Buster Hardings had just gotten up at 7:00 am to get ready to spend Winter Vacation in New Hampshire. He couldn't wait for that. All of his friends, including his adopted triplet siblings; Lee, Leah, and Leo Young, signed up. More than 100 students were going.

"Are you nervous about going away with your diabetes?" asked T.J.

"No, I got everything that I need. I got the medical bracelet to let people about it. I also did fine when we visit Trenton a few times before," said Buster.

"That's true," said T.J.

His maternal grandparents and great-grandmother live in Trenton where his mother grew up. Her Grandpa Mike lost his battle from cancer not long ago. Buster took it the hardest and was depressed for a few weeks.

T.J. gave birth to twin boys a few days ago. She chose Mike to keep her grandfather alive and Justin picked Jake, whom was named after his uncle who died at young age when he suffered from a heart attack before he met T.J.

At 7:50 am, Buster, Lee, Leah, and Leo were ready to go. Everyone had to be at the school by 8:15 am because the bus leaves at around 8:30 am- sharp.

"I'm going to bring you kids while your father stays with the boys," said T.J.

"Okay, sounds good to me," said Buster putting on his jacket.

That was when she left to bring the kids to Brookline L. Elementary School where they all attend for third grade. Buster has Mrs. Pierce while the triplets have Mrs. Long. They're both going to be chaperone. Every grade teacher is going to be chaperone for their classes.

Most of the kids were there. Buster spotted his friends and went to them. Lena didn't show up yet. Six of them are his neighbors and siblings; Alex, Jr., Manny, Danny & Lenny, who are twins and in Buster's class, Anna, and Alexis. His other friend, Haylee, is going, too. Anna's friends, Amy & Tammy, who are twins, and Alexis' friends, Kayla and Kayleigh, were unable to sign up this year. They all have plans by going on trips with their families.

"Lena's probably on her way," said Buster. "I gave her the 'Get Well Soon' card last night and she liked it."

"That's a good thing. I wonder how come she hasn't told us at all," said Danny.

"I told her she should explain that to you. I learned something interesting when she told me that her mother says it was up to her if she wanted to tell us or not. She lied to me. Mrs. Brock said she never said that to her. As a result, Lena got in trouble and when we get back from the class trip, she will be grounded for two weeks. Even though she apologized to me, that didn't excuse her from the punishment," explained Buster.

"That would teach her not to lie again," said Manny.

Lena arrived right before 8:15 am and said, "Oh, good. I made it before the bus arrives. I didn't hear my alarm to go off and when I finally got up; I noticed it was 7:50 am. That was when I got dressed right before. I must have been tired."

She explained about everything while the tour bus started coming in. They use that for the suitcases.

"Of course we would help you out. You don't have to be afraid to tell us anything. We all care about you," said Haylee.

"We were worried and wondered what was going on from the start. Friends are there to stand by your side when you need them the most," added Lenny.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you right away," said Lena.

"That's okay. We forgive you for that," said Manny.

"Oh, yeah. By the way, I'll be having my first home game here next week, so we just have to practice when we get back from Winter Vacation," said Buster. "I just remembered to tell you."

"That's good," said Haylee.

"Time to load up the bus, everyone," announced the second grade teacher, Mr. Zines.

They did while they got on the bus. Buster and Lena sat together.

"Thank god Tina and Toni are in the back," whispered Haylee.

"I hope they'll leave us alone," Buster whispered back.

"I know. Thankfully, they haven't been on the bus so we didn't have to deal with them at all," said Lenny.

"On top of that, we get assigned rooms. Normally, it's with friends. The rooms take up to four people. I have three of my siblings often," added Danny.

"By the way, we stop halfway both ways to let us browse around or eat at the same rest areas," said Manny.

"I'm not worried about that. I got everything that I needed in case something goes wrong my blood sugar," said Buster.

After everyone got on the bus, it started to leave at 8:30 am on the nose.A few hours later, the bus stopped at the rest area in New York to have lunch.

"Please be back on the bus by 1:00 pm so we can continue on to New Hampshire," said the driver.

Then, the kids got off the bus to go eat lunch. Buster and his friends sat together at a large table. He had a hamburger, corn, and orange juice. After they ate, they went back on the bus. Once everyone else returned about 10 minutes early, the bus started to leave and went onto New Hampshire. They arrived there in the early evening and were at Fireside Inn two minutes after it got off the highway.

"Wow. Cool hotel," said Buster, who was amazed.

"We love that hotel every time we come here. It never changes," said Lenny.

"I remember seeing it, but I don't visit because my parents and I stay with relatives," said Lena.

That was when they all got off the bus getting their luggage before going inside.

"Gee. It's really big in here," said Buster.

"My favorite parts are the restaurant and the pool," said Alexis.

"Me, too," said Haylee.

"The best part is the party they do the day before we leave for home," said Danny.

"Oh, yeah. I like that part, too," said Manny.

"That sounds like fun," said Lena.

"It is," said Lenny.

"It's time to assign the rooms. It's in order starting with 100 and so on," said Mrs. Long.

She started with Buster, Lena, and the Pearson girls for room 100.

"You've got to be joking," moaned Buster. "They don't leave us alone."

"They better. I'll be next door with the triplets, thankfully," said Haylee, who was in room 102.

"But how can I last a week with them?" asked Buster. "I'm worried to have a nervous breakdown from stress because of them."

"You can either let Mr. Zimmerman or Mrs. Pierce know to make them stop," said Haylee.

"Oh, good. I don't let them bother me though," said Buster.

"At least you know how to handle them. It wouldn't matter since they lost a bet when your team won the first game: $20 and to quit picking on you," Alex, Jr. pointed out.

"That's true," agreed Buster.

He joined hockey at Centre Park Rink and is one of the three goalies. The other two goalies are Hector and Peter. They all alternate during practice and games. Buster's the goalie on Mondays, Hector does the goalie on Wednesdays, and Pete does it on Fridays. When the other two aren't the goalies, they join the other players on ice to be fair. Haylee made those bets to Tina and Toni when they both thought Lightening wouldn't win any games at all. Buster's team won the first game 5 to 0.

Another thing he likes to do is skating. The skating event would be on March 20th after school, so he can't wait for that day to come. He's been skating since he was only five years old. He enjoys that.

Once everyone has been assigned to their rooms, they went over to their rooms to get settled in. When the Pearson girls, Buster, and Lena went to their room, they took one bed.

"You should be in separate beds," said Tina.

"Says who? There are assigned beds," said Lena.

"I don't sleep with any bullies," added Buster.

At 7:00 pm, the students came down with the teachers for dinner. Buster ordered something he can have. He and Lena sat with their friends. They told them about what happened and what they told the girls.

"Good. They're not in charge," said Haylee.

"I know," said Lena.

After they had dinner, they headed back to their rooms.

"The best part is that we don't have to get up too early while we're here. We're usually up by 9:30 am," said Haylee.

"I like to sleep until around 10:00 am on weekends at home," said Buster.

"Plus, the older kids are allowed to stay up until 11:00 pm. However, the kindergarteners are way too young to stay up that late, so their limit is between 8:00 and 8:30 pm," added Lenny.

"That makes sense," said Lena.

At 10:00 pm, Buster was getting a headache, but couldn't find his diabetics stuff all of sudden.

"Lena, have you seen my diabetes supplies? I need to check my blood sugar," said Buster.

"That's odd. I thought you had that with you," said Lena, who was puzzled.

"I did. I always keep it with me at all times," said Buster.

That was when Haylee came by and said, "Those girls took your blood sugar machine and broke it. I just mentioned it to Mrs. Pierce."

"They did what?" asked Buster, who was shocked.

"What is he going to do now? He needs to check his blood sugar as soon as possible. He was having a headache," said Lena.

"I'll go get her," said Haylee as she took off right away.

Buster almost passed out when his teacher and Haylee returned in time.

"I had the front desk to call 911. I reported that to Mr. Zimmerman. We can meet the EMT in the lobby," said Mrs. Pierce.

They didn't have to wait for long when the ambulance arrived and took Buster to the hospital in a flash. At the hospital, Buster's blood sugar was dangerously high at 200 mg/dl. The doctor was amazed on how Haylee handled on an emergency right away. It took two hours for the blood sugar to get back to normal. He was allowed to get to the hotel.

"I just want Buster to take it easy tomorrow for the day," instructed Dr. Longo.

"Okay," said the teacher.

"Also, we give out blood sugar machines when any drug stores are closed. What does he use it on?" asked the doctor.

"I use it on my arm because it's painless," replied the nine-year-old.

"We have that one. I'll go get one for you," said Dr. Longo as he left the room and came back with it to give it to Buster. "Here you go."

"Thanks," said Buster.

"Not a problem," said Dr. Longo.

Then, Buster and Mrs. Pierce took a taxi to get back to the hotel.

On the way, Buster said, "I'm glad I feel so much better now. I didn't even know mine was taken. I always keep it with me in case something goes wrong with my blood sugar. I'm also happy that Haylee told me what the girls did."

"Me, too," said his teacher.

When they got back to the hotel, Buster went to his room to get ready for bed.

"The girls got punished by Mr. Zimmerman and were forced to spend the night with him. If they keep it up, they'll get pulled out of our room," said Lena.

"Good. That would teach them a lesson not to do it again," said Buster.

"I agree with you," said Lena.

2: Day 2

The next day, Buster took it slow like the doctor ordered, but wondered if he was allowed to be in the pool with the other kids, especially his friends.

At the breakfast, Buster said, "Do you mind if I go in the pool? Would that be a way for me to relax? I would like to be with my friends"

"I think that would be a good idea for you," replied Mrs. Pierce.

"Okay, great," said Buster with a grin.

That's what he did.

"We'll be going out to do shopping in 30 minutes, so you'll have 20 minutes to be in the pool," Mr. Zines told the kids.

Twenty minutes later, everyone got out of the pool to get ready to go out. They left after they changed up. The girls were not allowed to do anything for their punishment for what they did last night. They were forced to write I will behave 100 times. Buster and his friends were glad they didn't have to deal with Tina or Toni while they're doing stuff with the other kids.

"This is a great way to take it slow, better than being left out," said Buster.

"I agree with you," said Lena.

At the mall, they walked and were allowed to go separate ways with a friend. Buster and his friends went as a group.

"I've been here before with relatives, but like I said before, we don't stay at any hotels. We stay with my Aunt Miranda, Uncle Jack, and my cousin, Linda. However, Linda and I share the same room because it has twin beds. We're like best friends. She plans to see me in Dover soon. She already knew I moved there from Trenton. We like to talk on the phone a lot. We love to get together. She's the only cousin that I see or talk to. I have eight more cousins. Aunt Miranda is my mom's sister. Mom has an older brother who has two kids, Zack and Amanda. I also have five more cousins on Dad's side. He has an older brother, who has three kids; Jack, Patrick, and Patricia, and a younger sister, who has two kids, Lee and D.J. I don't see them much, just about once or twice a year," explained Lena.

"That's good," said Haylee.

"I know," said Lena.

"Do you plan to tell her about your illness? She might want to know, too," said Danny.

"I would like to, but I don't want to do right now if I see or talk to her. I want to enjoy my vacation. I rather wait for a bit longer," said Lena.

"That makes sense," said Lenny.

Buster bought two pairs of pajamas for his twin brothers, but chooses different styles.

"I think your mom and dad would like the styles you picked out," said Haylee.

"I think so, too," said Buster. "Picking different styles made sense although some identical twins match their clothes all the time that their parents buy for them."

"I agree," said Manny.

"Our parents did that when Lenny and I were younger until they finally let us choose our own different styles because when we used to wear matched clothes, it would confuse people since we're identical twins," said Danny.

"We still pick the same shirts, but different colors or styles to make more sense that way and we don't match when it comes to pajamas, especially when we're on any class trips," said Lenny.

"That's a good thing," said Buster.

"Leo and Lee are like that, too," said Leah.

"You got that right," said Leo.

"Yeah," said Lee.

"When our parents were alive, they always let my brothers buy what they want for clothes or pajamas," said Leah.

"That part is true," said Lee.

"We never had that problem," said Leo.

The triplets lost their mother two years ago after she battled cancer and their father got killed in a car crash last year. It would be a year in July. That's how Buster's parents adopted the triplets. They have been friends for a long time when Buster first started moving places. They're happy with their new family. Their two-year-old sister died when they were five years old of an illness.

Ten minutes later, Buster felt a little dizzy and sat on the bench to take a break.

"Are you okay?" asked Manny.

"I'm just feeling dizzy," replied Buster.

"Is it your low blood sugar?" asked Lenny.

"I bet that's what it is," said Buster.

He checked his blood sugar and Lenny was right on that it was the low blood sugar that was causing Buster to get dizzy. Buster drank apple juice and had a snack to make him feel better.

"It's better than waiting for lunch to handle my blood sugar," said Buster.

"I know," said Haylee.

"I'd be afraid to get sicker," said Buster.

"I don't blame you," said Manny while the others agreed, too.

They stayed on the bench for a while so that Buster can relax for now. Then, they started walking around again. They each bought stuff for their families, too.

An hour later, the kids left the mall to have lunch at Friendly's. After they ordered their drinks and meals, Linda spotted Lena from the other side.

"Mom, Lena's here. May I go see her?" asked Linda.

"Go ahead, honey," said Miranda.

Linda got up and went to see her cousin as she said, "Hi, Lena."

Lena looked up and said, "Oh, hi, Linda."

"What's up with you?" asked Linda.

"I'm here on my class trip for Winter Vacation. It's nice to see my friends in Dover," said Lena.

"That's good," said Linda.

"I can't wait to see you soon," said Lena.

"Same here. I might go see you during Spring Vacation and you can show me around Dover," said Linda.

"Okay, sounds good," said Lena.

"My dad had a meeting at work, so it's just me and my mom for girls' day," said Linda.

"Nice," said Lena.

"Hi, Buster, it's nice seeing you again," said Linda.

"Same here," said Buster.

He was surprised Linda remembered who he was. He probably thinks she's seen him before when he visits Trenton.

They kept talking until the food arrived and Miranda paid the bill before she and Linda left there.

"How Linda didremember me?" asked Buster.

"She has seen you before when you visited Trenton," said Lena.

"Oh, yeah," said Buster. "I probably forgot about that."

"That's okay," said Lena. "It happens."

After they ate lunch, they had ice cream. Buster can't drink milk without taking Lactid pills. He takes one every morning so he can enjoy dairy since he knew that's good for diabetics. Plus, he can only have sugar-free ice cream. After all that and the bill was paid, they went to go on a sleigh ride that was 10 minutes away. They had a fun time.

"I love going on sleigh rides in the wintertime," said Alex, Jr.

"Me, too," said Haylee.

"I've been on them before even when we moved everywhere," said Buster.

"That's a good thing," said Lenny.

"I know," said Buster.

Later, that afternoon, the kids had a surprise: They were going to see a hockey game tonight at 7:00 pm, so they'll have an early dinner at the hotel. Buster's excited about it. The Pearson girls wanted to join, but their teacher said no since they were still punished.

At 4:30 pm, they had dinner. Buster's blood sugar was getting low, so it was a good time for him to eat. He felt better after he ate supper. After that, they left to go see the hockey game in Randolph. It's at a high school. Maple was hosting Canada Sharks from Montreal. When they got there, they got off the bus to get inside the high school.

"I can't wait to see the hockey game," said Buster as they headed inside.

"Same here," said Haylee.

They grabbed some snacks and drinks on their way to their seats. At 7:00 pm, the game started and lasted until 9:00 pm. Maple defeated Sharks 6 to 1. Buster didn't care which team would win. He had a great time.

Then, they went back to the hotel. The kindergartners, who were able to see the game, went to bed first thing they got back. The rest were still allowed to go to bed at 11:00 pm. So far, the Pearson girls were allowed to be back in their room as long as they behave for now. They haven't given Buster and Lena a hard time since they probably learned their lesson. Although Buster was glad on that, he didn't want to speak up in case they start trouble again and Lena agreed with him.

Buster's blood sugar was low during the night and drank some orange juice to bring his blood sugar back to normal. He was better and was able to sleep for the rest of the night.

 

3: Day 3

The next morning, the restaurant had a buffet for breakfast, so the kids went there.

"Have some cheese omelets," said Tina.

"When you and Toni are ever going to learn that I'm diabetic by now? I can't have process cheese," said Buster.

"That's right, so get lost," said Lenny.

"And, I thought the deal was to leave Buster alone, remember?" asked Haylee.

"You can't tell me what to do," said Tina.

"Actually, we just did. There is no way we would let you keep picking on our friend or destroy our trip," said Danny.

That was when Tina finally left to leave them alone.

"I don't dare to take chances to be in a coma again," said Buster.

"I agree," said Lenny.

"Especially while we're on vacation," said Manny.

After they had breakfast, they get to do some free time to do whatever they want. They can either go places or stick around in the hotel. Buster and his friends decided to hang-out together, so they went on the bus with the other kids. They are expected to meet everyone at TGIF's for lunch at between 11:00 and 11:30 am. The bus took them to the bookstore and let the kids explore there.

"I would like to write a book someday," said Lena. "I could write about my illness and perhaps being cancer-free."

"That would be cool," said Buster.

"I know. I'll wait to get better first although that would be one of my wishes," said Lena.

"Good idea," said Lenny.

"I don't blame you for that," said Manny.

"I'm just lucky that it was caught," said Lena.

"That's all that matters," said Danny.

"To be honest with you, I'm lucky myself since my own mama got cancer-free otherwise I wouldn't be meeting Mike and Jake by now. I'm sure they would've been dead with her," said Buster.

"I know," said Manny.

"I wish my great-grandfather beat his battle while he was in stage 2," said Buster.

"Some people are like that," said Alex, Jr.

"He had time to fight back then. He would've been happy being Mike and Jake being born. He would love them," said Buster.

"You got a good point," said Haylee.

"In fact, I could also write a book myself," said Buster. "I'd do it dedicated to my great-grandfather or anyone one who is battling cancer or lose their loved ones."

"He would like that. So would your mom," said Alexis.

"Anyone would like that," said Buster.

"I bet your book would be famous," said Lena.

"Me, too," said Buster.

"Your book would be famous, too, Lena," said Lenny.

"That's true," said Lena as they giggled.

After the kids left the bookstore, they went to a gift shop near TGIF'S.

"Gee. This is huge," said Buster.

"I've been here before with Linda and her parents when my folks and I visit them. It's been our favorite part," said Lena.

"I bet. The gift shop is a hit for all of us or anyone else," said Haylee.

"Yeah. We like it here, too," said Danny.

Buster sensed Lena could be lying again, but waited to say something in case she's telling the truth. He'll wait until after the vacation to ask her parents. After they visited there, it was time for the bus to come for them. It left to gather the others at the hotel. The kids were outside when the bus showed up and went on it as the bus went over to TGIF's.

It was busy, but they didn't have to wait for long to be seated. It only took them 20 minutes for their meals to come. Buster was glad he didn't have to wait for the long time because he didn't want his blood sugar to get high or low. After they had lunch, most of them had desserts. Buster had to skip it because it didn't have anything he can have for a dessert.

"There's fruit in the dessert menu," said Mrs. Pierce.

"I didn't notice that. I didn't feel like having it anyway. I'm just full," said Buster.

"Okay, that's fine," said his teacher.

Later, the kids went back to the hotel to hang-out there. They went in the pool for an hour. They plan to eat in the restaurant tonight at around 5:00 or 5:30 pm.

"We're going to watch a movie in the lobby right after dinner," announced Mr. Zimmerman.

"It's going to be Bad News Bears," said Mrs. Pierce.

"Sweet," said Buster.

"I can't wait for that," said Haylee.

"Me either," said Lenny.

They went to eat supper at 5:00 pm to give them time to eat before the movie. They had pizza. Buster was able to order a piece without cheese. It would be the only way for him to enjoy pizza. Their pizza has processed cheese and he can't have that. He told the kitchen about his diabetes when they first got there two nights ago and they have no problems with that. One of them is a diabetic, too, so she knows what he can and can't have.

After dinner, everyone went to the lobby to watch the movie. The teachers decided to let the kindergarteners watch the movie, too. Buster and his friends sat together. Mr. Zimmerman wanted the Pearson girls to sit near Buster and his friends, but they said no since they were Haylee's former friends, it wouldn't be a good idea.

"They might try to bother us while we're watching the movie," said Haylee. "And, I don't need them to pick on Buster."

"I understand. I'll have them with me," said Mr. Zimmerman.

The girls did try to talk to Buster, but Mr. Zimmerman told him not to talk during the movie and added, "This is why none of them wanted either of you with them. I don't blame them."

Buster pretended to be deaf to pay attention to the movie. He figured that would be the smart thing to do. He wanted to set a good example for those girls. After the movie has ended, they went back to their rooms so that the kindergartners can get ready for bed.

Two hours later, Buster's blood sugar was high, so he had a snack and it went back to normal soon after that. He got his pjs on to get comfy and to relax for a bit until it was bedtime. Buster was able to sleep just fine throughout the night. He was glad he had a snack before that.

 

4: Day 4

The next day, when the kids got up, it started snowing. The teachers made a decision not to go anyway because snow was getting heavy. The driver agreed with the teachers' decision to keep the kids safe. The Pearson girls didn't like the idea of that at all.

They wanted to go out, but Mr. Zimmerman said no and added, "You girls have to be patient. I'm not putting anyone in danger."

"It's better to be safe than sorry," said Buster.

"I agree," said Haylee.

The teachers decided to let the kids go in the pool. They were in there for a while when the power went out unexpectedly.

"Kids, the power went out, so please get out of the pool until further notice," said Mr. Zines.

"Not again," mumbled Lee.

"Better than being cold the whole time," said Buster.

"I agree with you," said Haylee.

They got out of the pool and changed up. They heard the car crashed a pole, which caused the power to go out.

"Glad we didn't go out. That could've been us," said Buster.

They found out Lena's Aunt Miranda and Linda were involved, but they'll be okay. They had seatbelts on which saved their lives.

"At least they're fine," said Lena.

"I know," said Haylee.

"I dare you to go out in the storm," said Tina.

"In your dreams. Why should we go out in this weather?" asked Haylee.

"Exactly. That could've been us like Buster said while there's a storm," said Danny.

"If that was you, would you and Toni want to be safe?" asked Manny.

They had a pizza party. It was a way to keep them busy. They could watch a movie, but they would have to wait until the power returns since TV isn't working right now. The power came back around 20 minutes later during the party, so the kids were able to watch a movie.

"Thank god the winter games don't start until tomorrow," said Haylee.

"That sounds like fun," said Buster.

"We do that for about three to four days," said Danny.

"They also have different events," said Lenny.

"Cool," said Lena.

They watched Cheaper by the Dozen. After the movie, the teachers let the kids if they want go back in the pool or stay at the party. None of them wanted to go back in the pool right now. They just wanted to stay at the party. It continued on until around 8:00 pm for the kindergartners. The older kids get to remain there.

"What time does the winter games start?" asked Buster.

"Usually around 10:00 am and we'll be having lunch there tomorrow," said Haylee.

"That would be so cool," said Lena.

"You're both going to enjoy it," said Danny.

They went in the pool for an hour. Then, they had ice cream. At 10:00 pm, the kids went to bed.

"Snow is due to stop tomorrow, but they say the roads would need to be plowed before we go to the park for the winter games," said Haylee.

"They said it should be cleared early in the morning while we're in bed," said Lenny.

"Good," said Buster.

He was having a snack to avoid high or low blood sugar during the night. However, it was low once at 2:00 am. He had Apple Juice and it went back to normal. He was able to sleep for the rest of the night.

 

5: Day 5

The next day, the snow stopped and the roads were already cleared by the time everyone got up to get ready for the winter games. The kids had breakfast before leaving for the park. Everyone was glad to be out. The events for today were hockey, basketball, and sledding race.

Since Buster plays hockey, he decided to go for it. He gets to be the goalie. He had a fun time. His team won 5 to 0. Then, they did a sledding race. It was boys against girls. The boys' team was red while the girls' team was blue. Everyone enjoyed it. The boys won the race.

At 12:00 pm, they went to the café for lunch.

"If I could play hockey again, I would," said Buster. "Good thing the basketball court is inside."

"I agree," said Haylee.

"Do you plan to do that?" asked Danny.

"Yes," replied Buster.

"I'm thinking about talking to the Pearson girls. I miss their friendship," said Haylee.

"But, uh, what if they make you feel miserable during the trip?" asked Alex, Jr.

"I'll give it a shot," said Haylee. "I just want tell them on I miss them. I believe they're jealous of me when Tina stood back while I moved to another grade. I suspect that might explain why they've been acting mean to me. I think they took anger out of me."

"I'm sure you'll tell them when the time is right," said Buster. "I also think they're jealous of you being with me."

"You got a very good point. I didn't think of that," said Haylee.

"I remember when Alexis almost got jealous when I became friends with her friends, but made out fine by talking about it," said Buster.

"I remember that, too," said Alex, Jr.

"What subject Tina struggled with?" asked Buster.

"Math and English," said Haylee. "I remember I used to tutor her a lot when she had trouble with those two subjects."

After they had lunch, the kids played basketball for fun. The boys won again. Everyone had fun with that. Later, they went back to the hotel. They get to have hot chocolate.

"Do you carry sugar-free flavor? That's the only way I can drink hot chocolate," said Buster.

"We sure do," replied Maria.

"And, do you have sugar-free whipped cream?" asked Buster.

"No, I'm afraid," answered Maria.

"That's okay," said Buster. "I just have to take insulin first."

That's what he did before he had hot chocolate.

"I love hot chocolate during the cold season," said Haylee.

"Same here. I always like it even before I got diabetes," said Buster. "I take insulin to be on the safe side even though I have to drink sugar-free flavor."

"Good idea," said Danny.

"We have sugar-free whipped cream at home. They don't have it here, but that's okay, I'll still take hot chocolate," said Buster.

"True," said Lenny.

That night, Haylee said, "I'm going to try talking with Tina and Toni."

"Good luck with that," said Buster.

"Thanks. I needed that. Here goes nothing. I'm going to talk to them alone if that's okay," said Haylee.

"Sure," said Buster.

That was when she went to the girls and said, "Do you mind if we have a talk?"

The girls stared at each other and agreed.

"Let's go sit together so we can talk," said Toni as they sat together.

The girls listened while Haylee managed to talk to tell them it bothered her how they have been mean to her and Buster.

"Can I ask you something? Were you jealous of me when you stood back, Tina?" asked Haylee.

"I hate to admit it, I was. I had no idea how it affected you," said Tina.

"But it's good when you came to us to talk about it," said Toni.

"And, Buster has been trying to be nice to you when we first became friends when he first joined the soccer team," said Haylee.

"I think we were jealous that, too," said Tina.

"We should've told you instead of acting mean. We just didn't know how to bring it up," said Toni.

"It's okay to tell me," said Haylee. "I would've understood. If that was me, I'd just tell you."

"You're right. I'm sorry," said Tina.

"Me, too. Do you forgive us?" asked Tonya.

"Of course," said Haylee.

"For now on, we promise to tell you if we ever act jealous again," said Tina.

"You would have to apologize to Buster and Lena. You have been teasing them, too. They're just friends, not dating. They're much too young to be doing that," said Haylee.

"That's true," said Tina.

The girls hugged. Haylee was glad she was able to make up with them. They did both apologize to Buster and Lena. They listened to the girls' apology and forgave them.

At dinner, Haylee asked to spend time alone with Tina and Toni since they made up.

"Go ahead. I don't mind," said Buster.

While they had dinner, Tina asked, "Mind if we ask our teachers to be in your room so we can catch up?"

"Sure. I'll check with mine, too," said Haylee.

They did and it was fine by them. After supper, the Pearson girls and Haylee talked about arrangements where Haylee is. Mr. Zimmerman was impressed about that. Haylee's close friend, Savannah, wanted to in their room, so Alex, Jr. and Molly, who is in the same grade as him, switched places to be with Buster and Lena. Once that was settled, they were glad they didn't have to deal with Tina or Toni anymore since they made up with Haylee.

"Lena and I are going to wait for a bit before we could be their friend," said Buster.

"Yeah. It's easier to wait to see how it goes for Haylee," said Lena.

"It's okay to wait," said Alex, Jr.

"At least Haylee found out what was wrong with the Pearson girls," said Molly.

"I know. You could make a deal with the girls in order to be friends with them. That goes for no more teasing you both," Alex, Jr. added on.

"That's true," agreed Lena.

"Haylee made it clear that Lena and I are way too young to date when she talked to the girls. My parents would never allow that," said Buster.

"Same with mine," said Lena. "We plan to wait until we're old enough to date. We plan to do that during either Junior or High school."

"Some kids aren't even allowed to date until at least 14 or older," said Buster.

"I agree," said Alex, Jr.

"Sometimes, you can see why: the parents didn't want kids to rush into dating like they did," said Molly.

"I can give you an example on what my parents told me. First of all, my dad had a girlfriend when he was 15. He was dating her when his uncle died. He was depressed like I was when I lost my great-grandfather. His girlfriend moved away and they broke up, which didn't help his depression. That was long before my parents met in college," said Buster. "That's how Jake got his name."

"That's one of Buster's new twin brothers," Alex, Jr. told Molly.

"I remember you telling me, Alex," said Molly.

"Dad told Mama when they first met without any problems, but they started out as friends during their first year of college," said Buster.

"Really?" asked Lena.

"I'll tell you the reason. Mama had her first boyfriend during high school. He got killed by a drunk driver right before college. She didn't tell Dad that when they met. She only told him she wanted to wait for at least a year before she could date. She doesn't plan to tell him at all although he understood about that reason. She didn't want to rush into that right away. She was giving her time to recover from her late boyfriend. One time when Dad wasn't home, she told me I was named after her late boyfriend. Even if they were married, I'd still have that name with Junior," said Buster. "She didn't tell Dad why she picked that name. She just liked it. She didn't want make him jealous."

"Wow," said Molly.

"That made sense," said Alex, Jr.

"Dad liked that name though. I'm the only one who knows about it. It was a secret between me and her. I didn't tell the triplets in case they repeat it to Dad because my parents are happy and Mama didn't want to be reason to break up. That's why they were friends before they started dating during their second year in college. She was studying to be a nurse. Dad was going to college to be a truck driver. That was when we were still in Washington where I was born," continued Buster.

"What happen to that job?" asked Molly.

"Dad got fired from that because he fell asleep at a wheel that caused an accident," said Buster. "That's how he became a diplomat which means we moved around a lot. Dover was the last stop before he decided to quit and went back to school to be a bartender."

Alex, Jr. and Lena promised not to repeat that to Justin about T.J.'s late boyfriend.

 

6: Day 6

The next day, the games were in the afternoon this time, so they went to the mall. They had lunch and went to the movies. They went to see Bad News Bears Break Training. The Pearson girls and Haylee sat together with the others. She still wanted to be with Buster, too. She didn't want to make him feel left out although he understands.

After the movies, it was time to go the park for the winter games. They had ice skating, freeze tag, and more. The limit was 20 minutes for each group today. They didn't mind. They went back to the hotel and went in the pool for a bit so they can relax. They had an early dinner at the hotel. Haylee noticed how quiet Buster was during supper. She'll talk to him later. She wondered if something is wrong.

That night, they went to see a play. They were going to see Grease. Buster never seen the play before. He liked it. After they went back to the hotel, Haylee said, "Girls, do you mind if I go talk to Buster alone for a while? I'll meet you both in our room,"

"Okay," said Tina.

Haylee waited until they went down before she went to Buster and said, "I noticed you weren't talkative at dinner. Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine. It's just that I'm not comfortable being friends with Tina or Toni yet. Especially the way they treated me and what they did with my blood sugar machine. Lena and I decided to see how far it goes between you and the girls before we could be their friend," said Buster while they headed down to their rooms.

"I understand," said Haylee.

"Alex, Jr. and Molly said it's okay to wait," said Buster.

"Take your time," said Haylee.

"They also said the only way for me to feel comfortable is to make a deal with the girls in order to be friends with them, as in no more teasing. Lena and I agreed with them," said Buster.

"So do I," said Haylee. "You and I can spend time anytime when I'm not with the girls. They'll understand. Like, when I asked them if I could speak to you alone, they said okay. I didn't make you feel left out."

"I was fine with you being with them since you made up with them," said Buster. "If I did act jealous, I'd talk to you about it."

"That's true you would," said Haylee.

"After all, you and I are best friends since we always spend time together. I'd still let you hanging out with the girls. I'm not against that," said Buster. "I wouldn't keep you away from them."

In the room, Buster realized he did get jealous between Haylee and the girls, but didn't want to mention it to Haylee earlier. He wanted to keep their friendship strong and he would never act mean like the girls were. He felt better after he and Haylee talked earlier. They're close. They talk about everything.

Haylee was the one who knew Buster would have to move to a bigger place to have room for Mike and Jake. The move almost happened to her, but her father turned on the move because he feels right at home in Dover and still accepted the promoted. He's now a co-manager at UNO's.

The next day, Buster went to Haylee.

"Can I talk to you?" asked Buster.

"Sure, what's up?" asked Haylee.

He told her he was jealous of her being with the girls.

"I didn't want to tell you yesterday because I was afraid our friendship would've been destroyed. But you know I would never be mean to you like the girls did. I wanted to set them a good example," said Buster. "I hid that feeling so you and the girls can catch up."

"I get what you mean," said Haylee.

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you that," said Buster.

"Don't worry about it. It's okay," said Haylee.

Buster was glad he told her about it. He felt much better. They never fought anyway. They vowed to talk about stuff if they get upset with each other instead of having a fight.

"Tomorrow's the final day for the winter games," said Haylee

Later, Buster was hurt because Haylee told him she wanted to take a break from him to spend more with Tina and Toni for a while.

"I can't believe Haylee would do that to you," said Lena. "And, you talked to her on how you were acting jealous."

"I know," said Buster.

"I don't know if her parents would allow that," said Lena. "Unless the girls proved they changed."

"You were right to tell Haylee you weren't feeling comfortable being friends with Tina or Toni right now," said Alex, Jr.

"I know. She understood," said Buster. "I'm just feeling hurt when she told me she wanted to spend more time with them by taking a break from me. I never thought my best friend would do that to me."

He was more than hurt, he was feeling angry. The kids get to have free time to do whatever they want. Half of the kids went out while the rest stayed at the hotel. They went to an afternoon basketball game. They had an early lunch before they left the hotel. Buster didn't feel like doing anything. He stayed behind with his friends. Haylee and the girls went to the game with the rest. He spoke to Mr. Zimmerman about it.

"I'm sure Haylee would start spending time with you again when she gets caught up with the girls," said Mr. Zimmerman.

"I hope so. When she told me she wanted to take a break from me to spend time with them, I felt hurt," said Buster.

"It's okay to be angry," said Mr. Zimmerman.

"She understood when I told her I was jealous, but she knew I wouldn't be mean like the girls when she and I became close friends," said Buster. "I did tell her she can still spend time with her and she said we would spend time anytime, too. That's what I don't get."

That night, when the kids came, Haylee and the girls were still together. Buster was feeling left out. He was still angry on what she told him. He told Haylee about that. She felt bad for what she did.

"I thought I made you angry when I told you I was jealous," said Buster.

"Oh, no. I was glad you told me," said Haylee.

"But why you told me you wanted to take a break from to catch up with the girls?" asked Buster.

"You must have misunderstood me. Some friends spend time with former ones so they can make up their loss time," said Haylee. "You probably didn't know that."

"Honestly, I didn't think of that. I was just upset," said Buster.

Haylee took his hand and said, "It's okay to be upset. You and I will always be best friends. Have you ever had more than one best friend before?"

"No. I always had one best friend, especially each time we moved. It was hard for me to make best friends," said Buster.

"If one of us did move, always remember that," said Haylee. "The girls and I were best friends since prekindergarten. They just came from Ohio. They came after I moved from Fall River. Toni was a preschooler. Tina was the one who stood back when Toni joined her. Tina's a year older than Toni. A lot of people thought they were twins back then."

"We would like to be your friend," said Tina. "We promise no more teasing you and Lena. You can join us that way we all can hang out together. Toni and I felt bad making you feel left out when Haylee spent time with us."

"See? What do you think? Do you want to give that a try?" asked Haylee.

"Well… As long as you keep that promise," said Buster. "You also should promise to never take my diabetes stuff ever again like you did. I could've died that night if she didn't get my teacher in time."

"I promise," said Tina.

"Me, too," said Toni.

They made the same promise Lena and she agreed to it. Buster felt a lot better after talking to Haylee about his feelings. At dinner, the whole group sat together. It was better than making Buster feel left out.

"I wish the events didn't have to end since I had too much fun," said Buster.

"I know," said Haylee.

"We'll be going to another basketball game nearby tomorrow night," announced the teacher. "We'll be having an early dinner here before we go there."

"Nice," said Lenny.

"When do they have a big party here?" asked Buster.

"It usually takes place the day before we leave. Sometimes, it's in the afternoon or at night. They'd announced it the day before the party," replied Manny.

"I'm looking forward for that," said Lena. "Parties are much so fun."

"I know," said Haylee.

"They do games, food, beverages, movies, and pool games during the party," said Manny.

"Wow," said Buster.

"I can't wait for that," said Lena.

"Same here," said Buster.

After dinner, Buster was in the room writing to his parents.

"Dear Mama and Dad, I'm having a great time in New Hampshire. We have been doing everything: the winter games, sleigh riding, going out to eat, went in the pool, and more. Pizza and movie parties were fun. Haylee made up with the Pearson girls. I'll tell you all about when I get home. I would love to come back next year. Love, Buster," wrote Buster.

He only skipped the tough times between what the girls did to him and Haylee spending the girls without him being included. Buster folded over the letter and put it in the envelope after putting his address and went down to the front desk asking them to mail it and they agreed to do it. They put the address to the hotel for him, too. He thanked them. He met the other kids in the pool after that. Then, he started to feel dizzy, so he got out of the pool to check his blood sugar and it was low. He had orange juice and went back to normal. Since he's diabetic, he was allowed to bring stuff to the pool area in case he needs it. The other kids didn't care since they know he must take care of his blood sugar before something happens to him.

"Why don't you sit out for a bit?" asked Mrs. Pierce. "You can go back in the pool afterwards."

"Okay. I decided to do that anyway," answered Buster.

"Good," said his teacher.

"Sometimes, I wish diabetes doesn't exist. It's not fun at all," said Buster.

"I bet," agreed the teacher.

"But at least it's easy to take care of though," said Buster. "I also don't get how I get it. I don't think anyone in my family has it."

"Sometimes it just happens. No one plans on what happened to them," said the teacher.

"That's true. I'm used to it. Brittle is the biggest pain because it goes out of control sometimes," said Buster. "Maybe Mama or Dad might know who had diabetes before me."

"Probably," said Mrs. Pierce. "My mom's diabetic, too."

"Really?" asked Buster.

"Yes, she had it since she was your age," said Mrs. Pierce. "She was the one to have it. It doesn't run in the family right now."

"What type does she have?" asked Buster.

"She has the same type as you: Type 1. She was able to get pregnant and I was healthy. The doctors were concerned about it, so they would monitor in case anything would happen to me," explained Mrs. Pierce.

"Wow," said Buster. "Did you have to get tested in case it did run in the family?"

"Yes, during each doctor's appointment since I was born. The doctor just want to do it to be on the safe side," said the teacher.

"That was a good idea to do," said Buster. "I have doctor's appointment along for my eye to keep an eye in case I get health issues in the past."

"My mom does, too," said the teacher.

Buster took a break for about 10 more minutes before going back in. He always takes a break for a few minutes or so whenever his blood sugar goes high or low during the day or at night. It helps him to settle his blood sugar.

The kids stayed in for 20 extra minutes before it was time to get out. They would be making smores after they changed up. Buster couldn't join, so he had a mountain pie that they made for him. He had peanut and blueberry fillings. They say it's a great healthy choice to replace smores for diabetics. He doesn't mind.

At 10:00 pm, everyone went to bed. The kindergartners were allowed to stay up 30 minutes late tonight while they had smores.

 

7: Day 7

The next day, the kids had a big breakfast at the hotel. Buster's blood sugar was high, so it was the perfect for him to eat.

"I can't wait for the winter games," said Buster.

"I know," said Lena.

"It's too bad this would be the last one already," said Lenny.

"Tell me about it," said Buster.

Then, they went to the park for the winter events. They get to do whatever they want for the day. They would have sledding race, hockey, basketball, ice skating, and more. The kids did the sledding race and the girls won this time.

"I love to go sledding. It's so much fun," said Buster.

"It is," said Lena.

"I did it all the time even when I moved around. We would go to the park. I did it with my old friends," said Buster.

"I remember we would do that in Trenton," said Lena.

"Me, too," said Buster.

He didn't care if the girls won. He would still have fun. He loves to do any sports all year around. Then, the kids went to play hockey. Buster was on the ice with the other skaters this time. He was also the captain for his team. They had a wonderful time. His team won again 6 to 1. The kids went to the café for lunch again. They had a buffet this time.

"I can't believe we would be going home in three days already," said Lenny.

"I know," said Lena.

"Time flies when you're having fun," said Haylee.

"I agree," said Buster.

"I wish we could stay forever," said Lena as they giggled.

"At least we would be here every year," said Haylee.

"I'd come back," said Buster.

"Same here," said Lena. "My mom wanted to move here someday, but my dad's not ready to do that. He likes living in Dover now."

"I bet," said Buster.

"Especially since we just moved there," said Lena.

"I know the feeling," said Buster.

"I wish we didn't have to leave the day after tomorrow," said Buster.

"Me, too," said Lena.

"Everyone feels the same way here," said Haylee.

"I bet," said Buster.

"I'm going to miss coming here next year," said Alex, Jr. "Since I'll be starting Dover Jr. High School this year."

"Next year would be my last year doing this, too," added Haylee.

"I wish that school would do trips like that," said Alex, Jr.

"You'll never know," said Manny.

"True," said Alex, Jr.

"Think about all of the good memories you had here when you leave our school," said Lena.

"I agree," said Buster.

"I could make a memory book," said Alex, Jr. "I've been taking pictures."

"I remember you did that last year," said Danny.

"We can do that together," said Lenny.

"I like that idea," said Alex, Jr. "I wish I could be your guest so I can still enjoy it here."

"That would be fun," said Alexis.

"It's better than being left out," said Buster.

"We can find out next year," said Haylee.

"Okay," said Alex, Jr.

They had a snowman contest and Haylee won 1st place.

"Way to go, Haylee," said Buster.

"Thanks," said Haylee.

They also made snow angels. After that, they went to play basketball. Buster had to sit out because his blood sugar was high. He cheered on the other kids after he had peanut butter crackers. His blood sugar went back to normal after that. He wanted to remain sitting out for the rest of the basketball game. He didn't like the employee. She would give him a hard time by making him join the other kids.

"What part I'm diabetic don't you get? My teacher lets me relax whenever my blood sugar gives me problems. It's not a joke when I had to take care of it," said Buster.

His teacher stepped in to explain that to the director and added, "Buster's right. I do let him relax after he handles his blood sugar. Even the doctors tell him to. So, don't give him a hard time or I'll report it to the director. I'm serious."

After the kids played basketball, they went ice skating. Buster was able to do that this time. Mrs. Pierce already spoke to the director about what happened.

"I'm glad you're telling me. She's like that when some kids are diabetics. I'm getting ready to suspend her without pay. I've warned her about it," said the director.

Mr. Holmes did suspend that woman for a week without pay & added, "Keep it up and I will fire you. You have no right to force a student to play if they want to relax after taking care of their blood sugar. A teacher has every right to let any students relax for a while."

The woman left ten minutes later. Buster was glad she got suspended.

"Thank goodness that didn't happen the other day," said Buster.

"Tell me about it," agreed Haylee.

"No one gave me that problem before," said Buster.

"I know," said Haylee. "I find that awkward."

"Me, too," said Buster. "I hate to say it, but that woman deserved to be suspended. That would teach her a lesson not to be tough on people."

"I agree with you," said Haylee.

"I wouldn't care what anyone says. Taking care of diabetes will always be my top priority. That's how I feel," said Buster. "I want to have a healthy life."

"Right on," said Lena.

They stayed there for a few more hours. They did kickball. Sports help Buster's blood sugar often since they're good exercise. He also eats before he plays any sports to avoid high or low blood sugar.

At the hotel, they had supper. They had the buffet. They had hot chocolate with their meals

"Before we leave for the game, we found out the party will be tomorrow afternoon from 1:00 to 8:00 pm, so the kindergartners can stay up for that until 8:30 pm to enjoy the party," announced Mr. Zimmerman.

"I knew it would be in the afternoon. They do that every year to make it fair for the kindergartners," said Haylee. "They might let the younger kids have a later bedtime at between 9:00 and 9:30 pm."

"That's a good idea," said Buster.

"It's easier since we don't back here most of the time by 8:00 or 8:30 pm when we're out doing stuff," said Lenny. "That's why the teachers wait to come back to have them get ready for bed. The younger kids don't mind about it."

"That's up to the teachers to extend bedtime. A lot of kindergartners need their sleep to focus in school, but at least they can stay a bit later while they're on vacation," said Lena.

"You have a good point," said Manny.

"When I was little, my bedtime used to be at 8:30 pm until I got old enough to go to bed at 9:30 pm," said Haylee. "Theresa and James are not old enough for that yet. They both go to bed by 8:00 or 8:30 pm. I make sure of that when I baby-sit for them when my parents are out. They don't have any issues with that at all."

"Are they allowed to be up for a bit longer on weekends?" asked Lena.

"Yes, but they can't go to bed between 10:00 or 10:30 pm yet. They're too young, so they still have to be in bed by 9:30 pm and I can stay up until 10:00 pm or later since I'm old enough. That's what I like about being the oldest. They're a bit jealous sometimes, but I explain to them that younger kids can't go to bed late, including on school nights," said Haylee. "I told them if they go to bed late, it would be hard for them to stay focused in school.

"I agree," said Buster. "Thank god I do my homework after school and after my sport practices or games to be all done before dinner. I do it while we have a break often."

"That was a good idea to pass the time away," said Lena.

"I know. I always make time to do it," said Buster. "Plus, Mrs. Pierce lets us do it during free time sometimes."

"That's true she does," said Lena.

"I agree," said Danny.

"At least we won't have to worry about some of the homework when we get home," said Lenny. "We'd do the rest at home if we didn't get to finish it after free time."

"I wonder if other teachers would let us do the same when we move to another grade," said Lena.

"My teacher doesn't mind us doing it in case we ask for extra help if we're stuck on an assignment," said Haylee. "That school has been so good to us since kindergarten."

"I know," said Lenny.

After dinner, the kids went on the bus and went to the basketball game.

"Too bad this would be the last game we would be going to during the vacation," said Buster.

"I agree. Going all of those games, including the hockey game were fun," said Haylee.

They went inside and got seated after they got a drink and popcorn. Everyone had fun. Lisbon's team won 100 to 50.

"That team is very good," said Buster.

"I know," agreed Haylee.

The kids went back to the hotel so the younger kids would get ready for bed. Buster did a journal about his Winter Break even though he didn't have to do that. He wanted extra credit for it. He has been doing it since they first got there. He skipped the blood sugar, the fever he just had overnight, and about how he was treated by Tina and Toni. He only wrote about how fun he has been having, especially the winter games.

The older kids had free time to do whatever they want. Buster joined after he did his journal about today. The kids had smores while Buster had mountain pies. They had a fun time. They went to bed shortly after that.

In the middle of the night, Buster was getting a headache and when he took his blood sugar, it was high. He had orange juice. It went back to normal and he felt much better after that.

"I think you should join support group for diabetics so you can sleep at night," said Lena.

"I thought about that, but I always eat a snack before bed to avoid all that. What I like about it is that the blood sugar only goes high or low once during the night," said Buster as he got into bed. "Then, I sleep for the rest of the night."

"That's a good thing," said Lena.

"I know," said Buster. "I've done that for quite a while now and it works for me."

"True," said Lena.

"Mrs. Pierce told me her mom has been having diabetes for a long time since she was my age," said Buster.

"Wow," said Lena.

"There are times I wish diabetes doesn't exist at all because you can't do certain things or eat anything you used to have," said Buster.

"I agree," said Lena.

"But I'm used to it and it's not hard to take care of it. Plus, taking insulin doesn't bother me," said Buster.

He was able to go back to sleep just fine after that. He slept for the rest of the night.

8: Day 9

The next day, the kids got up by 9:00 am. Everyone was ready for breakfast before 9:30 am. They went out to bring their luggage to the bus before they went back inside to eat.

"Who told Molly that I like her more than a friend?" asked Alex, Jr.

"Not me," said Buster.

He knew who did it.

"I know who said it. It was Lena. She almost said it last night, but I stopped her by telling her it was supposed to be secret," said Buster. "When did you find out?"

"It must have happened after you left the room to bring the suitcase out here," said Alex, Jr.

"Wow," said Buster. "If that was me, I'd tell you and apologize right away."

"I know you would," said Alex, Jr.

That was when Haylee told Alex, Jr. she heard Lena telling it to Molly. At the breakfast, he wasn't speaking to Lena.

"Why Alex isn't speaking to me?" asked Lena, who was confused.

"Why did you think? He found out what you did," said Haylee.

"I told you not to do so," said Buster.

"I don't think Alex would trust you with secrets until you can learn to keep them," said Lenny.

"How would you feel if someone spills your secrets?" asked Manny. "Buster had a reason to do that by showing you everyone cares about you. If you want Alex to trust you again, you should apologize to him and promise you'll never do it again."

Lena realized Manny was right, so she did apologize to Alex, Jr.

"I promise it won't happen again," said Lena.

"Okay, I'll take your word for it. Molly had the same feelings for me anyway," said Alex, Jr. "I was going to tell her when the time was right."

After breakfast was over, the teachers started to get the kids gather around and selected Buster to give the card to the staff. That's what he did.

"Thanks for everything. I'm glad you treated me great with my diabetes," said Buster.

"You're very welcome," said the woman.

Everyone continued to thank the staff for a fun vacation while they started going to the bus. Mr. Zimmerman was checking out in the meantime. Once everyone got on the bus and Mr. Zimmerman came on, the bus started leaving.

Two hours later, the bus stopped at the same stop where they went to on the way to New Hampshire. The driver wanted everyone to back on the bus before 1:30 pm so they can continue to go home.

Buster and his friends had McDonald's for a change. He had a hamburger and orange juice. They sat together. They were done before 1:15 pm and went to the bus. Everyone got on the bus five minutes early and the bus started leaving. Buster was getting bus sick, so he was allowed to sit in the front to feel better. He felt better soon after.

"We can stop at a few gift shops in between," said the teacher.

That's what they did. After the last one, the driver kept driving to Dover. The bus arrived at Brookline L. Elementary School between 5:00 and 5:30 pm. Most of the parents were there.

"Oh, by the way, Buster, my mom said she'll bring you and the triplets home. She planned it out with your parents," said Haylee.

"Okay, great," said Buster. "I like that plan."

Everyone got off the bus getting their suitcases.

"My mom's over there," said Haylee.

"Alright," said Buster getting his suitcase.

They went over to Haylee's mother's car.

"Hi, kids, how was your trip?" asked Mrs. Mills.

"Fun," said Haylee.

"I had fun although my blood sugar was going out of control," said Buster.

"And, I made up with Tina and Toni," said Haylee while she was telling her mom about the issue.

"That's good," said Mrs. Mills.

"I know," said Haylee. "They promised to just tell me if they ever get jealous for now on."

"And, Lena and I made a deal with the girls to be friends with them, no more teasing. I wasn't comfortable at first because they both broke my blood sugar machine on the first night we were there," said Buster putting his suitcase in the trunk.

"I don't blame you," said Mrs. Mills.

"I know. They both think Lena and I are in love, but when Haylee talked to the girls, she made it clear that we're much too young to date," said Buster as he and Haylee got in the car. "Our parents wouldn't allow that."

"I agree," said Haylee's mom. "Where are the triplets?"

"They figured there wasn't enough room in your car, so they decided to go home with Samantha. Their van is bigger," said Buster.

"Honestly, they're right. This car can only fit five people," said Haylee.

"Samantha is calling my mama to tell her," said Buster.

After she dropped Buster off, he thanked her as he got out of the car getting his suitcase and went inside. The triplets were there already.

"Mom's not home, but Dad is," said Leah.

"Okay," said Buster.

"He said she's just picking up Chinese since it would be our first night back home," said Leo.

"Sounds good," said Buster.

T.J. came home with Chinese ten minutes later.

"I'm back with Chinese," said T.J.

That was when everyone went to the table.

"How was your vacation?" asked T.J.

"We had a fun time," said Lee.

Buster told his mom about everything especially how Haylee made up the Pearson girls. He didn't tell her what the problem was between Haylee and the Pearson girls. He also added that he and Lena made a deal with the girls.

"That's a good way to deal with them," said T.J.

"I know. When the girls made up, Lena and I waited to see how Haylee made out with the Pearson girls," said Buster.

"That was a good idea," said T.J.

"When Haylee mentioned she was going to the girls, we were worried that she would get miserable during the right of the week, especially if they didn't want to hear what she was going to say, but at least everything made out now," said Buster.

"Good," said his mom.

"She just missed being their friend," said Buster.

"I'm glad she found out what the problem was: They didn't how to bring it up that they were jealous of her when she moved on to another grade while Toni stayed back," said Leah.

"Not only that, they were jealous when Haylee spend a lot of time with me. She knew it was their problem, not her. She didn't like the way they treated her, which was why she took a break from them. That happened before Haylee and I met on the soccer team," said Buster.

"That's true," said Leo.

"I'm just glad that I'm not being bullied by them anymore. I don't let it bother me at all. Experts say if you treated them kindly, they'll be kind to you back. I gave up on that while I was trying to nice to them," said Buster. "They also say the more you walk away, they'll bully you less."

"You're braver when comes to bullying because none of us knew how to deal with bullies," said Leah.

"Haylee doesn't put up with that," said Buster. "Thank goodness she would tell those girls off whenever they bully me. There are no other bullies at our school."

"I know. We did at our old school. That was after we lost our mother. The kids would brag that they would get gifts for their mothers. A friend of us told those kids to cool it. Miranda helped us realized that our dad be can both a mother and a father to us," said Leah. "Looking back, those kids didn't know how to react after our mom died and they were jealous."

"I agree," said Buster. "I did remember you guys telling me that while I was living in Trenton."

"Luckily, the kids stopped bragging ever since Miranda told them to cool it. She told them how they would feel if that was us bragging if they didn't have a mother," said Lee.

"That would do it," said Buster. "I think I remember Miranda. Wasn't she the one who was at your sister's funeral?"

"Yes," said Leo.

"I thought so," said Buster. "Does she remember me?"

"She did," said Lee.

"You were friends with her when I met all three of you," said Buster.

"She supported us when our mom died," said Leah.

"Did she continued to do when you lost your dad?" asked Buster.

"She moved away about two months before that happened," said Leo. "She moved to Florida, so we don't think she knew he died. When she told us she was moving, we thanked her for being there for us when our mom. She didn't want to move at all. She was so upset. Nevada was her home."

"I know the feeling," said Buster.

"Her parents just wanted to be in a better climate," said Leah.

"Her dad was being transferred there, so it was a good time for them to move," added Lee.

After dinner, Buster continued to unpack his suitcase and put his clothes away. He left his clothes out for tomorrow and his pjs so he can change later on. The triplets didn't know that Buster hears from Miranda a few times. She found his number online. That's how she started calling him not long ago. They're the same age.

Plus, she would be moving to Dover in March when her school ends for Spring Vacation. She learns that schools in Florida have different school vacations than other schools in other states. She'd still Spring Vacation in April. She made out a plan to surprise them: She made Buster promise not to say anything to them. He agreed with her plan, which is why he didn't mention that earlier during dinner. He was the only one who knows about it.

She just can't wait to see the triplets or Buster just like old times. Her dad is a diplomat just like Justin was. Her dad is thinking to do the same thing like his father did: quit being the diplomat and go back to school to be a teacher. He was tired of moving, too.

Only, Miranda was born in Las Vegas and moved to a few cities, not states like Buster did. Florida was the second state when Miranda and her parents moved. They live in a few cities there, too, including Orlando, Daytona, Tampa Bay, and Ocala. Dover would be the final stop. Poor Miranda kept changing schools every time. Miranda tells he's lucky that he moves in the summertime. They didn't do that. They would move every five months, especially she makes new friends and get used to a new school. Buster tells her that he knows how that feels since that happened to him.

At 8:00 pm, Buster showered and put his pjs on to be all set. Buster went to bed at 9:15 pm because he was getting tired. He was glad he had a fun Winter Break. He was relieved he was no longer being teased by Tina and Toni. He hopes they would stay that way.

 

9: Day 8

The next day, at breakfast, the teachers wanted the kids to dress up nicely for the party this afternoon.

"You may wear your bathing suits under the clothes since there will be pool games later in the late afternoon," said Mr. Zimmerman.

"It's okay if you don't have to do so, but feel free to join the pool games," added Mr. Zines.

"Sweet," said Buster.

"We will have an early lunch at Wendy's so we can come back to get ready for the party," continued Mrs. Pierce.

Most of the kids didn't want lunch around that time. They were too excited about the party. Buster had to do that to keep his blood sugar under control. Half of the kids ate at the hotel while the rest went to Wendy's. Buster had a hamburger and water. He didn't order a combo because he figured fries wouldn't help his blood sugar. He heard fries could mess his blood sugar up.

Buster sat in a booth with his friends. Tina and Toni stayed at the hotel for lunch. After lunch, the kids went back to the hotel to get ready for the party. Everyone was ready at 12:45 pm and went to the lobby 15 minutes early. The party started at 1:00 pm on the nose.

"Welcome to the party as we give you the day before you head back home. This is something everyone will remember," said the man.

"We'll start with party games in the lobby," said the woman.

They did board games and did some trivia. Buster was really good at trivia for his team. After that, they had pool games.

"We'll be doing volleyball. It would be girls against boys. The first team that gets to 10 points first wins," said the man.

Buster never played volleyball before, but he played well. His team won 10 to 6. Then, they did two relayed races. Buster took first place twice. He felt great about it. The kids get to remain in the pool for a little longer to have fun. They stayed there for about 20 minutes until it was time for them to get out. They went to change up into their clothes they had on earlier.

"We're going to watch a few movies while the food is being prepared. We're getting fruit punch, soda, and water. We are also having sandwiches. After that, we'll be serving popcorn, pretzels, and more," announced Mr. Zimmerman.

The kids watched three movies before the food was served at 4:00 pm. They get to eat while they watch the movie. They had it paused while the kids get the food. Buster found a few things he can eat. He picked a hamburger, a few potato chips, and fruit punch. He had already taken insulin before he drank fruit punch to be on the safe side.

After the movie and after they ate, they had some popcorn and pretzels. Buster went for popcorn. The younger kids did some coloring. They heard there would be a dance party from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.

"Dance party? I'm in," said Buster.

"Me, too," said Haylee.

They watched one last movie before the dance party began. They did a lot of dancing and had fun. The party ended at 8:00 pm on the nose.

"We won't be leaving until 11:00 am since that's the time we would check out," said Mr. Zimmerman. "But the younger kids still need to get to bed at 8:30 pm. The older kids are allowed to stay up until 10:00 pm. We don't need to get up early. We can get up at 9:00 am to have a light breakfast. You can bring the suitcases to the bus ahead of time before we eat. We're going to have lunch at the same place where we went on the way here."

"And, I got a Thank You card to give to the staff for a wonderful time we had here. You may sign it now. The younger kids will go first on their way to their rooms," added Mrs. Pierce.

"That's a good idea," said Buster.

"We always did that," said Haylee.

That's what they did. Alex, Jr. also signed and added that he would miss not being here next year. Once everyone signed the card, they went to their rooms.

"I'm nervous about starting junior high," said Alex, Jr.

"I bet. It would be a new experience for you," said Haylee.

"But at least we can still hang out all the time while you're there," said Buster.

"Buster has a very good point," said Lena.

"I didn't think of that until now," said Alex, Jr.

"I bet you'd do very well there," said Lenny.

"Is Molly nervous about it, too?" asked Haylee.

"Not really. She gets all As and Bs," said Alex, Jr.

"So do you. You would be fine," said Manny.

"I have a secret: I like Molly more than a friend," said Alex, Jr. "We're the same age and we have a few things in common. I'm ready to ask her to be my first girlfriend."

"I don't think Mom and Dad would let you date at that age," said Manny.

"You'll never know. They let Molly come over often and they like her. She's very polite," said Alex, Jr.

"Do you think you should ask your parents first?" asked Haylee.

"I plan to do so," said Alex, Jr. "But the problem is her parents."

"What do you mean?" asked Haylee.

"Her parents are a bit overprotective. I saw it when I first went to her house not long ago," said Alex, Jr.

"Would they be strict about dating at that age?" asked Buster.

"Honestly, I'm not sure," said Alex, Jr. "Molly told me she doesn't like her parents at all. They have strict rules, but I don't know how about the dating age. She was lucky she was able to come here though. She's happy to be away from her parents. Yet, they're not strict to her older sister, Hallie, and the girls are very close. Hallie doesn't find that fair to Molly."

"I bet," said Lenny.

"Maybe they're afraid she'd get pregnant early when she does have a boyfriend," said Lena.

"I think you're right. Molly has it all figured out. When she does have a boyfriend, she'll go on birth control to be safe," said Alex, Jr.

"Good idea," said Buster.

"I'd do the same thing when that happens to me," said Holly.

"She doesn't know I like her," said Alex, Jr. in a whisper voice.

"Our secret is safe with us," said Buster.

"Good," said Alex, Jr.

He had a crush on Haylee, but she wasn't ready to have a boyfriend at her age. She wants to wait until high school. She enjoys doing what she likes to do. The older kids had free time for a while. Buster did the journal for the last night here.

"You didn't have to do all that," said Lena.

"I know, but I decided to do it for extra school credit," said Buster.

"I wish we didn't have to leave here tomorrow," said Lena.

"Same here," said Buster. "If I could pick my two favorite parts here would be the winter games and the party."

"Me, too," said Lena.

"Don't forget about the pool," said Molly.

"Oh, yeah," said Lena.

They giggled.

"I heard someone likes..," said Lena.

Buster stopped her in time by covering her mouth.

"Can you excuse us?" asked Buster.

"Sure," said Molly.

That was when he took Lena out there.

"What?" asked Lena.

"Did you forget about something? That was supposed to be a secret. I knew what you were about to say," said Buster.

"You didn't need to stop me," said Lena.

"Yes, do you want Alex to get mad at you?" whispered Buster. "Do you want to lose his trust?"

He was glad he stopped her before she could spill the beans.

"We promised him and we're not going to break it," said Buster.

At 10:00 pm, they went to bed. He's glad that Alex, Jr. didn't know what was going on. If Lena did told Molly, Buster would be a good friend by telling Alex, Jr.