Chapter 19

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Anthony Marion Sims, you know damn well what I'm asking."

I grinned and kissed Tami on the nose as we walked down Elizabeth Taylor. Then for good measure, I leaned the other way and kissed Robbie's nose too.

"Are you familiar with Sir Edmund Hillary?"

"Because it's there?"

I nodded. "Though in this case, because it needed to be done."

"But you're suspended."

"It's not the first time," Robbie injected.

"You're not helping," I said.

"But, your parents," Tami said.

"I'm not quite sure what's happening there," I admitted. "Mom dropped me off, told me to stay out of trouble, and went back to work. She didn't ground me or give me a ton of chores or anything. But maybe she's waiting to talk it over with Dad."

"What about baseball?" Robbie asked.

"Not looking good. Parker said I was banned from all activities."

"For how long?"

"I think forever."

Tami looked like somebody had just run over her puppy. "It's my fault."

"Don't be stupid," Robbie said before I could. "You didn't make Tony put your essay in the paper. You didn't even know."

"But if I hadn't written it?"

"And who talked you into that? Besides, Mr. Calloway posted the list for varsity today, and Tony was on it, even though he missed today's tryout."

"I was?" I said in surprise.

"Yep, and so was I."

I stopped and hugged Robbie. Then I hugged Tami. Life was good. I made the team before I got kicked off.

"We should celebrate," I decided. "Why don't you call Ricky. We'll all go to a movie."

"Ricky?"

"You know, your boyfriend."

"Uh, Tony, Ricky dumped me."

"Ricky dumped you," I repeated, stunned. "When? How? Why?"

Robbie grinned. "Monday. He told me. Molli."

"I don't... The kid's got brain damage. Must have taken a baseball off the noggin."

"I agree," Tami said quickly.

Robbie shook her head. "It's cool. We've been going out since June. That's a record for me. For him too."

"You're okay with this?" I asked.

"Sure. We aren't, weren't, like you two. It wasn't special, it was just fun. If he hadn't dumped me, I would have cut him loose pretty soon. It was just... time to move on."

"Molli who?" Tami asked.

"Molli Seaver."

"A cheerleader? He dumped you for a brain-dead cheerleader?"

"Tony Sims! Molli isn't brain dead. She's on the speech team and the debate team. Just because she's pretty and a cheerleader..."

"Sorry, Mom," I said.

"I tell your real mother you're stereotyping women like that and you won't see daylight until after Traci graduates."

"That's a fact," Tami agreed.

"Hey! I thought you were supposed to be on my side."

"Not when you're being sexist."

"I wasn't being sexist. I was being cheer-ist."

I'm not sure if it was part of her plan, but spending the weekend waiting for the other shoe to drop made it a very, very long weekend. Mom didn't say a word. Nether did Dad. And I was free to come and go.