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“What?” His mom’s eyes darted around like she was doing intense calculations before a light flickered behind them. When she spoke next, she sounded like she was choosing her words very carefully. “A.J., has Bren talked to you about his grades at all?”

He wasn’t sure where he thought the conversation was going, but that wasn’t it.

“No? He’s bitch”—he caught himself just in time—“complained about math a couple times, but, I mean, that’s math.”

Mom took a sip of tea, looking like she was yearning to go back to grading.

“Mom?”

Her mouth had all but transformed into a single line as she looked up from her book.

“I’m sorry, I thought you knew. I don’t want to cause trouble between you two.”

How the hell did he go from making pancakes to wishing he hadn’t gotten out of bed in the span of two seconds?

“Mom, what are you talking about?”

“It’s nothing horrible, I just—Bren’s mom called the other day and—” She looked at him like she was chewing over her words, but then sighed and nodded for him to sit. “Did Bren tell you about his deal with Maura?”

10

“You see that? A smile and a wave! Movin’ up in the world, Robolad.”

He knew he shouldn’t be as happy as he was over a seven-year-old deciding he wasn’t the boogieman’s weird-looking cousin, but damn if it wasn’t a good way to start a Tuesday.

Arlo clicked the blinker to let some impatient bloke behind them speed on by.

“Learning the lyrics to Rumor in St. Petersburg really helped, I think. She’s been a bit obsessed with that one lately.”

“Only took me a week,” Bren said, leaning his seat back with a sigh. “Think I should sing that for my audition? Go off book?”

He expected Arlo to smile, or at least roll his eyes, but his expression was stony, staring out at the road like he wasn’t really seeing it.

“Look alive, Robolad. Don’t wanna die today.”

Arlo gave a small smile this time, but his brow furrowed the second it faded.

“Everythin’ OK?”

“Hey, Bren?” Arlo asked, like he hadn’t heard.

Bren sat his seat back up. He’d gotten to know Arlo’s spirals well enough to recognize the signs, but didn’t have a clue what this one could be about.

“What’s up?”

Arlo stared at the road with unfocused eyes a while longer then took a deep breath.

“Do you think maybe we shouldn’t do the musical?”

Somewhere else in Moose Jaw, Nat clutched at her heart. And his wasn’t all that happy, either.

“What? Why not?”

Arlo bit the inside of his cheek and his hand twitched like he was going to crank up the volume. He turned right at the stoplight and eased the car along a street that overlooked what he’d told Bren was the less traveled part of Wakamow.

“I just—do you think it’s really a good idea?”

Bren’s shoulders tensed but he forced out a laugh.