Jeffrey stood in the snow for a moment without moving. He didn’t know what to feel. And worse, he didn’t know what to do. Jeffrey hadn’t meant to hurt Max’s feelings. But what the ghost had done wasn’t right, either.
So Jeffrey walked home alone. He went inside and headed for his room. He didn’t even notice that his father was home early. Mr. Becker was in the living room helping Mrs. Becker. They were trying to untangle strings of outdoor Christmas lights.
“Hi, guy,” his father called. “Bad day at the office?”
“The worst,” Jeffrey said.
“Well, good things are happening here,” Mr. Becker said. “Want to help put up the lights?”
Jeffrey shook his head.
“I have good news,” said his mother. “Someone is coming to see you.”
“Max?” Jeffrey blurted out.
“Max? Who’s Max?” asked Mr. Becker.
Mrs. Becker shrugged. “No, it’s your cousins. Your aunt and uncle were called out of town on an important business trip. So Wendy and Jonathan are coming to spend the holidays with us.”
“Are you kidding? How could you do this to me?” Jeffrey exploded. “Don’t you know I hate them? Last time Jonathan was here, he mangled my bike trying to do a wheelie! And Wendy is so spoiled. She threw out my pet lizard last time just because she said it watched her every time she came into the room.”
“Jeffrey, maybe you need a lesson about the Christmas spirit,” his mother said.
Jeffrey rolled his eyes. He had heard enough about the Christmas spirit already today.
“I’m at an impressionable age, Mom,” Jeffrey said. “Don’t let them come. If I have a bad shock to my system right now, I might grow up to be someone who makes fake rubber vomit for a living.”
“Wendy and Jonathan will be here this weekend,” Mrs. Becker said firmly.
“This weekend?” Jeffrey said. “That’s only two days. It doesn’t give me much time.”
“Time for what?” asked his father.
“Time to find someplace else to live!” Jeffrey said. He put his coat back on and ran out of the house.
First Jeffrey headed toward Melissa’s house. Melissa! Good old, dependable, next-door-neighbor buddy, Melissa, he thought. Wait! Jeffrey stopped in his tracks. Melissa couldn’t help him. She was spending the holidays at her grandmother’s house.
How about Kenny? Good old, dependable—forget it. Kenny was going to Florida for two weeks. Forget Ricky Reyes, too. His father was an airline pilot. He was taking the whole family to Hawaii.
Then Jeffrey thought of Ben. Good old, dependable, best-friend buddy, Ben! There was someone Jeffrey could count on. Someone who would understand Jeffrey’s problem. And, most important, someone who had a big house with plenty of room to hide in.
Jeffrey found Ben in the kitchen tying up a large plastic garbage bag. Taking out the garbage was Ben’s job. He hated it.
“Ben, how would you like an early Christmas present?” Jeffrey said. “You know how you always say you wish you had an older brother? Well, I’ve got a surprise for you.”
“You’re giving me a human being for Christmas? That’s kind of gross, isn’t it, Jeffrey?” Ben asked.
“Not just any human being,” Jeffrey said. “The perfect human being. He qualifies as an older brother, but he’s only seven weeks older than you. He’d be more like a best friend.”
“Are we talking about someone specific?” Ben asked.
“Yes,” said Jeffrey. “Me! On a special, risk-free, two-week trial basis, I’ll be your older brother. I’ll take out the garbage for you. I’ll always be good and set an example for your little brother and sister. And I’ll take the blame for everything. At the end of Christmas vacation, if things aren’t working out, I’ll go home. How does that sound?”
“It sounds like your cousins, Wendy and Jonathan, are coming for a visit,” Ben said.
“How did you know?” Jeffrey asked.
“I just called your house looking for you,” Ben said, smiling. “Your mom told me.”
“Ben, you’ve got to let me stay here during Christmas vacation,” Jeffrey pleaded.
“Sounds great to me,” Ben said. “But it’s up to my mom and dad. You’ll have to talk them into it. My dad won’t be home from the office until dinner.”
Jeffrey looked at the clock. “That gives me exactly one hour and twenty minutes to think up a good story,” he said.
“Knowing you, that’s plenty of time,” Ben told him.
Jeffrey stayed for dinner so that he could talk to Ben’s parents. As soon as the meal started, he stared at his plate and tried to look sad.
“Jeffrey, you’re not eating much,” said Mrs. Hyde.
“I guess I’m thinking about my mom,” Jeffrey said quietly.
“She has malaria,” Ben whispered gravely.
“I thought you only got malaria in jungles,” said Mr. Hyde.
“My mom’s been eating a lot of bananas lately. Bananas grow in jungles,” Jeffrey explained. “I came home after school today and there was a big sign on my door. It said ‘Guaranteed.’ ”
“He means quarantined,” Ben said.
“Right,” Jeffrey quickly agreed. “Quarantined. And there was a policeman at the door who told me what it meant. I can’t go in until my mom gets well.”
“Malaria, huh,” Mr. Hyde said. He shook his head solemnly. “That’s a tough break, especially so close to Christmas. Your family sure has had a streak of bad luck, Jeffrey. I remember last spring when those killer bees kidnapped your parents.”
“Fortunately, it was just a case of mistaken identity. They let my mom and dad go as soon as they realized they weren’t famous movie actors,” Jeffrey said. “But you were really great to let me stay here then, Mr. Hyde,” he added politely. He hoped Mr. Hyde would get the hint.
“What do you think?” Ben said. “Can Jeffrey stay here?”
“Just until my mother is out of quarantine?” Jeffrey asked.
Ben’s parents looked at each other and smiled.
“Jeffrey, we’d like to help you out,” said Mr. Hyde. “But we decided this morning to take the family on a skiing vacation. We’re leaving tomorrow after school.”
“That’s okay. I love to ski!” Jeffrey said. “I’m secretly in training for the Olympics. I haven’t even told my parents yet.”
“That’s terrific,” said Mr. Hyde. “But if you came with us, you’d miss your two cousins who are coming to stay with you.”
Jeffrey’s mouth dropped open. “How did you know about that?” he asked.
“We called your parents to see if you could stay for dinner,” explained Mrs. Hyde. “They told us.”
“You mean my mom doesn’t have malaria?” Jeffrey said, pretending to be surprised. “I guess I really fell for their joke that time, huh? My parents sure have a great imagination, don’t they?”
“With you around, they’d have to,” said Mr. Hyde with a laugh.
Jeffrey walked home glumly that night. When he got to his front yard, he saw the snow fort. It was mostly melted. And someone had chopped away at the remains, leaving only crumbled ice.
Some holiday this is going to be, Jeffrey thought. Just three days ago it had seemed like it would be the best Christmas ever. But that was before the big fight with Max. Now Max was gone—and the rest of Jeffrey’s friends were leaving soon.
If only Max would come back, Jeffrey thought to himself. Max would know how to take care of Jonathan and Wendy. He smiled at the thought.
But without Max, Christmas was going to be dullsville for sure.