Stuff We All Get by K. L. Denman Page B

know that might seem like a long time, but it will go by faster than you think. Especially if you keep busy. And you’ll make friends in no time, Zack. You always do.”
    â€œLike that’s going to happen while I’m stuck at home . With you.” I stomp away into the garage. I find stakes and a hammer. I like the idea of pounding on something.
    When I get back outside, Mom’s gone. Her and her facts, she’s big on those. Me, I’m not exactly against getting all the facts. But I definitely find other stuff more interesting.
    I pound in the stakes, tie the string and start digging. As I dig, I consider what stuff I find interesting. I decide digging isn’t among my interests. Girls, they’re interesting. One of these days, I’ll find one that thinks I’m interesting too. I’m pretty sure Charo likes me, but I don’t think she’s my type. She’s nice enough, and she’s average-looking. That would be okay if she didn’t act so average too. She’s always with her little group. She’s got that pack mentality.
    What’s with that group-think stuff? I wish I knew. It seems like the groups here are tighter than any I’ve seen. I have always made friends, but this time it seems harder. Mom has moved us, what? Five times in the past twelve years? I used to think it would be easier if Dad was with us. Back around the second move, he said he wasn’t coming. He was into a theatre group in Montreal and claimed he needed more time there. He told us he would catch up to us later. That was seven years ago, and he still hasn’t caught up. I don’t think he ever will.
    I’m getting blisters from digging and decide gloves would be a good idea. I drop the shovel and go inside, where I find Mom isn’t painting. She’s sitting at the computer.
    â€œSo.” I wave a hand. “Blisters here. How’s it going for you?”
    She gives me a look. “I’ll finish the painting, Zack.” She points at the computer. “But I wanted to check out this hobby I heard about. Geocaching. I think we’re going to like it.”
    â€œWe?” I ask.
    â€œYeah. It’s pretty cool. You use a gps device to hunt down treasure.”
    â€œTreasure?” I echo. “As in sunken pirate ships?”
    â€œNot quite. Although who knows what we might find. See,” she says, tapping the computer screen. “People all over the world are doing this. They put items in a box, called a geocache, and they hide it somewhere, cache it. Then they post the gps coordinates online. Other people can use their gps devices and find it.”
    â€œYeah?” I say. “Well, I guess you’ll have fun checking it out.”
    â€œI want you to help,” she says.
    â€œYou think one of those boxes is hidden in our backyard?” I ask.
    â€œNo.” She gives me a wry look. “Listen. I know this move has been hard on you. And I’m going to try to make sure we stay put, at least until you graduate. But you punching that kid—that’s not like you. I’m disappointed, Zack.”
    â€œI can tell,” I mutter.
    â€œYes, and you know I can’t let it go. There have to be consequences. Your punishment stands. But I won’t make you work the whole time you’re grounded. And you can leave the house with me. What do you say we take a break and go try geocaching right now?”
    If it gets me out of digging, I’m all for it. But I squint at her and go for a different sort of dig. “Before I say yes, maybe I should get a few more details .”

Chapter Three
    The geocaching website has hundreds of caches listed for Penticton. Mom picks one that’s supposed to be easy to find. It’s somewhere in a park she wants to check out.
    She already has her handheld gps device plugged in and charging. With this, we can receive signals from Global Positioning System satellites orbiting earth.