1

“Poop!”

“Poop?”

“On your shoulder.”

“What?”

“A bird just pooped on your shoulder,” said Max.

“When?”

“Just now.”

I looked at my left shoulder.

Nothing.

I looked at my right shoulder.

Bingo!

A big load of bird poop was dribbling down the front of my shirt.

“Why would a bird do that?” I asked.

“It’s what birds do,” said Max. “They say it’s good luck when a bird poops on you.”

“Who says it’s good luck?”

“I don’t know, but don’t worry, Henry,” said Max. “You can wash it off when we get to school.”

“I don’t want to wash it off. I want to get rid of this shirt,” I said. “It’s disgusting.”

“Here,” said Max, unbuttoning his own shirt and offering it to me. “You can wear this.” It was long-sleeved, black with red stripes. He was wearing a plain white T-shirt underneath.

“Thanks,” I said, carefully taking off my dirty shirt so none of the poop would get on me. I put on Max’s black shirt. It was too big, but at least it was clean. “You actually gave me the shirt off your back.”

“It’s not such a big deal,” he said. “It’s what best friends do. Besides, I’m still wearing a T-shirt.”

I dropped the poopy shirt in the first garbage bin we passed.

It had been a big day. The first day of spring and also the first time I’d walked to school by myself. Well, I had been with Max. But, for once, I hadn’t been walking to school with my mom or dad.

I’d been looking forward to this day for a long, long time. Max had started walking to school on his own last year, in fourth grade. I’d still had to walk to school with one of my parents. Sometimes Max had walked with us, but it was his choice. I’d had no choice. I had been starting to think I’d be a teenager before I was allowed to walk to school by myself.

And then, the night before, my mom had said, “You’re almost finished fifth grade, Henry. We think it’s time.”

“Time for what?” I asked.

“Your dad and I have agreed that it’s okay for you to walk to school with Max,” she said.

“Just me and Max?”

“Just you and Max,” she said.

“Really?”

“Remember to look both ways before you cross the street,” my dad said. “And be careful of the cars.”

“Caw! Caw!” said my baby brother, Sam, sounding a little like a crow. He had turned one a few months before. He has his own way of saying everything.

“I promise I’ll be careful!” I said. “And to look both ways.”

“I know you’ll do fine,” said my mom. “Just be sure to pay attention to everything that’s going on around you.”

“I will. I promise,” I said. “So you’re really not going to walk me to school anymore? This isn’t some kind of prank?”

“I’m really not going to walk you to school anymore,” my dad said.

“Max and I can walk by ourselves?”

My parents smiled and nodded.

“YES!” I said, jumping up and down.

“YETH!” said Sam, doing his happy dance. I don’t know if he knew why I was so happy, but it seemed to make him happy. Maybe he was happy because I was happy and that was enough. Who knows?

First day of spring.

First day of walking to school on my own.

Things had definitely been looking up.

I just wish somebody had warned me to look out for the poop.