I led Grace’s party guests to my house and knocked on the door.

My sister Mia said, “Who is it?”

“It’s Zeke and some other kids. Let us in.”

“Mom said I shouldn’t open the door to strangers. Princess Sing-Along says the same thing, except she sings it.”

“I’m not a stranger. I’m your brother,” I said.

“But some of the kids with you are strangers,” Mia said. Then she started singing. “Don’t let strangers in your house, la la la. They might punch you in your mouth, la la la. Before you could even shout, la la la, all your teeth could get knocked out, la la la.”

I said, “Go get Mom.”

Mom opened the door. She wore an old sweatshirt and stained sweatpants. Her hands were soapy and wet. “I was just cleaning the bathtub,” she said.

We all shouted, “Surprise!”

Mom put her hand on her hip. “Ezekiel Heathcliff Meeks. What in the world is going on?” she asked.

Uh-oh. When she called me by my full name, I knew she was upset with me.

“Ezekiel Heathcliff Meeks. What a name!” Owen Leach laughed.

A lot of other kids laughed.

I turned to them and said, “I don’t want you at my party if you’re going to laugh at my name.”

“Party? Did you say party? You canceled your birthday party.” Mom put her other hand on her other hip.

“Grace’s party was awful, so I invited everyone here,” I said.

Mom shook her head. “We don’t have any food prepared or games planned.”

“You said simple parties could be fun.”

Mom looked at the crowd around me. “With all these kids, it wouldn’t be a simple party. And I have a lot of chores to do today.”

“But it’s my birthday. You should be nice to me. You won’t even raise my allowance or give me a later bedtime. Once Owen turns nine, he’ll get twenty-five dollars a week allowance and a ten thirty bedtime.”

Mom stared hard at Owen and asked, “Owen, is it true about your allowance and bedtime?”

Owen looked at the ground. Then he looked at Mom. She was still staring hard at him. When she stared hard at me like that, I always had to tell the truth.

Owen looked away. “Um,” he said. “Um,” he said again. “Um,” he said eight more times.

Then he looked at my mom again. She was still staring hard at him.

Finally, Owen said, “No, Mrs. Meeks, it’s not actually true. I only get a dollar a week and I have to be in bed by eight o’clock.”

“That’s what I thought,” Mom said. “Thank you for telling the truth. But I can’t hold a party here today. I have too many chores to do. I don’t have time to bake a cake or organize games.”

Then she closed the front door, leaving my friends and me outside in the cold.