Perpetual Check (14 page)

“I'll be there.”

Mrs. Mansfield is talking to Jenna's parents, so Jenna walks over to Zeke and Randy. Dina, sitting alone on the couch, gets up and follows Jenna.

“So,” Jenna says to Dina, “I guess I might see you this week?”

“Really?”

Zeke says, “Yeah,” sort of excitedly, aiming the word at Dina. “I thought you guys might want to go to a basketball game… It's at Jenna's school.”

“Oh.” Dina gives a confused smile. “Because if it's Thursday, I
might
be going to my friend Becky's house if we have a project due on Friday for biology. But I
think
it's not due until the week after next, but I have to check to make sure.”

“The game's on Tuesday.”

“Tuesday's good! The project definitely isn't due until after that.”

“Well,” Randy says dryly, tapping a finger on his new chess book, “I've got some heavy-duty reading to do if I've got any chance of winning in Philadelphia. So we'll see you Tuesday.”

Dina and Randy walk toward his mom. Zeke and Jenna stay behind briefly.

“Ready to go?” Mrs. Mansfield asks.

“Absolutely,” Randy says.

“We've got two cars here.”

“I know.”

Mr. Mansfield has already pulled his car up to the loading
area in front of the hotel. The car is running, but he's standing outside it, finishing his smoke.

“Not a bad day,” he says as Randy and Dina and his wife walk by on the way to her car. “Quite a day to be a Mansfield.”

Randy nods seriously and Dina smiles, but all three of them keep walking.

“I'll just wait for Zeke,” Mr. Mansfield says, ignoring the snub.

Randy stops on the sidewalk and waits a few seconds until Zeke comes out. Dina and Mrs. Mansfield get in her car.

“Hop in,” Randy hears his father say to Zeke.

Zeke stops for a second, looks at his dad, and points his thumb toward the others. “I'll ride with them,” he says. “We've got some things to talk about.”

“Suit yourself, Ace,” Mr. Mansfield says. He gets in the car and pulls the door shut, flicking his cigarette butt out the window. “I'll see you all back at the house.”

Randy's stomach tightens, and his eyes start to sting. Zeke catches up and says, “What are you crying about?”

“I'm
not
crying.”

Zeke looks away and balls his hands into fists, then lets out a sigh. He puts a fist gently on Randy's back, between the shoulder blades, and whispers, “He's gotta go. You know it, too.”

Randy wipes at one eye and nods.

“You were the best, no question,” Zeke says.

“And you
were
better than Pramod,” Randy replies. “Dad was right about that one.”

“Yeah, but he was right in the wrong way. Like always. You
play the hand you're dealt. If I'd been playing Pramod in the semi instead of you, then I
would
have got disqualified when Dad opened his mouth.”

“Maybe. But maybe he would have kept his mouth shut.”

Zeke gives a scornful laugh. “He doesn't know how. He picks on you, he picks on Mom. And he gets worse every day. We all know it.”

They stand on the sidewalk for a few more seconds until their mother pulls up. Randy gets in the back next to Dina. She's holding his trophy. It's about fifteen inches tall with a gold-tinted king on top and a circle of pawns around it.

They pull out of the lot, onto Jefferson, and head for the Central Scranton Expressway.

“Mr. Chess,” Dina says, lifting the trophy.

“Careful with that,” Randy says. “It needs to stay intact for the parade.”

“What parade?”

“The giant celebration in my honor back in town.”

“Oh. That one.”

“Yeah. Zeke's arranging it, right?”

Zeke smiles. “Absolutely. Got it all planned. A giant parade-ulation on Main Street.”

“Can I be in it?” Dina asks.

“Of course,” Randy says. “You'll ride on the big float with me.”

They all laugh, but then things turn quiet. Randy scoots closer to Dina, and she leans her head on his shoulder. The drive back to Sturbridge will take about thirty-five minutes. Plenty of time to talk things out.

Zeke clears his throat and turns to face Randy. “You can handle this, right? You're ready?”

Randy thinks for a moment. He locks his eyes on Zeke's, and for the first time in his life, he sees something positive there. Support, maybe. Trust.

“Yeah, I'm ready,” Randy replies. “We all are.”