Lunch comes. I finish the spelling test. I try to eat in the classroom because I don't want people to see me be sad. But I am sad. And angry. I'm so angry I don't know how I can hold it all inside me. It pokes and prods at my mouth and I want to scream. Everything shakes and it makes me sick. Ms. Lewis asks me if I'm okay, but I don't tell her I'm not. I don't tell anyone I'm not. I swallow it back.

I don't really eat anything. I don't want to eat, either. My stomach is shriveled up and doesn't want anything to make it big. I hide my lunch in my bag when everyone comes back. I'm dizzy by the end of the school day. Arthur asks me if I'm okay, and if it had something to do with Henry not being at school.

I lie and say it's nothing.

I try to ignore it. But it's hard to ignore. Henry will come back. He will. He wouldn't run away like that. He likes everyone too much for him to run away. And if he did run away, why didn't he tell me?

I wait until everyone's gone, or at least until most of the people are gone. Ms. Lewis stays at her desk grading our spelling tests. I take my time getting everything together. I know Bill won't be waiting for me downstairs – he has his job today. Gramma might be home, but Gramps and Momma won't be.

“Charlie?” Ms. Lewis is looking at me, head tilting to one side. “It's time to go home.”

I grab my books and hold them close to me. I walk up to her desk. Every breath is hard and hurts.

“Charlie?”

“Henry wasn't in class today,” I say. Whisper. I don't know what's wrong with me.

Ms. Lewis stares before putting down her pen. “I know.” She says it weird, like there's a lightness to it. Maybe Ms. Lewis really doesn't like Henry, which makes me mad. I can hear the clock ticking, and every second between ticks feels longer than before. “Did something happen?”

I inhale, and it comes out so shaky it leaves me scared. “His momma doesn't know where Henry went.”

Her eyes grow wide. “What?”

“We don't know – ” I can't say it. I don't want to. I don't want it to exist. If I say it, it makes it more real. More ugly. I don't want to say it.

The classroom door opens. Mr. Strong is there again. “Sorry, Ms. Lewis. Mr. Ryan wants all the teachers in the gymnasium to discuss...” He looks at me. “...certain things in...France, that've happened recently.”

I know he's talking about Henry. Why is he lying?

Ms. Lewis stands. “Of course.” She touches my shoulder, and it hurts. I step away. I hold my books close to me and frown. I hide my face. I don't want her to see me. But I look at her, and Ms. Lewis is kneeling down in front of me, her arms crossed over her legs. Her face is soft and a little wrinkled. The marks where her glasses were are dark on her nose. Ms. Lewis is smiling, and it makes me madder. I step back and wipe my face. “Go home, Charlie. Things will be okay.” She puts her hand on my spine and pushes me out of the classroom. The door closes behind me.

No. I repeat it over and over like a drum beat. He will come back. Henry has to come back. The world doesn't work without him here. It's like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, without the peanut butter. Without the bread. It doesn't work. It's a mess. We were going to have houses down the street from each other, and when we got married, our kids would be friends. I'd have a big dog, and if Max was still alive, they'd be friends, too. Henry said he also wanted a littler dog, and our dogs would protect our kids and the house. Who's going to be Mr. Mistoffelees? Mr. Mistoffelees has to be the sidekick for Dr. Green, otherwise Dr. Green doesn't have anyone to explain anything to.

Everyone is gone now. The school is empty, and Mr. Harvey is wiping the floors by where the two seventh grade classrooms are. The light is dull. The corners of walls don't really meet right anymore. The air is stabbing on me, and I walk home with my head down. I get to the back door, and it smells like chocolate, sweet and sick. I go to my room and close the door. I do my homework on my bed until I have a headache.

The 15:13 train to Mill Creek is late.

I go to bed early, ignoring everyone who asks if something's wrong.