Donna stood with their eggnogs.
“That was nice,” Amy said.
“Dirk started it,” Nicky said. “And Tommy didn't know that Dirk was your, uh, you know, boyfriend, or whatever.”
“My
boyfriend?”
Amy said. “What are you talking about?”
“Well, that's what he says,” Nicky said.
“He's hallucinating,” Amy said. “I'm glad he's gone.”
“Yeah?” Tommy grinned. “You liked how I took care of that?”
“I thought it was revolting,” Amy said. “And I'd like you to leave. Now. Buh-bye.”
Outside, bundling up in their jackets and mittens, the three friends walked across Amy's yard and into Nicky's, through the gate and across the frozen stream.
“I don't think they do things like that up here, Tommy,” Donna said.
“Things like what?”
“Things like fighting.”
“Well, excuse me,” Tommy said. “The guy was bothering us. I pushed him down. He stopped bothering us. What's the problem?”
“You got us thrown out,” Donna said.
“Yeah,” Tommy agreed, then turned to Nicky. “No good?”
“I don't know,” Nicky said. “You let Dirk know who was boss.”
“Maybe so,” Donna said. “But I don't think you impressed Amy much.”
“Maybe she secretly thinks you're a hero,” Nicky said.
“Maybe she secretly thinks I'm an idiot,” Tommy said.
“Not secretly,” Donna said.
“Thanks,” Tommy said.
“Well, at least you got Dirk off our backs,” Nicky said.
“For now,” Tommy said. “But he's not done. We haven't seen the end of that guy.”
Back at the house, Nicky's mother had set up the guest room for Donna and put a futon mattress on the floor, next to Nicky's bed, for Tommy.
“Look at this,” Tommy said. “My fourth night in the country, and I get kicked out of my own bed.”
“Quit whining,” Donna said. “Sleepovers are fun. It's like camping.”
“Yeah!” Nicky said. “Let's make some more s'mores.”
“S'more s'mores,” Tommy said. “Let's make
lots
more.”
Downstairs, Nicky's mother said, “Tommy, don't you think you should call your mother?”
“I don't know,” Tommy said. “What for?”
“To let her know you're okay,” she said. “You can use the telephone in the library.”
When she had gone, Tommy said, “Which one is the library?”
Nicky led him there. Tommy looked at his watch.
“This is stupid,” he said. “My mom and Harvey will be krunked by now, if they're home. And Gramps will be asleep.”
Nicky thought about that for a moment, then said, “What do you mean, ‘krunked’?”
“I mean, it's nine o'clock,” Tommy said. “She'll be drunk.”
Nicky remembered sitting in Tommy's apartment with him. He remembered Tommy's mom, and his gramps. He understood.
“Well, you don't
have
to call now, if you don't think it's a good idea,” Nicky said.
“It's not,” Tommy said. “Let's don't and say we did.”
“Let's don't and not say anything,” Nicky said. “You can try again tomorrow.”
“I'll try again tomorrow.”
“So, s'mores?”
“S'mores.”
6
S allie the Butcher was back at the Borelli house early the next morning to pick up his daughter and to tell Frankie and Nicky's father to come to Newton.
“We're playing poker,” he said. “A marathon game. All day long. All the guys.”
“Deal me in,” Frankie said.
“Deal me out,” Nicky's father said. “I've got to work.”
“It's Christmas!” Sallie said. “It's New Year's!”
“I've got an important meeting. You guys go ahead. I'll try and come down later.”
It was after ten-thirty when Tommy and Nicky went downstairs.
“You sleepyheads!” Grandma Tutti said. “You missed breakfast.”
“No breakfast?” Tommy said. “I could eat a horse!”
“We don't got horse,” Grandma Tutti said. “But I can make pancakes or waffles.”
“Waffles!” Nicky and Tommy said at the same time.
“You help, then,” she said. “Nicky, get the eggs. Tommy, get a big bowl from that cupboard.”
Stuffed with hot food, the two boys
“That was nice,” Amy said.
“Dirk started it,” Nicky said. “And Tommy didn't know that Dirk was your, uh, you know, boyfriend, or whatever.”
“My
boyfriend?”
Amy said. “What are you talking about?”
“Well, that's what he says,” Nicky said.
“He's hallucinating,” Amy said. “I'm glad he's gone.”
“Yeah?” Tommy grinned. “You liked how I took care of that?”
“I thought it was revolting,” Amy said. “And I'd like you to leave. Now. Buh-bye.”
Outside, bundling up in their jackets and mittens, the three friends walked across Amy's yard and into Nicky's, through the gate and across the frozen stream.
“I don't think they do things like that up here, Tommy,” Donna said.
“Things like what?”
“Things like fighting.”
“Well, excuse me,” Tommy said. “The guy was bothering us. I pushed him down. He stopped bothering us. What's the problem?”
“You got us thrown out,” Donna said.
“Yeah,” Tommy agreed, then turned to Nicky. “No good?”
“I don't know,” Nicky said. “You let Dirk know who was boss.”
“Maybe so,” Donna said. “But I don't think you impressed Amy much.”
“Maybe she secretly thinks you're a hero,” Nicky said.
“Maybe she secretly thinks I'm an idiot,” Tommy said.
“Not secretly,” Donna said.
“Thanks,” Tommy said.
“Well, at least you got Dirk off our backs,” Nicky said.
“For now,” Tommy said. “But he's not done. We haven't seen the end of that guy.”
Back at the house, Nicky's mother had set up the guest room for Donna and put a futon mattress on the floor, next to Nicky's bed, for Tommy.
“Look at this,” Tommy said. “My fourth night in the country, and I get kicked out of my own bed.”
“Quit whining,” Donna said. “Sleepovers are fun. It's like camping.”
“Yeah!” Nicky said. “Let's make some more s'mores.”
“S'more s'mores,” Tommy said. “Let's make
lots
more.”
Downstairs, Nicky's mother said, “Tommy, don't you think you should call your mother?”
“I don't know,” Tommy said. “What for?”
“To let her know you're okay,” she said. “You can use the telephone in the library.”
When she had gone, Tommy said, “Which one is the library?”
Nicky led him there. Tommy looked at his watch.
“This is stupid,” he said. “My mom and Harvey will be krunked by now, if they're home. And Gramps will be asleep.”
Nicky thought about that for a moment, then said, “What do you mean, ‘krunked’?”
“I mean, it's nine o'clock,” Tommy said. “She'll be drunk.”
Nicky remembered sitting in Tommy's apartment with him. He remembered Tommy's mom, and his gramps. He understood.
“Well, you don't
have
to call now, if you don't think it's a good idea,” Nicky said.
“It's not,” Tommy said. “Let's don't and say we did.”
“Let's don't and not say anything,” Nicky said. “You can try again tomorrow.”
“I'll try again tomorrow.”
“So, s'mores?”
“S'mores.”
6
S allie the Butcher was back at the Borelli house early the next morning to pick up his daughter and to tell Frankie and Nicky's father to come to Newton.
“We're playing poker,” he said. “A marathon game. All day long. All the guys.”
“Deal me in,” Frankie said.
“Deal me out,” Nicky's father said. “I've got to work.”
“It's Christmas!” Sallie said. “It's New Year's!”
“I've got an important meeting. You guys go ahead. I'll try and come down later.”
It was after ten-thirty when Tommy and Nicky went downstairs.
“You sleepyheads!” Grandma Tutti said. “You missed breakfast.”
“No breakfast?” Tommy said. “I could eat a horse!”
“We don't got horse,” Grandma Tutti said. “But I can make pancakes or waffles.”
“Waffles!” Nicky and Tommy said at the same time.
“You help, then,” she said. “Nicky, get the eggs. Tommy, get a big bowl from that cupboard.”
Stuffed with hot food, the two boys
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