I hide in the forest on school grounds the next day. I really can't face the school today. Not the teachers, not the peppy I-only-want-to-help-you-through-this-difficult-tim e people, not the principal's daughter, not Ulrich, not Mr. Della Robia, not Yumi, not Aelita, not blonde kid who thinks rules define the world, not Milly Solovieff. Absolutely no one. I climb up one of the trees and lie down on one of the branches. I see a lot of scars on this tree. I trace my fingers along them.

USxYI

SDxUS

Beautiful feet

Ring around the rosie

And thousands of others, but the ones that I've found do their job. I'm busy thinking about what USxYI might mean and why SD wants US. And what on earth could beautiful feet mean? I vaguely remember some bible passage my mom read to me when I was little about how people who bring good news have beautiful feet...

I shake my head. Time to think about other things. Like, for instance, a very interesting conversation happening on the ground.

"-if we can't do a return to the past, how can we make Penny think that we're nice?"

"Well, Odd, you could act nice. And Ulrich could not beat her up."

I am outraged. I beat up Ulrich. I wonder if I want surprise or drama...

Surprise.

I fall off my branch at the exact time they show up. It's Mr. Della Robia and Rulesy. And they look hilarious.

"First off:I beat up Ulrich. Well, Ulrich beat himself up and I watched. Well, gravity beat up Ulrich and I watched. And, Mr. I-love-rules, why might you be skipping gym class? I thought that you weren't allowed to skip a period without a teacher's permission."

Jeremy winces. "Don't remind me. But you're skipping gym too."

"Buuuuuuuuuuuut I don't have an unhealthy obsession with rules. You do. So yeah."

Mr. Della Robia finally stands up to talk. "Listen, Penny, if we had known that ou had cancer, we wouldn't have...I mean Ulrich wouldn't have...I mean we're sorry." He grinned cutely at me.

I sigh. "FYI: I instigated all of that. That was my fault. And I would hate you more if you hadn't. Because trust me on this, I just get a free pass everywhere and I am feaking. Sick. Of. It. Why do you think I was so awful?"

"She has a point, Odd."

I stick out my hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Odd."

He looks at my hand like it's covered in radioactive waste. Now I'm mad.

"What?"

"It's just...well, you know."

"I don't, in fact. Why don't you enlighten me?"

"You have cancer."

"And you're an idiot. What else is new?"

"I don't wanna get cancer."

"No one does."

"So I can't shake your hand."

"You do know cancer's not like a cold, right? It isn't contagious."

Odd blushes.

I turn to Rulesy. "And you are?"

"Jeremy Belpois."

"So out-of-shape rules-obsessed Pinocchio."

Jeremy winces. "Yeah."

"You have really low self-esteem, don't you?"

"Yeah..."

"Um, can we stop with the insults? We have to be...somewhere."

"I'll join you." I walk with them. They're way too nice to run ahead and make me run behind them. Many advantages have I.

I'm mildly surprised when Odd lifts up a sewer cover and climbs down the ladder. Very surprised when Rulesy follows his lead. And I love the look on their faces when I skip the ladder and land on the hard concrete. I'll pay for it later, but it was so worth it to see the looks on their faces.

Odd grabs a skateboard, screams something, and then skates through the sewers. Rulesy takes a scooter and takes the longer way. I grab one of the other skateboards.

Not like I'll regret it later.