“Hey, Derek, can I show Dave how I can flip you?” They’d been practicing their trick together every day, and it never failed to delight her.
“Not right now, Sharlee,” Derek said gloomily, glancing over at Dave. “I’m kind of tired.”
“Awww . . .” She pouted for a moment, then remembered something. “Oh! By the way, that kid Gary? He’s not in my karate class anymore. He went back in with the big kids.”
“He did? How come?”
“He came in and broke two boards with his bare foot!”
“What? No way!”
“Yes way! Two at the same time! Sensei said he’s going to get a belt and everything.”
Derek couldn’t believe it. Obviously, after their experience at school the other day, Gary had decided to show those bullies the real Karate Kid!
“Sharlee, leave the boys alone,” Mrs. Jeter said. “Remember, you promised to clean your room today.”
“Awww . . .” Back to pouting, Sharlee went upstairs.
Derek and Dave stared out the living room window as the Mercedes pulled into the parking lot. Chase got out and opened the rear door for Mrs. Hennum. She was wearing a business suit and carrying a fancy leather handbag. She said something to Chase, who looked over at Derek and Dave and nodded.
Mrs. Jeter went outside to greet them. She and Mrs. Hennum exchanged a quick handshake, and Mrs. Jeter invited her inside with a wave of her arm.
As they entered the house, Mrs. Hennum spotted Dave. “David, please wait with Chase outside. Mrs. Jeter and I would like to speak in private.”
Mrs. Jeter nodded at Derek, indicating that she wanted him to go with Dave. Derek would have wanted to stay around and hear what they said. But he wasn’t going to protest. He followed Dave out the door. The two boys went over to Chase, who was polishing the hood of the Mercedes.
“Well, boys, it looks like you’ve gotten yourselves into some hot water, eh?” Chase gave them a sympathetic look. “Reminds me of a time when I was in the service and we got into hot water with our major by going off base one evening. Have I ever told you that one, Dave?”
Dave shook his head, and Chase began to tell them the story, which went on and on and on. Derek barely paid attention. All he could think about was what was going on inside his house.
Dave seemed distracted too, and after a long while Chase seemed to notice. He stopped before the end of the story and said, “Well, maybe you boys would rather hear about my time in the minor leagues. It was after I got out of the service and before I got my present job. Of course, I never got very far in baseball—couldn’t hit the curve, I came to find out. But . . .” His baseball stories would normally have greatly interested Derek, but not today.
What are they talking about in there? he thought. It’s taking forever! Underneath it all, Derek dreaded what was going to come next. Probably a complete ban on him and Dave being friends, he thought sadly.
And why? What had he done that was so bad? What had Dave done, except sneak over just now? And he’d only done it because he was desperate to have friends in Kalamazoo! It was all so unfair!
Derek found it hard to pay attention. He just had to know what they were saying in there! There had to be a way to get inside and listen in. . . .
“Um, Chase?” he said, suddenly getting a brilliant idea. “I have to go to the bathroom. Really badly.”
“Hmmm.” Chase glanced quickly at his watch. “Can you wait just a few more minutes? I’m sure they’re almost done in there.”
“It’s an emergency!”
“Well . . .” Chase took a moment to think it over. “I guess if you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go. But make sure you head straight for the bathroom and come straight back out. No detours—got it?”
“Yes, sir,” Derek said, almost saluting—and quickly made a dash for the front door. He opened it and saw that no one was in the living room. He could hear voices coming from the kitchen, and he supposed that his mom was sitting at the table with Mrs. Hennum.
He went quietly down the hall to the bathroom. He went inside but didn’t close the door, because from here he could hear some of what their moms were saying.
He didn’t really have to use the bathroom that badly, he decided. It could wait. And anyway, flushing would have alerted them to the fact that he was there. So he just stood there for as long as he thought he could stretch it—which wasn’t more than a minute or two, because he knew Chase would be expecting him back soon.
“When I was growing up . . . ,” he heard Mrs. Hennum say, but couldn’t hear the rest. Here and there words came through—“differences” and “social circles.”
Derek heard his mom say something about “breaking barriers” in reply, but he lost the rest of that, too. He had to get closer in order to hear more, but did he dare risk being discovered?
He knew he should just head back outside. If he stayed any longer, there was a good chance he might get caught. But Derek couldn’t resist lingering for just one more minute He edged closer to the kitchen door, moving on tiptoe.
“I would hope,” his mom was saying, “that we wouldn’t allow the way we grew up to affect our kids. They seem to be great friends, with a lot in common.”
“Yes, I agree, that is true,” said Mrs. Hennum. “And I am sorry that it’s all blown up this way.”
“Well, I wish you would have just asked me, or come over and gotten to know us if there were any concerns. Honestly, we’re no different from any other family. We may look different from some families, but we love and care for our children the same way I’m sure you do. We have rules in our home, just as you do. We’re a very close-knit family, and we’re very supportive of one another.”
“Yes. I can see that,” Mrs. Hennum replied. “You know, Mrs. Jeter—”
“Dorothy. Please.”
Derek knew he couldn’t risk staying any longer. He quickly tiptoed back down the hall and across the living room, opened the front door, and closed it softly behind him. “They’re still talking,” he told Chase.
Finally Dave’s mother emerged from the house. “David, get into the car, please. It’s time to go home,” she said, coming down the steps and walking toward them.
Derek and Dave looked at each other. Was this the end of their friendship once and for all? It certainly looked that way.
Then Derek’s mom stepped into the doorway. Mrs. Hennum turned to her and said, “Dorothy, we’ll see you when we drop David off for the overnight.” Turning to Derek, she added, “If that’s okay with you, Derek!”
Derek couldn’t have been more flabbergasted if a martian had suddenly appeared in front of him. He looked at Dave, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, and saw that Dave, too, was in a state of shock. Neither of them could believe their good luck.
“You have a very fine mother, young man,” Mrs. Hennum told Derek. “I’m glad we finally got a chance to get to know each other.” She gave Mrs. Jeter a quick smile, and Derek saw that his mom was nodding in agreement. “Chase? I think we’re ready to go home!”
Chase opened the rear doors for Mrs. Hennum and Dave, then got into the driver’s seat and pulled the Mercedes out of the parking lot.
Derek looked at his mom, still dumbfounded. She gave him a mysterious little smile, cocked her head, and went back inside without a word.
Derek watched the car disappear down the road. It felt really good, knowing that Dave had never wanted to break off their friendship. And he felt even better knowing that neither, in the end, had his parents.
For once Derek felt great to have been wrong. Funny, he thought, that’s just what Mrs. Hennum said.
Best of all, he and Dave were finally going to have their overnight!