get something to eat.” This voice didn't sound familiar to JD and he sig h ed with relief knowing whoever it was wanted food over JD' s blood.
“Keep your pants on,” Nate shouted. “Pam, see if he went in the pet store. I'll check the drug store. Mike, you go and—”
“Forget it. I'm not that interested. Either we leave now, or I'm out of here.” JD heard a car door slam again. Footsteps made their way to the dumpster , JD to start shaking.
“Nate, if he leaves, we'll have to pay to get into the drive-in. He has the free passes, remember ? ” Pam said.
Nate groaned. “Fine, but tomorrow we don't stop until we find Lumpy, got it?” The footsteps retreated before disappearing completely , and the car drove away. JD waited five more minutes , just to make sure they were gone , before climbing out of the dumpster. He shook off the animal mess from his jeans and t-shirt and started for home, peering around carefully as always.
Relief washed over him as his hand landed on the front door screen.
“Where's my pen, f at boy?”
The relief was short lived.
Chapter 3
“Max, slow down. That's your fourth helping of rice.” Sofia Sánchez removed the blue glass platter he’d emptied and loaded it in to the dishwasher. No need to rinse it off, Max scrapped the rice dish clean.
“Great rice, Madre.” Max sprinkled some herbal concoction his mother had put together across his brown rice. It was her way of cutting butter out of the family diet. Max missed not having butter, but as his mother always said, “Your body is a temple. Treat it right and it will treat you right.” Max agreed , he just wished butter was on the okay to eat list she stuck to religiously.
“Everything wa s wonderful. Thank you for having me.” Emma smiled at Sofia.
“You are very welcome, dear,” Sofia replied. Max knew his mother thought that Em was the perfect girl for him . Strong, smart, and kind. She often told him that she couldn't have found a better girl for Max if she tried. He knew she hoped their love would survive the often turbulent years of college. She loved to talk about how beautiful her grandchildren would be when the two of them started a family, and she'd grown quite attached to her fantasy.
“Hey, what about me? I made the scampi.” Tom Sánchez waltzed in from the kitchen holding the last of the shrimp. He dumped it on his plate. Max frowned. “Son, after dinner I think we had better take you to the hospital. I do believe you have a tape worm.”
“I'm a growing boy, P api .” Max leaned back and scrubbed his stomach. “And if I don't beat you at a friendly game of B-ball after dinner, I'm going to be growing the wrong way.” His dad chuckled as he popped one of the shrimp into his mouth.
Emma and Max grabbed the basketball while his parents cleaned the kitchen after dinner. “Max, I think we should help your parents,” Emma whispered to him .
“Em, every time I try to help them, they kick me out. My mom has a system for everything , and if I don't do it right, she goes behind me redoing it. Anyway, I think she actually likes cleaning.” Max took the ball and swooshed it through the hoop. “Nuttin’ but net.”
Ten minutes later , Max's parents joined him and Emma , and the game began . Max and his mom on one team, Emma and his dad on the other.
As Max predicted, he and his mom won, hands down. “Best three point shooter in the family, right, dear ?” Sofia bragged to her husband. And rightfully so, she was indeed the best.
“Yes, dear, you are the best. After me, naturally.” His dad grabbed the ball, and with a fancy twist , he shot the ball, and missed. It ricocheted off the rim and back into his hands. He playfully bowed before Sofia, presenting her with the ball.
“I have to get going,” Emma said, after a long , cold drink of herbal iced tea. “Thanks again for dinner.”
Max walked her out to her car. “ Are you sure you can’t stay for a little while longer? I’ll
“Keep your pants on,” Nate shouted. “Pam, see if he went in the pet store. I'll check the drug store. Mike, you go and—”
“Forget it. I'm not that interested. Either we leave now, or I'm out of here.” JD heard a car door slam again. Footsteps made their way to the dumpster , JD to start shaking.
“Nate, if he leaves, we'll have to pay to get into the drive-in. He has the free passes, remember ? ” Pam said.
Nate groaned. “Fine, but tomorrow we don't stop until we find Lumpy, got it?” The footsteps retreated before disappearing completely , and the car drove away. JD waited five more minutes , just to make sure they were gone , before climbing out of the dumpster. He shook off the animal mess from his jeans and t-shirt and started for home, peering around carefully as always.
Relief washed over him as his hand landed on the front door screen.
“Where's my pen, f at boy?”
The relief was short lived.
Chapter 3
“Max, slow down. That's your fourth helping of rice.” Sofia Sánchez removed the blue glass platter he’d emptied and loaded it in to the dishwasher. No need to rinse it off, Max scrapped the rice dish clean.
“Great rice, Madre.” Max sprinkled some herbal concoction his mother had put together across his brown rice. It was her way of cutting butter out of the family diet. Max missed not having butter, but as his mother always said, “Your body is a temple. Treat it right and it will treat you right.” Max agreed , he just wished butter was on the okay to eat list she stuck to religiously.
“Everything wa s wonderful. Thank you for having me.” Emma smiled at Sofia.
“You are very welcome, dear,” Sofia replied. Max knew his mother thought that Em was the perfect girl for him . Strong, smart, and kind. She often told him that she couldn't have found a better girl for Max if she tried. He knew she hoped their love would survive the often turbulent years of college. She loved to talk about how beautiful her grandchildren would be when the two of them started a family, and she'd grown quite attached to her fantasy.
“Hey, what about me? I made the scampi.” Tom Sánchez waltzed in from the kitchen holding the last of the shrimp. He dumped it on his plate. Max frowned. “Son, after dinner I think we had better take you to the hospital. I do believe you have a tape worm.”
“I'm a growing boy, P api .” Max leaned back and scrubbed his stomach. “And if I don't beat you at a friendly game of B-ball after dinner, I'm going to be growing the wrong way.” His dad chuckled as he popped one of the shrimp into his mouth.
Emma and Max grabbed the basketball while his parents cleaned the kitchen after dinner. “Max, I think we should help your parents,” Emma whispered to him .
“Em, every time I try to help them, they kick me out. My mom has a system for everything , and if I don't do it right, she goes behind me redoing it. Anyway, I think she actually likes cleaning.” Max took the ball and swooshed it through the hoop. “Nuttin’ but net.”
Ten minutes later , Max's parents joined him and Emma , and the game began . Max and his mom on one team, Emma and his dad on the other.
As Max predicted, he and his mom won, hands down. “Best three point shooter in the family, right, dear ?” Sofia bragged to her husband. And rightfully so, she was indeed the best.
“Yes, dear, you are the best. After me, naturally.” His dad grabbed the ball, and with a fancy twist , he shot the ball, and missed. It ricocheted off the rim and back into his hands. He playfully bowed before Sofia, presenting her with the ball.
“I have to get going,” Emma said, after a long , cold drink of herbal iced tea. “Thanks again for dinner.”
Max walked her out to her car. “ Are you sure you can’t stay for a little while longer? I’ll
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