chapter 65

ZAVION

Right before they left, Ms. Cyn had given him a gift.

—

Zavion untied the string on the wrapping. A scarf. Zavion unfolded it. The scarf. He looked at all the pieces Ms. Cyn had added to it. One for each person he had come to know in this house. Tavius, Enzo, Skeet, and Osprey. There was even a piece of Cora’s potholder, Pierre’s cap, and the logo from Luna’s grocery bag.

“I put something in there too,” said Henry. “See the corner of my football shirt?”

“Almost had to tackle him to get it,” said Ms. Cyn.

“And I almost had to tackle her back. You have enough of my stuff,” said Henry. “My jeans, my marble—shoot, what else do you want?”

Henry was right. Zavion couldn’t imagine wearing any other jeans.

“This one’s mine,” Ms. Cyn said. She pointed to a square of cloth that had a bird right in the center of it. It looked familiar.

“The banner!” Zavion suddenly remembered seeing it the first day he was here. The banner with the boy sitting under the tree and the book turning into a bird. The gratitude banner. It felt like a long time ago. “The banner is yours?”

Ms. Cyn nodded. “It’s the only thing I brought from New Orleans,” she said. “It’s the only thing I was able to take from my house. Skeet made it for me.”

Zavion looked up on the wall. The banner was there, but with a small square missing.

—

Zavion pulled the scarf tighter around his neck. It was colder up north.