Matt can't miss the dance

It was tempting to stay home and see what would happen but he'd promised several girls he'd be at the dance and he didn't want to let them down. Besides, those girls included Amy and Karen. They might be interested in playing games with Matt, but he didn't think they'd be very happy if he told them they couldn't go to the dance.

The three scrambled for their clothes as Matt's mom got out of her car and came into the house. She pushed open Matt's half-opened door and smiled when she saw the three gathered around their trig textbooks. "I'm so glad you guys are working together," she said. "So many siblings seem to have nothing but conflicts."

"We are twins, after all," Karen said.

"Amy's your mom called me," Matt's mom continued. "She said she's taking all of you to a dance tonight. Did any of you tell me about a dance?"

"You can come if you want to," Matt said. "But it'll just be a bunch of kids."

For a second, she looked wistful and Matt wondered whether she'd been one of the popular ones in school or if she'd spent her life on the sidelines as he had. "Very funny," she finally said. "You be on good behavior with Mrs. Hartman. It's very nice of her to drag you all over the hill and I don't want to hear that you gave her any trouble."

"Yes, mother," Karen and Matt echoed.

Mrs. Hartman showed up an hour or so later... after the three teens had scarfed down a couple of plates of spaghetti with bottled sauce. Matt started to climb into the back seat of her car with the girls but Mrs. Hartman stopped him. "Do I look like a chauffeur? Sit up front with me, Matt."

"Sure, Mrs. Hartman."

"Eliza, remember."

"Sure, Eliza."