One for the Murphys

Mrs. Murphy drives Carley and the boys to school the next morning. Carley turns down Mrs. Murphy’s offer to walk her in and goes alone to the office. She allows herself hope that the new school will be okay, but at her locker, a girl next to her in a Wicked t-shirt fusses and fumes about something she forgot at home, then insults the trendy clothes Carley is wearing: “What do you pathetic clones know, anyway?” (53). Carley doesn’t know what to say. In social studies, her first class of the day, the teacher, Mr. Ruben, communicates in Shakespeare-style speech and mannerisms, bowing and telling her to “takest” a seat. The only seat left is between the girl from the lockers and the boy who brought the rolls at the restaurant, Rainer. The girl’s name is Toni Byers, and the item she left at home is an assignment for Mr. Ruben. Carley decides that Mr. Ruben is a “medieval-history freak,” (55) but she likes him anyway.

That afternoon, Mrs. Murphy is asking Carley about school when a police officer arrives. Mrs. Murphy at first panics, thinking that something has happened to Mr. Murphy, but the police officer is there to ask Carley questions about the night of the incident that resulted in her hospital stay. He tells Carley that the prosecutor is considering adding two counts of attempted murder to Dennis Gray’s current charges, which already include two counts of assault and resisting arrest. Carley is surprised to think that Dennis might have been trying to kill her and her mother. As the police officer explains, Mr. Gray claims that Carley’s mother assisted in “the beating,” so the prosecutor might charge her too. He bluntly says that Mr. Gray claims Carley’s mother “held [Carley] down while he kicked [her] abdomen, chest and back” (60).

Carley convinces Mrs. Murphy to leave the room but misses her when she goes. The officer wants to know if Mr. Gray’s claim is true. Carley attempts to lie to cover for her mother’s actions, but the officer doesn’t believe her and threatens to take her to the police station, claiming that he can’t allow her to obstruct the investigation. He tries again, asking Carley about the argument with her mother. He also asks what Carley said to provoke Dennis. Mrs. Murphy returns and tells the officer that he has no right to ask questions like that or to take Carley anywhere. She stares him down until he looks away and leaves. Carley insists that she’s fine but retreats to her bedroom to hide between the bed and the wall.

About a week after the officer’s visit, Carley watches baseball with Mr. Murphy. They talk about one of the players and a good hit the opposing team makes. Carley says it was only natural that the ball went over the wall because of the Citgo gas advertisement there; to her, the letters mean “See-it-go” (66). Mr. Murphy laughs and reveals that Mrs. Murphy said Carley was clever about the way she sees the world.

Carley’s birthday falls on April Fools’ Day, but the Murphys don’t know that it’s her birthday. She recalls when her mother once phoned her school in Las Vegas, claiming it was an emergency, just to sing her “Happy Birthday.” At school, Mr. Ruben announces a project, worth 30% of the final class grade, in which partners work together to research and present information on a person in history who changed the world for the better. He plans to pair up students together who don’t normally get along well. Carley ends up with Toni. 

Toni comes over to the Murphy home to plan the project with Carley. She’s rude and dismissive, wanting only to get their initial work over with. Carley threatens Toni that she’ll tank the project; Carley doesn’t care about grades but knows that Toni does. Toni tries to explain her Wicked t-shirt to Carley, who has never heard of the musical. They disparage each other—Toni for Carley’s ignorance, Carley for Toni’s obsession with Elphaba, the Wicked Witch and main character of Wicked. They settle on a person to research for their project: Stephen Schwartz, a Broadway show creator and songwriter.

Daniel discovers Michael Eric having a seizure on the kitchen floor. Mrs. Murphy holds Michael Eric and cries, telling Carley to call 911 and Mr. Murphy. Carley calmly relays the information to them both while the boys watch in terror as Mrs. Murphy rocks Michael Eric in her arms. When the ambulance and EMTs arrive, Mrs. Murphy asks Carley to stay home with Daniel and Adam. Carley runs to fetch Mr. Longneck for Michael Eric, giving it to him before the ambulance leaves.

Carley clarifies to Adam that Michael Eric isn’t going heaven, just to the hospital. She makes macaroni and cheese for dinner, but they’re not hungry. She suggests that Daniel sleep in the room with Adam so that he isn’t as afraid. He agrees, but when she thanks him, he says, “I’m not doing it for you” (82). After the boys are in bed, Carley prays that Michael Eric will be okay. Finally, Mrs. Murphy calls to tell her that Michael Eric had a febrile seizure but is now fine. She asks Carley to please fill the boys’ Easter baskets and place them in the family room since the next morning is Easter. Carley is shocked to find a basket and items for her as well as the boys.

Michael Eric rests on Easter Sunday. They order pizza instead of cooking a holiday meal. Carley decides to skip school and enjoy a day at the library the next day because “life is too short to listen to teachers and Toni and Rainer ramble on” (86). Carley steals Mrs. Murphy’s library card from her purse and waits outside the library for it to open. Once it does, she finds The Little Mermaid CD and reads. At the end of the day, she checks out the CD and books. The librarian tells her that she has an overdue book: Navigating the World of Adoption. Carley is stunned.

At the house, Mrs. Murphy requests that Carley come along to watch Daniel try out for spring basketball, wanting everyone to support each other. Daniel isn’t skilled at shooting, and Carley overhears other kids speaking derisively about his missed baskets. Daniel knows that he didn’t perform well, and Carley is sympathetic.