"I'm hooooooome!" shouted Andy as he opened the door and sidestepped Random, the family's over-sized puppy, as he galumphed out the door in a near-miss tackle.

"Ooph! We so shoulda named you Hobbes, shouldn't we, boy?" laughed Andy from under the happy pet.

He picked himself up, and spent a few moments ruffling the big dog's fur both ways. They'd been offered a lot of money for Random before, but none of the five of them wanted to even think about giving him up. He was a long-haired mix... half-Chow, half-White German Shepherd. He had a beautiful cream gradient that was darker around his head-mane and faded as it went both back and down. He weighed about 110 pounds, but was trim. When he stood on his hind legs and put his paws on Andy's shoulders, his nose was even with Andy's forehead.

With a last scritch behind the ears, Andy left Random outside to romp a bit while he went inside. As soon as he opened the door, Evan said, "Dad's gonna be home in ten, Mom's already noticed you weren't on the list. Just a warning," without looking away from concentrating on the XBox.

"Yeah, I know. It was a mistake. But c'mon, Ev, you know there's no way I'd survive that JROTC crap," Andy replied sheepishly as he headed for the stairs.

As his foot hit the bottom step, his mother's voice came from the kitchen, though.

"Andrew? Your father'll be here soon. You know he'll want to talk to you about this. May as well wait in here."

She swung the door between the living room and the kitchen open and tossed a dishtowel at him, saying, "May as well make yourself useful while you stew in your own juices," and she smiled.

Well, at least she wasn't angry.

He nodded and told her he'd be right there, before he went upstairs with his backpack... just to be safe. Couldn't have them accidentally looking through it. He tossed it into the closetspace shared by his room and Allie's, then used the back stairs down into the kitchen. He pulled the dishtowel off his shoulder and started drying.

"Wanna tell me what you're gonna tell your father?" asked his mother as she was scrubbing the last of the pans.

For a moment, Andy just continued to dry and put away dishes, then he sighed and said, "Mom, they'd kill me. I have no interest at all in JROTC. Why doesn't Ev join, he plans on being in the real thing in college next year, anyway?" and gave her what he hoped was a pleading look.

"What's wrong with your eyebrows? Stop doing that and making that face. I don't know, Andrew. Evan looks at JROTC as playing pretend. Your father just thought it would help you make friends of your own instead of being alone all the time. We're just worried about you in the new town, the new school. Allison found that wonderful group of girlfriends, but we never see or even hear about any friends of yours."

"Ah, Ma, just because I don't talk about my friends, doesn't mean I don't have 'em."

"I know, Andy, but we'd like to meet them."

"They're, uh, shy."

She quirked an eyebrow up at him.

He gave her his best Don Adams impression, "Would you believe infectious?"

She smirked and shook her head.

He continued in the tradition of Agent 86, "How about dying?"

She sighed and mumbled under her breath (it couldn't have been all bad, she was smilingk still) before going on as though his protests never happened, "I think your father will be fine if you just join a club — any club(!) — at school. Future Haughty-type Folks, Young Political Snotlings, Those-Who-Raise-Cows-In-Pens, How-To-Be-A-Bully-Target, Junior Make-Things-Go-BOOM... what else've they got here?"

Despite his mood, Andy grinned. He often thought his mother would implode from lack of air when she did that never-take-a-breath thing. I mean, okay, so she was a singer, and so she totally had the whole breathing control thing going on, but still... I know, right?

"I've hung out with Allie and her friends some. Did homework today with the ones that aren't on the volleyball team while we waited. They got some ice cream after practice and I headed home. See? There I am being all companionable," he grinned at her while putting the last of the plates away, and before grabbing the first bowl, and hoped she'd buy it.

With a shrug and another patented early-teenager-does-it-best sigh, he answered her last question, "But really... I dunno. I mean, this school is not only a different place, it's a different type of school completely. It's high school, Mom. They have all the preppy clubs like FFA and FBLA and FTA. I mean, I like to sing with you, I could join Choir, but that'd get me beaten up if the jocks -— and oh yeah, the JROTC no-necks -— were to find out. That's the problem."

He paused, thinking about what he was going to say and cocked his head before he continued, "If I wanna be in an activity, I want it to not only be something I'll enjoy, but I want it to be something that won't get me squashed like a bug. Does that make sense?"

At that moment, the back door swung open and Roger 'Wilco' Wilson came dancing in like every night, huge smile on his face. "Evie! Lovely as usual, m'dear..." he stopped to kiss her and she slapped his hand away from her bottom.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. But when you're lucky enough to have such a wondrously beauteous wife who's given you the perfect family, and then you land your dream job? Every day is better than the last one. Ah, youngest child of mine... how was school today?"

Andy couldn't help but grin at his goofy father as he tried to change the topic, "It was alright, nothing stand-out. How was work?"

"Work? What's that? Oh! The fun thing I get to do that they actually pay me for... it was a blast — as usual. They told me today that they picked up three more sponsors for my show... apparently, I'm popular as well as good-looking. Yep. Face just made for radio," the grin never leaving his features as he plopped into the hammock-chair in the corner of the kitchen

Well, it was supposed to be the corner for a breakfast nook, but why worry about having two tables to keep clutter free? That corner had the best evening light for reading a paper and the hammock-chair fit so nicely. Evie brought him a root beer and the paper. He had his favorite creature comforts.

She looked over at Andy as he finished drying dishes and motioned him to sit at the table with her head. Roger would be discovering any moment that Andy hadn't applied for JROTC.

With a shake of the paper as he folded it, Roger looked over the top of the paper and fixed Andy with a look. He smiled and said, "Well. At least we've taught you to own up to things you've done and not be afraid of being in trouble. For that, I'm proud of you. But," of course, that was the word that usually preceded all the bad stuff, "now you've gotta explain."

Ah, the doom of parents. Making a kid explain the why of it when she or he has done something wrong. Diabolical.

Roger settled back into the comfy chair and waited. Evie let out a whoosh of breath and kissed Andy on the forehead before exiting to the living room through the swinging door.

Andy slumped and told his father pretty much what he had told his mother, before looking up at his father and smiling, "I'm not in too much trouble, am I?"

Roger tried to look stern, but couldn't hide the grin that was much more comfortable on his face.

"No, I wouldn't force you to do it if you feel that strongly about it. But we do need to get you involved in something. Do they have a campus radio station? Maybe you can be the high school version of your old man? Hey, maybe I could do a guest appearance for you."

Andy responded before he really thought about what he was saying, "Hey! Yah! They announced this morning that they were looking for freshmen staff, and... ah wait, I'm not sure that would be such a good id—"

Too late.

"Great! Then it's settled. Tomorrow you go and see what you can do about getting into the Radio workings there at school. Oh, and, go and pick up your room before we head to your sister's game. Know if she's gonna get to play tonight?" came the response and query from his father before Andy could finish his backpedaling objection.

"You haven't even been up to my room, how would you know if it was --"

Roger grinned and held up a single finger, "The old man knows, young one."

A bit at a loss at the sudden shift, he replied to the question about the game, "Um, yes," then shook himself and got excited for Allie, "she's going to get to start tonight! So, of course, they're gonna win, right?"

Roger laughed and answered, "Of course! Go get your room picked up and I'll round up your mother and brother. Car in ten minutes!"

They filed into the gymnasium, the collapsible bleachers already pulled out, and Andy fought the urge to wave at his friends. That would draw attention from everyone in the place, the girls were popular-ish and well-known. He pulled the baseball cap down over his eyes a bit more as they sat in the upper bleachers, the only place where there were any seats left.

The commentator announced the starters for both teams, and that this was the last game of the season for the Lady Wildcats. The students and parents applauded and the referee got the show underway.

It was close, and everyone in the crowd was glued to each movement of the ball. Allie was taken out about halfway through. She sat on the bench for awhile, catching her breath and re-hydrating, nursing her ankle a bit from a poor landing that gave it a bit of a slight twist. With less than a minute left on the clock, she could have headed for the showers, but the score was tied at 20 each. No sane person would have left at that moment.

After they won, Coach Byers ran over and took the microphone from the commentator, and announced that the players on both teams were invited for pizza at Mama Alex's, on her.

As the Wilsons were headed to their car, Mary followed by Suzy and Jenni caught up to them.

"Hey, Ann...dy," called Suzy, "we need your help with some of our Algebra and you're kinda the best student in the class. Allie, Lisa, and Bridgette will be at that pizza party and we've got nothing else to do anyway... what do you say?"

The elder two Wilsons turned and grinned at the three girls, while they tried to convince the younger of the two boys to come with them instead of climbing in the car.

Evan, already in the vehicle, leaned over and whispered, "Three hot girls are begging you for help. If you don't go, I'll never respect you. Not that I will anyway, but don't even delude yourself that there's ever a chance if you say, 'No,' for real."

Andy blushed, and looked at his parents, "Go ahead, Andrew," his mother said while his dad just grinned all goofy-like as per normal.

"We'll see you back at home, be there before ten -- there's school tomorrow," he warned Andy.

Andy nodded and closed the car door as Evan gave him a thumbs up through the back window. They watched his parents drive off and then Jenni reached over and thwapped Suzy in the back of the head.

"Watch yourself, genius. Don't blow Annie's secret."

Suzy just grinned and rubbed the back of her head as the group started to walk away from the parking lot. As they moved through the cars, the rubber band came out of Andy's hair, and the ball cap was deposited in a purse. His walk became more feminine, and suddenly there were four girls.

"Sorry 'bout that, Annie," murmured Suzy when it was clear that her friend was firmly herself.

At least firmly enough herself for the darkened sidewalk.

"S'okay, Suzy. Omigawd, I feel weird without a bra and boobies," she joked in a horrible 'valley girl' accent.

They all giggled and she finally asked, "Okay, whose house are we going to do the homework at, then?"

Mary laughed, "How many of us are in your Algebra class, smart girl?"

"Brigette and... oh. Thanks," Annie said, once again grateful for such wonderful girlfriends.

"Quite the rescue, there... whose idea was it?" she asked, folding her arms and grinning at her friends with mock-severity and a scoldingly arched eyebrow.

"Bridgette's, actually. On the way back to school earlier. We figured you'd have enough 'Andy time' to fill your quota for the night by the time the game was over. Thank her tomorrow," replied Jenni.

"So!" exclaimed Suzy dramatically as she struck a pose, "Annie Wilson, this is your night!"

"You need some de-stressing, Allie told us," explained Mary amid all the giggling at Suzy, "Okay. The Skate Park is well-lit. We have an extra board and a bra with some gym socks stashed at the Change House under the sinks. Okay, so it's not as good as the foamy inserts you usually use, but... game to show the boys up with us for a few hours?"

"Really?" asked Annie, and her voice caught for a moment.

"You are all so great. You know, I never really had friends before? Even as Andy? Let's show those walking egos that anything they can do, we can do better. Race ya to the Change House!" and she was off.