Catboy by Eric Walters

somebody be both?”
    â€œThen let’s go,” she agreed.
    I said my goodbyes to the guys and we started off.
    â€œSure you don’t want me along?” Simon yelled. “I don’t eat much!”
    My mother laughed, and it made me smile. I took one of the bags from her.
    â€œHow was school today?” she asked.
    â€œNot bad. Actually it was muy bien . At least, that’s what I’d say if I was talking to somebody who was Spanish,” I said.
    â€œ Très bien is what I’d say back to somebody who was French,” she said.
    â€œMr. Spence likes when we try different languages.”
    My mother went to put her key in the lobby door of our apartment building, but I pulled it open.
    â€œIt’s busted again,” I said.
    â€œSo much for security. Would it be too much to ask that we could have that fixed? But enough complaining. So this Mr. Spence seems like a pretty good teacher,” she said.
    â€œHe’s pretty cool. Do you know any Gaelic?” I asked.
    â€œGaelic? Where is that coming from?”
    â€œFrom our heritage. I’d like to add Gaelic to our heritage wall in the class.”
    â€œI’ll see what I can do. Have you tried the Internet?” she asked.
    â€œNot yet. I thought I’d try the Inter-mom first.”
    We stopped at the elevator. Somebody had added more graffiti to the wall. My mother shook her head. I knew what she thought about that.
    â€œDevon really doesn’t like the graffiti either,” I said. “He thinks they should kick people out of the building for doing things like that.”
    â€œDevon is a smart boy.”
    â€œHe says it’s disrespectful to everybody in the building,” I said.
    The elevator door opened to our floor, one inch too low. We stepped up to the corridor.
    â€œThat’s nice you’re getting to know new people, especially so many nice people,” she said.
    She unlocked the door to our apartment, and we stepped inside.
    â€œSo what’s the news?” I asked.
    â€œLet’s wait until dinner, when we can have a sit-down discussion.”
    â€œLet’s not. You can’t start telling me something and then stop and make me wait. That’s not fair.”
    She nodded her head. “You’re right. I’ll tell you. I was offered a promotion at work today.”
    â€œThat’s wonderful!” I gave her a big hug.
    â€œIt’s more responsibility and more money. Not a fortune, but a nice little raise.”
    â€œThat’s even better. To get a promotion after only being there three months is really something,” I said.
    She laughed. “Sometimes you act as if you’re the parent. I told my boss I’d let him know my decision tomorrow.”
    â€œWhat’s to decide? Don’t you want the job?”
    â€œThat’s what we have to discuss. The promotion means I’ll be working two evenings a week and every second Saturday morning.”
    â€œSo?”
    â€œSo, I’m not sure I should be leaving you alone more than I already do. It’s not fair to you.”
    â€œLook, I’m not a baby. There’s nothing to discuss. Didn’t we move here so you could have a job with more chances of a promotion?”
    â€œWell…”
    â€œThen wouldn’t it be crazy for you not to take the job?” I asked.
    She smiled.
    â€œTake the job. We can use the money, and you deserve the promotion.”
    She looked at me thoughtfully. “How old are you again?”
    â€œTwenty-seven on my next birthday,” I said with a grin. “And that makes me old enough to know what the right thing to do is. Tell them tomorrow that you’ll take the job.”
    â€œOkay, I’ll tell them and—” She stopped as she saw that the table was already set. “Thank you. That is very considerate.”
    â€œDon’t I always set the table?” I asked.
    â€œYou do, but it’s still