13 Things Are Getting Heavy

CHAPTER THIRTEEN THINGS ARE GETTING HEAVY Mass (noun). This is a measurement of the quantity of matter, and it is not affected by your location. So your mass is the same on Earth and on Mars. Weight, on the other hand, measures how gravity acts upon the matter. So on Mars, you weigh much less than you do here on Earth! "OKAY, EXPLAIN THIS TO ME ONE MORE TIME," said Mom. We stood in the dining room, me on one side of the table, Mom and Dad on the other. The only time we use the dining room is for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or when my grandparents visit from Texas. Or when we have serious family discussions, like right now. "Because it seems to me, Kate," said Dad, "that you're overbooked." "There is a two-letter word that's very helpful," said Mom. "No. Trust me. It will help you out in life if you learn how to say it when you're young." "You guys don't get it," I said. "I can go to Liam's party and the chemistry club rocket launch." "How?" asked Dad. "Are you going to ride a rocket ship at the speed of light to go back and forth?" "Dad, first of all, people can't go the speed of light. If we tried, our mass would become infinite. So it's not

possible, scientifically speaking." "Okay, here's a plan that might work," said Mom. "You could clone yourself, Kate. As in make an exact copy." "Well, sure. Maybe if I were a sheep." Scientists have successfully cloned sheep but not humans. I shook my head. That's when Liam burst into the dining room. "Wait, Kate's turning into a sheep?" "Ha ha, no," I said. Then just because I couldn't help it, I went baaaa, baaaa. Liam baaaaa-ed back. "Okay, that's it," said Mom. "I think I'm done." "Terri, no," said Dad. "Give Kate a chance to actually explain her plan." "So I'm going to be here at eleven," I said. "To welcome all the kids as the parents drop everyone off. Then I'll take the wagon to school. Set my rocket into the air," I said, "and then pick up the cake on my way back and—" "You'll have Birdie with you," said Mom, "so you'll have company?" "Well, um." I gazed at the floor. "Maybe. I'm not sure. We, uh, things have been weird between us lately."

"Have you spoken to her about it?" asked Dad. "Sort of." I shrugged. "At school. But—" "You need to have a real conversation with her," said Mom. "That's a good idea," I said. "Once we actually talk, it will be better. The two of us can leave together from school, get the cake, and be back home to sing 'Happy Birthday.'" "Yay! My ice cream cake!" cried Liam. "And we can set off the double balloon rockets," I continued. "Yay, double balloon rockets!" interrupted Liam again. "Then Birdie and I will race back to be a part of the hot-chocolate-and-s'mores celebration at Brewster's," I finished. "Well, I'm not so sure," said Mom. "It's a lot of going back and forth." "I checked the weather forecast." I pointed to the family computer on the little desk by the kitchen. "It's supposed to be in the high forties. And no snow. Sun." "Let her," begged Liam, clasping his hands. "Let her. Let her. Let her. She's already made awesome decorations. And fun stuff to do. Please! She wants to set off rockets. And she'll be back for the ice cream cake and the 'Happy Birthday' song and all the important parts."

At that moment, my love for Liam swelled. I mean, I always love my little brother, but right now it felt extra big. "Well, I guess so," said Mom. "I'll second that," said Dad. "So that means yes," I said. "Because you know how much I want to be here for Liam. I mean, you know that, right? But Liam's party, honestly, wouldn't be as amazing if it weren't for Tala. She's new and really cool. And doesn't really have a lot of friends yet. She and I planned both of these events together. And I just have to go to the chemistry club rocket launch so she's not alone." "You don't need to convince us anymore," said Dad. "We already said yes." "Just as long as you're back here on time to show everyone how to do the double balloon rockets and you pick up my cake," said Liam. "Let's call to confirm the pickup time of the cake," said Mom. "It should be twelve thirty." "Sounds good," I said. Borrowing Dad's cell, I called Mr. Arvanites. "Hello," he said curtly. "Who's this?" I explained that I was Kate Crawford, and I was calling to confirm the time of the cake pickup. "The store's not open regular hours in the winter," he said. "So remember, I'm expecting you right at

twelve thirty p.m." "Don't worry," I said. "I won't be late." Actually, we won't be late, I thought. Since I'm sure once I talk to Birdie, she'll be with me. With my new plan in place, everything would work out. It had to. I also knew how much Tala wanted me to make the rocket launch. I couldn't wait to tell her the good news. A few minutes later, I raced upstairs to my bedroom to call Tala. "So I can come," I said. "I worked it out." "Phew," she said. "Because it wouldn't be the same without you. We planned it together," she said. "I'm so happy you'll be there." "Me too," I said. "I definitely wouldn't want to miss it for anything."