Maxed Out (5 page)

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.”

“Forget about it.” He lets out another burp and then hangs up.

At bedtime I can't sleep. The day's events play over and over in my head. I turn my light on and head downstairs for a snack. When I slip past Duncan's room, I notice the tv is still on. He looks fast asleep. I tiptoe in and turn it off.

“I'm still watching,” comes a voice from underneath the blankets.

“Jeez, you scared me!” I whirl around. “Don't do that to me!” I turn the tv back on and close the door.

I sit down at the kitchen table with a bowl of cereal. The hum of the fridge and the
tick-tock
of the kitchen clock keep me company. Everything is fine until I think of Mom and what she was saying earlier.
I can't do this anymore…
My stomach tightens, and I've lost my appetite. What did she mean by that? And then I remember all the stuff I said to her. I'm just like Duncan—blurting out things I should keep inside.

Chapter Ten

The next morning I grab the money jar from the cupboard and dump loose change onto the counter. There's enough for my lunch. Duncan is a different story. The only sandwich he'll eat is cheese slices with mayonnaise and ketchup. It's gross when the ketchup drips out the sides, but Duncan loves them. I grab the last two cheese slices, throw the wrappers in the garbage and slap it together.

Mouse slips out the back door when we leave for school. When we pass Mr. Cooper's house, he's picking up his morning paper from the middle of his driveway. We stop to say hi.

He stands up and gives his pants a yank. “Hi, Max. Hey there, Spider-Man. How's your arm?”

Duncan's face beams when Mr. Cooper calls him Spider-Man. He then blows it by saying, “I saw your bum. You need a belt.”

I feel my face get red. Mr. Cooper acts as though he doesn't hear Duncan. “I hope that shiner of an eye doesn't hurt too badly there, Max.”

“Nah, it's alright,” I say.

When we're out of earshot, I say, “Jeez, Duncan, you don't have to say everything you're thinking.”

When we get to the path that leads through the woods, I take a different route. It's a few minutes longer, which is why we never use it.

But I have to now. I can't take the chance we'll run into Cody.

Duncan follows me and then stops a few feet into it. “This isn't my path.” He turns around to go back.

“We're trying out a new one today,” I say. “Come on. It will be fun. I promise.”

Duncan looks at me like I've got two heads. He starts walking back. I have to think of something quick. If only I could tell him this is for his own good, but he won't understand. So I do the only thing I can think of.

“Batman,” I say into my hand like
he
normally does. “We're on an adventure. Come on, there's no time to waste.”

Duncan grins and says, “Okay, Robin. I'm coming.”

We talk back and forth the entire time. In a weird way, it's fun—and it takes my mind off what might happen if we run into Cody.

Ian comes up to my locker before music class with a big grin on his face. “Lilly will do it!”

“She will?” I ask.

“I be the man. You can thank me later. I'm late for science. Gotta go.”

On the way to music class, I notice Lilly and Duncan taking papers to the office. “Hi, Max,” she says when I get closer.

“That's my brother,” Duncan says pointing toward me.

Lilly smiles.

“Is Lilly your buddy this month?” I ask Duncan.

“She's Mary Jane,” Duncan says and then giggles. “She's my girlfriend.”

“He's a riot,” she whispers. “I guess we'll talk later about things.”

“I'm not a riot. I'm Spider-Man.” He stretches his hand out and spreads his fingers.

“You didn't tell Lilly that you have supersonic hearing did you, Spider-Man?” I say.

“Lilly, I have supersonic hearing,” says Duncan.

“Let's move it along.” Mr. G., the music teacher, says from the doorway of music class. The squeaking and squawking of clarinets and trumpets warming up drifts into the hallway.

“That's too loud,” Duncan says, covering his ears as they walk past.

“I wish I could do that too, Duncan.” Mr. G. smiles and then closes the door behind me.

After music, I head back to my locker. As I'm reaching for my math book, I feel someone standing beside me. I hold my breath when I recognize Cody's red sneakers below my locker.

“I better not see your brother on the pond again!” he hisses. Then he shoves me into my locker.

Wham!

He leans in close. “You hear me!” His breath makes me want to throw up.

I rub my arm as I watch Cody saunter down the hall with his pants hanging down so low it looks like his butt is at his ankles.

Chapter Eleven

At supper, I fiddle with my food while Duncan talks nonstop about Mary Jane.

“Who's Mary Jane?” Mom asks.

“Mary Jane is my girlfriend,” Duncan says in his deepest voice.

“Max? Do you know Mary Jane?”

I hear her, but I'm stuck in my brain, thinking about Cody and what he might do to me next.

“Max?”

“
What
? She's from one of his stupid movies,” I snap. “If you knew anything, you'd know she's Peter Parker's girlfriend!”

“You don't need to be rude.”

I didn't mean to snap at her, but this talk about Mary Jane is making me think about Lilly babysitting on Friday. Maybe it's not a good idea.

“I like you, Mom,” Duncan says. He takes his dishes to the sink and then announces, “I'm going to watch my movies.”

“Thanks for telling me,” she says. “And I like you too.”

Now I feel rotten. I can't go behind Mom's back. Besides, Duncan will blow it one way or another. Maybe I should ask her one last time just in case she says yes.

“Um, about Friday…” I clear my throat. “I was wondering if I can play in the hockey game. It's super important. They really need me.”

Mom takes an unusually deep breath and then sighs. I wait for her to say something. Finally she says, “Okay…let me see what I can do.”

Later that night I call Ian.

“I can play!” I say.

“You
can
?” asks Ian.

“Yup. And I won't have Duncan either. Mom's going to meet him at school, so I don't even have to walk him home. Will you tell Lilly I don't need her?”

Ian lets out a humongous burp.

Braaaaaaaaaaaaap!

“I'll take that as a yes.” I laugh.

“We're going to have a blast,” says Ian.

The next morning I lug my hockey gear to the school. The ice on the pond glistens in the morning sunlight. I can't wait to play this afternoon. It's going to be sweet. The day ticks by like it's never going to end. Every time I glance at the clock, it has barely moved. When the last bell finally rings, I bolt down the hall and collide with Miss Thorne, the guidance counselor.

“You're in a big hurry, aren't you?” she asks.

“Sorry, Miss Thorne.”

“Let's keep it to a walking pace, please,” she says, smiling.

Ian is waiting by my locker. “Come on, man. I want to get to the pond to warm up.”

“I need to get Duncan,” I say, shoving books in my locker. “Mom should be waiting outside, and then we can go.”

When I get to Duncan's room, he's talking to the class pet hamster.

“Come on. We've got to go,” I say.

Instead of holding things up, as usual, he says, “Bye, Snuggles. See you tomorrow.” Daphne Greer

“That was quick,” Ian says.

“I think he's happy Mom's picking him up.”

Outside, I scan the parking lot for Mom's car. It's not there. I run down the steps to look around the side of the school.

Nothing.

Ian glances at his watch. “Do you think she forgot?”

“No,” I snap. “She knew it was important.”

“I'm just saying. You know, what with how she's been acting—”

“I want to go home,” Duncan says and heads down the steps.

“Wait!” I stop him at the bottom. “Mom will be here any minute.” I stare at the parking lot, willing her to appear. One by one, cars pull in and pick their kids up, but none of them are for us.

Ian looks at his watch again. “I gotta go, man. I'll meet you there, okay?”

I sit on the steps and watch Ian leave. I should be with him.

Where is she?

Pretty soon Duncan and I are the only ones hanging around.

“Hey, shouldn't you be playing hockey with Ian?” Lilly asks, noticing me on the steps.

“My mom's not here.”

“Oh, that's a drag.” She sits down beside me. “Did you call her at work?”

“No, but that's a good idea. Will you stay with Duncan while I do that?”

“Sure.”

I have to wait five minutes before a secretary notices me standing in the office.

“What's the matter, hon?” she asks. I tell her I need to call my mom, and she hands me the phone.

It takes a zillion rings before someone answers.

“King Thow Chinese Food.”

“Can I speak to Annie, please?”

“She very busy right now. I take message?”

She's still at work!

My legs go tight. I'm so boiling mad right now, I can hardly speak.

Chapter Twelve

“So?” Lilly asks when I join her outside.

“She's still at work. I can't believe this! She promised.”

“Maybe something happened, and she couldn't leave. That happens to my mom all the time,” Lilly says.

“I want to go home!” Duncan says.

He paces back and forth at the bottom of the stairs.

“I can still babysit if you want,” Lilly offers.

“Really?”

“Sure.”

“Hey, Duncan? Will you be okay if Lilly walks you home?”

“I like you, Mary Jane,” Duncan says, grinning from ear to ear.

“I guess that's a yes.” I smile at Lilly and then reach into my pocket for the key. “You'll need this for the back door. Duncan, you'll have to tell Mom who Lilly is.”

“She's my girlfriend,” Duncan giggles.

“He was talking about you at supper the other night. My mom thinks your name is Mary Jane for real.”

“You were?” She smiles at Duncan. “How sweet is that? So, is there anything else I need to know?”

I'm in such a rush, I don't give her question much thought. “Nope,” I say.

“Sounds like there's nothing to it then. Come on, Duncan. Let's go.”

I fling my hockey gear to the ground, lace up my skates in record time and scan the pond for Cody. He's not here.

I check again.

Bonus, no Cody!

As I step onto the ice, the puck glides toward me. I bolt toward it like I'm Sidney Crosby. My stick scrapes against the ice as I maneuver the puck, not letting anyone at it.

“Go, Max!” Ian yells.

I dart in and out of the Red Eagles and make a shot. The puck hits one of the boots and bounces away from the net.

“Nice try,” Ian says, skating toward me.

“That was just a practice shot, man. I'm just getting warmed up,” I say as I race one of the Red Eagles up the pond. It's like I'm playing for an Olympic gold medal and everything rides on this game. I snag the puck, break away and fake a pass before I move in for a shot on goal.

“And he scores!” Ian yells, raising his stick in the air.

I lean on my stick for a few seconds to catch my breath. The Red Eagles grab the puck and pass it a few times before Ian steals it and passes it to me. I dodge around them before I slam the puck into the net.

“And he scores again!” Ian hollers.

The whole game, I don't let up. In the end we win five to three.

“Way to play, Max!” Ian whacks my butt with his stick.

“I knew we needed you to win. Man, you can skate,” Ian says.

“That was a blast.” I sit down on the bench to remove my skates. “Boy, that was
sweet
Cody didn't show. I wonder where he was?”

“Haven't a clue,” Ian says, taking off his skates.

“I wish I knew why he has such a hate-on for me. It's starting to really bug me.”

“I know what ya mean.” Ian rubs his foot. “Oh, man—my feet are numb. You ready to go?”

“Yup.”

As we walk, I think about Cody until Ian says, “Man, I'm hungry!”

The words slam into my chest like one of his punches.

“Oh! No!”

“What's wrong?” Ian asks.

“I forgot to tell Lilly about Duncan's snack!”

“Lilly's not stupid. She'd get him something.”

“But she won't know the only thing he eats after school is macaroni and cheese with a big blob of ketchup.”

“You worry too much, Max,” says Ian.

“Yeah, well, I have no choice.”

When we reach my street, a fire truck is parked in front of my house with the red lights flashing. My legs go weak. I drop my gear and tear home, running as fast as I can.

“Wait up!” Ian yells.

Chapter Thirteen

The front door is wide open. Lilly is sitting on the sofa, crying.

“Oh, Max! I don't know what happened—”

“Where's Duncan?” I barely get the words out. A thick haze hangs in the air, and the smell of smoke burns my nose. My eyes start to water.

“Upstairs with Mr. Cooper,” says Lilly.

I run past the firemen, taking the stairs two at a time. I hear Mr. Cooper's voice. “It's okay, Spider-Man…”

I stop at Duncan's door. He's huddled in the corner with his head tucked between his legs. He is rocking back and forth, making whimpering noises. Mr. Cooper is beside Duncan on his hands and knees, trying to calm him.

“Duncan?” I croak.

He lifts his head. He leaps up, runs full speed toward me and hugs me like he hasn't seen me in months. I squeeze back just as tight.