CHAPTER 28
The "non-dance" was a hot topic of discussion at school on Monday until about lunch, when it started to die down, and by the end of the day no one was talking about it anymore.
Bo rode over to the public library after school. He thought it would be good to check out something that was the furthest thing from all that had gone on.
He found a book called "Engineers of the Western Plains". It was about railroads and steam locomotives and the adventures they had back in those days. There were great black-and-white photographs.
He went home with the book and stretched out on the couch in The Box. Five minutes later, Adler and Mackie showed up.
"We're not bothering you or anything?" Adler asked, as he dropped over the wall.
"Not at all," Bo lied, as he watched Mackie now, too, come dropping down into The Box.
"Walter!" Bo said. "You made it!"
"Hey, Bo," Mackie said. "Jenny's been working with me at school. It's helped my confidence."
"You keep on surprising me, man," Bo said. "When you're famous, don't forget about me."
"That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about," Mackie said, not meeting Bo's eyes. "I hear there's no more band now...and that you sold the sound equipment, so I know you mean it."
"Yeah, yesterday."
"Yeah, well, just so you know, I want to thank you for including me. These last few weeks have been probably the most exciting of my life."
The words hung there, taking Bo by surprise, and he didn't know what to say.
Adler picked up on the awkward situation and tried to lighten the mood.
"That's only because you have a two-game winning streak against me," he said. "That'll be ending on Wednesday."
"In your dreams," Mackie said, and the serious moment had passed.
Jenny and Melissa arrived a few minutes later.
"Well, you might as well join the party," Bo said. "This is getting to be like old times."
"No, actually we brought a little something that we left in your refrigerator," Jenny said. "Let's wait until Jimmy gets here, though."
"Jimmy too now," Bo said.
"Fancy Freeze," Melissa said. "I think it's his last day there."
Soon they heard the screen being pulled off the secret entrance, and Jimmy came rumbling over the top of The Box and plopped down in a bean bag chair.
"Saw our friends," he said. "Believe it or not, I think Arrington actually felt a little bad."
"Give me a break," Bo said.
"He didn't say anything, it's just a feeling I got," Jimmy said.
"He always was such a caring individual," Adler said.
"Okay, knock it off," Jimmy said.
"Let's go upstairs," said Jenny.
When they were all sitting at the kitchen table, Jenny opened up a pink box and brought out a chocolate cake. It had the messy look of something homemade.
On top of the cake, in white script, it said: "To Bo--thanks from The Z Street Band!"
"What are you doing?!" Bo said.
"It's nothing," Melissa said. "Just a token of our appreciation."
"Come on--appreciation for what?"
"For bringing us all into the band...," Jenny said.
"You mean 'forcing us'," Jimmy said.
"...and figuring out the songs, and teaching us the parts, and taking care of all the details."
"And always telling us we sounded good, whether it was true or not," said Melissa.
"Wow," said Bo, and Jenny cut the cake.
"But before the B-dog starts getting all choked up here," Jimmy said, "let's face it--it's just as well the band's breaking up now, rather than later."
"Right, because of 9th Grade coming up," Adler said.
"Who knows if we'll even see each other next year," Mackie said.
"I hear they give you a lot more homework," Melissa said.
"And high school volleyball's going to take up much more time," Jenny said.
Everyone was quiet while they ate. The doorbell rang.
"Hmm, now who might this be?" said Bo.
"Mr. Riggins, deciding to expel Mackie for calling him at home," said Jimmy.
"The Freeze manager, telling Jimmy he missed a dish," Adler said.
"Pretty funny, you guys," said Jenny.
Bo opened the door. Standing there was a man with a kid Bo thought he recognized from Peabody.
"I'm sorry to bother you," the man said, introducing himself as Mr. Paris. "Quentin wanted to talk to you. We found your address in the school directory."
"Yeah, that's a useful book," Bo said. "Please come in--we're sort of having dessert."
"Before dinner," Jimmy said.
"You want a piece, Quentin?" asked Bo. "Sit right there."
"Actually, we try to limit the sweets," said Mr. Paris. "It's part of the the philosophy of the charter school, Peabody."
"I see," said Jimmy, sticking a huge slice of cake and a fork in front of Quentin.
Mr. Paris laughed nervously and Quentin started digging into the cake like he hadn't eaten in a week.
"Anyhow," Mr. Paris said, "My son spoke very highly of your band performance the other night."
Everyone waited.
"Quentin, you want to tell them your idea?"
The kid shook his head.
"You play chess, right?" Adler said. "I've seen you at the rec center."
Quentin looked up from his cake and said he did.
"He felt bad for you, not having an audience," Mr. Paris said. "And I'm told the guitar work on the song you played at the end was quite outstanding."
"Gee, thanks," said Bo.
"I thought maybe you could play in front of my uncle's shop," Quentin said finally, in a thin voice they had to strain to hear.
"We're actually kind of--retired," said Jimmy, "but where is it?"
"It's on the beach," Quentin said. "It's a surf and rental shop. You probably know it--'Top Gear'. "
"Wow, that place!" Adler said. "That's like the prime spot on the whole beach!"
"When you say 'in front of the shop'," Jimmy said, "you mean the little cement area where they put out all the rental bikes and boogie boards?"
"No, you can play on the beach," Quentin said. "Facing the ocean."
It took a moment for everyone to picture this.
"But aren't there regulations about that?" Melissa said. "I mean you never see any bands playing on the beach, unless it's a special city festival or something."
"Yes, there are regulations. But not for my uncle. He says you can play this Sunday."
"I'll elaborate just a bit," said Mr. Paris. "A few years ago my brother--Quentin's uncle--was jogging on the beach at dusk when he saw someone in trouble in the water. It turned out to be a tourist from Iowa who had never been to the ocean.
"The lifeguard stations were closed by then, so he went in after the guy. There was a rip current and they couldn't get back to shore, so my brother floated the guy on his back until someone saw them. They got rescued by a helicopter."
"I remember reading about that," said Adler.
"Afterwards, the lifeguards told my brother he could do whatever he wanted on the beach, whenever he wanted to. The police go along with it. I guess you'd call it 'carte blanche'."
There was a long silence. It was a lot to handle. Here they were, in the middle of their "retirement" cake, and now, out of nowhere, this incredible opportunity.
Bo realized everyone was waiting for him to say something. It was that simple. It was all on him now.
He took his time.
"We need a P.A. system," he said.
Jimmy stood up and gave Adler a high-five.
Mr. Paris and Quentin soon left, and Jenny and Melissa cleared the table.
After a few minutes, the Z Street Band headed back down to the basement. It was time for practice.
