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maybe you hooked up with some of your old friends. Is that what you did?” She was so mad that she shoved me. And, boy, I don’t like being shoved.
    â€œWhat’s your problem, anyway?” I said.
    â€œI had forty-five dollars in my wallet this morning. It was for baby food and diapers. And it’s gone.”
    Wait a minute.
    â€œYou think I stole money from you?”
    â€œI don’t think it, Josh. I know it. It was there this morning and now it’s gone. And Digby sure didn’t take it.”
    â€œNeither did I,” I said. Andrew slipped me a few bucks every now and then. And I had this gig every Friday evening delivering a community newspaper. It didn’t pay much, but it was enough for Cokes and fries every now and then.
    â€œI’m telling Andrew,” she said. She sounded just like a baby.
    â€œYou can tell him anything you want. I didn’t take your money.”
    I pushed by her to go into the living room. And, okay, maybe I shoved her a little, to pay her back for pushing me. I turned on the TV.
    She came into the room and snapped it off.
    â€œYou’re not supposed to watch TV in the daytime,” she said. “You’re supposed to do your reading for school and then go to your program.”
    â€œI don’t have any reading to do.” It was a lie. My history teacher always assigned pages. But I didn’t want to do anything just because she told me I had to.
    â€œThen clean up this room,” she said. “Your stuff is all over the place again.”
    I was about to tell her what I thought about her and her nagging when the apartment door opened.
    â€œHello?” Andrew called. He came into the living room.
    â€œWhat are you doing home?” Miranda said.
    â€œI’m not staying. I just stopped to give you this.” He handed her some money. It looked like a couple of twenties and a five. Miranda stared at it.
    â€œWhat’s this for?” she said.
    â€œI took some money out of your purse this morning.”
    Miranda stared at him. “You did?”
    â€œTo pay Rich. Remember when I blew that tire last week? Rich said he’d give me a deal on a retread if I paid cash. He came by this morning when I was on my way out. You were in the shower, so I took the money to pay him. I should have left you a note. But you said youweren’t going out until this afternoon so no problem, right?”
    â€œRight,” she said.
    â€œShe accused me of stealing it,” I said.
    â€œWhat?” Andrew said.
    â€œShe was ragging on me for stealing it. She asked me if I was hooking up with my old friends.”
    Miranda’s face turned red. “I was angry,” she said lamely, to Andrew, not to me.
    â€œJosh is doing great,” Andrew said. “He wouldn’t steal from you.” He looked at me. “I’m really sorry, Josh.”
    â€œWhat are you sorry for? You didn’t accuse me of being a thief. She did.”
    Andrew looked at Miranda. “I think you should apologize,” he said quietly.
    I could tell she didn’t want to. She didn’t even want to look at me.
    â€œCome on, Miranda. You accused him of something he didn’t do.”
    â€œI’m sorry,” she said. She still wasn’t looking at me. “But you have to admit, it was an understandable mistake.”
    â€œShe’s sorry,” Andrew said.
    â€œNo she isn’t. If she was sorry, she wouldn’t be using the word ‘but.’ Mr. Weller says that ‘but’ turns an apology into a justification for being wrong.”
    Now Miranda looked at me, her eyes burning. “I said I was sorry,” she said. She didn’t sound sorry at all. She was angry at me. Again.
    â€œYou’re sorry, all right,” I said. “Sorry I live here. Sorry you have to look at me every day. Sorry I haven’t messed up again so I’d be out of your life and this crappy little