Friend? Elchanan snuck a look in Avi’s direction, just as Avi’s eyes darted to his. He looked as uncomfortable as Elchanan felt

The car was so fancy.

Elchanan looked around, wide-eyed. The pristine, cream leather of the seats; the gentle purr of the engine — nothing like the rattling of his parents’ old Chevy minivan; the built-in navigation system and individual controls for each seat’s A/C and heating.

If it wasn’t for Avi Shine sitting beside him, a stony look in his eye, this could actually be fun.

“The Bordon Road entrance to the forest, let’s see...” Avi’s father pressed a few buttons and scrolled down. “Via the highway... oh, here it is. North Ridge Forest Trails, entrance off Bordon Road, it’s giving us just over an hour’s driving time.” He checked the time, calculating. “That should be fine, as long as there’s no traffic...”

“You sure you have time for this, Ta?” Avi asked, speaking up for the first time. “You have to drive back, too...”

“For you, I always have time,” Mr. Shine said with a smile into the rear-view mirror. “And for your friend, too, of course.”

Friend? Elchanan snuck a look in Avi’s direction, just as Avi’s eyes darted to his. He looked as uncomfortable as Elchanan felt.

“Yeah. Right. Thanks, Ta.” Avi turned his head away, looking out of the window. Elchanan had hoped Avi would sit up front, with his father, but Mr. Shine had signaled them both into the backseat with an expansive gesture, and said, “Go ahead, boys, you sit together back there, I’ll be okay on my own in the front.”

Did Avi’s father think they were friends? Maybe. Elchanan’s father definitely had no idea of the dynamics between the two boys. If he’d been driving them anywhere, he wouldn’t have known any better, either.

But then again, Avi’s father and his own father seemed worlds apart. Elchanan tried to imagine Tatty freeing up over two hours on a regular weekday to drive him and another boy on a class trip. But Tatty never missed seder, and Mommy wouldn’t take off work unless it was an emergency.