When they call “Dinnertime,” Dakota doesn’t move from the pink chair. She’s still mad.
After we’ve cleaned our plates, we go outside on the driveway and Izzy and DeShawn water Izzy’s plants. Izzy, Dakota, and Mom planted flowers in mason jars, but Dakota’s are dead. She said she already understands photosynthesis, thank you very much.
Izzy and I play with the big ball and the giant Frisbee. Izzy throws and catches okay because she practices a lot. But some of the Forty-Sevens have more trouble, so we play with extra-large stuff.
Then we go back inside and I pick up the ukulele. I only know a few chords, so mostly I strum and Dodge sings. He sings better than I do. The Forty-Sevens sing along and Emilio dances. I try to mimic his steps and everybody laughs. It’s a relief to be around the Forty-Sevens. They don’t judge.
Dodge and I make up a song. It takes us a while but we finally come up with something we like. We sing the first line, and everyone else sings it after us.
“Raise your hand
(Raise your hand)
Shake the band
(Shake the band.)
Make a tower
(Make a tower)
Of nerdy power
(Of nerdy power.)
We’re the herd
(We’re the herd)
Of the nerd
(Of the nerd.)
We have your back
(We have your back)
And that’s a fact, Jack.
(And that’s a fact, Jack.)”
While we sing, we stand in a circle and raise our wristband arms. Then we make a tower of fists, and when the song is over, everybody fist-bumps.
The Forty-Sevens go wild. They love this.
The next time we sing the song, Dakota has turned the chair around so she can see. By the fourth time, she’s joined the circle and is singing with us.
“Who is Jack?” Izzy asks.
“ ‘Jack’ is just made up because it rhymes.”
Beatrice’s mom sticks her head in the door. “Time to go.”
“Mommy, look.” Beatrice shows her mom the pink wristband. “I’m in the Nerd Herd.”
“The what?”
“It’s a club for nerds.”
Beatrice’s mom stares at Dakota, Dodge, and me.
“Just a minute,” she tells Beatrice.
“Yay! I-can-stay! Yay! Yay! Yay!” Beatrice shouts.
Now we go back to singing our usual songs about octopus gardens and rooms without a roof, until Mom comes back.
“Liam,” she whispers, beckoning with her finger. “A nerd club? Really? You’re not making fun of them, are you?”
“No! It’s just that Dakota tried to start a nerd club at school, only nobody came. So me and Dodge became members.” I show her the pink wristbands. “And Izzy wanted a wristband and then everybody else did too.”
“Oh.” Mom nods, chewing her lip. “Why’d she start the club in the first place?”
“I started it. Me. Not Liam!” Dakota interrupts.
“That’s what I said, Dakota. Jeez,” I tell her.
“You told me to start a recess club to meet kids like me even if there aren’t any. I’m not a partial nerd. I’m one hundred percent,” Dakota says to Mom.
Mom nods.
“We need money for the vet. I thought the kids at school could help me think of a way to get it,” Dakota explains.
“For the vet.” Mom glares at me.
“This was before he told me,” Dakota says.
“Before he told you what?” Mom asks.
I roll my eyes. Then I put out my hand for the phone.
“Wait, wait, I didn’t get wound up,” Dakota says.
“Yeah, but you told.”
Dakota sighs. She digs the phone out of her pocket and hands it to me.
Mom shakes her head.
“You can’t give Cupcake away, Mom,” Dakota says. “We all love her and so do you.”
“I know that, honey.” Mom runs her hands tenderly over Dakota’s hair. “We’ll get through this. All of us together.”
“Together means Cupcake too,” Dakota insists.
My mom sighs. “I hope so. I really do.”
I hand Dodge the ukulele, then get a few more treats and take Cupcake out again.
When I get back, Mom is cleaning up a yellow puddle by the patio door.
I get down to Cupcake’s level and look her in the eye. “When’d you do that?”
She gives me a small apologetic lick.
“Seriously…you can’t do that anymore, all right?”
Her deep brown eyes stare back at me. She does understand, doesn’t she?