521 Mall Visi (1/2)
Saturday morning I woke up still dressed in the clothes from the night before. I rolled out of bed, grabbed some clean clothes, and hit the showers, completely ignoring the snores coming from Noah. He went to bed slightly before me and even slept on the ride home; he should be waking up soon.
When I came downstairs, only Zeke and Mr. Atkins were at the kitchen table.
\”Mom went to a clients house.\” Zeke told me when he caught me looking at the slim pickings for breakfast. The only choices were bagels or cereal.
I took a seat and poured myself a bowl of cereal with milk.
\”We'll have lunch a little sooner today, so don't eat too much.\” Mr. Atkins explained.
I raised an eyebrow.
\”Today's the baseball banquet.\”
I stared at him blankly before focusing on my food. I vaguely remember a few mentions of the word banquet but I didn't know what it entailed.
It was a relatively quiet breakfast until the twins and Noah came racing down. They stuffed their faces like they hadn't ate in days, completely making a mess of the kitchen table.
\”Make sure you boys clean up properly.\” Mr. Atkins frowned at the sight of spilled cereal everywhere.
\”Not it!\”
\”Not it!\”
\”Not it!\”
Dave and Noah smirked towards Kyle who was the last to yell.
\”Zeke and Jake didn't say anything.\” Kyle argued.
\”They didn't make a mess.\” Mr. Atkins intervened. \”Do all of you have clean suits for tonight? Have you tried them on?\”
I was clueless as the others focused on eating, not daring to make eye contact with their dad. Even Zeke cleared his throat and paid more attention to his phone.
Mr. Atkins sighed. \”Try your suits on. If they're dirty, we need to get them washed. If something doesn't fit, we'll have to make a trip to the mall. We're already going to the mall to get Jake a new phone so let's do just one trip.\”
\”Jake's going to get a phone?\” Noah asked.
\”That's weird. He doesn't need one.\” Kyle frowned.
\”Yea, he's always with Noah. How hard can it be to find him?\” Dave added.
\”We treat you all the same.\” Mr. Atkins told them. \”Jake might not have too many contacts, but we won't deny him a phone because of it. If Jake wants to do something on his own, it's best if he already has a phone and doesn't have to borrow one of yours.\”
\”What would he do on his own?\” Noah asked, bewildered.
\”Is this coming out of our baseball camp money?\” Kyle grumbled.
\”I have my list!\” Kyle said excitedly. \”As soon as you give me the green light, I'll start finalizing the plans and visits and camps. It's going to be the busiest summer.\”
\”You have to be prepared to cut some camps out if you get too out of hand.\” Mr. Atkins frowned. \”Your mom and I are firm on this budget.\”
\”Yet you're ready to spend a few hundred on a phone for Jake?\” Kyle rolled his eyes.
\”Why are you still on that?\” Dave looked annoyed. \”We all have phones. Why can't Jake have one?\”
\”We have someone to talk to.\” Kyle said. \”No offense to Jake, but we're his only friends. Who would he talk to on the phone if not us? And where would he be without us? Let's be real, it's a waste of money.\” Kyle sounded upset.
\”Hey!\” Noah yelled at him.
Zeke and Dave were also astounded by the outburst.
\”Kyle.\” Mr. Atkins voice was a bit deeper. \”You apologize this minute or prepare to spend the whole summer in your room.\”
Kyle's face had a hint of guilt, but he folded his arms across his chest. \”Dad. You can't blame me. Mom says I can't do this pitching camp in Texas, but you guys can suddenly afford a new phone for Jake? This isn't fair.\”
\”Go to your room.\” Mr. Atkins said firmly, making me shake in my seat. I wasn't the only one. \”NOW.\”
Kyle's lips thinned as he stood up, and walked out, barely having any breakfast.
\”I don't really need a phone...\” I mumbled.