Finding X

Chapter Two

An hour later, my bike screeched to a stop on Max’s driveway. When he wasn’t working, his huge tow truck took up most of the parking space, but now it was gone, as it was usually. I dismounted and walked my bike up to the front steps, where I leaned it against the railing. I felt kind of like an intruder as I fished around in my pocket for the key and unlocked the front door. I mean, I was sneaking into an empty house to take money from it? I was probably looking very suspicious to anybody who might be watching me. As a precaution, I threw the door open and yelled, “Well, I’m here!”

            The house was a bi-level, with two staircases right smack in my face as soon as I opened the door. The one to the left led downstairs to Max’s office and the family room, which was better defined as the TV room. The one to the right led upstairs to the living room, the kitchen, and the bedrooms. I went up that staircase. I was practically able to move around this place with my eyes closed because I knew it as well as my own house.

            When I reached the top of the stairs, to my left was the living room, to the right was the hallway which led into the bedroom, and straight ahead was the small kitchen. I walked in and looked around. I had expected it to be a mess, because this was most likely where Max spent all his free time. But it was just as clean as the rest of the house, except for the fact that the sink was full of dirty crockery and silverware.

            Like he had promised, Max left an envelope on the kitchen table along with a Post-It sticky note. I picked it up and read his scrawly handwriting,

            Stacey, you’re a trooper. Here’s the two-hundred dollars you can use to pick up the present and a card. Thanks for your help.

          I picked up the envelope and pulled out the money. Sure enough, there were four fifty dollar bills. I stared at the money in my hand. Two-hundred dollars for a Valentine’s Day present? Wow, this guy was willing to go the extra mile to make his wife happy. And I loved him for it, which is why I picked up the pen he left on the table, turned the sticky note over and wrote, Max, you rock. Thanks for being so awesome to my sis. I love ya, big guy!

     Before I shut the front door on my way out of the house, I yelled into it, “Okay, THANKS!” Then I skipped down the steps and mounted my bike, the money shoved deep into my coat pocket.

           

            I didn’t dare tell Mom what I was up to (she’d specifically told me not to butt in) and Dad was still in bed with no sign of getting up in the near future. Besides, I doubted that he would approve of my endeavor any more than Mom would. I had no way of getting out of the house to buy Max’s present. I was at the kitchen table, trying to think of how I could get out. Target was miles away down the highway. I wasn’t legally allowed to ride my bike on the highway. Even if I was, I wouldn’t. I was afraid of it.

            My head was hurting from thinking so hard when Connie sauntered into the kitchen, her blond perm bouncing gaily at her shoulders. The key chain on her jeans tinkled.

            Oh buggers, I thought bitterly. My transportation started searching through the refrigerator. She came to the table with a boxed juice and sat across from me.

            “So, Stace, what have you been up to?” she said, sipping the juice. I noticed her wedding ring was no longer on her finger.

            “Nothing,” I said, baiting her. “I’m completely bored.”

            She shrugged. “Feel like doing something?”

            That’s what I wanted her to say. But I didn’t know how to answer without sounding suspicious. “Ehm, urrgh . . . you feel like going . . . to Target?”

            She took a sip of her juice and eyed me quizzically. “Target?”

            “You know, maybe to buy some clothes or something. Or some stuff for Valentine’s Day! It’s tomorrow you know. Maybe we can . . .” I trailed off because Connie was shaking her head.

            “Nope. I don’t do Valentine’s Day.”

            Now it was my turn to eye her quizzically. “Since when, may I ask?”

            She twirled her golden hair on her finger. “Clothes shopping sounds good though. I do need a new sweater,” she said, obviously avoiding my question. “When do you want to go?”

            “Now!” I said without hesitation. How lucky I was! I mean, how many big sisters would just simply agree to go do some clothes shopping as easily as that? It was ludicrous and wonderful at the same time.

            I jumped up from the table. “I’ll go get ready.” Before she had a chance to say anything else, I bounded up to my room and slammed the door. Instead of getting ready, however, I paced around, working out this new problem. I was going with Connie. How on earth am I going to pick up Max’s present with her around?

            I looked over at the neglected algebra paper on the desk. I plopped down on the seat and started scrawling on the paper.

            Translate the problem into an equation: then solve

            X = how to keep Connie occupied while I buy her present.

            I paused with the pencil hovering over the paper. I was never good at equation solving.

            I needed to find coefficients that equal X.

            My sneaking away + distraction = X

            What distraction??? I racked my brain, looked all around my room to see if there was anything in there that might help me. My cell phone, my laptop, my algebra book . . . and then I saw it. There was blurry picture pasted onto my wall, a picture of me and my little brother. My little brother.

            I sighed. Time to get out my wallet.