Also,Idon’tsleep,becauseMaxdidn’timaginethatIneededsleep.SoIhavemoretimetolearn.AndIdon’tspendallmytimewithMax,soI’velearnedlotsofthingsthatMaxhasneverseenorheardbefore.Afterhegoestobed,IsitinthelivingroomorthekitchenwithMax’sparents.WewatchtelevisionorIjustlistentothemtalk.SometimesIgoplaces.Igotothegasstationthatnevercloses,becausemyfavoritepeopleintheworld,exceptforMaxandhisparentsandMrsGosk,arethere.OrIgotoDoogieshot-dogrestaurantalittlewaysdowntheroadortothepolicestationortothehospital(exceptIdon’tgotothehospitalanymorebecauseOswaldisthereandhescaresme).Andwhenweareinschool,Isometimesgototheteachers’loungeoranotherclassroom,andsometimesIevengototheprincipal’soffice,justtolistentowhat’sgoingon.IamnotsmarterthanMax,butIknowalotmorethanhimjustbecauseIamawakemoreandgoplacesthatMaxcan’t.Thisisgood.SometimesIcanhelpMaxwhenhedoesn’tunderstandsomethingsowell.LikelastweekMaxcouldn’topenajarofjellytomakeapeanutbutterandjellysandwich.‘Budo!’hesaid.‘Ican’topenit.’‘Sureyoucan,’Isaid.‘Turnittheotherway.Leftyloosy.Rightytighty.’ThatissomethingIhearMax’smomsaytoherselfsometimesbeforesheopensajar.Itworked.Maxopenedthejar.Buthewassoexcitedthathedroppeditonthetilefloor,smashingitintoamillionpieces.TheworldcanbesocomplicatedforMax.Evenwhenhegetssomethingright,itcanstillgowrong

Iamluckyasimaginaryfriendsgo.Ihavebeenaliveforalotlongerthanmost.IonceknewanimaginaryfriendnamedPhilippe.HewastheimaginaryfriendofoneofMax’sclassmatesinpreschool.Helastedlessthanaweek.Onedayhepoppedintotheworld,lookingprettyhumanexceptforhislackofears(lotsofimaginaryfriendslackears),andthenafewdayslater,hewasgone.I’malsoluckythatMaxhasagreatimagination.IonceknewanimaginaryfriendnamedChompwhowasjustaspotonthewall.Justafuzzy,blackblobwithoutanyrealshapeatall.Chompcouldtalkandsortofslideupanddownthewall,buthewastwo-dimensionallikeapieceofpaper,sohecouldneverpryhimselfoff.Hedidn’thavearmsandlegslikeme.Hedidn’tevenhaveaface.Imaginaryfriendsgettheirappearancefromtheirhumanfriend’simagination.Maxisaverycreativeboy,andsoIhavetwoarms,twolegs,andaface.I’mnotmissingasinglebodypartandthatmakesmeararityintheworldofimaginaryfriends.Mostimaginaryfriendsaremissingsomethingorotherandsomedon’tevenlookhumanatall.LikeChomp.Toomuchimaginationcanbebad,though.IoncemetanimaginaryfriendnamedPterodactylwhoseeyeswerestuckontheendsofthesetwogangly,greenantennas.Hishumanfriendprobablythoughttheylookedcool,butpoorPterodactylcouldn’tfocusonanythingtosavehislife.Hetoldmethatheconstantlyfeltsicktohisstomachandwasalwaystrippingoverhisownfeet,whichwerejustfuzzyshadowsattachedtohislegs.HishumanfriendwassoobsessedwithPterodactyl’sheadandthoseeyesthathehadneverbotheredtothinkaboutanythingbelowPterodactyl’swaist.Thisisnotunusual

HereiswhatIknow:MynameisBudo.Ihavebeenaliveforfiveyears.Fiveyearsisaverylongtimeforsomeonelikemetobealive.Maxgavememyname.Maxistheonlyhumanpersonwhocanseeme.Max’sparentscallmeanimaginaryfriend.IloveMax’steacher,MrsGosk.IdonotlikeMax’sotherteacher,MrsPatterson.Iamnotimaginary