“Sorry,” Evan said.
“Thanks, Ev,” I said.
Iris glared at me. Don’t go down that road again, the glare meant.
“De nada,” Evan said. “It’s too bad we won’t be doing any more road trips. That last one was amazing.”
“The amazingest,” I said, though that was a word I’d decided not to use anymore. It was too fifth grade.
“Right! The amazingest! I forgot about that!”
“Did you find a replacement for Dad yet?” I asked, feeling a little jealous and sad. It really had been an amazingly fun trip.
“I did,” he said. “A guy from right here in Pasadero. Guy’s name is Steve Velador. He has a kid your age, I think.”
“Lance!” Chase said with a laugh.
“So you know him?” Evan said.
“We know him,” I said.
Evan looked at me. “I guess it’ll be your friend Lance then who’ll be going on the next amazing Kap trip.”
“Oh,” I said, my heart sinking.
Chase, Kai, Gio, and Analisa were staring at me, watching me. They got what I was feeling. Disappointment. Jealousy. Plus embarrassment for feeling it in front of them. After all, they’d never gotten to go on a Kap trip at all.
It occurred to me then that I shouldn’t take the new prototype. It should go to Lance. He was the new Kap prince, not me. But I didn’t want to hurt Evan’s feelings. I thought maybe I’d just give it to Lance after the break. But wouldn’t Lance tell his dad? or Evan? Yeah, he would.
I decided to lie. Maybe that’s not what I should have done. Maybe I should have been honest and said I didn’t want the cap. The truth was, it didn’t fit me anymore.
Considering that, what I said wasn’t exactly a lie.
I put the cap on my head and pretended I couldn’t get it on.
“Aw, man,” I said. “It’s too small, Ev.”
“Really?” he asked.
“Just adjust it,” Gio said.
“It’s not adjustable, kid,” Evan said, offended.
“You know,” I said, pretending to be disappointed, “you should give it to Lance. His head is smaller than mine.”
Iris giggled. I’m sure she’d told herself some joke about Lance’s head size compared to his intelligence. But that wasn’t what I meant. His head really was small.
Evan took it from me gently. “Dude, you are noble, you know that?”
I was?
“I’m going to fix you up with something else, though,” he said. “You just wait and see. It’s going to be sweet.”
“It’s okay, Evan. Really. I’m good.”
“Toast!” my mom announced from the dining room, and tapped her glass with a fork. She and all the grown-ups were holding flutes full of bubbly golden liquid.
“Time for me to go hang with the adults,” Evan said, rolling his eyes. “You guys take care. And don’t burn down the school, okay? At least, don’t get caught!” And he winked.
We all just gaped at him, not knowing how to respond.
Then he made a gesture like he was shooting us with a pretend pistol and left.
“I think Evan Stevens forgot to grow up,” Iris said.
“Lenchito!” Mom called. “Come on! Bring your friends!”
Everyone jumped to their feet.
“Don’t get too excited,” I said. “It’ll just be sparkling apple juice for us.”
This didn’t stop them in the slightest, which I took to mean it was okay for middle schoolers to still like apple juice.
“‘Lenchito’?” Chase asked as we walked to the kitchen. He nudged me with his shoulder and laughed.
“Yeah,” Kai said. “Lenchito!”
Oh, gee, thanks, Mom.
Patrick Jennings is the author of many books, including the critically acclaimed Guinea Dog, Faith and the Electric Dogs, The Beastly Arms, and We Can’t All Be Rattlesnakes. He lives in Washington State.
Visit him at www.patrickjennings.com.
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