The cops were everywhere. The three robbers were friends, and they ran as fast as they could to get away from them. The siren noises always seemed to be gaining on them, and there were gunshots. The city was dark and forbidding as their feet pounded against the city pavement.
At last they reached the place of safety. They slammed the secret door shut and spread out their spoils. There were bottles of pop and candy. They hadn't thought they were going to get away with it for a minute there. They twisted the caps off their drinks and cheered their good fortune.
"You're the best, Fatso," said the blonde-haired robber to the brown-haired one.
"I think Hungry is the best," Fatso disagreed, referring to the black-haired robber.
"No," Hungry said. "I think it is Smelly."
They all laughed at their cleverness in escaping the police. Then the door swung open. It was Superman. It was all over.
In reality, it was Skyler's dad. "It's your first day of school tomorrow. Do you boys consider it to be wise loading up on all this sugar?"
"No, Mr. Kent," echoed the boys.
"Your parents are here, Shankar," he continued, "and Cameron, you better be getting back to your own floor."
Cameron groaned. He was a year younger than Skyler and going into the first grade. He got on Skyler's nerves sometimes, but Skyler still liked him and never refused to play with him. He noticed his dad watching Cameron with x-ray vision to make sure he got back to his own apartment safe. Cameron's parents didn't care where he went, and Skyler wasn't sure why, but he wasn't allowed to play in Cameron's apartment, even though Cameron could come over here.
Skyler went out into the living room. His mom was holding a banana and letting Noel eat it. Noel took her last bite.
"Okay. All gone. Now you have to wash it down and then it's off to bed," his mom said.
"Juice," said Noel.
"Milk," their mother replied.
"Juice," Noel said again.
"I am not arguing with you about this." She shook her head and then said to Skyler, "She's not even two yet, and we're having arguments. She's going to be a difficult teenager. I can already tell." She went into the kitchen to get Noel a sippy cup of milk.
Skyler pulled out a postcard that his new teacher had sent him over the summer. It made him feel big and important to get his own mail. He carried the postcard around wherever he went, so he could read it over and over. It had gotten a couple raindrops on it one time, but it was still readable.
There was a knock at the door. His dad opened the door and a red-headed woman and her red-headed child came through the door. It was Bobby and Bobby's mom.
"What are you doing here, not that we're not happy to see you both or anything, Mrs. Parker?" his dad asked.
"Please, I go by Watson now, but I'd prefer you to just call me Mary Jane."
His mom came out of the kitchen and picked Noel up and gave her the yellow sippy cup. "What do you mean Watson?" she asked.
"Peter and I are getting a divorce," Bobby's mom answered.
Skyler looked at Bobby in surprise and sympathy. He'd never had a friend that had divorced parents, but of course, he knew a lot of kids that had them. He'd go as far as to say more kids had divorced parents than parents who didn't, but he'd never known any of them personally.
"I'm so sorry," his dad said immediately.
'I know it's a lot to ask but I was wondering if-"
"You could stay here until you get on your feet?" his mom finished for her.
Bobby's mom nodded.
"Of course, you can," his mom said.
"We wouldn't hear of you staying anywhere else," his dad added.
"I'm grateful. Of course, I have friends in New York, but that's not really getting away from Peter. My friends, Berry and Eliza, moved to California as you might know, and I figured that was too far away for when Bobby visits him," she explained. "Bobby will be with Peter on some holidays and summers."
"That sounds fair," his mom said.
"It's not!" Bobby suddenly yelled. He ran for Skyler's room and slammed the door.
"He hasn't gotten used to our divorce yet," Bobby's mom said
His dad gave an understanding nod and his mom doled out the sleeping arrangement. "Bobby can sleep with Skyler, of course, and you can sleep in Noel's room. We got her a twin bed with an adjustable rail but right now she still sleeps in her crib, even though she can climb out of it. We're hoping to get her potty-trained, and we're using it as sort of a goal to work for. Anyway if you don't mind sleeping in the baby's room-"
"Noel's bed is quite alright with me," Bobby's mom said with a slight smile.
Skyler went to check on Bobby. He was sitting on the bed with folded arms. It was hard to tell if he was mad or sad, but it was probably both.
"This'll be fun," Skyler said brightly. "It'll be like one long sleepover, and you'll get to go to Metropolis Elementary again. Won't that be nice?"
Bobby looked at him without saying anything for awhile and then he gave an unenthusiastic nod. Skyler's bed had a pull-out bed underneath for guests. Bobby knew about it and pulled it out to lay down on it. It was clear Bobby was having a tough time with everything. He was ready for bed, and they had at least thirty more minutes before they had to go to sleep. Skyler obligingly cut off the lights and crawled into his own bed. A couple minutes later, Bobby said, "Grownups are stupid."
Skyler stared up at the glow-in-the-dark stars that were stuck on his ceiling. He knew what Bobby meant. Sometimes adults lost sight of what was important. They didn't always forgive each other like kids did. "Yeah," he simply said.