Code of Silence: Living a Lie Comes With a Price

by Tim Shoemaker

  Mattie sat at a table by herself, humming and drawing pictures of ponies on a sketch pad.

  Cooper’s dad stood near the ordering counter with Gordy’s dad and Detective Hammer. They all looked toward the kitchen while Hammer pointed and motioned with his hands. Probably going over some of the events of Halloween night. A night Cooper would never forget—and in some ways, didn’t want to.

  Like the moment his mom and dad burst into the police station. Dad hadn’t gotten the phone message until after the circus. He said that after hearing Cooper’s confession, he busted every speed limit getting to him.

  Cooper never wanted to forget the way his dad rushed to his side and held him. Or the way his mom wept, thanking God over and over for answering her prayer. Cooper never wanted to forget how good it felt to confess everything to them in person, and to know his parents forgave him completely.

  But most of all he didn’t want to forget a promise he made to himself that night—never to lie to his parents again.

  “Coop, get over here,” Gordy called from their usual table. Hiro sat next to him.

  Just as Cooper slid into the booth, Frank Mustacci stepped out of the kitchen carrying a large tray of monster shakes. He looked like himself again. Strong. His cheeks had good color, and the bruising around his eye was nearly gone. He wore a new white apron for the event. No blood stains. Lunk followed with a tray in each hand, loaded with orders of fries.

  Frank stopped at Cooper’s table. “Okay, my dear friends. Time to celebrate.”

  “Oh yeah!” Gordy stood and reached for a shake.

  Lunk helped Frank distribute the food around the room.

  Frank circled back to where he started. “And now,” he said, raising his voice so everyone could hear, “I want to thank each of you for joining me tonight at this little party.”

  Lunk set down the empty trays and glanced at Cooper. He stood in the aisle, looking a little stiff. Like he wasn’t quite sure how to fit in—but he wanted to. Cooper slid over and motioned for Lunk to join him.

  “This has been quite a couple of weeks,” Frank said. “Actually, it seems like less than that—but maybe that’s because I spent half of it in a coma.”

  Everybody laughed.

  “I thank God every day that I’m alive, and for my very special friends at this table.” He took a step closer and put his hand on the back of the booth. He looked directly at Cooper. There was life in his eyes. “And as a small token of my appreciation, I’m giving all four of you free monster shakes and fries for the next year.”

  Gordy jumped to his feet and pumped his fist in the air. “Yeah!”

  Cooper smiled. Maybe this would trigger a growth spurt of his own.

  “I’m going to take good care of this bunch,” Frank said. “I know Hiro wants to be a cop, and Cooper a fireman, but at some point I’m going to need a new partner. Maybe one of the other boys will fill that spot someday.”

  “Gordy will eat all the profits,” Hiro said.

  The group laughed again.

  Lunk sat up a little taller and looked toward his mom. She smiled back at him. Cooper tried to imagine Lunk as partner. Wouldn’t that be something?

  Frank kept talking, but Cooper’s mind drifted. Mr. Stein still hadn’t been found, but it was only a matter of time. Life could get back to normal now. Whatever that was. With Lunk, Gordy, and Hiro around, there was likely going to be another adventure. Hopefully Hiro wouldn’t get to play cop again too soon.

  He glanced over at her and found she was fingering her necklace, looking at him. She raised her eyebrows and gave a little nod. Was she reading his mind or something?

  The corners of her mouth curved into the slightest smile.

  Cooper smiled back. Hiro knew him so well it was spooky.

  Frank finished his speech, and the room broke into applause.

  Lunk stood and shook Mr. Mustacci’s hand like he’d just received a promotion. And in a way, he had.

  Cooper dug in his pocket, pulled out a quarter, and slapped it on the table in front of Gordy.

  Gordy picked it up. “What’s this for?”

  Hiro sighed. “He’s going to teach you those trick moves on that classic arcade game.”

  Gordy laughed and was on his feet in an instant. “You’re on.”

  “Wanna join us, Hiro?” Cooper said, standing. “Just think about it. The forces of good and evil locked in mortal combat. It’ll be an adventure.”

  Hiro smiled and shook her head. “I’ve done enough of that lately. And I’ve got a feeling we’ll be doing it again for real—sooner than you think.”

  Cooper laughed, grabbed his monster shake, and followed Gordy toward the game. Somewhere, deep inside, he believed Hiro was right. A slight thrill rushed through him, a crazy mix of fear and excitement. He rubbed down the goosebumps forming on his arms and made another promise to himself. Whatever happened, next time he’d do the right thing.

  About the Author

  TIM SHOEMAKER

  Tim Shoemaker is a speaker and author of eight books, including Dangerous Devotions for Guys; Smashed Tomatoes, Bottle Rockets, and Other Outdoor Devotionals; and Mashed Potatoes, Paint Balls, and Other Indoor/Outdoor Devotionals. He has three grown sons and has been happily married for over 32 years. This juvenile fiction debut draws from his experience with kids as a volunteer youth leader for more than sixteen years.

  Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

  A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR

  Code of Truth

  White lies, half-truths, fibs, whoppers, and bamboozling, there are all kinds of cutesy names we use for lying. But there’s nothing cute about lies. Cooper started with a Code of Silence, but in the end he was determined to live by a Code of Truth. Smart move.

  As we saw with Cooper, lies start off ugly and only get worse, leading to more and more lies. So why do we lie, anyway? Generally there are four main reasons.

  1. To avoid something uncomfortable or unpleasant. Often this has a lot to do with being put on the spot—and instead of finding a tactful way to be truthful, we tell someone what we think they want to hear. It is about making things more convenient or comfortable for us. Let’s say your friend has a small part in a play—and they totally bomb. But of course you aren’t about to tell them that. You’d feel like a jerk. Afterwards, they ask what you thought of their performance. “You were great,” you say. “Next time you should audition for the lead.”

  2. To avoid punishment or consequences. We messed up. Did something that will get us in trouble. We decide to cover it up. But then someone questions us about it, so we put on an innocent face. “I didn’t do that. It wasn’t me.” This reason is all about avoiding discipline—even if we deserve it.

  3. To get something we wouldn’t get with the truth. In these situations, we lie to gain an advantage or a privilege. This is deception purely for our own selfish motives. If we could rank lying by degrees of nastiness, this is often the most devious type.

  “I just got invited to go out with some friends.”

  Your mom gives you that look. “Not until your homework is done.”

  “I don’t have any homework. I finished everything before I left school.”

  Of course that isn’t true—but you figure you’ll find a way to get it done before class tomorrow. This type of lying is about getting something we’d never get if we told the truth.

  4. To protect ourselves or someone else. This is exactly why Cooper started the Code of Silence. It was all about protecting himself. His family. His friends. When it involves protecting someone else, lying can appear noble at first, but it doesn’t always end up that way. And with a little thought and effort, there are other ways we can find to stay safe or keep someone else safe without relying on lies to do it.

  If we understand the types of reasons and situations that tempt us to lie, it can help us avoid dishonesty.

  Let me mention just a few things about lying and honesty be
cause if we get this right …

  By the end of Code of Silence, Cooper made a promise to himself not to ever lie to his parents or anyone again. That can be a tough promise to keep, but a good one to try. If we really commit to being honest, in the long run, everyone would be so much better off.

  If Coop were talking to you right now he’d urge you not to twist or hide the truth—or ask your friends to. He’d encourage you to tell the truth—all the time. I think that’s pretty good advice. And Coop ought to know. He learned it the hard way.

  The hard way. That’s the thing about lies. It seems like lying is the easy road, but it really is the hard one. Imagine you are in a situation where you must make the decision to tell the truth or tell a lie. If you knew 100% that you’d get caught in the lie, you wouldn’t bother telling it, right? It’s good to remember that God has the ultimate “baloney detector”. We can never fool him.

  As for me, I’m lining up with Coop, Hiro, and Gordy. I’m striving to be honest. Always. To live by a Code of Truth. How about you? Will you join us? Honesty always pays off in the long run. And that’s the truth.

  —Tim

  For Further Reflection

  1. Cooper’s plan not to tell anybody about the robbery they witnessed sounded okay at first, but how was it really like lying?

  2. Cooper thought the only way to stay truly safe was to stay quiet. Was that really the only way to stay safe? What could he or should he have done different?

  3. Cooper pressured Hiro and Gordy to be dishonest, too. Hiro felt really uncomfortable with agreeing to the Code. What could she have done instead?

  4. Even when Cooper didn’t come right out and lie to his parents, he deceived them by allowing them to believe something he knew wasn’t true. How is deceiving someone just another form of lying?

  5. When friends or someone else pressures you to lie, or to deceive someone else, how can you handle that in a way where you won’t be dishonest?

  6. Cooper was afraid of what would happen to him if the truth came out. How does fear tempt us to lie—and what can we do when we’re afraid to tell the truth?

  7. Detective Hammer claimed he could tell when someone was lying with his built-in “baloney detector”. Cooper figured Hammer would see right through Gordy, for sure. Even if we could fool our parents, or teachers, or whoever, ultimately who never gets fooled? What difference should that make as far as how honest we choose to be?

  8. As Cooper continues with the Code, the lies begin to unravel his friendship with Hiro, and even with Gordy. How does dishonesty destroy even the closest relationships?

  9. Cooper’s lies bought him some temporary safety, but he found the price tag of honesty was a lot higher than he figured. How did it affect him when he saw he’d lost the respect and trust of Hiro and Gordy? How would it affect you if you lost respect or trust in the eyes of parents, friends, or others?

  10. If Coop, Hiro, and Gordy didn’t tell the truth, Frank Mustacci might have been killed. How do innocent people get hurt when others lie? Can you think of some examples?

  ZONDERVAN

  Code of Silence

  Copyright © 2012 by Tim Shoemaker

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