Ober pointed at Lisa. “I didn’t know you were flying with us.”

“And she’s not even paying for it,” Ben said. “My parents are picking up the tab.”

“Are you kidding me?” Ober asked. “If I knew free airfare was involved, I’d have told your mom that I was sleeping with you.”

“I appreciate that,” Ben said. “Now can we get out of here?”

Ober grabbed his suitcase from his room and returned to the living room. “Where’s Eric?” he asked.

“ERIC!” Nathan called out. “WE’RE LEAVING!”

Eric walked down the stairs with a navy duffel bag and joined the group without saying a word to anyone. They all packed into Nathan’s Volvo and headed for National Airport.

“They’re going to lose our luggage,” Lisa said, after the skycap loaded their bags onto a dolly and rolled them toward the conveyor belt.

“What makes you say that?” Ben asked.

“I just saw what Scrooge here tipped him,” Lisa said, pointing at Ober.

“How much did you tip him?” Nathan asked, watching to make sure that his bags were loaded on the conveyor.

“I gave him a dollar,” Ober said.

“You gave him one dollar for five bags?” Ben asked.

“Good-bye, suitcase, it was nice knowing you!” Lisa called to her luggage.

“What’s wrong with a dollar?” Eric asked.

“For one bag, nothing,” Ben said. “But if you have five bags for five different people, a dollar tip says, ‘Throw these bags in a volcano. I have no use for them.’”

“Just relax,” Eric said as the group walked inside the terminal. Turning to Ober, he added, “Nothing’ll happen. You’ll see.”

With only two days until Thanksgiving, National Airport was swarming with people. Fighting the irate crowds, the friends made their way through the X-ray machine and toward their gate.

Ober scanned the row of shops and eateries that lined the terminal. “I’ll be right back,” he said as he took off in a mad dash.

“Lottery tickets,” Ben said to Lisa.

As the remainder of the group arrived at the boarding gate, they waited at the back of a single, weaving line. Eventually, Ober returned, red-faced and breathing heavily. “Let me guess,” Ben said. “You won.”

“First I bought one ticket and I lost,” Ober explained. “Then I bought another ticket and I lost. Then, I bought a third ticket-”

“And you lost,” Nathan said.

“…and I lost,” Ober repeated. “But then, I bought the fourth magical, wonderful ticket…”

“And you won.”

“…AND I WON!” Ober screamed as everyone in line turned around. “I WON TWENTY BUCKS RIGHT THERE!”

“He has a small chemical imbalance,” Ben explained to the onlookers. “With a little medication, he’ll be fine.”

“You won twenty bucks?” Nathan asked. “What’d you buy us?”

“I didn’t buy you squat,” Ober said. “If you want to make fun of the lottery, you will not reap its rewards.”

“You won twenty bucks and you didn’t buy your friends anything?” Ben asked. “I’m starving here.”

“Me, too,” Eric said. “I’m going to grab a slice of pizza. Does anyone want anything?”

“I’ll take a slice,” Ober said.

“Make it two,” Nathan said.

“Make it three,” Lisa said.

“Ben, do you want a slice?” Eric asked.

“No,” Ben said, looking away. “Thanks.”

When Eric stepped away from the line, Ober tapped Ben on the shoulder. “Don’t be such a hard-ass. He’s trying his best to make up.”

“Too bad,” Ben said. “I’m not ready to make up right now.”

“Just be nice,” Nathan begged. “Even if it’s only for the weekend.”

“Don’t worry,” Ben said. “I’ll be fine.”

“Are you nervous yet?” Ben asked, when the plane landed in Boston.

“A little,” Lisa said, wiping her palms on her jeans.

“You should be,” Ober said. “Because Sheila Addison is about to eat you alive.”

“Did you bring the garlic and the wooden stake?” Nathan asked.

“If you ever feel like there’s a lull in the conversation, just look her straight in the eye and say, ‘Are you my mommy?’ You can always use that in a pinch,” Ben said.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Lisa said.

Shaking his head, Ben said, “Just remember-you wanted to come here. I tried to persuade you to stay home. Therefore, all blood is on your hands.”

“I think I’ll be able to handle it,” Lisa said.

When the plane reached the gate, the narrow aisle filled with people. Ben got up from his seat, but was unable to stand upright in his row. Cocking his head to the right, he crossed his arms and waited impatiently. Directly behind him, Eric was stuck in the same position. “Don’t you just love this?” Eric asked, forcing a laugh.

“Actually, I hate it,” Ben said.

“Listen, can we just pretend it didn’t happen?” Eric asked. “It’ll make for a nicer weekend.”

“No, Eric, we can’t pretend it didn’t happen.” Ben scowled. “No matter how much you want to make it go away, it’s going to be with us for a long while.”

“Why? Why can’t we just start over? I’m sorry already. I’m sorry it happened.”

“You make it sound as if it happened by itself,” Ben said. “But in case you didn’t realize, you’re the one responsible. You did it. Understand?”

“Big deal. I did it-I’ll live with it. Why can’t you?”

Noticing the passengers who started to stare, Ben lowered his voice. “Because I don’t like you anymore. Get that through your damn skull and leave me alone.” As the passengers began to disembark, Ben inched closer toward the aisle. Eventually able to straighten his neck, he stood between Lisa and Nathan.

“What was that all about?” Nathan asked.

“Nothing.” Ben said.

“Is there anything else you forgot to tell me about your family?” Lisa asked.

“Just one thing,” he said, taking a deep breath and smiling at the thought of the coming weekend. “Don’t touch my father’s plate when he’s eating. He’s very territorial.”

“Ben, be serious.”

“You’re on your own, missy. Just keep your head down at all times.”

As they moved through the terminal, Lisa searched the crowd, hoping to identify Ben’s family. Suddenly, a voice screamed out, “Yooohooo! Benjamin! Nathan!”

“Oh, God, it’s Ober’s mom,” Ben whispered to Lisa, nodding in the direction of a frosted-blond head bobbing in the crowd. The woman was frantically waving her hands.

“Be careful,” he said. “She may try to put a scrunchie on you.”

The five friends made their way through the crowds and watched as Ober was enveloped by his mother’s hug. Wearing an extra long purple sweatshirt and a pair of black leggings, Barbara Oberman could barely contain herself. “William! I missed you more than words!” She squeezed Ober with all her might. “Nathan!” she said, moving toward the group of friends. “Eric! Ben!” She wrapped her arms around each one, a human hugging assembly line. “And you must be Lisa,” Ober’s mother said, extending her hand. “You should know that you’re the first girlfriend Ben’s brought home since-what was her name?-Lindsay something.”

“Lindsay Lucas,” Ober sang. “The psycho from Long Island.”

“Whatever happened to her?” Nathan asked.

“Last I heard, she had hurt herself in a terrible Skee-Ball accident,” Ober said.

His face red, Ben interrupted, “Mrs. Oberman, do you know where my dad is?”

“He and your mom are working late,” she said. “I’ll drop you off at home. Nathan, Eric, I told your parents I’d pick you up as well. I have the minivan.” After they retrieved their baggage, the small group walked to the parking lot and loaded their belongings into the podlike cherry-red minivan.

Pulling off at the West Newton exit, the van left the Massachusetts Turnpike and entered suburbia. Armed and stocked with roving rent-a-cops, the community was determined to remain a safe, clean neighborhood, no matter what the cost. As the minivan followed the curving streets, Ben said, “On your left, you can see Dr. MacKenzie’s house-of the Newton MacKenzies. Naturally it’s the biggest house in Newton.”