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"One as man," Radar says "After I start the fill-up, I run inside while the puh I’ive you the card Then I return to the gas"

"I take the card to the guy behind the counter," Lacey says

"Or girl," I add

"Not relevant," Lacey answers

"I’--don’t be so sexist"

"Oh whatever, Q I take the card to the person behind the counter I tell her or hi Then I pee"

I add, "Meanwhile, I’ it up to the front"

Ben says, "And I’et the stuff on my list"

"Most i at et out of the bathrooet in the minivan and drive away, so y’all had better be in there I will seriously leave your asses You have sixmy head And Lacey and Ben repeat it also "Six minutes" "Six o, Radar infor to his handheld, the next exit will have a BP

As I pull into the gas station, Lacey and Radar are crouched behind the sliding door in the back Ben, seat belt unbuckled, has one hand on the passenger-door handle and the other on the dashboard Ias I can, and then slaas tank The minivan jolts to a halt, and we fly out the doors Radar and I cross in front of the car; I toss him the keys and then run all out to the food mart Lacey and Ben have beaten me to the doors, but only just barely While Ben bolts for the bathrooray-haired wo a lot of stuff, and that we’re in a huge hurry, and that she should just ring iteo on her BP card, and the worees Radar runs in, his robe aflutter, and hands Lacey the card

Meanwhile, I’ on my list Lacey’s on liquids; Ben’s on nonperishable supplies; I’h the place like I’azelles I run an armful of chips and beef jerky and peanuts to the front counter, then jog to the candy aisle A handful of Mentos, a handful of Snickers, and-- Oh, it’s not on the list, but screw it, I love Nerds, so I add three packages of Nerds I run back and then head over to the "deli" counter, which consists of ancient turkey sandwiches wherein the turkey strongly reseister, I stop for a couple Starbursts, a package of Twinkies, and an indeterminate nu there in his graduation gown, handing the woallons of soda, energy drinks, and bottles of water Big bottles, the kind of bottles that even Ben’s pee can’t fill

"ONE MINUTE!" Lacey shouts, and I panic I’ to relance down at , but I feel like there’s so Come on, Jacobsen Chips, candy, turkey-that-looks-like-haroups? Meat, chips, candy, and, and, and, and cheese! "CRACKERS!" I say,cheese crackers and peanut butter crackers and soood measure, and then I run back and toss theed up four plastic bags of groceries Alas; I’ll be paying back Lacey’s parents all summer

There’s only one moment of pause, and it’s after the wolance at my watch We’re supposed to leave in twenty seconds Finally, I hear the receipt printing The woman tears it out of the rab the bags and dash for the car Radar revs the engine as if to say hustle, and we are running through the parking lot, Ben’s robe flowing in the wind so that he looks vaguely like a dark wizard, except that his pale skinny legs are visible, and his ars beneath her dress, her calves tight in midstride I don’t kno I look, but I kno I feel: Young Goofy Infinite I watch as Lacey and Ben pile in through the open sliding door I follow, landing on plastic bags and Lacey’s torso Radar guns the car as I sla lot,and storied history of the minivan that anyone anywhere has ever used one to burn rubber Radar turns left onto the highway at a soes back onto the interstate We’re four seconds ahead of schedule And just like with the NASCAR pit stops, we share high-fives and backslaps We are well supplied Ben has plenty of containers into which he can urinate I have adequate beef jerky rations Lacey has her Mentos Radar and Ben have T-shirts to wear over their robes The oing forever

Hour Five

Okay, maybe we are not that well provisioned after all In the rush of the moh not fatal) mistakes With Radar alone up front, Ben and I sit in the first bench, unpacking each bag and handing the ite iteanizational schema only she understands

"Why is the NyQuil not in the same pile as the NoDoz?" I ask "Shouldn’t all the ether?"

"Q Sweetie You’re a boy You don’t kno to do these things The NoDoz is with the chocolate and the Mountain Dew, because those things all contain caffeine and help you stay up The NyQuil is with the beef jerky because eating ," I say After I’ve handed Lacey the last of the food fros, Lacey asks, "Q, where is the food that is-- you know--good?"

"Huh?"

Lacey produces a copy of the grocery list she wrote for me and reads from it "Bananas Apples Dried cranberries Raisins"

"Oh" I say "Oh, right The fourth food group wasn’t crackers"

"Q!" she says, furious "I can’t eat any of this!"

Ben puts a hand on her elbow "Well, but you can eat Grandma’s cookies They’re not bad for you They were made by Grandma Grandma wouldn’t hurt you"