not really hungry,” Anna fibbed. She was ravenous, but she’d left what money she had at the diner.
“But you have to have a slice! It’s Moxie!” Benny exclaimed. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you covered.”
Anna watched as Benny strode over to the counter. He chatted for a minute with a guy at the register and waved to someone in the kitchen. They both peered over the counter at Anna, who blushed.
Benny returned a few minutes later carrying a tray with pizza slices and two Cokes. He set it down on a wooden table plastered with bumper stickers.
“Dig in,” Benny said as he picked up his slice.
Anna hesitated. “Were you … going to pay for it?” She didn’t want to end up in another dine-and-ditch situation.
Benny waved a hand. “My aunt and uncle own this place. So I pretty much get to eat for free. My uncle’s the guy in the back throwing the pizza dough. Go on.” He nudged Anna. “It’s best when it’s really hot.”
Anna relaxed and picked up her slice. Strings of molten cheese oozed off the sides. When she took a bite, the cheese burned the roof of her mouth, but she didn’t care because the sauce was tangy and the crust was chewy. Benny was right. It was the best pizza she’d ever had.
While they ate, they laughed at the bumper stickers on the table.
Honk if you like Heron’s Pretzels. Visualize Whirled Peas. What if the Hokey Pokey really IS what it’s all about?
Anna had the feeling that Benny had probably read them all a hundred times before, but he still laughed every time she pointed out a funny one.
“That one’s mine,” Benny said, pointing to a sticker that read
Go Hounds! 2010 Junior Hockey League Champions.
“You play hockey?” Anna asked. “I didn’t know there was a team at school.”
“There isn’t,” Benny told her. “I play in a club league. Two-time champs! Put ‘er there!” He held up his hand so Anna could slap a high five.
“Practice starts next week for this season,” Benny told her. “Man, I can’t wait! Sometimes in the summer, when the ice rink shuts down, I ride my bike over anyway, just to imagine being out on the ice again.” Benny glanced at Anna with an embarrassed smile. “I guess that sounds kind of dumb, huh?”
Anna smiled and shook her head. She’d been thinking how different Benny seemed. At school he was such a goofball. But when he was talking about hockey he sounded so sincere.
There are so many things about a person you can’t tell just by looking at them,
she thought.
“Speaking of hockey,” Benny said, glancing toward the air hockey table, “I think we’re up.”
“Uh-uh. No way,” said Anna. “I’m not ready to go up against a professional.”
Benny took her hand and pulled her to her feet. “Come on,” he said. “Sometimes you just gotta be brave.”
They played three rounds of air hockey. Benny goofed around a lot, trying to make shots behind his back, and he cheered whenever Anna scored a goal. After that, they played pinball and Anna beat him. She played his friend Eamonn and beat him, too. Even though Benny said he didn’t like pinball, she could tell he was having a good time, because he kept calling “Rematch!” and putting more quarters in the machine.
By the time Anna remembered to call home it was after five o’clock. Benny listened with a sympathetic look on his face while she apologized to her mom half a dozen times for not calling sooner.
“I have to go home,” Anna said when she’d hung up. “She’s pretty mad. I promised her I’d get the bus right now.”
“You’re too late for the school bus. And the city bus will take forever,” Benny said. “I’ll give you a ride.”
“Your uncle can give me a lift?” Anna asked, relieved.
“Who needs him? I’ve got my own wheels,” Benny replied.
Anna gaped at him. “You have a car?”
Benny laughed. “Yeah, that’s right. My Benz. Come on.”
He said good-bye to his friends and led the way outside. In front of the building was
“But you have to have a slice! It’s Moxie!” Benny exclaimed. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you covered.”
Anna watched as Benny strode over to the counter. He chatted for a minute with a guy at the register and waved to someone in the kitchen. They both peered over the counter at Anna, who blushed.
Benny returned a few minutes later carrying a tray with pizza slices and two Cokes. He set it down on a wooden table plastered with bumper stickers.
“Dig in,” Benny said as he picked up his slice.
Anna hesitated. “Were you … going to pay for it?” She didn’t want to end up in another dine-and-ditch situation.
Benny waved a hand. “My aunt and uncle own this place. So I pretty much get to eat for free. My uncle’s the guy in the back throwing the pizza dough. Go on.” He nudged Anna. “It’s best when it’s really hot.”
Anna relaxed and picked up her slice. Strings of molten cheese oozed off the sides. When she took a bite, the cheese burned the roof of her mouth, but she didn’t care because the sauce was tangy and the crust was chewy. Benny was right. It was the best pizza she’d ever had.
While they ate, they laughed at the bumper stickers on the table.
Honk if you like Heron’s Pretzels. Visualize Whirled Peas. What if the Hokey Pokey really IS what it’s all about?
Anna had the feeling that Benny had probably read them all a hundred times before, but he still laughed every time she pointed out a funny one.
“That one’s mine,” Benny said, pointing to a sticker that read
Go Hounds! 2010 Junior Hockey League Champions.
“You play hockey?” Anna asked. “I didn’t know there was a team at school.”
“There isn’t,” Benny told her. “I play in a club league. Two-time champs! Put ‘er there!” He held up his hand so Anna could slap a high five.
“Practice starts next week for this season,” Benny told her. “Man, I can’t wait! Sometimes in the summer, when the ice rink shuts down, I ride my bike over anyway, just to imagine being out on the ice again.” Benny glanced at Anna with an embarrassed smile. “I guess that sounds kind of dumb, huh?”
Anna smiled and shook her head. She’d been thinking how different Benny seemed. At school he was such a goofball. But when he was talking about hockey he sounded so sincere.
There are so many things about a person you can’t tell just by looking at them,
she thought.
“Speaking of hockey,” Benny said, glancing toward the air hockey table, “I think we’re up.”
“Uh-uh. No way,” said Anna. “I’m not ready to go up against a professional.”
Benny took her hand and pulled her to her feet. “Come on,” he said. “Sometimes you just gotta be brave.”
They played three rounds of air hockey. Benny goofed around a lot, trying to make shots behind his back, and he cheered whenever Anna scored a goal. After that, they played pinball and Anna beat him. She played his friend Eamonn and beat him, too. Even though Benny said he didn’t like pinball, she could tell he was having a good time, because he kept calling “Rematch!” and putting more quarters in the machine.
By the time Anna remembered to call home it was after five o’clock. Benny listened with a sympathetic look on his face while she apologized to her mom half a dozen times for not calling sooner.
“I have to go home,” Anna said when she’d hung up. “She’s pretty mad. I promised her I’d get the bus right now.”
“You’re too late for the school bus. And the city bus will take forever,” Benny said. “I’ll give you a ride.”
“Your uncle can give me a lift?” Anna asked, relieved.
“Who needs him? I’ve got my own wheels,” Benny replied.
Anna gaped at him. “You have a car?”
Benny laughed. “Yeah, that’s right. My Benz. Come on.”
He said good-bye to his friends and led the way outside. In front of the building was
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