Detours and Designs

by Matt Fazio

  After the game of rundown had gone on for a while, Drew, Tommy, Caleb, and Danny were standing to the side. Caleb was reminiscing about a hit he had in last night’s game, reinventing most of the details.

  “You shoulda seen it, Danny. I crushed it. It was my second at-bat. I walked my first time up …”

  Drew remembered that Caleb had actually struck out his first time up, but he didn’t interrupt his story.

  “… and I crushed a double over the left fielder’s head.”

  Drew spoke up at this fabrication. “It went through the left fielder’s legs, actually.”

  “What? Right, yeah, ‘cause I hit it so hard.”

  Drew shrugged. “If you say so.”

  “Yeah,” Caleb continued. “The only reason I struck – I mean the only reason I walked my first time up instead of getting a hit was ‘cause of the bat I was using. I used Tommy’s bat when I hit my double. Can I use it again next game?”

  “Yeah,” said Tommy.

  “Sweet. Oh, I almost forgot, did you find a hammer? If not, I got one at home.”

  “A hammer for what?” Drew asked before Tommy had a chance to answer. “A hammer for what?”

  “Relax, Drew,” said Caleb. “It’s to help you guys open the you-know-what.”

  Drew’s mouth opened, but no words came out.

  “I got one,” Tommy said to Caleb.

  “Okay. Hey, me and Danny are gonna go spy on those girls over there. You guys wanna come?”

  “No,” said Drew, “we have to talk about something.”

  After Caleb and Danny walked away, Drew burst out, “You told Caleb?”

  “I knew you’d act like it was a big deal,” said Tommy.

  “It is a big deal!”

  “No, it’s really not.”

  “Yes it is!”

  “Why?”

  “Because it just is,” said Drew. “Caleb’s not in our group.”

  “So?”

  “What if he tells someone?”

  “He’s not gonna tell anyone. He’s not even in our language arts class.”

  “He probably already told Danny.”

  “Just relax, dude. This is why I had to tell him.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Nothing. Are you gonna come over my house to open it with me and Jeff, or are we doin’ it without you?”

  Despite not wanting anything to do with the binder anymore, and despite regretting ever taking it in the first place, Drew agreed to be there. Frankly, he was surprised Tommy hadn’t already opened it. He realized that he was no longer mad about Tommy taking the binder – after all, he had tried to do the same thing himself. But he still couldn’t believe Tommy would let Caleb in on it. Drew, Tommy, and Jeff were supposed to stick together and trust each other no matter what. Since when did they need someone like Caleb?

  The boys stopped at Melia’s after school. Jeff had forgotten to bring money, but Mr. Melia said he could pick something out and pay him back next week.

  After getting their snacks, they went to Tommy’s. Tommy reached under his bed and pulled out the fateful binder, which was now covered with dirt. He reached under a second time and removed a hammer. Because Drew’s dad worked with his hands, hammers had been around the house for as long as he could remember. But it was as if Tommy were holding an object Drew had never seen before. This was no tool for building; this was a tool for breaking.

  Tommy tossed the binder onto his bed and extended the hammer toward Jeff. “It’s your speech. You wanna do the honors?”

  Jeff reluctantly accepted the hammer. He seemed to study it the same way he had studied the binder the first time he held it. He looked down at the binder and paused.

  “Come on, just do it,” Tommy urged.

  As the hammer smashed down on the lock, all Drew could think about was how he never wanted to take something that didn’t belong to him ever again. He scanned his friends’ faces. Jeff’s cheeks were pale and his nostrils flared, a sign of heavy breathing. Tommy wore an excited grin, as if he relished the moment. He pulled out his phone and began texting as soon as the lock was broken.

  Inside the binder, the boys found notes from social studies class, a handout from Spanish class, and a few papers filled with words so big that the boys gave up on trying to figure out what they were. And then there were the papers for the “If I Were Principal” contest, brimming with detailed ideas.

  “This is it. It’s all here,” said Jeff.

  “This is perfect,” Tommy gushed.

  The boys had in their possession the exact words to Abigail’s speech. She had even written “Pause for effect” at certain points.

  The boys decided that Jeff would spend the night doing his best to memorize those words – Abigail’s words. His idea about involving local businesses with the school was a distant memory.

  ****

  It was Friday. The students filtered into Mr. Frye’s classroom, bringing with them the bustling action from the hallway. All the clatter came to an abrupt halt, though, as soon as they saw that Dr. Linus was sitting in a seat in the front row sorting some papers on the desk. She didn’t look up as the room began to fill, but she didn’t need to – her presence alone could drown all the noise from the kids and turn the room into a sanctuary of well-behaved scholars.

  When the bell rang, Dr. Linus made her way to the podium in the front of the room.

  “Hello, class. Thank you for having me here on this exciting day. The ‘If I Were Principal’ contest has been going on for six years and is one of the most popular competitions we have here at Emerson Elementary.”

  As she talked about the importance of the project, Drew realized he didn’t know much about his principal. In fact, this was the most he had ever heard her talk. When she walked through the halls, Dr. Linus silently patrolled with a sharp glare and a finger point – no words were needed.

  “And finally,” she continued, “this presentation is an opportunity for you to use all that knowledge you have gained all year, and put it into action with your own ideas.”

  Her final words rang in Drew’s head: “your own ideas.” It was as though they were carefully constructed to eat at Drew’s conscience.

  The first speaker was Mitchell. He dragged his feet to the front of the room, looking like he had just rolled out of bed, even though it was sixth period. He had remnants of his lunch on his shirt, cheeks, and, somehow, his forehead. He rambled for a minute or so about why students should be allowed to play video games in every class, and then returned to his seat.

  Next was Erin. It was obvious that she had drawn the short straw in her group. Though she was a good student, her speech wasn’t very convincing. She suggested that students should be allowed to wear pajamas to school, but she failed to offer any valid reasons.

  Jonathan then waddled to the podium and made the claim that recess should be longer so the kids could get more fresh air and exercise.

  Next Jake made his case that kids should be allowed to carry their book bags around all day instead of having to leave them in their lockers, but he talked so quietly that most of his speech was unheard by anyone not in the front row.

  The fifth speaker was Mary Beth. She suggested that students should always have off school the day after Halloween. She added that students should be allowed to wear Halloween costumes to school any day in October. Zobby was in Mary Beth’s group, and Drew could see her imprint all over the speech. Halloween was Zobby’s favorite holiday.

  Finally it was Jeff’s turn. He looked to Drew and Tommy for a last bit of assurance as he stepped to the podium. Tommy nodded with a slight smirk on his face. Drew also nodded, but with a hint of disappointment he couldn’t hide. But as he watched Jeff settle in behind the podium, he still found himself rooting for him. He knew how much a win would mean for Jeff.

  Jeff began his speech with Abigail’s first idea: The Abolition of Homework at Emerson Elementary.

  “Kids already work so hard during school that we
are exhausted when we get home. Also, we need time after school for other activities, like sports and clubs. Kids who play sports and join clubs become more well-rounded individuals, and everyone knows this. To allow for this, homework should be abolished.”

  Drew cringed. He could tell by the way he said it that Jeff didn’t even know what “abolished” meant.

  Using the pattern Abigail had laid out, Jeff moved on to part two of the plans from her binder. Drew wanted to watch Abigail as Jeff spoke to see her reaction, but she was in the back of the room. It was her seat in which Dr. Linus was sitting.

  “Now, there is one item on the lunch menu that every kid loves: pizza,” Jeff was saying. “If pizza was available to us every day instead of just once a week, kids would be happier and have fuller …” He paused. Two, three, four quiet seconds passed. Then he continued abruptly: “stomachs. This way there will be no growling stomachs in the afternoon, and also all the kids will be happy, and happy kids are more willing to learn. And some people don’t know, but pizza contains all the major food groups, so it is good for you …”

  As Jeff finished his speech, Drew felt that he had done a good job (minus that awkward pause), but something about him just wasn’t right. Even though Jeff was standing up there, it was like he wasn’t really there.

  Mr. Frye thanked Jeff and announced that it was Abigail’s turn to speak. Drew, Jeff, and Tommy stared as she slowly made her way to the front of the room. They half-expected her to walk right past the podium and run through the doorway and out of the building, crying all the way. But as she approached the podium, Drew saw that her stride was guided by confidence, not fear. She didn’t seem rattled at all. The expression on her face was that of someone who had held a secret and was ready to reveal it.

  “Good afternoon, everyone. Before I begin, I would like to thank Dr. Linus for being here. I would also like to thank Mr. Frye for allowing me this opportunity to speak in front of you today.”

  Drew, Jeff, and Tommy exchanged bewildered looks. What was she possibly going to say?

  “Interestingly enough, the topics of my speech are similar to those of the previous speaker. My ideas, however, are a bit different. First, we all know that most students don’t enjoy homework. However, we also know that homework is imperative to the learning process, for it helps us to develop positive study skills and habits that will benefit us greatly in the future. I would like to suggest a compromise: the teachers should be allowed to reward students with homework passes. When a student completes ten consecutive homework assignments in a class, he or she would be rewarded with one homework pass for that class. Thus, students would strive to complete all their homework and still receive an occasional break. And if students are completing ten out of eleven homework assignments, that would be roughly ninety-one percent, which is higher than the school’s average homework completion rate as it stands now. And although many of us have other activities after school, having homework to complete as well teaches us how to balance activities and manage our time, which, in the long run, will truly help us develop into well-rounded individuals.

  “Secondly …”

  At this point, Tommy’s fists were clenched upon his desk, and Jeff couldn’t hide the redness that had rushed to his face and ears. It was as if the boys had dug their own graves by opening that binder, and Abigail was shoveling dirt over their coffins with each word she spoke.

  “I’m sure everyone here is familiar with the phrase ‘too much of a good thing.’ Well, that phrase certainly would apply if, as was mentioned by the previous speaker, we had pizza for lunch every single day. I have an idea that involves the lunch menu, but it revolves around variety instead of monotony …”

  The three boys were too shocked and angry to hear the rest of Abigail’s speech. All they could do was sit in disbelief that she had actually set them up. Drew had been right. They had stolen a fake binder, a decoy.

  After Abigail’s speech, Mr. Frye and Dr. Linus convened by the doorway for a few minutes, whispering to each other and pointing to notes they had taken during the speeches. The class sat and waited for them to announce their decision, but they all knew exactly what they had known from the beginning: Abigail would be the winner. Their ears only remained attentive so they could find out what the secret prize was.

  “There were several good ideas presented today,” Mr. Frye said. “And every speaker should be very proud of his or her self. But there can be only one winner …”

  Dr. Linus picked up where Mr. Frye left off. “Yes, I was very impressed with what I heard today. There were a lot of creative ideas. Maybe some of you will become principals someday …”

  Just get it over with already, Drew thought.

  “But there can only be one winner today,” the principal continued, “and the winner is … the team of Abigail, Brooke, and Lexi.”

  The rest of the students offered unenthused applause and waited to hear what the secret prize would be.

  “And for their prize, they will each receive a twenty-five-dollar gift card to Melia’s Market.”

  ****

  When the school day ended, Drew went straight to Abigail’s locker. He didn’t want to confront her or yell at her about tricking the boys. He just had one question to ask her. As he approached her, she was inserting her binder – her real, white binder with the yellow polka dots – into her book bag. Drew could see now that the binder they stole was pristine, while Abigail’s actual secret binder showed signs of wear.

  “Abigail –”

  She turned from her locker. “Please do not say I did anything wrong. You were the ones who took my binder.”

  “I know, I know. But that’s what I wanna ask you about.”

  “Oh. What?”

  “Well, you set us up, I get that. You left that fake binder in your locker for us to see, but how did you know we would take it? And how’d you know we’d open it?”

  “Honestly,” said Abigail, “I wasn’t sure if you would. And I wasn’t sure if Jeff would. But I knew Tommy would.”

  Without Drew saying anything, she continued. It seemed like she felt the need to say more.

  “I didn’t even want to do it. It was Lexi’s idea, and she convinced Brooke to do it. So I had to go along with it. But I didn’t think I needed to. No offense, but I was confident I could win on my own.”

  “Well, the plan did work, and you did win.”

  “I know, but …” she stopped and shook her head. Drew realized she didn’t look as proud, or as satisfied, as he thought she would. In a way, she looked like she was the one who had lost.

  “But what?” Drew asked.

  “I don’t know. I’ve won things before, and it always feels good to win. I work really hard.”

  Drew nodded. Despite the fact that some things came easier to Abigail, he had to admit she worked hard.

  “And this win just doesn’t feel as good,” she said.

  She shrugged at him in a sort of apologetic way and then left. Drew walked down the steps to where he, Jeff, and Tommy usually met at the end of the day. Jeff stood there with his hands plunged into his pockets and his head hanging low.

  “I’m sorry, man,” said Jeff. “I blew it.”

  “It’s okay,” said Drew. “So we didn’t beat Abigail, and we didn’t win the prize, but now you know that your original idea was actually really good.”

  Jeff lifted his head. “Yeah, I guess so. I guess we shoulda stuck with it. And we never shoulda taken that stupid binder.”

  Tommy came stomping toward them, shaking his head. He said he hated Abigail more than ever and he was going to burn the fake binder he had at his house. Then he said he didn’t even care about the prize anymore because he could still go to Melia’s whenever he wanted. He spotted Caleb about 20 feet away and said he had to go because he was going over Caleb’s house. He strode toward Caleb, and the two of them took off down the sidewalk. Drew and Jeff watched as they drifted farther and farther then disappeared.

  Melia’s Marke
t

  The small bells hanging above the door chimed as Drew, Tommy, and Jeff entered Melia’s Market. Mr. Melia saw them in the reflection of the big round mirror attached to the ceiling as he worked in the back of the store, where he was putting some meat through the grinder. He lifted his head, revealing his wrinkled face and welcoming smile, and said, “Check out the new merchandise. I just restocked this morning. I’ll be up as soon as I package this last order.”

  “All right, Mr. Melia,” said Drew. “Take your time,” he added, though he knew he didn’t need to. Mr. Melia had to be aware by now that the boys liked to walk around the store before buying their candy. Similarly, his practiced eye could always tell when someone was in a hurry, in which case he would immediately take his place at the cash register.

  The boys began their traditional path down the first aisle. Proudly hung on the wall was the Lifetime Achievement for Exemplary Community Service plaque Mr. Melia received last year. Every time Drew walked past it, he was reminded of the party thrown last summer for Mr. Melia to celebrate his 40th anniversary as owner of the store. Mrs. Goyle, along with a few others, had coordinated the event. Drew was amazed at how many people showed up to celebrate the kind store owner. From the oldest residents to the youngest children, everyone respected Mr. Melia. Having someone call you by your name while you check out may have been a dying custom, but, for the people of Emerson, it was something worth hanging on to. Run by the family since Mr. Melia’s father opened it over 60 years ago, Melia’s Market was a family store that stood for more than convenience – it was for the good of the community.

  “You guys doing anything this weekend?” Jeff asked as the boys continued down aisle one.

  “I think me and Caleb are gonna go to the ice skating rink on Saturday for open skate,” said Tommy.

  “Cool,” said Jeff.

  “Yeah, it’s gonna be sweet,” said Tommy. “Caleb’s cool. I don’t know why Drew hates him so much.”