Chapter 3
Lydia sat at her desk in her room working on her homework assignments. Keith came into the room.
"Hi Keith," Lydia said.
"Hi," Keith said. "Are Mama and Daddy home?"
"No," Lydia said. "Hey, how did you get home?"
"Uncle Mouth gave me a ride," Keith said.
"Okay," Lydia said.
Keith hid under Lydia's bed.
"What are you doing?" Lydia asked.
"I'm hiding," Keith said. "Mama and Daddy will be home soon and I don't want them to find me."
"What did you do?" Lydia asked.
Keith came out from under the bed.
"I got in trouble at school and sent to the principal's office," Keith replied.
"You got sent to the office?" Lydia asked. "What did you do?"
"Okay, so Pacey Martin dared me to go over to Hannah Underwood and pull her chair out from under her as she sat down," Keith said.
"You didn't," Lydia said.
"I said I wouldn't do it," Keith said. "But then he double dared me. And then he triple dog dared me. You don't back off a triple dog dare."
"So if Pacey Martin triple dog dared you to stick you tongue to a telephone pole in the snow, would you do it?" Lydia asked.
"No," Keith said.
"So you know what you did was wrong, but you did it anyway," Lydia said.
"Yeah," Keith admitted in an ashamed tone. "Are you mad at me?"
"Kind of," Lydia said.
"So I should just face Mama and Daddy when they get home and not hide?" Keith asked.
"That would probably be a good idea," Lydia said.
"Keith?" Nathan asked from downstairs. "Are you home?"
Keith nervously walked out of Lydia's room and downstairs. Nathan was waiting for him.
"Hi Daddy," Keith said nervously.
"Hi," Nathan said. "Why are you so nervous?"
"No reason," Keith said.
Haley walked in through the front door.
"Hey Keith," Haley said. "I just got a call from your school."
"Oh no," Keith said.
"What happened?" Nathan asked.
"Apparently Keith moved a chair from underneath a classmate while she was sitting down," Haley said.
"Keith," Nathan said. "Is this true?"
"Yes," Keith said nervously.
Nathan pointed at the couch.
"Sit," Nathan said.
Keith sat on the couch and Nathan and Haley sat in chairs facing him.
"Keith," Haley said. "Why did you pull that girl's chair out from under her?"
"Pacey Martin dared me," Keith said.
"I really don't like that family," Nathan said.
"Keith," Haley said. "Why didn't you just say no."
"I did," Keith said. "But then he double dared me. And then he triple dog dared me. I didn't want to do it."
"But you still did it," Nathan said.
"I know," Keith said.
"So tomorrow you will go straight to that girl and apologize," Nathan said.
"Yes sir," Keith said.
"And you are grounded for 1 week," Haley said.
"No TV, no Gameboy, no phone, and no computer," Nathan said.
"Yes sir," Keith said.
"And you can't go to Jacob's birthday party on Saturday," Haley said.
"But Mama!" Keith said.
"Do you want me to make it 2 weeks?" Nathan asked.
"No," Keith said.
"Then don't complain," Nathan said.
"Okay," Keith said.
Keith got up.
"Where are you going?" Nathan asked. "We're still not done talking to you."
Keith went into the broom closet and took out the present he had picked out for Jacob. He then handed it to Nathan.
"Will you please make sure he gets it?" Keith asked.
"Yes," Nathan said.
"Now go to your room until we call you down for dinner," Haley said.
"Okay," Keith said.
Keith walked upstairs to his room and Nathan looked at Haley.
"I can't believe he did that," Nathan said.
"I know," Haley said. "At least he's accepting his punishment."
"I'm still going to have a father/son talk with him," Nathan said.
"I can't believe this is the first time we've ever had to ground him for something he did in school," Haley said.
"Yeah," Nathan said. "I hope it's the last time too."
Haley's phone began to ring.
"Hello," Haley said. "Yes. What? But. Okay, we'll be there."
Haley hung up the phone and looked at Nathan.
"That was Keith's school again," Haley said. "They want to meet with us."
"Why?" Nathan asked.
"They're considering expelling Keith," Haley said.