The living room smelled like orange juice and cookies. Maya liked that smell.
She was sitting cross-legged on the floor, poking one of Nathan's building blocks while Jazz sat on the couch, flipping through a thick book with lots of tiny words. Nathan was lying on his stomach beside her, making zoom-zoom sounds with his toy car.
Jazz let out a big sigh and slapped her book shut. Slap!
"I can't believe I got sick and missed three classes," she groaned, throwing her head back against the couch. "Now I have to catch up, and Mr. Hanks doesn't even like me."
Maya blinked and looked up. "Is Mr. Hanks mean?"
Jazz pouted. "No, but he walks like he's better than everybody."
Nathan scrunched his nose. "That's rude."
"I know, right?"
Maya played with the hem of her shirt. "I got sick too," she mumbled.
Jazz sat up quickly and pointed at her. "I heard! I was so sad. Your mother texted me and said you had a fever. I almost cried."
Maya smiled a little. "I missed school. And my friends."
