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Joey for Brett.
"So where were you last night?"
"I was at Brett's house," I told her truthfully. "He and I went
to the movies and then I stayed at his house. That's all,
honest."
"So why did you lie to me? Honey, this doesn't make any
sense. Why would I care if you stayed at Joey's or Brett's. It
makes no difference to me. What matters is that you didn't
tell me the truth about what you were doing. That makes me
wonder what you were really doing."
"Honest Mom, I wasn't doing anything wrong. I just went
to the movies with Brett. That's all. See he asked me after I
had made plans with Joey. I did not want to get Joey mad
at me by ditching our plans so I told him I could not come
after all. I told him I was helping you paint instead."
"I know. Mrs. Potter told me the same thing. She asked if
we had gotten our painting done. I did not tell her that you
didn't stay home to help me." I heaved a sigh of relief. At
least I did not have to deal with Joey going off on me. "But I
don't think it was very nice of you to blow off Joey like that
and then lie to him. He has been your friend a long time.
Friends don't treat friends like that, Jeff."
Again I looked down at the table. "I'm sorry, Mom. But
look, Brett gave me these new clothes!"
"Wow. Why did he do that?"
"His mom got them for me actually because they said
they appreciated that I was helping Brett with the tutoring.
Isn't that nice of them?"
She nodded. "Yes, very. So tell me about this Brett. It
seems like you two must be becoming pretty good friends.
You spent the weekend together. He is buying you gifts.
Why haven't you ever had him over here?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "He has a big house and stuff. It
is a good place to study. This is the first time we spent a
night together. I'm sure he will come over some time. Why?
Do you want to meet him?"
"Sure. I'd love to. You know I love to meet new people.
But just promise me something, Jeff, okay?" I nodded.
"Promise to always be honest with me. You always have
been so far. It is not like you to lie. And you know, you can
tell me anything, don't you? Anything."
I again nodded. "I know Mom. I promise."
"Okay. Glad you had fun." I was so lucky to have her for
my mom. She was such a wonderful and loving person. I
really could not tell her anything though. There were some
things she would never know about me.
Chapter 6
I crinkled my face when my mom woke me Sunday
morning to ask if I wanted to go to church with her. "Do I
have to, Mom. I don't really feel like going today."
"No, you don't have to, but it might do you good." I think
she was trying to make me feel contrite for lying to her. I
rolled over and got out of bed.
"Oh, all right. What time is it now?"
"It is nine-thirty. So get a move on." I yawned and
nodded, rubbing my hair. I reached for my glasses and
grabbed my robe.
"I'm gonna take a shower. I'll be down in a few minutes."
She closed my bedroom door and headed downstairs. It
wouldn't be so bad, really. Elaine went to our church also,
and I might get a chance to talk to her. I wonder if she would
suspect anything with Brett and me. She was so perceptive
about my feelings sometimes.
When Elaine and I were in grade school we used to play
together all the time. We always played "girl" games. While
the other boys were out doing their rough and tumble, I was
with Elaine playing "house" and "grocery store". She had
one of those big-headed Barbie's that had lots of long hair.
It was like a mannequin head, and little girls got them to
play "hair stylist". Elaine and I would do that together. She
also liked to hang with me because I was the only boy she
knew who did not try to scare her with frogs and snakes,
and who never made fun of her for being fat.
Elaine's parents had created an entire room in her house
that was simply a big playroom. There was a play piano, an
Easy-Bake Oven, a Hoppity Horse and the other hoppity
thing that was just a big huge ball with a ring on it. She also
had every Barbie doll ever created I think. We played
Barbie's sometimes; I always got to use the Ken or the GI
Jo doll. I was always the love interest of whatever Barbie
she fancied for that day. Basically we just grew up together
as the best of friends. She used to say to me that I was her
"bestest" friend, and truly I was.
I knew that I could trust Elaine to keep a secret, but it was
too dangerous to confide in her about Brett. I so did not
want to do anything to jeopardize Brett in any way. I did not
want to arm Elaine with anything too juicy that she would
just have to tell someone, though in reality I knew that it was
I whom she always told those kinds of things. Just last week
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