Free Dunk by David Lubar

for a bit. I’ll catch you later,” he said.
    â€œOkay.” I started walking back home.
    Malcolm headed that way, too. He walked next to me, but I ignored him. I checked my watch. It was almost four. In three hours I’d be working in the tank. I realized that if Malcolm lost his job, things at home would improve immediately: He wouldn’t be able to pay the rent, and then he’d have to move.
    Unless he talked Mom into letting him stay for free. He’d already conned her into waiting for the rent. I thought about the way he changed roles so easily. With that talent, how hard would it be to make her feel sorry for him? Hell, he could probably get free meals, too, if he put his mind to it. Next thing I knew, she’d order me to bring him breakfast in bed. Of course, Mom wasn’t a pushover. Every once in a while there’d be some guy trying to ask her out. She usually turned them down gently. Except for the jerks. She’d tell them she didn’t need another deadbeat in her life.
One to a customer
. That’s what she’d say. But this guy, he’d probably try to fool her.
    â€œYou don’t like me, do you?” he asked.
    I realized I’d been glaring at him. “What was your first clue?”
    â€œLook, I guess we got off to a bad start. Maybe I should have helped you with the cops yesterday.”
    I shrugged and muttered, “Forget about it. I don’t need your help.” I wasn’t going to let him off that easily.
    â€œI’ll keep that in mind for the next time,” he said.
    â€œThere won’t be a next time. Just stay out of my business.” I looked away from him as I spoke. Not to hide my anger, but to hide my smile. I realized that I sure wasn’t going to stay out of his business. Just the opposite. I was about to get into his business in a big way.

12
    M OM WAS AT THE KITCHEN TABLE, STUDYING .
    â€œTest?” I asked.
    She nodded.
    â€œBetter you than me.” I went to the fridge and got a glass of milk, which I improved with a nice long squirt of chocolate syrup.
    â€œI think it’s going to be a tough one,” she said.
    â€œStop worrying. You’ll do fine.” I realized that I was telling her the exact same thing she always told me before my tests. I just hoped my prediction turned out to be more accurate than hers were.
    â€œHow was your day?” Mom asked.
    Different from usual
, I thought.
Made ten bucks off a guy I hate, got the job of my dreams, and saved my best friend from rolling down the stairs and breaking his neck
. None of which was the kind of information a mom would be glad to hear—especially not the job part—so I settled for telling her, “Fine, so far.”
    â€œI saw you coming up the walk with Professor Vale. He seems like a very nice man.”
    I nodded. “Yup. He seems that way.” I shut up and let her get back to studying. I knew that among the thousand other things she worried about, she was concerned I didn’t have any father figures in my life. Well, that’s one role Malcolm was never going to play.
    I wanted to call Jason and tell him to meet me at Wild Willy’s. But I realized he might be sleeping. He’d looked really wiped out when he’d gone into his house. I figured I’d probably have to wait until tomorrow to surprise him. Though there was a chance I’d still see him. Even if I didn’t call him, he might come looking for me if he felt better.
    As Mom was getting ready to leave for school, she asked me, “Got any plans for tonight?”
    Oh, man. I couldn’t lie. I remembered all the times she’d asked Dad,
Where are you going?
He’d tell her,
Just down to the corner for cigarettes
. He’d come home hours later, or maybe the next day.
    â€œI figured I’d put on clown makeup and shout at people,” I said.
    Mom smiled and shook her head. “Very funny. That’s what I get for