Mae can’t come over after school. She’s going shopping with her mom, but we still walk home together. We talk about the Wonder Wheel. Mae is sad it’s over.

I shake my head. “But it’s not! On Monday we get to set up a whole new wheel, with new stuff to do all week. And then there’s four more after that.”

Mae and I try to guess what’ll be on the new wheel, but it’s impossible. All I can say is “If Grandma Penny made it, it’ll be good.”

When we get to Mae’s house, her mom’s already in the car, so I talk fast. “Come over tomorrow morning. There’s a surprise.”

Mae looks excited. “What kind of surprise?”

I shake my head. “I can’t tell you, but bring a shovel.”

Mae nods. “I have my own shovel!”

I smile. I already know that.

We wave back and forth until they turn the corner and I can’t see them anymore.

I get to the house just as Isabella’s leaving for her audition. She’s carrying her little suitcase and her nails are painted bright orange.

“Good luck!” I lift my hand up for a high-five, but she ignores it and mumbles something I can’t understand. Maybe she’s too nervous for high-fives.

“YOU’RE HOME!” Sammy jumps on me the second I open the door. It’s nice to feel welcome.

After playing and snacks, we go up to my room. I find my blue collection and dump everything out onto the floor.

Sammy sniffs them. “Are we looking for more blue things?”

I hold up the owl. “No, we’re burying treasure.”

“DIGGING!” shouts Sammy, and a second later he’s racing down the stairs.

Sammy loves digging almost as much as he loves chasing squirrels. I grab a yellow marker and the plastic bag and run after him. He’s at the back door, waiting to go out. Before I open it, I color the owl’s eyes with the marker and wrap it up in the bag.

We bury it in the backyard. Sammy digs the hole, I drop in the bag, and then he covers it up. It’s teamwork, and when we’re done, we high-five. Hand to paw.