as he watched Ben crying at the sink. Mike was still angry that Ben had stolen Sam’s bike, but mixed with anger was a new emotion—pity.
Mike leaned into the wall as Ben’s father stormed into the kitchen, coming within inches of crashing into Mike. Mike gasped and then put a hand over his own mouth.
Ben’s father hovered over Ben at the sink. “You crying? You crying? Get rid of those sniffles. What are you, a girl?” taunted Ben’s father.
“I just wanted to watch TV with you,” said Ben through tears.
“I just wanted to watch TV with you,” Ben’s father mocked. “Grow up. You think I watched TV when I was your age? Huh? No! I learned how to be a man. Now get the dishes done!” Ben’s father grabbed another beer from the fridge and headed past Mike and back to the living room.
Mike remained frozen against the wall, watching Ben continue with the dishes, intermittently wiping his eyes. When Mike finally got the courage to move, he opened the door in the kitchen that led to the garage and slid inside.
In the garage, Mike quickly located Sam’s bike and maneuvered to the side door. He paused at the door, listening to Ben’s father yell at Ben once again. Mike unlocked the side door and quietly slid the bike outside. He frowned all the way home.
14
LAURA POPPED HER head inside Amy’s bedroom.
“Any sign of Mike?” asked Laura.
“He’s in his room. I think he’s sleeping,” said Amy, pretending to work on homework.
“Really?”
“Yeah, I think he was really tired.”
Laura scrunched her brow and headed out of Amy’s room, down the hall, and into Mike’s room.
The inside of Mike’s room was dark. The curtains were closed, and she could see the outline of Mike sleeping under the covers on the top bunk. She shook her head, feeling foolish for doubting her children. “Goodnight, sweetie,” she said. She backed out of the room and closed the door to a crack.
On top of Mike’s bed there was indeed a lump and a face that looked remarkably like Mike’s. Of course, this lump wasn’t breathing, and the proportions weren’t exactly correct. But Amy’s “Mike doll” had done the trick.
Sam stood at the kitchen sink. The warm, sudsy dishwater felt relaxing on Sam’s forearms. Sam’s mother, Kathy, strolled into the kitchen and held up a saucer for inspection.
“Let’s see. Great job, Sammy. Thanks so much for doing this for me. It means a lot to me,” said Kathy.
“It’s okay, Mom,” said Sam. “Mom?”
“What is it?”
“I left my bike over at Mike and Amy’s house.”
“Okay, well, we’ll just get it tomorrow.”
“No. I really need to get it tonight.”
“Sam, it’s past dark. I’ll drive you over if you have to have it.”
“No, Mom, I want to walk so I can ride it back. I’ll take Buster. It’s not that far.”
“But at night? You know I don’t want you out past dark.”
“I’ll be really careful.”
Kathy thought about it. “All right, but just tonight. And you take Buster along with you.”
Sam smiled and nodded. “I promise.”
Sam walked out of the front of his house with Buster, a massive German Shepherd who was currently nipping at his leash. Sam waved goodbye and tried not to notice the worried look on Kathy’s face. He understood her concern about the dark, but then his thoughts shifted to her other worries—namely, Grandma. Why didn’t his mom want him to see his own grandmother?
Sam was jolted out of his thoughts by a rush of wind accompanied by what sounded like, “Look out!” He looked behind and saw his bike moving down the street, pedals pumping, wheels turning rapidly. The bike skidded on the loose gravel on the shoulder of the road and tipped over with a loud crash.
“Mike?” Sam called out to the air.
“Yeah. Here’s your bike,” said Mike’s voice, sounding more than a little dazed.
“Mike, I can’t see you,” said Sam.
“Oh, crap, I forgot.” Mike appeared as he pulled off his red shirt. His torso was
Mike leaned into the wall as Ben’s father stormed into the kitchen, coming within inches of crashing into Mike. Mike gasped and then put a hand over his own mouth.
Ben’s father hovered over Ben at the sink. “You crying? You crying? Get rid of those sniffles. What are you, a girl?” taunted Ben’s father.
“I just wanted to watch TV with you,” said Ben through tears.
“I just wanted to watch TV with you,” Ben’s father mocked. “Grow up. You think I watched TV when I was your age? Huh? No! I learned how to be a man. Now get the dishes done!” Ben’s father grabbed another beer from the fridge and headed past Mike and back to the living room.
Mike remained frozen against the wall, watching Ben continue with the dishes, intermittently wiping his eyes. When Mike finally got the courage to move, he opened the door in the kitchen that led to the garage and slid inside.
In the garage, Mike quickly located Sam’s bike and maneuvered to the side door. He paused at the door, listening to Ben’s father yell at Ben once again. Mike unlocked the side door and quietly slid the bike outside. He frowned all the way home.
14
LAURA POPPED HER head inside Amy’s bedroom.
“Any sign of Mike?” asked Laura.
“He’s in his room. I think he’s sleeping,” said Amy, pretending to work on homework.
“Really?”
“Yeah, I think he was really tired.”
Laura scrunched her brow and headed out of Amy’s room, down the hall, and into Mike’s room.
The inside of Mike’s room was dark. The curtains were closed, and she could see the outline of Mike sleeping under the covers on the top bunk. She shook her head, feeling foolish for doubting her children. “Goodnight, sweetie,” she said. She backed out of the room and closed the door to a crack.
On top of Mike’s bed there was indeed a lump and a face that looked remarkably like Mike’s. Of course, this lump wasn’t breathing, and the proportions weren’t exactly correct. But Amy’s “Mike doll” had done the trick.
Sam stood at the kitchen sink. The warm, sudsy dishwater felt relaxing on Sam’s forearms. Sam’s mother, Kathy, strolled into the kitchen and held up a saucer for inspection.
“Let’s see. Great job, Sammy. Thanks so much for doing this for me. It means a lot to me,” said Kathy.
“It’s okay, Mom,” said Sam. “Mom?”
“What is it?”
“I left my bike over at Mike and Amy’s house.”
“Okay, well, we’ll just get it tomorrow.”
“No. I really need to get it tonight.”
“Sam, it’s past dark. I’ll drive you over if you have to have it.”
“No, Mom, I want to walk so I can ride it back. I’ll take Buster. It’s not that far.”
“But at night? You know I don’t want you out past dark.”
“I’ll be really careful.”
Kathy thought about it. “All right, but just tonight. And you take Buster along with you.”
Sam smiled and nodded. “I promise.”
Sam walked out of the front of his house with Buster, a massive German Shepherd who was currently nipping at his leash. Sam waved goodbye and tried not to notice the worried look on Kathy’s face. He understood her concern about the dark, but then his thoughts shifted to her other worries—namely, Grandma. Why didn’t his mom want him to see his own grandmother?
Sam was jolted out of his thoughts by a rush of wind accompanied by what sounded like, “Look out!” He looked behind and saw his bike moving down the street, pedals pumping, wheels turning rapidly. The bike skidded on the loose gravel on the shoulder of the road and tipped over with a loud crash.
“Mike?” Sam called out to the air.
“Yeah. Here’s your bike,” said Mike’s voice, sounding more than a little dazed.
“Mike, I can’t see you,” said Sam.
“Oh, crap, I forgot.” Mike appeared as he pulled off his red shirt. His torso was
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