"That would be fantastic. I love pizza," Gunner said. Zeke chimed in his approval as well.

"Do you have to call your parents and make sure it's okay?" Tanya asked.

The three boys all looked at each other, sharing a quiet smile. "Uh yeah, we'll do that," Jamal said, pulling a cell phone out of his back pocket. "But I'm sure it'll be fine. Being Friday night and all, our parents won't mind."

"Well that's great. Like you said, it's not far. I think we can all fit in our SUV."

"That's okay, Mrs. Cox. My van is right over there." Jamal gestured to an older-looking panel van parked a...