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freaking son and you’ll do what the freak I say.
    Only he doesn’t go soft and say “freak.”

    Here’s when I met Zyler’s dad: Not for a long time until like the summer after fourth.
    Here’s why: When we had to do the diorama thing, we always did it at my house. Zyler said we couldn’t go over to his or anything.
    Zyler even lived really close to me and we’d ride bikes to school or walk home, but I still never went inside his house.
    But then one day in the summer Zyler said: We can hang out at my house if you want.
    Me: Okay.
    The reason we could I found out was because Zyler’s dad was gone on a contract for three days and Sharon-with-a-boyfriend was going to the lake with her friends.
    Zyler: My family is sort of weird.
    Me: Oh.
    Zyler: That’s why it’s better to come here only if no one is home.
    Me: Okay.
    The house was sort of really messy with stuff all over.
    Not like our house and the chores and can’t leave for school until your bed is made.
    But there was also all this expensive stuff like sound equipment and a motor from a car his dad was working on and then all these trophies.
    There was one really big trophy.
    Me: Whoa, what is that for?
    Zyler: That’s Dad’s motocross trophy.
    So Zyler’s house was pretty cool.
    And Zyler really wanted me to come over so I could see his new flying squirrel.
    Zyler: My dad got it from this breeder guy for, like, three hundred bucks.
    Me: Three hundred bucks? Are you serious?
    Zyler: Yeah, and he said he’ll buy a girl for it and we can sell the babies if I want.
    Me: That’s sick.
    Zyler: What is?
    Me: Making the squirrels do it and everything.
    Zyler: It’s not sick — it’s money, man.
    And I guess yeah. But I still thought it was sick.
    Zyler had the squirrel, an iguana, a boa constrictor, and a cat that we both hated because it was so stupid, but it was Sharon’s cat.
    I couldn’t believe how much stuff Zyler had and the pets and the posters and the CDs and the video games with his own TV in his room and everything.
    Me: Your room is so awesome. I can’t believe your dad lets you have all this stuff and pets and everything.
    Zyler: Yeah. It’s pretty cool.
    But just then we heard a loud something pull up. And it was Zyler’s dad in his big big big truck.
    Zyler looked out the window and then said: Crap, you gotta go. He’s home early and he doesn’t look good.
    Me: What?
    Zyler: You gotta get out of here.
    But I didn’t get it and I had the iguana on my neck and so I tried to hurry but then that’s when I met Zyler’s dad.
    And he was yellow eyeballs and hitting the wall.
    He was mad at Zyler for some reason I didn’t understand.
    And he told me to get the hell out of their house.
    I found out later that sometimes Zyler’s dad was okay.
    But most of the time not okay.
    Almost never okay.
    Practically never okay.

    But there was one other time, and this really is true, when Zyler called me and this —
    Zyler: Hey, what are you doing?
    Me: Nothing.
    Zyler: Well, my dad wants to take us to the Nickelcade. Can you go?
    Me: Really?
    Zyler: Yeah, and I bet he’ll take us to eat after. He’s in a really good mood and he said we can stay as long as we want.
    Me: I don’t know.
    Zyler: Please, Logan. He said you could come. He even said to invite you and he’s really good at pinball. You should see him.
    Me: Okay. I’ll see if I can and then come over.
    But then I went upstairs with my coat on and Mom saw me and: Where are you going?
    I thought about lying but I didn’t and then Mom said: No way. I’m not letting you go anywhere alone with that man.
    Me: Come on, Mom. Just this once.
    Mom: No way.
    So I didn’t get to go.
    Zyler said his dad got the high score on all the pinball machines plus Mortal Kombat, Rad Racer, and Metroid. The highest score of all at the Nickelcade.

    Not everything in Scouts was bad.
    We did a lot of different things and some of them I really liked.
    Like KNOTS.
    I can do a water knot, a munter hitch, a square