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Mr. Bates had excused him from homework for the rest of the school year. He wasn’t in trouble—at least any that he knew about. He wasn’t currently grounded, which was basically a minor miracle since he tended to get grounded a lot. There was zero reason that he shouldn’t be allowed to go to the concert. They’d already given permission and bought the ticket for him.
“Exactly what I said,” Mom repeated in a tired voice. “You can’t go tonight.”
“But why not?” Barrie gasped. “You bought that ticket for my birthday, and I…”
The words dried up in his throat.
The birthday that never happened because of his wish.
“For starters, you’re too young for concerts,” Mom said, pouring a fresh cup of coffee and sipping it black. “I spoke to your father last night. We both agreed. You would need adult supervision, and neither of us can go. Also, it will end way past your curfew. We never should’ve bought you the ticket.”
“But everyone else is going,” Barrie said. “Michael’s and John’s parents gave them permission. It’s our favorite band. We’ve been looking forward to it for months.”
Mom let out a weary sigh and set her empty mug in the sink.
“That’s their parents,” she said, spouting one of her favorite parenting lines. “We’re your parents. We have different rules in this house. We’ve decided to give your ticket to Rita.”
“No way!” Barrie gasped. “Why does she get to go?”
Rita shot him a snarky look from the kitchen table, where she was furiously finishing her homework. “Yeah, Goober,” she said, stabbing her pen in the air to emphasize her words. “Different rules means I get to go to the concert tonight.”
Barrie couldn’t believe the unfairness. His mouth dropped open in outrage.
“But why does Rita get to go?” he asked again in a whiny voice. He hated sounding like a little kid, but he couldn’t help it. “That’s totally unfair! It’s my ticket! She can’t have it—”
“Because she’s all grown up,” Mom replied, rubbing her tired eyes. “She’s sixteen. She can drive, and she gets a later curfew. Plus, it’s not your ticket. Your father and I paid for it—”
“But she can give me a ride,” Barrie said, thinking fast. “We’ll get another ticket so we can both go. And she can supervise me. She’s babysat me before—”
“No way, Goober,” Rita said. “I need a night off from you and your lame friends. Plus, the concert is totally sold out. Brooke told me. No way can we score another ticket.”
Dad walked into the kitchen with his messenger bag slung over his shoulder. He was ready for work. He met Barrie’s eyes. “Son, I’m sorry, but you’re just too young for concerts,” he said, patting Barrie’s shoulder. “Don’t argue with your mother. You know better than that.”
“But I really wanted to go,” Barrie said, blinking back angry tears. He couldn’t stand how unfair it all was. “I can’t believe you’re letting Rit
a go instead of me! They’re my favorite band. She doesn’t even like them that much. All my friends are going—and half my class.”
Dad gave him a sympathetic look. “If your friends all jumped off a cliff, would you jump, too? Just because everyone else is doing it doesn’t mean you should, too.”
He chuckled at his own lame dad joke. Barrie just scowled back, feeling even worse. This was yet another lame parenting line that he’d heard a gazillion times before. Going to a fun concert was not the same thing as jumping off a cliff. It made zero sense.
“But I’m gonna miss out,” Barrie said, imagining Michael and John at the concert without him, jumping around and singing along. Then his father perked up.
“Oh, I know!” Dad said. “How about I take you to the children’s museum instead? That’s more age appropriate.”
“Yes, that’s a fantastic idea,” Mom said with a nod. “It’s also…educational.”
Barrie cringed at that word. He stared at them both in horror. They were just making it worse. Why did his father think that museums were the answer to every single life problem?
And not just any museum.
The children’s museum.
That was like the most boring place in existence. Not to mention it was for snotty little kids who were still in diapers. At least the maritime museum had a pirate ship and other semi-cool stuff.
He felt his heart sinking. The Lost Boys were his absolute favorite band. He knew every song by heart. The chorus from his favorite song, “Never Land,” ran through his head. It played on the radio constantly.
The sky’s the limit,
