Danny Constantino's First (and Maybe Last?) Date by Paul Acampora

Author:Paul Acampora [Acampora, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Published: 2020-07-14T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

you can never have too many battle helmets

By the time Gram and our moms are done chatting in Mrs. Kalli’s living room, Natalie and I have assembled several cardboard battle helmets. “You can never have too many battle helmets,” she tells me.

Meanwhile, Asha and Ajay have created four new wheel mounts thanks to Natalie’s directions and a bag of old metal brackets we found at the bottom of a toolbox. Also, Zoey’s mostly finished cutting out the unicorn, which, when assembled, will be the size of a small school bus. Perhaps just as importantly, there have been no additional injuries.

“Natalie,” says Mrs. Griffin when she returns to the garage, “let’s head to your aunt’s house and wash up. We’re having dinner tonight with Danny and his mother.”

I remember that Gram is hosting her garden club this evening. I’m not sure if her absence will be a good thing or a bad thing.

“I hope everybody likes Italian,” Mom announces. “When your name is Constantino, everything is Italian.”

“I bet there’s no spinach smoothies in Naples,” Gram mutters.

Probably it’s a good thing that Gram’s not joining us.

Natalie removes the safety glasses still covering her face. “Thanks for letting me help,” she says to all of us.

Asha gives her a big smile. “You should come back tomorrow.”

“I’d like that.”

“So would we,” says Zoey.

Ajay puts his hands on his hips. “I was going to say that.”

Natalie glances at Mrs. Griffin, who gives a nod. “Great,” Natalie says. “See you tomorrow.”

She’s barely gone when Asha starts jumping up and down like a third grader who just learned she’s getting a pony. “This is happening! This is really happening!”

“This is happening to Danny,” Ajay points out. “Not to you.”

Asha ignores her brother. “One day, when Natalie and Danny are married and they have five or seven kids, we will visit their big house in California, and we’ll look back and know that it all started today!”

“Whoa!” I say. “What’s with the five or seven kids?”

“Didn’t it really start a few days ago when you stole Danny’s phone?” Ajay asks his sister.

Zoey turns to me. “Does Natalie know that Asha sort of orchestrated this whole thing?”

“Not exactly,” I say.

Zoey stares at me without speaking.

“Not at all,” I clarify.

“When are you going to tell her?”

“Why does he have to tell her?” says Asha.

“Remember what I told you about rom-com complications?” asks Zoey.

“This is not a complication,” I say.

“It’s definitely comedy,” says Ajay.

“It might be romance,” offers Asha.

Ajay laughs at me. “I hope there’s some romance if five or seven children are in your future.”

“Danny,” says Zoey, “lies are always complications.”

I pick up one of the cardboard helmets that Natalie and I made together. “I haven’t lied to anybody.”

Once again, Zoey replies with silence.

“The only people that know the real story are you, me, Asha, and Ajay,” I add.

“That’s all?” says Zoey.

“And my grandmother.”

“And your mom,” adds Asha.

“Are you the one that told her?” I ask.

Asha shrugs. “I didn’t know it was a secret.”

Zoey counts everybody out on her fingers.

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