Boys in Control by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor Read Free Book Online Page B

“We're going to have to think about this, Peter. Of course we'll give them back eventually. They don't belong to us, after all. We just have to figure out what we want to do with them first.”
    Peter gave a long sigh. He leaned over and rested hiselbow on the lamp table beside the chair, then put his chin in his hand. “Well, I guess I can't go home, then,” he said.
    “Why not?” asked Eddie.
    “Because Josh told me not to come home without the pictures.”
    The girls tried not to laugh. “Imagine that!” said Eddie.
    “I guess you'll just have to live here for a while, then, won't you?” said Caroline. “Of course you'll stay for dinner?”
    “What are you having to eat?” asked Peter.
    “Chop suey, I think. But I know for sure Mom made a fudge pie.”
    “Yeah!” said Peter brightly, straightening up again. “I'll stay!”
    “Are you girls ready for dinner?” Mrs. Malloy called.
    “Yes, and Peter's staying for dinner too, Mom,” called Beth.
    “Oh? Really? Well, I'll put on another plate, then,” said her mother.
    When the family gathered in the dining room, Peter took a chair. He didn't seem too sure about the chop suey, taking only a little bit of rice and a small helping of vegetables but his eyes drifted regularly to the kitchen and the chocolate fudge pie sitting on the counter in plain view.
    “So what's happening at your house these days, Peter?” asked Coach Malloy. “Everybody doing okay?”
    “The answer to whatever you want to know, Dad, is ‘fine,’ ” said Eddie. “I thought I'd save you the trouble of asking.”
    “I see,” said her father. “Well, I imagine your whole family will be going to the game in Clarksburg on Saturday, Peter. Right?”
    “Yes, we're all going,” said Peter. He frowned. “I may have to ride with you, though.”
    “Oh? I'm not sure we have room. Our car only holds five,” said Mrs. Malloy.
    “Uh…Mom…Peter may be staying over tonight. He can use one of our sleeping bags, can't he?” said Caroline.
    “What's this?” asked Coach Malloy. “You're not running away from home, are you, Peter?”
    “Just for a little while,” Peter told him.
    “Doesn't your mother know you're here?” asked Mrs. Malloy.
    “Just my brothers,” Peter answered.
    “Peter Hatford, you go to the phone right now and tell your mother where you are,” said Mrs. Malloy. “Tell her it's fine with me if you stay for dinner, but she's got to know where you are. She must be worried.”
    “O-kay,” said Peter reluctantly. He slid off his chair.
    “But Jake and Josh and Wally aren't going to like it.”
    Under his breath, Coach Malloy muttered, “Jake and Josh and Wally can go jump in the lake, as far as I'm concerned. We can't have kids appearing and disappearing whenever they get the notion.”
    “Excuse me,” said Caroline. “I just want to make sure he really talks to his mom and not just his brothers.”
    “Good idea,” said Mrs. Malloy.
    Caroline went out into the hallway and stood beside Peter as he called home.
    “Hi, Wally,” said Peter. “Can I talk to Mom?”
    Caroline bent down so she could listen.
    “Peter, where
are
you?” came Wally's voice. “What's taking so long?”
    “I'm eating dinner,” said Peter.
    There was an anguished wail at the other end of the line.
“Dinner?”
    “I have to talk to Mom!” Peter insisted. “Mrs. Malloy
said
!”
    And the next thing Caroline knew, Mrs. Hatford's voice came on the line. “Peter? Is that you? Where
are
you?”
    “I'm having dinner at the Malloys’ and I'm going to sleep in a sleeping bag,” said Peter.
    “You most certainly are not!” cried his mother. “Peter, have you lost your mind? You can't just wander over to somebody's house and stay for dinner and sleep in a sleeping bag!”
    “I have to,” said Peter. “I can't come home.”
    “
Why
can't you come home?” Mrs. Hatford demanded.
    “Because Jake and Josh and Wally said I couldn't come home without the pictures, and Eddie