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laugh. He’s like the OPPOSITE
of shy.
    But he’s also a really good skater, and he’s the kid I can learn from.
    I can’t really explain to Dad about Kevin sort of
skating away
from being one of my two best friends at Oak Glen, and, worse, hanging out now with Jared, my sometimes enemy. Dad would probably call Kevin’s father to “talk it through,” as he puts it, because they play golf together. And how embarrassing would that be?
    Very.
    And it would only make things worse between Kevin and me.
    â€œI had a word with Henry’s dad about Fly, son,” Dad says after a really long pause. “That’s how I know these things about him. Your mother and I were getting a little concerned, and the subject just happened to come up.”
    That sounds pretty lame to me. “You say we should never listen to gossip, Dad,” I remind him, thinking this is a pretty good point. “And this sounds like gossip to me. Or like Mr. Pendleton tattled about something private.”
    â€œThings are different when it’s a matter of protecting your own children, son,” Dad says. “It’s our job to protect
you
.”
    And it’s my job to protect Alfie, I remind myself. But I can handle that.
    â€œSo what am I supposed to do?” I ask my dad. “Never go over to Henry’s house again? Like you said, it’s their choice who they invite over. I can’t say, ‘Sorry, Pendletons, but no more Fly.’ They’ve already decided about that, which means no more
me
.”
    â€œYou could call first, to see if Fly is there,” Dad suggests, after thinking it over for what seems like a small part of one second.
    â€œLike I’m a
baby
?” I ask, feeling my face getting hot. “Like it’s some playdate? We’re just hanging, Dad! That’s what guys
do
. They don’t call first, or wait for some fancy invitation with glitter on it. I mean, I could see calling if Henry lived really far away, just to see if he was home, but he’s our
next-door neighbor
. Isn’t it bad enough that I’m only eight, and Henry’s ten? I’m lucky he lets me come over there at all!”
    â€œTake it or leave it, son,” Dad says, already thinking about something else. A rock, probably.
    â€œBut—but what if I’m over there with Henry, and Fly just kind of shows up?” I ask, picturing it. “What am I supposed to do then? Go running home like a
girl
?”
    â€œLet’s not make any sweeping statements about girls, son,” Dad says, actually laughing a little. “And you don’t have to
run
home. You can stroll. Or amble. Or mosey. But yes, given that situation, you should come on home.”
    â€œHuh,” I say, staring down at my bony knees.
    At my bony
little
knees. I feel like I’m about three years old.
    But—maybe Dad has accidentally given me a way to wriggle out of this terrible new rule. I could always say
Fly
just happened
to show up at the last minute, even if he was already there.
    I could lie.
    And I wouldn’t have to “mosey home” right away, would I?
    Maybe when you make a dumb new rule like this one, you deserve what you get,
Dad
. But if that’s the case, why do I feel like I’m slipping even further from my goal?
    At this rate, I’ll
never
get my friend Kevin back!

10
    The real story
    â€œJack and the Beanstalk” and Me
    by
    EllRay Jakes
    Â 
    I thought this famous story was about a boy named Jack who started out doing something dumb but ended up being a hero. I thought his mom lost her job, and they ran out of food. Then Jack sold their only cow to this shady guy for some magic beans, but you can’t eat magic beans. His mom got mad at him and threw the beans out the window. A huge beanstalk grew during the night, and Jack climbed to the top, probably to hide from his mom. Then Jack fought the giant who lived at the top of the beanstalk and