As Joey waited, the door opened and an older redheaded girl came inside. "Hello, Joey. I'm Molly," she said. "I'm going to help Veronica take care of you."
"I don't want you or Veronica. I want Mommy," he said and began to cry. Molly knelt down, putting an arm around him.
"I know, dear, but Mommy will be back soon. Until then we have to make the best of things." She wiped at his nose with the hem of her dress and then smoothed down his cowlick. "You're such a handsome little boy. Samantha is going to be so happy to see you."
Except she wasn't. For two hours Joey sat inside the wooden cylinder of the false cake, listening to the twins bicker. The dust made his nose run even worse until he could hardly breathe. Then a man in black opened the top of the cake and one at a time pulled them out. He heard Samantha's elation at meeting the twins. Then the man hauled Joey out and thrust him towards a little fat girl with reddish skin and black hair. He wiped his nose and then tried to shake her hand. "Gwoss!" she squealed, recoiling from him.
She didn't care about his explanation either. One look into her eyes told him that she hated him. Molly led him away in disgrace. "It's all right, dear," she said. "You have to give her time."
"Everyone hates me," he said.
"No, of course not. I think you're a wonderful boy."
"But Veronica said they were going to be my friends."
"I know and they will be. It will just take time for them to accept you."
They still didn't accept him and now they were gone. He sniffled and then rolled over to face the wall. I don't need them, he told himself. Why should he care that some fat baby and her little friends didn't like him? He was only here for a little while until Mommy came back.
He heard a gasp from the other room and then Molly asked, "Joey, where are the others?"
"I don't know," he said without rolling over.
"When did they leave?"
"I don't know," he said again.
"Oh, this is terrible. Veronica is going to be so upset." Molly rolled Joey over to face her. "I have to go look for the others. Do you promise to be a good boy and stay here until I get back?" He nodded. She kissed him on the forehead and then dashed away.
Joey lay in bed after she left. The stupid fat girl and her friends were in big trouble now. He thought of the commotion earlier when Veronica had spanked Samantha. He couldn't imagine the punishment Veronica would dole out for this. It's good I didn't go, he thought. With a contented smile he rolled over and went to sleep.