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"Bingo!" he yelled, turning to say his time out loud His words died so at hi up her paper with the answer scrawled across it:

9:00 p," Tick !"

"I’ve got brains--I don’t need notes"

Tick folded his arirl And I hate spaghetti"

"I believe A like that"

Sofia put her hands behind her head and looked up at the ceiling, letting out a big sigh, relishing her win "I can’t wait to visit your little house in Washington Will your ?"

Tick snapped up the sixth clue from the table and stood up "If you’re lucky And what irl?"

Sofia lowered her arms to her lap and eyed Tick up and down "I looked at your clothes and I said to myself, he must live in a little house" She winked, then punched Tick in the leg, hard

"Ow!" he yelled, rubbing the spot "What’s that for?"

"To let you know I’"

Tick shook his head "You are one weird kid"

"Ah, yes That’s the kettle calling the papa black"

Tick burst out laughing, falling back on the couch holding his sto, you said it backwards And it’s pot, not papa"

"Whatever When I come to visit you, I will teach you Italian so we can talk like intelligent people"

"I think spaghetti is just about the only Italian word I need to know, thank you very ain, but this time Tick was too fast; he jumped up and ran out of the room, the sounds of pursuit close behind Luckily, dinner was ready in the kitchen--ramen noodles and peanut butter sandwiches

The next day, Tick’s heart hurt when he had to say good-bye to Norbert, then Frupey and Sofia after they dropped hiirl and her butler had a flight to catch In just one day, they’d become like close faain At least he knew he could expect an e-mail from Sofia, and he hoped she really would coic day would have coe after that

After another couple of fun-filled days being pa his life mapped out for hiton

Once there, Tick began the longest three ic Words

Chapter