categorizing the parts into gross； disgusting； and
revolting。
……… Page 66………
Hanging near her didn't stop the Baker boys from shoving crackers in whole； though。 Man； I
was just waiting for them to wrap themselves around
a table leg and flex。
Juli； her dad； and my grandfather were off to the side talking nonstop about something； and
my dad was over with Mrs。 Baker looking about as
stupid as I felt； standing by myself talking to no one。
My mom flutters over to me and says； “You doing okay； honey？”
“Yeah；” I tell her； but she forces me over to where Granddad is anyway。 “Go on； go on；” she
whispers。 “Dinner will be ready in a minute。”
So I stand there and the group of them opens up； but it's more like a reflex than anything。 No
one says a word to me。 They just keep right on
talking about perpetual motion。
Perpetual motion。
My friend； I didn't even know what perpetual motion was。 They were talking closed systems；
open systems； resistance； energy source；
magism … it was like joining a discussion in a different language。 And Juli； Juli was
saying stuff like； “Well； what if you put the mags back to
back — reversed the polarity？” like she really understood what they were talking about。 Then
my granddad and her dad would explain why her idea
wouldn't work； but all that did was make Juli ask another question。
I was pletely lost。 And even though I was pretending to follow along with what they were
saying； what I was really doing was trying not to stare
at Juli。
When my mom called us for dinner； I did my best to pull Juli aside and apologize to her； but
she gave me the cold shoulder； and who could blame
her； really？
I sat down across from her； feeling pretty low。 Why hadn't I said something to Garrett in the
library？ I didn't have to punch him。 Why hadn't I just told
him he was out of line？
After Mom served everyone their food； Dad seemed to decide that he ought to be the one
directing the conversation。 “So； Mike and Matt；” he
says； “you're seniors this year。”
“Amen！” they say together。
“Amen？ As in you're glad high school's over？”
“Absolutely。”
My father starts twirling his fork。 “Why's that？”
Matt and Mike look at each other； then back at my dad。 “The regurgitation gets to you after a
while。”
“Isn't that funny；” he says； looking around the table。 “High school was probably the best time
of my life。”
Matt…or…Mike says； “Seriously？ Dude； it's totally lame！” Mrs。 Baker shoots him a look； but that
doesn't stop him。 “Well； it is； Mom。 It's that whole
robotron attitude of education。 Confine； confute； conform—I've had totally enough of that
scene。”
My dad eyes my mom with a little I…told…you…so grin； then says to Matt and Mike； “So I take it
college is out of the question？”
God； what was with him？ In a flash I was clutching my fork and knife； ready to duke it out for
a couple of guys who pinched my cheeks and called
me baby brother。
I took a deep breath and tried to relax。 Tried to dive down to calmer water。 This wasn't my
fight。
Besides； Matt and Mike seemed cool with it。 “Oh； no；” they said。 “College is a total
possibility。” “Yeah； we got accepted a couple of places； but
we're going to give the music thing a shot first。”
“Oh； the music thing；” my father says。
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Matt and Mike look at each other； then shrug and get back to eating。 But Lyta glares at
him and says； “Your sarcasm is not appreciated； Dad。”
“Lyn； Lyn；” says Matt…or…Mike。 “It's cool。 Everyone's like that about it。 It's a show…me…don't…
tell…me thing。”
“That's a great idea；” Lyta says； jumping out of her seat and dashing down the hall。
Mom freezes； not sure what to do about Lyta； but then Mrs。 Baker says； “Dinner is
absolutely delicious； Patsy。”
“Thanks； Trina。 It's … it's nice to have all of you over。”
There's about three seconds of quiet and then Lyta es in and jabs at the CD player
buttons until the drawer slides back in。
“Lyn； no！ Not a good idea；” says Matt…or…Mike。 “Yeah； Lyn。 It's not exactly dinner music。”
“Tough；” says Lyta； and cranks the volume。
Boom； whack！ Boom…boom； whack！ The candles practically shake in their holders； then
guitars rip through the air and about blow them out。 Matt
and Mike look up at the speakers； then grin at each other and call over to my dad； “Surround
sound — awesome setup； Mr。 Loski！”
All the adults were dying to jump up and turn the thing down； but Lyta stood guard and
just glowered at them。 And when the song's over；
Lyta pulls out the CD； punches off the player； and then smiles — actually smiles — at
Matt and Mike and says； “That is the raddest song。 I want
to hear it again and again and again。”
Matt…or…Mike says to my dad； “You probably don't like it； but it's what we do。”
“You boys wrote that song？”
“Uh…huh。”
He motions Lyta to pass the CD over； saying； “Just the one song？”
Matt…or…Mike laughs and says； “Dude； we've got a thousand songs； but there's only three on
the demo。”
Dad holds up the CD。 “This is the demo？”
“Yeah。”
He looks at it a minute and says； “So if you're Piss Poor； how do you afford to press CDs？”
“Dad！” Lyta snaps at him。
“It's okay； Lyn。 Just a joke； right； Mr。 Loski？”
My dad laughs a little and says； “Right；” but then adds； “Although I am a little curious。 This is
obviously not a home…done demo； and I happen to
know studio time's cost…prohibitive for most bands…。”
Matt and Mike interrupt him with a slamming hard high five。 And while I'm getting uptight
about my dad asking them questions about money； of all
things； my mom's fumbling all over herself； trying to sweep away my dad's big pawprints。
“When Rick and I met； he was playing in a band…。”
Poached salmon was suddenly swimming down the wrong hatch。 And while I'm choking；
Lyta's bugging out her raccoon eyes； gasping； “You？
Played in a band？ What did you play； clari？”
“No； honey；” my mom says； trying to hold it all together。 “Your father played guitar。”
“Guitar？”
“Cool！” Matt…or…Mike says。 “Rock？ Country？ Jazz？”
“Country；” my dad says。 “Which is nothing to scoff at； boys。”
“Dude！ We know。 Total respect； man。”
“And when our band looked into getting a demo made； it was astronomically expensive。 That
was in a big city； where there was a little
petition。 Getting a demo made around here？ I didn't even know there was a facility。”
Matt and Mike are still grinning。 “There's not。”
“So where'd you go？ And how'd you afford it？” My mother whacks him under the table again；
so he says； “I'm just curious； Patsy！”
Matt and Mike lean in。 “We did it ourselves。”
……… Page 68………
“This right here？ You did this yourselves？ That's impossible。” He's looking almost mad about
it。 “How'd you get the gear？”
My mom kicks him again； but Dad turns on her and says； “Stop it； would you？ I'm just
curious！”
Matt…or…Mike says； “It's cool； Mrs。 Loski。” He smiles at my dad and says； “We kept cruising
the Inter and the trades looking for a deal。
Everyone's blowing out their old analog gear for digital because that's the move everyone
else has made。 Digital； if you want to know our opinion； is
weak。 You lose too much of the waveform。 There's not enough fat to it； and obviously we like
it beefy。”
My granddad puts up a finger and says； “But a CD's digital； so…”
“Exactly； but that is the last and only step we'll promise on。 It's just a necessity of being
part of the industry。 Everyone wants CDs。 But the
multitrack and the mixdown to two…track is analog。 And we could afford it； Mr。 Loski； because
we got used gear and we've been saving up our
pennies since we were twelve years old。” He grins and says； “You still play？ We could； you
know； lay down some of your tunes if you want。”
My dad looks down； and for a second I couldn't tell if he was going to get mad or cry。 Then
he sort of snorts and says； “Thanks； but that's not me
anymore。”
Which was probably the only honest thing my dad said all night。 After that he was quiet。 He'd
try to plaster up a smile now and then； but man；
underneath it he was broody。 And I was feeling kind of bad for him。 Was he thinking about
the good old days playing in a band？ I tried picturing him
in cowboy boots and a cowboy hat； with a guitar strapped across his shoulder； playing some
old Willie Nelson song。
He was right — it just wasn't him。
But the fact that it ever had been made me feel even more like a stranger in a strange land。
Then； when the night was over and the Bakers were
piling out the front door； something else strange happened。 Juli touched my arm。 And for the
first time that night she was looking at me。 It was that
look； too； channeled directly and solely at me。 She says； “I'm sorry I was so angry when we
first came in。 Everyone had a good time； and I think your
mom's really nice for inviting us。”
Her voice ost a whisper。 I just stood there like a moron； staring at her。
“Bryce？” she says； touching my arm again。 “Did you hear me？ I'm sorry。”
I managed a nod； but my arm was tingling； and my heart was pounding； and I felt myself
pulling toward her。
Then she was gone。 Out the door and into the night； part of a chorus of happy good…byes。 I
tried to catch my breath。 What was that？ What was
wrong with me？
My mother closed the door and said； “There。 Now what did I tell you？ That is one delightful
family！ Those boys are nothing like I expected。 Lyta；
why didn't you tell me they were so…so charming！”
“They're drug dealers is what they are。”
Everyone turned to my father and dropped their jaws。
“What？” my mother said。
“There is no other way those boys could afford to buy recording gear like that。” He glared at
Lyta。 “Isn't that so？”
Lyta's eyes looked like they were going to pop right out of her head。
“Rick； please！” my mother said。 “You can't just make accusations like that！”
“It's the only thing that makes sense； Patsy。 Believe me； I know how musicians are。 There is
no other explanation for this。”
Lyta shouted； “I happen to know for a fact that they don't use or deal。 Where do you get
off saying something like that？ You are such a twofaced；
……… Page 69………
condescending； narrow…minded jackass！”
There was a split second of silence； and then he slapped her； smack； right across the cheek。
That put my mother in his face like I'd never seen and sent my sister screaming insults over
her shoulder as she ran down to her room。
My heart was pounding。 Lyta was right and I almost； almost got in his face； too； and told
him so。 But then my granddad pulled me aside and
we both retr