began to