Free The Summer I Saved the World ... in 65 Days by Michele Weber Hurwitz Page A

head. “But I want to.”
    We turn into the cul-de-sac, and the moment evaporates.
    â€œLook!” Jorie squeals.
    Eli’s shooting baskets in his driveway. No shirt on.
    â€œOh my God,” she breathes.
    I have to agree.
    â€œMom, let us out.” Jorie unbuckles and scoots forward. Her mom stops, and Jorie tumbles out the door. “Hey!” she calls, in a voice that gives “hey” a whole new meaning.
    Do I follow? Sit in the car? No rack of tank tops to hide behind.
    â€œAre you getting out?” Jorie’s mom asks.
    â€œUm.”
    â€œI’ll pull into our garage,” she offers.
    â€œOkay. Thank you.”
    I think that was a good thing from her. In some weird way.
    â€œI like your shirt today,” I tell her. “That color looks really good on you.”
    She smiles at me in the rearview mirror. “Really? I wondered if it was a little too young for me.”
    â€œNo, it’s cute.”
    She gets out of the car and squeezes my arm. “Thanks for noticing.”
    Okay, that’s number thirty-five.
    I’m more than halfway to my goal of sixty-five good things. Some of them haven’t been exactly anonymous, but who says I can’t change the rules midway? It’s my plan, right?

I ’m walking toward my house, trying not to look at Jorie and Eli, when Thomas runs up in his scarred cape. I kneel, and he practically knocks me over with his fierce hug.
    â€œThe cape still works okay?” I ask.
    â€œYeah! But who fixed it?”
    I grin at him. “Someone I know with special powers.”
    If only this was true, then I could fix a lot more things.
    â€œWho?” he demands.
    â€œA person who tries to be good,” I whisper. “And fight off enemies, just like you.” He nods. “So are you catching a lot of criminals?”
    He makes a muscle. “Yep! Lots of bad guys around here. But I’m tough!”
    I feel his upper arm. “You sure are.” Out of the corner of my eye I see Jorie softly punch Eli’s bare stomach. He grabs her little fist, and she fake yells, “Ow!”
    Well.
    â€œI’m going home, Thomas. I’ll see you later, okay?”
    â€œDon’t go!” he cries. “Want to help me kill the bad guys?”
    I shake my head. “You don’t want to kill them. Just put them in jail, right?”
    He frowns, then motions for me to come closer. He cups his mouth with his hand and whispers, “Eli says Daddy has to give Mommy some money or else he might go to jail!”
    I look at Eli. What’s going on?
    â€œDaddy comes over. Mommy and Daddy fight. Daddy goes away. Eli tries to find him and get the money.”
    Oh.
    I pick Thomas up, and he cries a little on my shoulder. I carry him back to his mixed-up house and set him down on the grass.
    â€œThanks,” Eli says, ruffling Thomas’s hair.
    â€œNina,” Jorie says, laughing. “You’re such a mom!”
    Thomas is up in a second, leaping through the air, his cape streaming behind him.
    Eli smiles as Thomas slashes a bush with his sword. He glances at me. “So you sewed his cape, right? That day you watched him?”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œHe kept asking me how it got fixed. I finally told him it was this new superhero called Mystery Girl. He loved that.”
    â€œMy secret identity.”
    â€œSomething everyone should have,” Eli says, and nods.
    â€œI don’t get it.” Jorie looks from Eli to me. “What are you guys talking about?”
    Eli picks up the basketball.
    â€œTell me!” Jorie begs.
    Eli shoots the ball. He’s got a few curls of hair on his chest. Where did those come from? I don’t know if I’m grossed out or fascinated.
    â€œOkay,” Jorie says. “Don’t tell me.”
    Eli tosses me the ball, and I catch it. “Two on one?” he says, raising an eyebrow, looking from me to Jorie.
    Another thing I can do