After my win was announced, I heard a sound in my ears like the ocean. Azar shook my hand and said something I couldn’t hear. Freddie and Helen did the same. Horatio Blass shook hands with each of us, and my ears must have started working again, because I heard him say, “Congratulations, Felix. See you on Friday.” His breath smelled like cigarettes. And maybe alcohol.

I could hear the audience clapping, and some of my classmates cheering. I could hear my mom whistling through her fingers.

The lights came up. A photographer took pictures.

We were allowed to leave the stage and mingle with the audience. Monsieur Thibault gave me a bear hug. “We’re all so proud of you, Felix.” A bunch of my classmates hugged me and slapped me on the back—even Donald. For a moment I worried that Monsieur Thibault would seek out Astrid, but they were on opposite sides of the room and he had to get twenty kids home on the bus. Dylan was there with his family, and Alberta had brought Henry.

“Way to go, Felix,” said Henry.

Alberta ruffled my hair. “You did it, Bionicle Dork!” Then she laughed. “Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-HEEE-HAW!”

Mr. and Mrs. Brinkerhoff hugged me, too, then they went to talk to my mom. Dylan and I had a moment alone. “I’m so proud of you, amigo,” he said.

I gave him a big hug. “You’re a better friend than I deserve. I’m really sorry, Dylan, for everything—”

He cut me off. “It’s forgotten. I mean it. You don’t have to worry about me.” He held up his left hand and discreetly pointed with his right. “Not sure I can say the same about her.”

I turned. Winnie sat in a chair in the front row, head bowed, scribbling furiously in a notebook. She looked amazing in her red beret and blue, red and yellow plaid skirt.

I took a deep breath and walked over to her, ready to get an earful. She wore a press badge on a lanyard around her neck that read BLENHEIM BUGLE, STAFF REPORTER. I could tell it was homemade. “Winnie,” I began. “I want to apologize—”

She stood up and threw her arms around me. “I’m so thrilled that you won! For your sake, obviously, but also for mine. Your win makes for a much better article.”

Oh, Winnie. My Winnie.

Nazneen and Gouresh herded us to the greenroom to gather our things. I felt so much lighter, because of the win, but also because things were okay with my friends.

Back at the hotel I checked my phone. I had a bunch of texts, including one from Daniel.

Way to go, kid!! It was so cool, seeing you on TV! Tell your mom you got your brains from your dad, ha-ha-ha! SO PROUD OF YOU!

At dinner Freddie was subdued, but Azar and Helen were in great spirits. “I can’t believe I’m a thousand dollars richer,” said Azar.

“And have you seen our take-home prizes?” added Helen. “We all got a year’s supply of pancake batter, microwave popcorn, spaghetti sauce, maple syrup and laundry detergent! Plus a Dairy Queen gift card, a bunch of other gift certificates, a manicure-pedicure set, some board games and something called Turtle Wax.”

I felt so happy. So calm. I ate enough food for a small army.

When we got back to our room, Astrid turned on the evening news. There was a clip about the show, featuring me. It was so weird, seeing myself on TV. “Is that really what I sound like?” I asked Astrid.

“Yup,” she said. Then she hugged me for the twenty billionth time and told me how proud she was of me for the twenty billionth time.

At ten o’clock we turned out the lights, but I couldn’t get to sleep.

I’d just scored a thousand bucks for participating, and twenty-five hundred for the win. In less than an hour we were thirty-five hundred dollars richer.

Thirty-five hundred dollars would help us out a lot.

But twenty-five thousand—that would be a life changer.

And after today, I had a one in four chance.

I’d tried not to think about it too much.

But now…

Now I wanted it more than I’d ever wanted anything in my entire life.