Nobody's Perfect by Marlee Matlin Page B

show her house to Alexis. It was almost like they were becoming friends. But why was Alexis so worried about Megan visiting her house? That’s crazy , thought Megan. Why wouldn’t she want me to see her house?
    â€œBut I want to see your house too,” said Megan.
    â€œIt’s just that,” Alexis continued, “we just moved and we’re still moving and everything is new —so the whole house is upside-down with moving boxes and all.”
    Megan realized that Alexis was probably right. “So my upside-down house or your upside-down house?” she asked.
    â€œYours ,” Alexis insisted. “Your house. Really. It would be much, much better.”
    â€œOkay,” said Megan. She reached for a pencil and wrote her address on the corner of their design for the maze. “Come over as soon as you can.”
    â€œAs soon as I get the boxes,” said Alexis.
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    Matt kept a sign from the hardware store tacked to his bedroom door that read: KEEP OUT. Underneath the stern warning, Matt had used a big red marker to scrawl “And that means you , Megan!”
    Megan approached the door to Matt’s bedroom and didn’t give the sign a second thought before she grabbed the doorknob and pushed open the door.
    The door didn’t exactly open all the way. Matt’s room was the usual mess. Heaps of clothes were piled on the floor. Basically, it looked like the laundry hamper had exploded. Cardboard boxes were loaded with toys that Matt refused to get rid of even though he didn’t play with them anymore. Megan found a path across the room, sidestepping the discarded comic books and abandoned sporting goods. She reached the closet, shoved the sliding door, and switched on the light.
    Megan looked down and was relieved to find exactly what she wanted. Shoe boxes, and plenty of them. She dropped onto her haunches and began tossing Matt’s old sneakers into a tangled clump by the closet door, and then she stacked the empty boxes into a nice, neat pile. She used one hand to pinch her nose firmly shut during the process because Matt’s old sneakers smelled really bad.
    Truly disgusting , Megan thought to herself. Absolutely repulsive.
    Megan whirled about when she felt Matt tap her shoulder.
    â€œWhat are you doing in my room?” he demanded.
    â€œI’m cleaning out your closet,” Megan replied, trying to sound as helpful as possible even though she was still pinching her nose.
    â€œYou’re throwing out my shoes!” Matt exclaimed.
    â€œNo, I’m not,” said Megan. “They’re right there.” She pointed at the tattered sneakers heaped on top of one another. She reached for a container of foot powder on the floor beside Matt’s bureau and sprinkled it over the mass of shoes. “You should air them out,” Megan continued, trying to sound helpful. “Your shoes are too stinky.”
    â€œLeave my shoes alone,” Matt cried. He seized the foot powder container from her hands and tossed it on top of the bureau.
    â€œBut I need your shoe boxes!” Megan protested.
    â€œNot another diorama,” Matt said with a groan.
    â€œNo, this time it’s a science fair,” Megan replied.
    â€œI like my shoes in boxes,” Matt insisted.
    â€œYou’re so ridiculous,” Megan argued. “Nobody keeps shoes in their boxes. You’re supposed to get rid of the boxes. Besides, this is for science .”
    â€œWhat are you doing?” Matt asked.
    â€œWe’re making a maze for a hamster to run in,” said Megan.
    â€œCool!” said Matt, without any more argument. “You can have the boxes if I get to watch.”
    â€œNot a problem.”
    â€œWho are you making the maze with?” Matt asked.
    â€œAlexis,” said Megan, not thinking anything of it.
    â€œAlexis!” said Matt. “You mean the new girl who’s not very