can be Jeffrey’s mom, Mrs. T-D-M—”
“I thought she was Mrs. Tifton now.” After Jeffrey’s mother had divorced the husband after Dexter, Mr. Menduzio, the Penderwicks had decided it was simpler to stick with calling her Mrs. Tifton, no matter how many more times she got married and divorced.
“You’re right. Horrid woman. Okay, so the Romulan is Mrs. Tifton, and you’ve got Dexter, so thisDalek can be Menduzio.” She smashed the Dalek into the Romulan. “Exterminate! Exterminate!”
“Mercy, mercy!” shrieked Ben, tossing Dexter into the fray.
“No mercy for you, horrible parent and stepparents,” said Skye.
“Blam, blast, boom, blom!”
“I’m melting! Melting!”
Skye put down her now quite defeated figures.
“So, Ben,” she said. “You’re a boy.”
“Yes,” he answered warily. It didn’t seem like a good way for the conversation to go.
“And you have friends who are girls, right? Like Remy?”
“That was a hundred years ago.”
“Well, if she were still your friend, would you make the mistake of wanting to move past friendship and into romance?”
Ben was confused. Skye usually made more sense than this. “Are you wanting to be romantic about Nick?” he asked tentatively.
“Nick! Good grief, no!”
“Then what are you talking about?”
“Let me put it another way,” said Skye. “Jeffrey’s getting all weird and talking about wanting me to be his girlfriend.”
“Oh. That is weird.”
“So I told him not to come this weekend.”
“Not come
here
?” Ben couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Jeffrey was an honorary Penderwick,always welcome at their house. Plus, there was that Celtics T-shirt he’d promised to bring Ben.
“Only for this weekend, so that he has time to get sensible again. I said he could visit for my birthday. That’s only two weeks from now—not too long, right?”
“I guess not.” He turned the rotors on his Black Hawk. “So you’re not going to make him disappear like Rosalind did with Tommy?”
“Rosalind didn’t—”
“Yes, she did, Skye.” Tommy Geiger had been Rosalind’s boyfriend for years and years and then suddenly wasn’t anymore when they went to college. Batty had tried to explain it to Ben—something about new beginnings and exploring options—but none of it had made sense to him. “Tommy didn’t even come over to see us when he was home at Christmas. And I wanted to show him my presents. I
always
show him my presents.”
“Okay, she sort of did, but it wasn’t all her fault. They decided together that they needed a break. Anyway, I figure they’ll get back together one of these days. And I’m not breaking up with Jeffrey—I’m wisely keeping us from getting together in the first place. It’s completely different from Rosalind and Tommy.” Skye picked up the Dalek and squeezed it mercilessly. “I just don’t want a boyfriend right now. I want to get out of high school and go to college and learn, learn, learn, and soak up the universe. I wish you understood.”
“Well, I don’t want a girlfriend, but not just now. Never.”
Which meant he did understand that part, but not about soaking up the universe.
“Thank you, that’s a help, anyway. If you won’t do soccer with me, I’m going to take a long bike ride to think. Will you tell everyone about Jeffrey not coming? I can’t tell Jane because she’s still asleep, and I can’t tell Dad or Iantha because they’ll get all concerned and make me feel awful.”
“But I’m busy!” protested Ben. It was times like this when he most wished he had brothers. Or if he couldn’t have actual brothers, that Nick, Tommy, and Jeffrey would stay where they could do the most good—on Gardam Street with Ben.
“Please.”
“Oh, all right.” It was hard for him to refuse Skye when she lowered her dignity enough to say please. “But you have to tell Batty.”
“Why can’t you tell her, too?”
“Because she’s looking forward to him coming the
“I thought she was Mrs. Tifton now.” After Jeffrey’s mother had divorced the husband after Dexter, Mr. Menduzio, the Penderwicks had decided it was simpler to stick with calling her Mrs. Tifton, no matter how many more times she got married and divorced.
“You’re right. Horrid woman. Okay, so the Romulan is Mrs. Tifton, and you’ve got Dexter, so thisDalek can be Menduzio.” She smashed the Dalek into the Romulan. “Exterminate! Exterminate!”
“Mercy, mercy!” shrieked Ben, tossing Dexter into the fray.
“No mercy for you, horrible parent and stepparents,” said Skye.
“Blam, blast, boom, blom!”
“I’m melting! Melting!”
Skye put down her now quite defeated figures.
“So, Ben,” she said. “You’re a boy.”
“Yes,” he answered warily. It didn’t seem like a good way for the conversation to go.
“And you have friends who are girls, right? Like Remy?”
“That was a hundred years ago.”
“Well, if she were still your friend, would you make the mistake of wanting to move past friendship and into romance?”
Ben was confused. Skye usually made more sense than this. “Are you wanting to be romantic about Nick?” he asked tentatively.
“Nick! Good grief, no!”
“Then what are you talking about?”
“Let me put it another way,” said Skye. “Jeffrey’s getting all weird and talking about wanting me to be his girlfriend.”
“Oh. That is weird.”
“So I told him not to come this weekend.”
“Not come
here
?” Ben couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Jeffrey was an honorary Penderwick,always welcome at their house. Plus, there was that Celtics T-shirt he’d promised to bring Ben.
“Only for this weekend, so that he has time to get sensible again. I said he could visit for my birthday. That’s only two weeks from now—not too long, right?”
“I guess not.” He turned the rotors on his Black Hawk. “So you’re not going to make him disappear like Rosalind did with Tommy?”
“Rosalind didn’t—”
“Yes, she did, Skye.” Tommy Geiger had been Rosalind’s boyfriend for years and years and then suddenly wasn’t anymore when they went to college. Batty had tried to explain it to Ben—something about new beginnings and exploring options—but none of it had made sense to him. “Tommy didn’t even come over to see us when he was home at Christmas. And I wanted to show him my presents. I
always
show him my presents.”
“Okay, she sort of did, but it wasn’t all her fault. They decided together that they needed a break. Anyway, I figure they’ll get back together one of these days. And I’m not breaking up with Jeffrey—I’m wisely keeping us from getting together in the first place. It’s completely different from Rosalind and Tommy.” Skye picked up the Dalek and squeezed it mercilessly. “I just don’t want a boyfriend right now. I want to get out of high school and go to college and learn, learn, learn, and soak up the universe. I wish you understood.”
“Well, I don’t want a girlfriend, but not just now. Never.”
Which meant he did understand that part, but not about soaking up the universe.
“Thank you, that’s a help, anyway. If you won’t do soccer with me, I’m going to take a long bike ride to think. Will you tell everyone about Jeffrey not coming? I can’t tell Jane because she’s still asleep, and I can’t tell Dad or Iantha because they’ll get all concerned and make me feel awful.”
“But I’m busy!” protested Ben. It was times like this when he most wished he had brothers. Or if he couldn’t have actual brothers, that Nick, Tommy, and Jeffrey would stay where they could do the most good—on Gardam Street with Ben.
“Please.”
“Oh, all right.” It was hard for him to refuse Skye when she lowered her dignity enough to say please. “But you have to tell Batty.”
“Why can’t you tell her, too?”
“Because she’s looking forward to him coming the
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