3 Rosie Figures It Out

CHAPTER THREE ROSIN FIGURES IT OUT WHEN WE GOT to Simon's house, he was sitting in his garage. Simon was criss-cross applesauce on the hood of his mom's blue Toyota Camry. He did not look happy. "So?" Rosie asked. "What happened?" "Principal Shelton called my parents," Simon said. "She said my mouth gets me into too much trouble at school."

"It does," Rosie said and laughed a little. "I mean, when you get talking like that, there's no stopping you." "I know, right?" Simon admitted. "I wish I could stop. It's just once my mouth gets going, then my brain starts going too. And it's like they both work together super fast. And I can't stop until I get everything out." "I get that," I said. And I really did. I know what it's like to be totally concentrated on something. It was like that time I had to—I just had to—know how many Skittles were in that jar on Principal Shelton's desk. "What did your parents say?"

"She only talked to my mom," Simon explained as he slid off the hood of the car. He brushed off his pants. The car was dirty. "Dad's out of town. He had to go to Cincinnati for work."

"What did your mom say?" Rosie asked. "She wasn't too upset. But she said I have to tell Dad right when he gets home," Simon answered. "Like the moment he gets out of the car." "When does he get home?" Rosie asked. "Today." "Today?" I asked. "Today," Simon confirmed, shaking his head. I could tell he thought he would get punished— like super punished. He kicked a deflated soccer ball into the garage. The garage was full of stuff and totally messy. "I think he's going to be pretty mad," Simon said.

"It will be okay," I said. I wanted to make him feel better. "I don't think so," Simon said. "Dad had to work on the weekend. He has to drive all the way here from Cincinnati—on a Saturday. He's going to be tired and grumpy when he gets out of the car. And I'll be right there to tell him I got into trouble at school." It was bad. All three of us knew it. But then Rosie started to twirl her hair around her left index finger. She was thinking. Simon noticed too.

"You have to tell your dad as soon as he gets out of the car, right?" Rosie asked Simon. She wasn't looking at him. She was looking in the garage as she twirled her hair. "Yeah," Simon answered slowly. "And he's going to be in a bad mood?" "Probably."