After school, free at last, I came walking up the path which was covered with inches of fresh snow. Next door, Lene and Boone were building a fort, digging and plowing snow with blue plastic shovels. “Hey, Red,” Boone said, his kind eyes shining in his flushed face. His tuque was on crooked. “Wanna play with us?”
I remembered what Nick had said about his little brother, so I went inside my apartment and dropped my schoolbag there by the door, then stepped out again. I grabbed our shovel on the balcony and crossed over to where Lene and Boone were.
Lene was wearing an all pink snow suit with a yellow wool hat. She threw a snow ball at my chest. “You’re Menelas and I’m Paris!” She hid behind her brother. “Boone is Hector and he’s gonna kick your butt!”
I stared at them and then slowly ben
