I may not live in a mansion.
And we don't have a swimming pool.
But I have the best friends in the world, who live right in my apartment building!
We can visit each other without even going outside.
I was glad for that on Saturday.
Because the icy rain kept falling all day.
After our powwow the four of us made a bed in my room for Oliver.
Caswell helped too.
We started with a thick pad that Josh had taken to Boy Scouts camp last summer.
We spread out my sleeping bag on top of that.
Then Molly added a pillow in the shape of a frog.
Mom looked in to see what we were doing.
"What a cute bed!" she said.
"I'm sure Oliver will love it."
She ruffled my hair.
"I'm glad to see you have a good attitude, Iggy."
My friends stayed for dinner that night.
While we ate pizza, we planned all the fun we would have with Oliver.
"We can have a cookout in front of our fireplace," I said.
"And roast marshmallows," said Caswell.
"We can play Princesses and Pirates on the computer," said Jenny.
"I'll let Oliver play with my marble run too," I said.
"I'll be just like a big brother.
Well, a nice big brother,"
I added, shooting a look at Tate.
Tate rolled his eyes.
"You think it's easy to be a big brother?"
I made a face at him.
"It's easier than being a little brother," I said.
"Just wait," said Tate. "You'll see."
"Well, at least I have a good attitude about Oliver," I said.
"Don't I, Mom?"
My mom laughed.
"You do have a good attitude about Oliver," she said.
"But you might want to adjust your attitude toward your brother."
When grown-ups say you "might want" to do something, they mean you should do it.
"How's my attitude?"
asked Caswell, his face smeared with tomato sauce.
"Your attitude is fine," said Molly, "but your face is a mess."
Oliver was arriving with Aunt Julia and Uncle John the next day.
By now I was actually looking forward to it!
The next morning was bright and cold.
Jenny, Josh, Molly and Caswell came over to wait for Oliver.
We all stood looking out the front window to the street.
"What color is their car?" asked Josh.
"I don't know," I said.
"They buy a new one every year."
A long black limousine cruised down the street.
"That must be them!" cried Molly.
"Wow, they really are rich!"
But the black limousine rolled right by.
Next we saw an ambulance race down the street.
"Maybe that's them," said Jenny, "and they're having an emergency."
But the ambulance whizzed past our building.
After that a moving van rumbled down the street.
"Maybe that's them," I said, "and they're moving in for good!"
"Ha-ha!" Tate smirked as he came into the living room.
"You'll have to share your bedroom forever, Iggy!"
"Why would they want to live with us?" I said.
"They have a big house of their own."
"Maybe they lost all their money in the stock market," said Tate.
"Huh?" said Jenny, looking confused.
"Don't pay any attention to Tate," I said.
"He thinks he's so smart just because he's in high school."
At that moment a knock came at the door.
We ran to see who it was.
There stood Aunt Julia and Uncle John.
And beside them was Oliver.
Their car had pulled up without our even seeing it!
"Hello!" cried Aunt Julia with a big smile.
"Hi!" said Uncle John.
"I am not staying here even for one minute!" shouted Oliver.