the kitchen, setting up beakers and tubes, but after a few minutes of near silence, he went to the front door to see if Benji had gotten lost on the way.
What Maps walked up to was Benji awkwardly looking down at the petal taped to the front of his suit, along with Lane giving him a slightly dirty look.
“Uh, hi,” Lane said. A crease formed between his eyebrows. He obviously hadn’t been expecting Benji to be opening Maps’ door.
“Hi!” Stacie squeaked, waving her tiny hand up at Benji.
“Oh. Uh, hey,” Benji replied.
“Hey, Lane,” Maps chimed in.
“Well, good thing this isn’t awkward,” Benji said nervously, trying to laugh it off.
Lane didn’t laugh.
“Lane? What are you doing here?” Maps asked.
“Me too!” Stacie said, jumping up and down.
“And Satan’s favorite child, too,” Maps added.
“I thought we changed the tutoring date to today, but I’ve obviously got it mixed up. Sorry to bother you guys,” Lane said.
Crap. Lane was right, and Maps had forgotten all about it. The Lacey debacle had taken up most of his thoughts that afternoon, so he’d called his best friend over to cheer him up, and Maps had to admit that the flower outside with the crudely placed petal was pretty funny.
“No, uh, come in. Sorry, it slipped my mind,” Maps said.
“Are you sure you aren’t busy?” Lane asked.
“Yeah, I’m sure. We were just going to watch a movie.” Maps stepped aside and let Lane and Stacie in. He’d also forgotten that Lane said he was babysitting that night and would have to bring Stacie with him. “But we have a test tomorrow, so how about we go over a few problems?”
Maps couldn’t help himself. Those gapped teeth of Lane’s did something to his stomach. He wanted to be madder at Lane, but it wasn’t his fault he had those lady-magnet teeth.
Sometime when they’d been talking, Benji had ripped the petal off of his lycra body suit and tossed it into the kitchen. Maps thought that was a shame, because he really would’ve enjoyed watching Lane sweat when Stacie asked her older brother why Benji had taped a giant petal to his junk.
“How about me and the little dudette start on the movie, then?” Benji said, holding out one of his leaf hands to Stacie.
Stacie giggled and took it. “You’re Mappy’s boyfriend!”
“At your service, madame!” Benji grinned as he leaned forward to kiss the top of her hand. Stacie went hysterical giggling.
Benji was really good with kids. Loved them, in fact. Was probably going to have at least two dozen of them by the time he hit forty.
When Maps looked at Lane, Lane was staring at Benji with a scowl on his face. Now, that was a look Maps knew all too well from experience—the I-want-to-punch-you-in-the-face face.
“Hey,” Maps said, poking Lane’s bicep, “don’t worry. Benji is great with kids. He works part-time at a daycare. Not even because he had to, but for fun . Can you believe that’s some people’s idea of fun?” Maps shuddered.
But Lane still had the same look on his face. Maps thought he’d better distract Lane before Lane really put the I-want-to-punch-you-in-the-face face into action, even if he didn’t understand why Lane was suddenly so grouchy. Benji really was great with kids.
Maps walked over to the kitchen table where his book bag was perched, and had a seat. Within a minute, he and Lane both had their math books out in front of them along with their worksheets.
They began working on a few problems but Lane seemed distracted. Maps unconsciously ground his teeth together, figuring Lacey was to blame.
“Okay, do you know how to solve this problem?” Maps said, tapping his pencil on the paper.
“So, is he actually, like, your boyfriend, or whatever?”
Maps’ head shot up. When had Lane moved his chair so close? Not that Maps minded, exactly, because Lane smelled like Irish Spring soap. That just so happened to be Maps’ favorite scent. He decided just then.
Before Maps could answer,
What Maps walked up to was Benji awkwardly looking down at the petal taped to the front of his suit, along with Lane giving him a slightly dirty look.
“Uh, hi,” Lane said. A crease formed between his eyebrows. He obviously hadn’t been expecting Benji to be opening Maps’ door.
“Hi!” Stacie squeaked, waving her tiny hand up at Benji.
“Oh. Uh, hey,” Benji replied.
“Hey, Lane,” Maps chimed in.
“Well, good thing this isn’t awkward,” Benji said nervously, trying to laugh it off.
Lane didn’t laugh.
“Lane? What are you doing here?” Maps asked.
“Me too!” Stacie said, jumping up and down.
“And Satan’s favorite child, too,” Maps added.
“I thought we changed the tutoring date to today, but I’ve obviously got it mixed up. Sorry to bother you guys,” Lane said.
Crap. Lane was right, and Maps had forgotten all about it. The Lacey debacle had taken up most of his thoughts that afternoon, so he’d called his best friend over to cheer him up, and Maps had to admit that the flower outside with the crudely placed petal was pretty funny.
“No, uh, come in. Sorry, it slipped my mind,” Maps said.
“Are you sure you aren’t busy?” Lane asked.
“Yeah, I’m sure. We were just going to watch a movie.” Maps stepped aside and let Lane and Stacie in. He’d also forgotten that Lane said he was babysitting that night and would have to bring Stacie with him. “But we have a test tomorrow, so how about we go over a few problems?”
Maps couldn’t help himself. Those gapped teeth of Lane’s did something to his stomach. He wanted to be madder at Lane, but it wasn’t his fault he had those lady-magnet teeth.
Sometime when they’d been talking, Benji had ripped the petal off of his lycra body suit and tossed it into the kitchen. Maps thought that was a shame, because he really would’ve enjoyed watching Lane sweat when Stacie asked her older brother why Benji had taped a giant petal to his junk.
“How about me and the little dudette start on the movie, then?” Benji said, holding out one of his leaf hands to Stacie.
Stacie giggled and took it. “You’re Mappy’s boyfriend!”
“At your service, madame!” Benji grinned as he leaned forward to kiss the top of her hand. Stacie went hysterical giggling.
Benji was really good with kids. Loved them, in fact. Was probably going to have at least two dozen of them by the time he hit forty.
When Maps looked at Lane, Lane was staring at Benji with a scowl on his face. Now, that was a look Maps knew all too well from experience—the I-want-to-punch-you-in-the-face face.
“Hey,” Maps said, poking Lane’s bicep, “don’t worry. Benji is great with kids. He works part-time at a daycare. Not even because he had to, but for fun . Can you believe that’s some people’s idea of fun?” Maps shuddered.
But Lane still had the same look on his face. Maps thought he’d better distract Lane before Lane really put the I-want-to-punch-you-in-the-face face into action, even if he didn’t understand why Lane was suddenly so grouchy. Benji really was great with kids.
Maps walked over to the kitchen table where his book bag was perched, and had a seat. Within a minute, he and Lane both had their math books out in front of them along with their worksheets.
They began working on a few problems but Lane seemed distracted. Maps unconsciously ground his teeth together, figuring Lacey was to blame.
“Okay, do you know how to solve this problem?” Maps said, tapping his pencil on the paper.
“So, is he actually, like, your boyfriend, or whatever?”
Maps’ head shot up. When had Lane moved his chair so close? Not that Maps minded, exactly, because Lane smelled like Irish Spring soap. That just so happened to be Maps’ favorite scent. He decided just then.
Before Maps could answer,
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