I am your coach,” Graham said. “Which brings me to rule number five: Attend your maturation program and learn as much as possible about being manly.”
“Yeah, although I still wish I didn’t have to hear about all of that stuff sitting next to my dad,” I said.
“Not me. I want to find out exactly when I’m going to start shaving and being mature,” Graham said.
“How are they going to know?” I said. “They can’t tell you when.”
“Well, they definitely know more than I know,” Graham said.
Later that day, after school, Diane invited me and Graham to come over to her house to jump on her trampoline with her and Heidi. Graham told me this would be a great time to practice my manly skills of talking to Heidi more. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you get started,” he promised.
When we got to Diane’s house, I called my mom and told her where I was. Then I ran back outside, where Graham and the girls were already jumping.
“So, Heidi,” Graham said, “Raymond wants to talk to you about something.” He looked at me as if to say, Go ahead, that was your cue . Everyone stopped jumping and stared at me.
“I do?” I asked, turning to Graham. He slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand.
“Yes, you do. . . . Remember?” he said, trying to get me started, but I couldn’t think of anything to say. I stood there straining my brain trying to think of something.
“Well, it must have been really important,” Heidi said, starting to jump around again. Graham gave up on me and started his own conversation.
“Is everyone as excited as me about becoming mature on Friday?” Graham asked proudly.
“Yeah, I’m sure you’re going to walk into the maturation program a scrawny little kid and leave an hour later a man.” Heidi laughed as she bounced over Graham, who was lying down in the middle of the trampoline. I was sitting on the side by the springs, taking my shoes off.
“Right,” Diane said, following Heidi and jumping over Graham. “You’re going to need a lot more than a maturation program to become a man.”
“Oh, yeah? Well, I’m more mature than you guys,” Graham said.
“You? You’re only about half as tall as me,” Diane said, looking down at Graham.
“But I’m twice as tough,” Graham answered back, standing up.
“Oh, yeah? Prove it,” Diane said, pushing him in the chest. They both started jumping around trying to knock each other down. After being thrown down five times in a row, Graham just lay there and yelled, “You win! I give up!”
Heidi jumped up and grabbed Diane’s hand and lifted it high in the air. “And the new mature champion of the fourth grade is . . . Diane Dunstin!”
We all cheered and laughed, even Graham. Diane took a bow. Then we got up and all started jumping together. At four thirty, I had to leave. Graham left with me. As we walked down the sidewalk, I turned to him and said, “Diane really got you good. Maybe she should be my manly coach instead of you.”
Graham looked at me. I tried to keep a straight face, but I started to laugh. Graham just shook his head. “I could have taken her down if I’d wanted.”
“Right. See you tomorrow, hermano ,” I said as we got to Graham’s driveway.
9
Late Bloomers
WHEN I GOT to my house, I showed my mom the maturation-program invitation.
“Oh, how wonderful, my baby is growing up.” There it was again. Baby .
“Mom, do you really think I’m a baby?” I asked.
“You’ll always be my baby,” she answered, pulling me close and giving me a hug. That wasn’t what I’d wanted to hear.
“No, that’s not what I mean,” I said. My mom looked down at me.
“What’s the matter? Aren’t you excited about your maturation program?”
“No. I don’t really want to go,” I said.
“Of course you do, sweetie,” she said. “I went with your sister, and it will be nice to go with your father. After all, you will be maturing soon.”
“Mom! Don’t say that!” I
“Yeah, although I still wish I didn’t have to hear about all of that stuff sitting next to my dad,” I said.
“Not me. I want to find out exactly when I’m going to start shaving and being mature,” Graham said.
“How are they going to know?” I said. “They can’t tell you when.”
“Well, they definitely know more than I know,” Graham said.
Later that day, after school, Diane invited me and Graham to come over to her house to jump on her trampoline with her and Heidi. Graham told me this would be a great time to practice my manly skills of talking to Heidi more. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you get started,” he promised.
When we got to Diane’s house, I called my mom and told her where I was. Then I ran back outside, where Graham and the girls were already jumping.
“So, Heidi,” Graham said, “Raymond wants to talk to you about something.” He looked at me as if to say, Go ahead, that was your cue . Everyone stopped jumping and stared at me.
“I do?” I asked, turning to Graham. He slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand.
“Yes, you do. . . . Remember?” he said, trying to get me started, but I couldn’t think of anything to say. I stood there straining my brain trying to think of something.
“Well, it must have been really important,” Heidi said, starting to jump around again. Graham gave up on me and started his own conversation.
“Is everyone as excited as me about becoming mature on Friday?” Graham asked proudly.
“Yeah, I’m sure you’re going to walk into the maturation program a scrawny little kid and leave an hour later a man.” Heidi laughed as she bounced over Graham, who was lying down in the middle of the trampoline. I was sitting on the side by the springs, taking my shoes off.
“Right,” Diane said, following Heidi and jumping over Graham. “You’re going to need a lot more than a maturation program to become a man.”
“Oh, yeah? Well, I’m more mature than you guys,” Graham said.
“You? You’re only about half as tall as me,” Diane said, looking down at Graham.
“But I’m twice as tough,” Graham answered back, standing up.
“Oh, yeah? Prove it,” Diane said, pushing him in the chest. They both started jumping around trying to knock each other down. After being thrown down five times in a row, Graham just lay there and yelled, “You win! I give up!”
Heidi jumped up and grabbed Diane’s hand and lifted it high in the air. “And the new mature champion of the fourth grade is . . . Diane Dunstin!”
We all cheered and laughed, even Graham. Diane took a bow. Then we got up and all started jumping together. At four thirty, I had to leave. Graham left with me. As we walked down the sidewalk, I turned to him and said, “Diane really got you good. Maybe she should be my manly coach instead of you.”
Graham looked at me. I tried to keep a straight face, but I started to laugh. Graham just shook his head. “I could have taken her down if I’d wanted.”
“Right. See you tomorrow, hermano ,” I said as we got to Graham’s driveway.
9
Late Bloomers
WHEN I GOT to my house, I showed my mom the maturation-program invitation.
“Oh, how wonderful, my baby is growing up.” There it was again. Baby .
“Mom, do you really think I’m a baby?” I asked.
“You’ll always be my baby,” she answered, pulling me close and giving me a hug. That wasn’t what I’d wanted to hear.
“No, that’s not what I mean,” I said. My mom looked down at me.
“What’s the matter? Aren’t you excited about your maturation program?”
“No. I don’t really want to go,” I said.
“Of course you do, sweetie,” she said. “I went with your sister, and it will be nice to go with your father. After all, you will be maturing soon.”
“Mom! Don’t say that!” I
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