SAM
Monday at last. Phew! I’m so glad to get away from them.
I take the finished letter for Mom out from under my mattress and put it in my school satchel. I’m so excited about giving it to Zack to mail. I even have fifty centimes to give him for the stamp. I stole it from Pretend Mom’s purse.
As soon as I get to school and sit down, I hand it to him. “Zack, I need you to do me a favor, please. Can you send a letter for me?” I give him the fifty centimes.
Zack turns the letter over in his hand. “Why can’t you do it yourself?”
“I’m not allowed.”
“Oh, yeah, okay then.” He stuffs the letter and money into his pocket.
“Will you be able to do it tonight?”
“Sure. I’ll tell my mum I need to mail a letter to my pen pal in America. I never write to him, but sometimes he writes to me.”
“Thanks, Zack. You’re a true friend.”
Zack pats me on the back. I feel real grown up, like we’re men hatching a secret plan. “Make sure you get airmail,” I add.
The rest of the day follows the same kind of pattern as last week. Writing in the morning, reciting poetry, gym, then home for lunch, and back again for math and maybe music or art. In a way, it’s not so bad going home for lunch. It gives me a break from all the kids, and I get a lovely warm baguette every day, straight from the boulangerie.
Marbles is our usual game, but now I’ve taught Zack backgammon, and we play after school sometimes. He’s pretty good, but not as good as me. The empty feeling inside me is still there, but when I’m with Zack, I pretend I’m back home playing with Jimmy, and then it leaves me for a while. It’s when I’m alone in the apartment with Pretend Mom and Beard Man that it’s worst. My legs always itch more in the evenings. Maybe I’m allergic to something in the apartment. Daddy’s allergic to bananas; he gets a rash if he eats them. Maybe my rash is like that. My legs always itch like mad as soon as I get in from school, and I usually go straight to the bathroom to have a good scratch.
On Thursday, I realize I forgot to put a return address on my letter. How will she be able to write to me now? I’m so stupid!