Mark Reconsiders His Enemy

It’s been Becky’s turn to run the carpool this week. Yesterday afternoon she picked up her kids and a couple of their friends for the ride home. Her daughter and her best buddy sat in the middle seats of the mini-van, talking excitedly about every aspect of their day. Her son, Mark, and his good friend sat in the very back. Becky said the group talked her into stopping by the Sonic for a slush. On the way there the sixth grade girls began chattering about the boys in their class. Meanwhile, the little males on the back seat talked about who did what during the football game at recess and what they were going to do when they got home. When questioned, neither of them could think of a single thing they liked about school other than football, but they saved their strongest scorn for the girls in their second grade class. The two were in agreement that the girls in their class were ugly, gross, and stupid.

“I hate ‘em,” Mark said.
“Mark!” his mother scolded, “Don’t use that word. It’s not nice to say that you hate someone.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Mark said. “Can I say that I don’t like ‘em a whole lot?”
“I guess so,” his mama answered.

About that time a car pulled into the spot beside ‘em. In the backseat sat one of the girls
in their class. Jenna is a pretty little girl with long blond hair and big blue eyes. Becky was watching the boys in the rear view mirror. The two of them looked in the little girl’s direction. No one said anything for a minute. Finally, Mark whispered to his friend. “You know something?”

“No, what?” Jim asked.

Mark lowered his voice even more. “When I stop hating girls,” he said, “I think I’m gonna
stop hating Jenna first.”