Bust a Move by Adrian Beck

Author:Adrian Beck [Beck, Adrian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781760147334
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia

Derek was about to get back to his dance-off prep when he heard the ‘DOOL’S FUNEROOLS’ ad jingle play outside in the front yard. It was his dad’s mobile ringtone.

‘If your loved one’s gone and bit the dust,

Then Dool’s Funerools are a must!

Corpses are smelly! You don’t want ‘em hanging round.

So call Darryl T Dool – he’ll get ‘em in the ground!

That’s Darryl T Dool – he’ll geeeet . . . ’em iiiiin . . . the groooound!’

Dad answered his phone as he opened the front door. ‘Yello? Dool’s Funerools, where people are dyin’ to get in. He-he-he!’

At least he still laughed the same. A little wheezy, like something was stuck up his nose. But he stopped smiling when he saw Derek. He even dropped his phone.

‘Whoa, Derek! Thought I got rid of those shirts!’ said Dad, his eyes bulging.

‘I, um, saved a couple,’ said Derek.

‘Why?’ asked Dad, with a wink. ‘To be seen from the moon?’

A lot had changed with Dad since he took over running the funeral home last year. But one thing that hadn’t changed was his bad sense of humour.

‘Derek, m’boy! What’s all this?’ asked Dad, arms out, gesturing towards the mess Derek had made in his search for the Christmas lights. ‘The hall looks worse than the south end of a north-facing wombat! He-he-he!’

‘Sorry, Dad,’ said Derek, knowing that keeping the house clean was super important to his father these days. Whereas before they could practically FINGER-PAINT in the dust.

Even though Derek had the dance-off on his mind, he was enjoying this. It was the most Derek and his dad had talked since . . . Well, since Derek made pancakes for Father’s Day and mixed up the maple syrup with the soy sauce.

‘Can I clean up later, Dad? I’ve got to get ready for the school dance.’

‘The school dance, huh?’ said Dad, a grin forming. ‘Are you sure you wanna go in a Hawaiian shirt? Reminds me of the scariest day on the Hawaiian calendar . . . Hula-ween! He-he-he!’

Derek tried to laugh but he didn’t really get it.

Dad strode over to Derek for a closer inspection. ‘Listen, it took me a while to realise it, but to get anywhere in this life you have to beat the world at its own game.’

‘Ooookay,’ said Derek, unsure what his dad was on about.

‘Derek m’boy, you’ve gotta suit up, talk the talk and be who the world wants you to be!’ said Dad as he picked up one of his pamphlets and grinned beside it, copying the photo.

Derek considered this for a minute. And, unlike how he was with EVERYBODY else, for a moment he let his defences down. ‘Dad? What if I want to just be . . . me?’

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