The Boy who Broke the Rules

14

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"Parker, get your butt down here now!"

"Five more minutes, dad!"

"You said five minutes half hour ago!"

Almost tripping around the wires and yarn I forgot to put away last night, I reached for my bracelets and slid them on my wrist. "Okay, two more minutes!"

One beat passed, two.

Silence.

"Paaar-ker!"

I rolled my eyes, grabbed the new Bohemian style body purse I made last week and ran down the stairs. I was meeting Ruth at the ice cream parlour, and my dad said he could drop me off before heading to the car shop then to work. The engine light came on in our ancient van two weeks ago, and my dad was supposed to bring it there a week ago, but had somehow forgot about it until my mom nagged him to death last night.

"Dad, why do you keep wearing a tie when you can't put it on properly?" I teased once we were inside the van. His tie was always crooked. I would fix it if I could, but I was as bad as he was. Only my mom knew how to do it perfectly.

My dad adjusted his tie with one hand, making quick glances at his tie on the rear view mirror while driving. "Because it makes me look important, missy."

"You is smart, you is kind, you is important," I smiled, quoting Aibileen Clark.

He turned his head to smile back at me, chucked my chin before concentrating again on the road.

"Parks, did you turn off the stove? Checked the switches?"

I made a face. "Dad. You were the last one in the kitchen."

"Crapfreakcrap," he hissed under his breath.

"Crapfreakcrap," I repeated.

I knew what was next before he even groaned, "We have to go back."

"I know," I sighed.

So we went back, because if we didn't, and if the stove was on, and if my mom found out, we were both in big trouble. He made me check everything while he stayed in the car.

"All clear," I chirped as I scrambled in the car. "Your turn next time."

We were almost to the ice cream parlour when I got a text from Ruth.

Ruth: Parks can't make it 2day. Sorry. Sick. You are very welcome to breathe in my germs if you want to come over and get sick. Wuv U. xoxo

I didn't even bother sighing. Ruth had a bad habit of cancelling at the last minute.

"What was that?"

"Ruth cancelled. She's sick. I'll just go with you to the garage and walk from there. It's closer than walking it back from the ice cream parlour."

He looked at his watch. "I'll drive you back, Parks, but I'm already late. I can't turn around now, chump."

"I know. It's okay, dad."

"I'll see if Old Man Hosea can spare you a ride back home, how's that?"

People in this lovely town sometimes had nicknames. My dad said Old Man Hosea was already called that as far as he could remember, although I heard he was only fifty eight.

My dad was scheduled for a session at one of his student's house today, and luckily, it was located a couple blocks down the car shop, so he could easily walk there and come back to pick up the van after.