"Maybe Molly was right," I thought when I got home.
Maybe I was inventing stories.
Still I knew what I had heard.
My mom had clearly said, "I'll have to rob a bank."
I didn't invent that.
I'd heard her say those words with my very own ears!
Mom finally did serve dinner that night, but it was just cold sandwiches.
And she definitely seemed worried about something.
As we sat at the table eating, she stared off into space.
"Mom, what are you thinking about?" I asked suddenly.
"What?" she said, startled.
I repeated my question.
"What are you thinking about?"
"I was just thinking about all the bills I have to pay," said Mom.
My stomach did a little flip.
"So you're really worried about money?"
"Iggy, stop being weird," said Tate.
My mother patted my hand.
"You should be thinking about homework, Iggy, not bills," she said.
Then she quickly started talking about something else.
I got up early the next day to walk to school with Josh.
He likes to get there early, and this morning I needed to talk to him.
I got downstairs just as Josh was headed out the door.
"Can I walk to school with you?" I asked.
"I have something I want to tell you."
"Sure," said Josh.
"I'm worried about my mom,"
I blurted out as we started walking.
"Why?" asked Josh.
"I think she needs money," I said.
"She's worried about paying bills."
"My dad worries about bills too," said Josh.
We walked past the Green Apple Supermarket.
That's where Josh and Jenny's dad works.
He brings home lots of food for dinner, like steak and apple pie.
So Josh didn't have to worry about having good dinners either!
"My dad even works on the weekends, to make extra money for our family," Josh went on.
"He performs magic shows.
He's working on a new trick using a one-way mirror."
"What's a one-way mirror?" I asked.
"It's a mirror on one side," explained Josh.
"But on the other side, you can see through it, like glass."
"Oh," I said, nodding.
I was pretty sure I'd seen mirrors like that on TV police shows.
"Maybe I could invent a money-making machine," I said, thinking out loud.
"I could print thousands of dollar bills, and then we'd be rich!"
Josh stopped and looked at me.
"Iggy, that's the worst idea in the world!"
"Boy," I thought.
"Josh either really likes an idea, or he really doesn't like it!"
"What's wrong with a money-printing machine?" I asked him.
"Printing money is a crime," said Josh.
"If you invent a money-printing machine, you could go to jail!"
"Jail?" I echoed.
"Oh well. Forget that invention then."
A second later Josh and I passed the candy store near school.
My mouth watered as I looked at all the delicious candy.
"I really wish I were rich now," I murmured.
"Then I could buy this whole candy store!"
I dug into my pocket and found some change.
Josh had some too.
Together, we had enough to buy a chocolate candy bar.
We decided to save it for lunchtime.
"If only I knew what my mom was thinking," I said as we walked on.
"Then I would know what to do."
Josh shook his head.
"Grown-ups are pretty mysterious.
You'd need a really great invention to figure them out!"
That's when I got my greatest idea ever.
"What if I could invent a magic thinking box?
Then I'd be able to read people's thoughts!"