Michael has me meet him in the garage as soon as we get home from school. He actually has a salon chair set up when I get there. Alida: Where’d you get this stuff? Michael: Mama Nadine has all types of stuff stored away around here. Now close your eyes so I won’t mess up….

Claudia isn’t in her bed when I wake up…and there’s a lot of commotion in the living room. I walk in to see her all packed up, hugging and saying goodbye to everyone. Claudia says one last goodbye to her brother. Then is approached by Mama Nadine. Mama Nadine: Come here, sweetheart! *gives Claudia a…

Michael invites me to the garage with him to practice some dance moves, but I end up just doing the two-step while watching as he performs moves that I know I’d never get in a million years. I grow bored of watching Michael show off…so I slip out of the garage without him even realizing…

It’s “Sun”-day, but all I can think about is Claudia moving out. The unfairness of it all hits me hard. I go into the living room hoping to distract myself by watching some TV, but it doesn’t really work. All I can think about is the fact that I have very little time to get…

After Raul has left…I go to look for Michael. I find him in Mama Nadine’s room rehearsing his lines. Alida: Hey…want to go to the – I pause when Michael turns, appearing startled as if I’d just caught him in the nude, and I see that his face is completely made up. Alida: …gym? Wait…do…

Thinking about Claudia being forced to move out…knowing that the same thing will happen to the rest of us soon, kept me up half the night and also invade my thoughts and fears the next morning. So much so that I end up having to blow a few bubbles once again to calm myself down….

We take a S-Uber to the Skate Factory on the outskirts of Oasis Springs. The outside looks like an old factory building, but the inside opens up to a brightly colored restaurant and a skating rink. Claudia leads the way to the rink and immediately changes into roller skates. Michael is right behind her…taking to…

It’s Egg Day and as a consequence of being the last to bed last night…I’m the last one awake. It’s also Claudia’s birthday. She’s not in the room when I finally wake up. I’m guessing she’s in the bathroom getting ready. I walk into the kitchen expecting to see Mama Nadine, but she isn’t there…

It’s raining yet again when we leave for school the next morning. Outside… Raul: I’ll race you to the end of the block. I attempt to chase after him, but it’s hard to run while holding an umbrella…and my socks end up completely wet after splashing down hard in a puddle. Alida: No, you go…