6. The King of Tap

Chapter 6 The King of Tap It took a while to convince Mom and Dad I really wanted to take tap dance lessons. When I brought it up at dinner that night, they both made sighing noises. "Remember when you wanted to take pottery?" Mom asked. "Or karate?" Dad said. "Or ice skating?" Mom added.

"I didn't know it would be so cold at the skating rink," I said. "Roscoe," Dad said. "You promised you would stick to those things. And you quit every time." "This time it'll be different, Dad," I said. "I promise!" "Can I take tap dancing with Roscoe?" my little sister, Hazel, asked. "They have pretend tap shoes at Toys Or Else." "We'll see," said my mom. Which is Parent for "Don't Count on It." Max, my older brother, was balancing a lima bean on his nose. "Roscoe, are you sure about tap dance?" he asked. "Totally sure," I said. "Why?" "Guys might tease you about it," Max said.

"Tease him?" said Mom. "Why?" "Because dancing is kind of a girl thing to do is all," Max said. "Gee, Mom. Do you live in a cave or what?" "Your Uncle Joe took ballet for a year while he was in college," Dad said. "To help him with his football footwork." Max made a no-way face. "Really? Like with a frilly tutu?" "I'm fairly certain there weren't any tutus involved," Dad said. "Boys do so tap-dance," I said. "Ms. Diz even showed us a DVD of a tap guy. There will probably be lots of boys in my class." Max looked up at the ceiling and groaned. Which is Brother for "You Are Such a Doofus." "Please can I do this?" I begged my parents. "I absolutely promise I won't quit this time."

Mom looked at Dad. Dad looked at Mom.

My parents have entire conversations without ever opening their mouths. "I suppose you could give it a try," Mom said finally. "But I want you to stick with it, no matter what." "I will!" I cried. "I will for sure stick!" "Can I have Roscoe's tap shoes when he quits?" Hazel asked. "We'll see," said Mom.

"Don't hold your breath, Hazel," I said. "Because I am going to tap dance FOREVER!" That weekend, Mom found some tap shoes at a yard sale. They weren't all shiny and new like Emma's. But they were just as loud. I practiced tapping on the kitchen floor. (Great taps!) The living room carpet. (Crummy taps.) My bed. (No taps. But terrific bounces.) And the bathtub. You get LOUD taps out of a bathtub, let me tell you. I decided it was my favorite place to tap.