Casey did not say a word all day. At least not when Marvin was near. He didn’t know if she said anything when he wasn’t around, although he suspected that she did.
After school, he walked with Nick and Stuart to Nick’s house. “She’s lying,” Marvin repeated several times on the way there.
“How can she lie if she can’t talk?” asked Stuart.
“That’s how,” said Marvin. “Because she can talk.”
“Why would she pretend she can’t talk?” asked Nick.
“Why do you care?” asked Stuart.
“I don’t care!” Marvin insisted.
He didn’t tell them about the magic crystal. He had promised Casey to keep it secret. And even though she was pretending she couldn’t talk, and even though she called him a stupid, stinky booboo-head baboon, he still kept his promise.
“You want to play basketball?” Nick asked when they reached his house.
“I don’t care,” Marvin repeated, still thinking about Casey.
“Sure,” said Stuart. “Horse, or knockout?”
“I don’t care,” said Marvin. “I just know she’s faking.”
They decided to play horse, because they’d need two basketballs to play knockout. Nick only had one basketball.
Nick talked and played at the same time. “… Yes, ladies and gentlemen. The amazing Nick Tuffle is now going to try a shot from behind the brown spot in the driveway! Can he do it? He’s taking careful aim. Oh, the pressure! It would be amazing if he can make this shot. He shoots! The ball is up. It bounces off the rim … and GOES THROUGH THE NET! He did it! Nick Tuffle made the shot!”
Marvin was the first to lose. He was too busy thinking about how much he didn’t care about Casey.
“Why don’t you go home and get your basketball?” Stuart said. “Then we can play knockout.”
Marvin liked knockout better than horse. It was faster and had a lot more action.
He only lived around the block from Nick. He headed home.
His basketball was kept in the garage, but the garage door was closed, so he had to go through the house.
Jacob and Nate were eating popcorn in the kitchen. Jacob was Marvin’s older brother. Nate was Jacob’s best friend. They were in middle school.
They were two-fisted eaters. Sometimes all four fists were in the large popcorn bowl at the same time.
“Hey, Mar,” said Jacob. “You have a visitor.”
“I do?” asked Marvin.
“Is she your girlfriend?” asked Nate.
“My girlfriend?” asked Marvin.
“She’s cute,” said Jacob.
“Who are you talking about?” asked Marvin.
“You mean there’s more than one?” asked Nate.
Nate and Jacob laughed.
“How many girlfriends do you have?” asked Jacob.
They laughed some more.
Marvin felt himself blush. “I don’t know who you’re talking about. And she’s not my girlfriend!”
“She’s upstairs, playing with Linzy,” said Jacob.
Marvin rushed up the stairs.
“He’s sure in a hurry to see her!” said Nate.
Marvin stopped. The only reason he was hurrying was because Nick and Stuart were waiting for him. He probably shouldn’t even go upstairs at all. He should just get his basketball and leave.
But maybe he could catch Casey talking.
Very quietly, he continued up the stairs, then down the hall to Linzy’s room.
The door was open. He peeked inside.
Casey and Linzy were sitting on the floor, playing Candy Land. Casey’s back was to Marvin. Marvin put his fingers to his lips so Linzy wouldn’t say anything.
“Hi, Marvin!” Linzy blurted. “Do you like my new hairstyle?”
Linzy had a ponytail sticking out of the side of her head.
Casey turned and stared at Marvin.
“I’m playing with Casey,” Linzy said. “She can’t talk. And it’s your fault.”
Marvin spoke to Linzy, but he looked at Casey. “How do you know she can’t talk?” he asked. “Unless she told you.”
“Well … because she hasn’t said anything!” said Linzy.
“But how do you know it’s my fault?” Marvin asked, still staring at Casey.
Everything is your fault, Marvin, said Casey’s face.
“Well, you two have fun playing Candy Land,” said Marvin. “I just came to get my basketball.”
“Wait! Don’t go!” said Linzy. “You can fix her so she can talk again.”
“Oh, really?” asked Marvin. “How can I do that?”
“All you have to do is say you’re sorry for telling her to shut up,” said Linzy.
Marvin thought it over. He did feel bad about telling Casey to shut up.
Casey tapped Linzy’s shoulder.
“Oh, I forgot,” said Linzy. She giggled. “You also have to say that you ‘miss hearing her sweet voice.’ ” She giggled again.
Marvin reddened. There was no way he could say that!
“Well, first of all,” said Marvin, “I know she’s faking. Second of all, what makes you think I want her to talk again? I’m going to play basketball. Nick and Stuart are waiting for me.”
Casey glared at him. Her face said, If you leave now, you’ll be really, really sorry!
He turned and went down the stairs. He got his basketball out of the garage and headed back to Nick’s house.
The whole way there, Marvin thought about Casey. There was no way he would tell her he “missed hearing her sweet voice.” He was willing to say he was sorry. If that wasn’t good enough, well, too bad!
“What took you so long?” Stuart asked when Marvin finally made it back to Nick’s house.
“C’mon, let’s play knockout,” said Nick.
Marvin looked at his basketball. He suddenly realized something. How could Linzy know he had to say he “missed hearing her sweet voice” unless Casey told her?
Casey couldn’t have written it for her, because Linzy couldn’t read! That proved it. Casey must have talked.
“I have to go home,” he said.
“But you just got here,” said Stuart.
“I got stuff I have to do,” Marvin said.
“What kind of stuff?” asked Nick.
“Just stuff,” said Marvin. He couldn’t tell them about Casey being at his house. They wouldn’t understand. They might think he liked her.
He turned and hurried home.
He tapped the red post for luck, then went inside.
Linzy, Jacob, and Nate were playing cards on the floor of the family room. That surprised Marvin almost as much as seeing Casey earlier. Jacob and Nate never played with Linzy.
“Nate, do you have any sevens?” Linzy asked.
“Hey, Mar,” said Jacob.
Linzy laughed as Nate angrily threw a card at her.
“Where’s Casey?” Marvin asked.
“Your girlfriend went home,” said Nate.
“She’s not my girlfriend,” said Marvin.
“She’s really, really mad at you,” said Linzy.
Marvin shrugged. “I don’t care.”
“She hates you,” said Linzy.
“So?” said Marvin.
He took his basketball through the laundry room and out to the garage. He tossed it into the ball box, but it bounced out and hit his bicycle, which crashed to the ground.
Marvin grumbled, then picked up his bike. He looked around for the basketball. It had rolled under the van.
He got a broom off the wall, then lay down on the floor of the garage. Using the broomstick, he knocked the ball out from under the van.
“I hate her, too,” he said.