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My mother smiles at Mrs. Lynol and sends me to the car as Xander’s mom does the same.
The two women exchange goodbyes along with phone numbers. A very angry Martina Farmer makes her way back to our car, and I realize with her pursed lips and how her eyebrows dip into a V, she won’t be pleasant for the rest of the afternoon. When my ma is mad, she stays mad until the sun goes down.
“Clark, that was unacceptable.” My mother moves the mirror to look at me in the back seat, and I know her stare means I’ll have no computer privileges when I get home. Stupid demon child Xander. He’s so annoying. “Ma, he’s the one who has been unkind to me since school started yesterday.” I use my ma’s favorite word. Everything is kind or unkind in her mind. It softens her features as she gives me a weak grin in the rearview mirror.
“What do you mean unkind? The two of you met yesterday.” Her eyes stay fixed on me through the mirror, and she hasn’t started driving. The woman wants answers—no surprise there.
“Everything is so competitive with him. He has to be the best at everything he does.” I open my mouth to continue my side of the story but think better of it when Ma’s laugh radiates throughout the car, the pitch of her cackle hurting my ears.
“Pot, meet kettle,” she replies, a sincere smile on her face as her lips turn from a frown.
When my ma uses this saying, I never know how to respond. I don’t understand it. And I ignore her because Xander is the demon child who started it. “He just met you yesterday, Clark. I cannot believe that you guys will be mortal enemies from the first day of third grade. You know what we need?”
Good Lord, whenever my ma starts a sentence like this, it never ends well for me. I don’t answer because maybe she won’t tell me if I don’t respond.
“This will all be settled over a playdate, I’m confident, Clark. Mark my words.” I’m glad she’s confident because I have no doubt this will be nothing but a disaster.
* * *
“I’m sohappy you guys could make it on short notice.” My mother set up this little playdate the next day. But school was awful, and I beat him in a spelling bee. I also won another round of multiplication facts, as we were the last two left.
My ma shuffles them in and turns to Mrs. Lynol. “I’ve made a new pot of coffee and baked some scones. Would you like to join me, and we can let the kids play together?” Mrs. Lynol answers my mother by following her into the kitchen and leaving us in the hallway leading to the steps.
Xander stands looking at the empty hallway. “Where’s your playroom?”
“You mean my bedroom?” I ask.
“No, your playroom. Your bedroom is where you sleep. Your playroom is where you play.”
“I don’t have a playroom, just a bedroom. And it’s upstairs.” I point at the steps that lead to my room.
“That’s odd. I never met anyone without a playroom.”
My mother has mentioned that the Lynols come from big money. My parents take good care of my brother and me, but we have very little left over for frivolities.
“Do you have a brother or sister?” I ask.
“No, it’s just me.” Of course, it’s just him. Spoiled rotten brat.
“I have an older brother. We only have three bedrooms. One for me, one for JJ, and one for my parents.”
My mother yells for me down the hallway.
“Clark, go play. Have fun. Make a new friend.” This is her way of telling me to mend the bridge and make nice with the demon child.
“What do you want to do?” I ask, already bored with him.
He points to the steps. “I don’t like you and don’t plan to be your friend.”
I feel the same way, but I don’t say this. “Want to play a video game?” I ask instead.
“Sure, but just know, I’ll beat you.”
I think of my ma and what she would say if she knew we were competing only three minutes into our playdate. She wouldn’t be happy.
“I don’t care about winning, just pick a stupid video game,” I lie while we walk up the steps.
He shrugs his shoulders, like he doesn’t care and looks through my vast array of games, when we’re in my room, and he picks my favorite. No doubt I can beat his butt. After we begin, I start pulling ahead quickly, a racing game I usually win against my older brother. The game ends, and he tosses his controller.
