Ernie and Genie go to Tess’s house so Ernie can spend time with her and Genie can use the computer at her house. They meet Tess’s mom, a hypochondriac who wears a face mask and gloves in the house and insists that Tess wipe down everything that the boys touch. The house’s furniture is covered in plastic sheets so that germs don’t get on it. Tess’s mom alludes to the fact that Tess likes Ernie, embarrassing her.

The three kids fall into a routine together over the next week: After their chores, Genie and Ernie go to Tess’s house, where Genie looks up the answers to the questions in his notebook while Ernie and Tess talk and spend time together. In the evenings, Tess often comes up to the boys’ grandparents’ house to spend more time with Ernie while Genie helps Brooke take care of the caged birds and plants in the sunroom.  

Before Genie and Ernie leave to go with their grandmother to the flea market where she sells her garden peas, Genie feeds Brooke’s birds. He runs out of dead flies before he finishes feeding the last one, so takes Brooke’s apple seed can and feeds it some seeds.