Saturday Boy by David Fleming Page B

happened?”
    I took a knife and spread peanut butter on one waffle and Fluff on the other and then pressed them together like a sandwich. I took a bite and chewed slowly. I didn’t want to tell her it was all Budgie’s fault because she was probably sick of hearing about him but I wasn’t going to lie to her, either.
    â€œBudgie called me a loser and said our castle was stupid,” I said. I expected her to sigh or roll her eyes when she heard Budgie’s name but she didn’t. She looked troubled instead.
    â€œI’m sorry, sweetheart. He shouldn’t have said those things,” she said. “You know your castle’s not stupid, right?”
    â€œI guess.”
    â€œWhat do you mean, you guess?”
    I shrugged and stared at the waffle sandwich on my plate. I could feel Mom looking at me, waiting for me to say something.
    â€œI guess it’s not stupid.”
    â€œIt’s
not
stupid. It’s the most creative thing I’ve ever seen,” she said. “You two put a lot of thought into that castle and you should be proud. I know I am.”
    She smiled. I smiled, too. Then she frowned.
    â€œBut what I’m not proud of is what you did yesterday. Writing on the walls is called vandalism. People can go to jail for that.”
    â€œBut Budgie—”
    â€œBut nothing,” she said. “Look, Derek, I hate to say it but Budgie is going to keep on being Budgie. If you want to be his friend, then you need to figure out a way to not let him get to you.”
    â€œYou mean be the bigger person, right?”
    â€œI just mean you should find a way to live in the same world as Budgie that works for you—preferably one that doesn’t land you in the principal’s office.”
    Mom was still talking while I got my book bag and put on my sneakers but my mind was spinning so I wasn’t really listening. Had she really said I didn’t have to be the bigger person anymore?
    â€œSo you understand, right?” she said.
    â€œUnderstand what?”
    â€œThat because of yesterday the TV is going to have to stay off for a while.”
    â€œWhat? For how long?”
    â€œTwo weeks.”
    â€œBut what about the
Zeroman
special episode?”
    â€œI’m sorry, Derek, but you should’ve thought of that before doing what you did.”
    â€œNobody does that!” I blurted.
    â€œDerek, stop. You’re making it worse. Stop and think.”
    â€œNo! It’s not fair! It’s Budgie’s fault! It’s
always
Budgie’s fault!” I could feel myself getting angry. I couldn’t stop.
    â€œThen why isn’t
he
the one staying after school for a week? Think about it.”
    â€œ
Stop telling me to think about it!
”
    Mom’s mouth dropped open and her face went white. I don’t think I’d ever yelled at her like that before. It was like I had slapped her. Then I noticed something else—the book I’d been putting in my backpack was no longer in my hand. It was lying on the counter where it had hit the drying rack with enough force to scatter silverware across the countertop and onto the floor. Mom stood up and went past me, her footsteps getting faster as she left the kitchen. They got even quicker as she went up the stairs and by the time I heard her bedroom door close she was practically running.
    * * *
    I didn’t want anyone to sit next to me on the bus that morning. I didn’t want to have to look at anyone or hear or smell them so it figured that as the bus filled up, who should sit next to me but Edwina Stubbs—the biggest, loudest, smelliest girl in school.
    â€œMove in,” she said.
    I pulled my book bag onto my lap and moved over until I was smashed up against the wall. Our arms were touching.
    â€œI said move over!”
    â€œI did!” I said. “There’s no room left!”
    She made a harrumphing sound that reminded me of farm animals, then