I Owe You One by Natalie Hyde Page B

should be doing this. Adults like Frank. Or even Daryl.
    I wanted to argue with Frank, but I knew he was right.
    â€œI’m done,” I said.
    â€œWhat?” Zach asked.
    â€œFrank is right. This whole thing is stupid.” I walked out of the shop.
    Zach didn’t come after me. I was kind of glad. I didn’t really feel like talking to anyone.
    A man sees things through, Wes.
    I pushed thoughts of my dad out of my head.

Chapter 14
    The next day was sunny and warm. A perfect summer day. Now that I was free, I wondered what to do first. Game Box? Movies? Checking out dirt bike trails? Just hanging out? It was hard to say. I couldn’t make up my mind, so I headed to Lee’s for some junk food. A heavy dose of sugar would help me decide.
    I didn’t call Zach. The whole life debt nonsense had been his idea, so maybe he was a bit mad at me for blowing it off.
    There was a low rumble under my feet. Daryl. It was pretty far away though. I guess he was trying to keep a low profile.
    A blast of air-conditioning hit me as I went into the store. Mr. Lee was hanging a banner, that read Happy Anniversary .
    â€œWhose anniversary is it?” I asked him.
    â€œOurs,” he said, smiling. “We been here ten years this month.”
    â€œWow. Congratulations.”
    â€œHere, you deserve special deal on chips and pop. One dollar.”
    â€œGreat! But why me?”
    â€œWithout your father, it would not be possible. We would not be here at all.”
    â€œMy dad?”
    â€œSure. He helped me big-time to buy business. The old owner left town without giving us the survey. The bank said we couldn’t get a mortgage without it. Your dad”—he shook his head in admiration— “he tracked down the owner. For weeks. He called his boss, his neighbors. He drove eighty miles away to find him. He never stopped until he found him.”
    I smiled and nodded, but inside, my gut was churning. I left the store, dragging my feet.
    A man never gives up, Wes.
    My dad didn’t just say the words, he lived them. And what was I doing? Running away as soon as things got tough. Pathetic.
    I was so lost in thought that I almost smacked into Zach outside of Lee’s.
    â€œHey, Wes. You okay?”
    Relief washed over me. Zach wasn’t mad.
    I didn’t know where to begin. “Sorry. I kinda snapped yesterday. I just got, you know, frustrated.”
    Zach shrugged. “So, are we still gonna do this?”
    â€œI guess so. I just don’t know how.”
    â€œMaybe this will help.” Zach walked over to the hose by the pumps and jumped on it. The bells chimed.
    He looked up and grinned.
    I didn’t know what to say. My friend had clearly lost his mind.
    â€œGee, that’s great, Zach. Why don’t we get you out of the hot sun?”
    Zach’s only response was to jump on the hose again, still grinning.
    â€œDon’t you get it?” he asked.
    â€œGet what?”
    â€œWhere’d Mr. Lee get the bells for this?”
    â€œUh, the Nice’n Icy truck out back?” I humored him as I tried to steer him into the air-conditioned store.
    â€œYes! The Nice ’n Icy truck that’s REFRIGERATED,” he said triumphantly.
    Of course! A refrigerated truck would keep the snow from melting! Why hadn’t I thought of that?
    â€œAll we need now is a driver,” I said.

    Frank was tinkering with someone’s waffle maker while we sat on his desk trying to solve our new problems, which were a) did the ice-cream truck still run? b) would Mr. Lee let us borrow it? and c) who would drive it all the way to Florida and back?
    There was no way we would be allowed to go. We had both already asked, and we were both told “absolutely not.” I had worked on my mom for over half an hour, but no matter what angle I tried, the answer was the same. Life debt or no life debt, I was not going to Florida. And anyway, I couldn’t drive.
    As we sat