1 It’s Counting Day

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CHAPTER ONE IT'S COUNTING DAY IT WAS THURSDAY. That's my counting day. I almost picked Wednesday to be counting day because it has nine letters—the most of any day. But nine is an odd number. And I like even numbers way more than odd numbers. That's because with odd numbers, there's always something left over. And who wants that? Saturday is tied with Thursday for the next most letters—eight. That's an even number. I had to choose between those two days.

I didn't want counting day to be on the weekend. So Thursday is counting day. After I woke up, I brushed my teeth with twenty- six sideway strokes and eighteen up-and-down strokes. For breakfast, I had Froot Loops—that's my favorite cereal. I took the green and purple ones out of my bowl. They remind me of grapes. I counted the orange, yellow, red, and blue Froot Loops left in my bowl. There were 129. I put one back in the box before eating. When I met my best friends, Rosie and Simon, at the end of my driveway, they knew it was counting day. They totally get me. They didn't think it was strange when I walked to school with my head down as I counted the sidewalk squares. Of course, I know how many sidewalk squares there are on the way to school. There are 412. I've counted them, like, a million times. But it never hurts to be absolutely certain.

I can still talk with Rosie and Simon while I count. It's like one part of my brain does the counting while a different part of my brain listens and talks. The counting part is in the back part of my head, on the right side near the top. The listening and talking parts are along both sides. I was on sidewalk square number sixty-eight when

Rosie asked, "Did you guys remember your book reports?" "I did," Simon said and patted his backpack. "I found a book about monster trucks at the library." "Uh-oh," I said and stopped on sidewalk square number seventy-two. I knew where my book report was—and it wasn't in my backpack. It was on the kitchen counter. I set it there when I put my cereal bowl and spoon in the dishwasher. I had to count all the bowls and spoons inside—because, you know, it was counting day. Then I saw Simon and Rosie out the kitchen window. They were waiting for me at the end of my driveway. I ran out to meet them—and left my book report on the counter.

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