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I dragfloors?"

Logan winks And, right there in that dim little coffee shop, he steals a piece ofexception"

He starts sweeping up, but when I get to the kitchen door, I pause "Thanks, Logan For everything"

He looks at ives an easy nod "No need to thankmy job"

OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, we settle into a routine I take the early-ive Marty a hand in the kitchen fulfilling orders, washing dishes--once Tooes with her to school It’s not noble work, but it’s busy, fast-paced, and the tioes quickly I stay till dinnertime, when one of the other boys--Cory or Liaht watch

I like routines--they’re steady, predictable, easy to s The ones Ellie blasts in the kitchen at four a Those are always different, like she’s got an infinite playlist A few she see thehties stripper movie Yesterday it was "The Warrior" and the one before that was "I Love Rock and Roll"

And she’s always dancing Skipping around like sunlight sparking off a mirror

Once, I asked, "Is the music necessary?"

And she just smiled that sweet smile and replied, "Music h, Ellie’s looking especially weary, with dark circles--almost bruises--beneath her baby-blue eyes And there are books and notes spread out on one side of the counter that she glances at,to herself while she prepares the pie shells

"You study a lot," I say

She chuckles "I have to--I’m in the home stretch It’s down to me and Brenda Raven for valedictorian I’ve already been accepted to NYU in the fall, but graduating first in my class would be a yulance, Ellie Haot a little toocould be farther from the truth She’s not an airhead; she’s justinnocent Trusting Joyful Probably the o to college?" she asks

"No"

A counselor told me I was dyslexic when I was nine It was a relief to knoasn’t just a du doesn’t come easy

"I was never real talented in school"

I

And Ellie freezes, like a delicate blond deer

"I’ll do it," I say "So you can study I’ve watched you e"

And she looks up at me like I just offered her the world on a platter "Yeah?"

"Sure" I shrug, ignoring the hero worship in her eyes "I’ here"

I don’t like to be useless

"Ahokay Thanks" She opens a drawer and hands ht as well be holding a roach

"Do I look like the kind of guy who’d wear an apron?"

Ellie shrugs "Have it your way, Mr I’oing to look so sharp when it’s covered in flour"

I snort But leave the bloody apron on the counter Not a chance

There’s an odd satisfaction to baking that I’d never admit to aloud It occurs torack on the center counter They look good--with golden, flaky brown crusts--and they s textbook and shuffles her papers aith a bright white s up half of her face

"God, I needed that Now I can make this exam my bitch"