Read Art for Art's Sake: Meredith's Story for Free Online

pumped a fist in the air.
    “You can go, Dad. Really, I don’t mind.”
    “No, no,” her father teased. “I wouldn’t want to deprive you of the privilege.”
    “Thanks a lot. It’s only freezing out there and then I have to sit and listen to a herd of twelve-year olds yelling karate...things.”
    “They’re tapping into their inner something-or-other, I guess. Ah, but Mikey loves it.”
    “And Dr. Robinson said he’s got to get more exercise, so off we’ll go.” Meredith took a sip of her orange juice. “Oh, Dad, do you want me to cook tonight, or can we just order pizza?”
    “Pizza’s fine. You have exams to get ready for. In fact, I’ll even call DiGiovanni’s myself.”
    “Whoa.” Meredith chuckled. “Don’t strain yourself, okay?”
    “Not a chance.”
    “I have to go get Mikey out of bed. If Dani calls—”
    “Danny? He would be the captain of the football team, hmm?” Her father loved to tease her about boys.
    “No, actually,” Meredith teased back, “the captain of the lacrosse team.” She got up to put their dirty dishes in the dishwasher.
    “Lacrosse. Is that a real sport?”
    “Oh, c’mon, Dad. I’ve seen you watch lacrosse on ESPN.”
    “Yeah, because there weren’t any real sports like football or basketball or baseball or golf on TV. Wait, golf isn’t a real sport, either.”
    “I’ve seen you watch golf, too.” Meredith feigned exasperation with her father. “I assume you’ll be watching some sort of sporting event this afternoon?”
    “Naturally. Pro bowling, unless there’s a Syracuse game on.”
    “What if Syracuse bowling is on opposite pro bowling?”
    “Oh, then I’ll be switching back and forth as fast as the clicker can take me.”
    Meredith couldn’t help but smile at her father. Syracuse sports, that’s all he ever thought about.
    “Hey, Dad, when I get back from karate, can you take over Mikey for a while? I want to go to the library to study.”
    “Of course, I will. Mikey likes bowling.”
    Just then, Mikey, obviously sleepy, lumbered down the stairs.
    “Hey, Mikey,” her father addressed his son. “What’s shakin’?” Her father twisted and bounced in the kitchen chair.
    Mikey laughed and twisted and bounced where he stood. “Dad’s shakin’.”
    “And Mikey’s shakin’, too.” Her father laughed with him.
    Meredith laughed at both of them. “Hey, Mikey Likey. Do you want some cereal?”
    “Yes, pwease.” Her brother stopped his twisting and turning and sat with a grunt at the kitchen table. His short dark brown hair was, as usual, wild and uncombed. His glasses had slipped down his nose, but he didn’t seem to care.
    “Mikey, could you get your bowl and spoon?”
    “Okay, Mewey.” He got up slowly, not fully awake, and pulled out his favorite bowl from the cupboard and then opened the silverware drawer for a spoon.
    “Don’t forget, you’ve got karate in a little while.”
    He mumbled something she didn’t understand. “More slowly, Mikey. What did you say?”
    “Taekwondo.”
    “Oh, that’s right. You take taekwondo, not karate. I keep forgetting. After breakfast get your uniform on. Don’t forget your belt this time, okay?”
    “Okay.”
    Her father joined in. “Hey, Mikey, do you think you could put on a little deodorant today? You were Stinky Mikey last time.”
    Mikey giggled at his father’s teasing and grinned from ear to ear. “Stinky Mikey.”
    Meredith caught the wink her father sent her and smiled. She winked back at him and said, “By the way, Dad?”
    “Yes, daughter?”
    “Dani, the lacrosse captain that might call, is a girl. Dani’s short for Danielle.”
    “Oh, okay then. And she’s captain of the girls’ lacrosse team?”
    Meredith nodded.
    “Very cool.”
    Meredith sensed intrigue about Dani, not disappointment, from her father. She was relieved.
    Once Meredith got Mikey dressed and into her dad’s rusty old pickup truck, she cranked up the heat. The pickup was old, but thank goodness