Maxed Out

by Daphne Greer

  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 r
ings 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.

  Duncan lets go of me, looks me right in the eyes and then hugs me again.

  “What happened?” I ask.

  Mr. Cooper stands up and starts explaining, but he is interrupted by a fireman calling up the stairs.

  “Mr. Cooper? Are you planning on staying here until Mrs. O’Neil gets home?” the fireman asks.

  “Yes, I’ll be here,” Mr. Cooper says.

  “Okay, then, we’re going to head out. Please have Mrs. O’Neil call the station.”

  “Thanks for your help,” Mr. Cooper says.

  I sit at the top of the stairs and lean against the railing. “What am I going to tell Mom? She’s going to kill me.”

  “Let’s just take it one minute at a time,” Mr. Cooper says as he heads down the stairs. “I reckon the most important thing is that you’re both all right.”

  I go check on Duncan. It looks like he’s acting out a movie, although I don’t recognize it. I lean against the door frame watching him pace around his room, shaking his hands rapidly and talking to himself.

  “I’m hungry, Mouse. Where’s Mary Jane? I want my macaroni and cheese. Mouse? Are you hungry too?” He pauses. “Mouse, I don’t think Mary Jane is coming. Duncan has to think…Think. Think. Think. Just like Max does, just like Max. Oh no! Oh no!”

  I can’t take it any longer. I gently touch his shoulder. “Duncan, it’s okay. Shhhhh, it’s okay, buddy.”

  I pull him close. “You’re safe. I’m sorry, Duncan. I’m really sorry.”

  “Max?” Ian whispers from the doorway.

  “Be there in a second,” I say.

  I sit Duncan down on his bed and put his Spider-Man movie on. “I’ve got to go downstairs. I’ll be back. I promise.”

  “I’ll be back…I’ll be back…” he repeats over and over.

  “Is he going to be okay?” Ian asks as we head downstairs.

  “I hope so.”

  I want to run away.

  Lilly is buttoning up her coat by the front door. When she sees me, she starts crying again. “I’m so sorry, Max. When we got home, Duncan went straight upstairs to watch movies. I tried to hang out with him, but he didn’t want me to.” She sniffs. “He told me to go to the basement to watch tv. I wasn’t downstairs for very long, I swear. And then I hear d him yelling. When I came upstairs, the stove was on fire…”

  I can’t speak. My eyes well up as I glance around the room. Everything in the kitchen is covered in a film of black soot. The cupboards above the stove are half burnt. White foam drips over the stove and onto the floor. The smell of smoke is stronger here, burning my eyes.

  Mom—where are you?

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Oh my god!” Mom yells.

  My body stiffens at the sound of her voice.

  I automatically drop the cloth I’d been using to wipe down the walls. It lands in the bucket with a splash. Black soapy water splashes onto my pants.
r />   “Oh no!” Mom drops the bags of Chinese food she was carrying when she enters the kitchen.

  I can’t move. My feet are stuck to the floor.

  “Everyone’s okay, Annie,” Mr. Cooper steps in. “The boys had a little situation earlier.”

  “What happened?”

  Before I can begin to explain, Duncan walks into the kitchen.

  “I can’t cook,” he blurts out.

  “You were cooking?”

  “I don’t like Mary Jane anymore,” Duncan grumbles.

  “Will someone tell me what’s going on?”

  I feel my cheeks burn up. “You never met us at school…” I say. “You promised.”

  “Joanne called in sick. I couldn’t leave. Max, I left a message with one of the secretaries.”

  “I never got it,” I say, looking at my feet.

  “Well, I left one with…oh, what was her name?” She’s getting worked up trying to remember it. Maybe she thinks I don’t believe her.

  “I think it was Lola. Yes! It was Lola!” She’s talking really quickly now. “I brought supper home because I felt badly. I tried, Max…” Her voice cracks. “I really tried to get home. This is all my fault,” she says. “I should have been here.”

  “Why don’t we go talk somewhere private,” Mr. Cooper suggests. He leads her into the living room.

  “I guess she doesn’t like the smell,” Duncan says.

  “Shhhh!” I stand in the hallway, where I can hear them.

  “I’m having such a hard time on my own,” she sobs. “I know Max has too many responsibilities, but I don’t know what to do.” She sniffs. “Dan would handle things so much better than me—”

  “Now, Annie, don’t sell yourself short,” Mr. Cooper says. “Sometimes it’s a matter of looking at things from a different angle.” He pauses. “When my wife died, it took awhile for me to get my step back.” He clears his throat. “But, Annie,” he says gently, “your boys need you. I reckon asking for help isn’t such a bad thing. ”