It had a roll-down bamboo window shade and a fine closet full of shelves and a pull-out trundle in case someday a friend came to spend the night. It had a ceiling fan and a reading lamp and a rug with a picture of a train track printed on it.

"I love him," Bat said. He hadn't meant to say it out loud.

Mom laughed. "Careful, or you might make me jealous," she said.

"But it's true," Bat said. "I love him."

Mom said they'd have to hand the kit over to the rescue center in a month. But Bat, holding the tiny animal in his arms, made a silent promise that he'd figure out a way to keep him.

"I wrote to a world skunk expert," Bat said. the words came out fast and loud, because they were important. "I wrote and asked him about keeping Thor as a pet. Because I don't want to send him to the rescue people. I want to raise him here, at our house. I love Thor. I think maybe he loves me, too. And I'm not ready to give him away."

There was also the way he sometimes flapped his hands, when he was nervous or excited or thinking about something interesting. Some of the kids at school seemed to think that was hilarious.

"Bat," Mom said, "I've been watching you with the kit. You are so responsible and careful with him. But honey, raising Thor until he's old enough to release is a big commitment. He'd have to stay with us all through the rest of the school year, and through summer as well."..."What if you get tired of feeding him and cleaning up after him?..."

"Mom," said Bat, "I will never get tired of Thor. That would be like you getting tired of me and Janie."

The main hallway of the Saw Whet School was a busy place until 8:35 a.m., when class officially started. Until then, it was full of parents walking the younger kids (those in kindergarten and first grade) to their classrooms and older kids walking themselves, all while the principal, Mrs. Martinez, stood outside of the administration office, smiling and being friendly.

To thank Janie for naming Thor, Bat put Janie's pajama top in the cage with Thor. Janie was very upset when she found out. Afterwards, Bat and mom went to wash Janie's pajama top.

"Maybe if we use extra fabric softener," Bat said, "and make the pajama top softer than it's ever been, then maybe Janie won't be so mad."

"I think that is a very good idea," Mom said. "And you can pour it in."

The problem was that no one else in the group seemed to care as much as Bat did. Three times before two forty-five, when class was finally over for the day, Bat's group said, "Mr. Grayson, Bat won't let us help!"

"I don't need help," Bat told Jenny when she complained for a second time.

"It's a group project," she said. "You have to let us help."

Every-Other Fridays made Bat uncomfortable, like his skin was on too tight. Bat like it when things followed a pattern, and Every-Other Fridays broke the pattern.