by Jamie Ott
“Oh, no!” Layton shouted as he grabbed at his pocket for his slingshot.
The four boys ran at them.
Jeff smothered a large cloth bag over his head. From his side, Bob screamed, “HELP! HELP! HELP!”
Someone grabbed Layton’s hands and was tying a rope around them.
Layton tried to kick out with his leg, and he got someone in the crotch.
“OWWWW!” someone yelled.
“So you want to play vampire,” said Jeff, and then someone punched him in the mouth.
“I figured it was you when I saw you without the wig.”
Layton tried to move his arms, but they were tied too tight. Layton threw another kick to the air, but someone pushed him onto the ground. Next to him, Bob continued to yell out for help.
Just then, Layton heard Billy’s voice.
“Hey, stop it!”
There was the sound of scuffles.
Layton threw off his head, what turned out to be, a pillow case cover. He looked up and saw Billy with Jeff’s head in an arm lock while John had Billy around the neck.
Brad was punching Billy in the side.
With hands still tied, Layton jumped up and kicked Brad, hard in the kidney. He howled and went down to the ground. Then he kicked John in the butt; he then turned and chased Layton around the room.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jeff elbow Billy in the stomach, and as he put a foot back in preparation to punch him, Layton ran up and stuck his foot out in time to trip Jeff. He tumbled, violently, onto his back. There was another rumble from behind Layton: John had been tripped by Bob. He fell face forward and was lying on the floor, groaning.
Bob jumped up and untied Layton’s hands. Layton, then, grabbed a wood plank from the ground and slammed Jeff, who was fixing, again, to retaliate on Billy, in the stomach.
Billy then punched Brad in the face. He, now, sat in the corner holding his bleeding nose. Layton, Bob, and Billy stood and observed the room momentarily.
“Let’s go!” said Bob.
They walked back to Molly’s house.
“What the hell were you guys doing over there at this time of night?”
“We were looking for something. What were you doing there?” asked Bob.
“I heard you yelling, idiot! Someone could have called the cops!”
The next day, Layton and Bob were still a little shook up, but Layton was the worst for it because he actually had to go to school with Rick, Jeff, and the twins. Surely, they’d want to get back at him in the worst way.
When he voiced his concern to Bob, he quickly ran to his room, pulled out the memory card from his camera and inserted it into the living room computer. Once the drive recognized the card’s files, he copied them over to a blank disc he’d pulled out of the drawer. Then he pulled out a black marker and wrote, ‘Mess with me again, and I’ll show everyone.”
Layton had to go home that day, and he was kind of sad because there was still a few more weeks of summer left to go, and Billy and Bob would be gone for a couple of weeks, visiting their grandmother in the next town over. He wasn’t looking forward to their absence, as it had been so nice having friends and things to do. Still, he’d see them again in a few weeks.
More than anything, though, Layton felt that Bob and Billy really saved his neck! Because of them, he was confident again. Plus, it was because of Bob, that Jeff and the twins would likely leave him alone next year at school; it was so cool to see them all knocked out in that house! Thinking about the DVD he’d just left on Rick’s window, he wondered if he’d watched it yet and laughed to himself. Then he checked his pocket to make sure he hadn’t forgotten his own copy.
When he walked inside the door to his home, it was to see a new note on the table, but this time it was from Mom.
Dear Heather and Layton
,
I’m sorry that I haven’t been around much. I’ll try to take more of an interest in your lives, but moreover, I will learn to listen. As for your father, he’s not perfect, but it’s important that you spend time with him because, even though he doesn’t act the way you think he should, he still loves you. It’s he who wants you in his life, and that’s why I send you to him.
Lastly, things are going to change around here because I can’t handle everything on my own. Whether you understand or not, I have to work so we don’t end up homeless. See, following, a list of responsibilities I expect to be done by you, both, each week.
Love,
Mom
P.S. If you don’t complete your weekly end of house maintenance, then you will be cut off from allowance, and without exception. You’re right, Heather, I don’t have time to punish you, so we’re going to try a reward system. No work, no money, no food. If you want dinner later, here’s what I expect to see when I come home.
Layton looked at two pieces of paper that were attached to the letter: each had a list of chores to be done each week. Heather’s list had more chores than she’d ever done in her life – including a weekly trip to the store! Layton had a weekly trip to the store as well as a dozen chores. He didn’t mind, though, so long as it was fair.
The rest of the summer continued to scorch with heat, and although Layton’s mother’s schedule didn’t slow down much, she did take the time and effort to show interest and listen to both Layton and Heather. But there were times when she’d come home and bark orders, like before, and then go off to bed. Layton just realized that that’s the way it had to be sometimes.
Things had gotten slightly better with Heather. She continued to party and hang out with her friends, but she seemed to be at home more than usual. Lately, she seemed more relaxed, and there was less hostility in her attitude. Layton supposed she must have come to some sort of agreement with their mother, for he noticed they spent less time shouting at each other.
Strangely enough, their pleasant attitude made Layton feel less like sniping.
One day, at the end of the summer, his father came to get him for a father son hang out at an amusement park. Normally, Layton would just sit and stare, only speaking when his father would nag him to death. This time, however, Layton talked all kinds. This new talkative Layton surprised his father who, as a result, seemed to take an extreme interest in him, which in turn, surprised Layton!
What shocked him most was his father actually asked him questions about his summer; detailed questions about Bob, Billy, Molly, and what they were like. His dad even bought him several souvenirs at the end of the day and, for the first time in a long time, they took a photo together.
Up until the summer ended, Layton tried to spend as much time with Bob and Billy as possible. Layton came to regard them like the brothers he’d never had, and it made him sad that he wouldn’t see them much until the following summer. Still, it was nice to know that he had them to look forward to, next year.
He still felt a pit in his stomach when he contemplated returning to the school where he had so many bad experiences. One morning, as Layton stood in the bathroom frowning at his reflection, his mother walked in and handed him a small bag. He looked up at his mother in shock. It had been about two weeks since he’d seen her for more than a few minutes at a time, and now she was giving him a gift?
He pulled the paper from out of the bag and saw two little black boxes. Inside one was a pair of black knock off Bono Concert Vertigo glasses and, in the second one, a pair of dark blue. The excitement at seeing such cool sunglasses hit him instantly.
“So does this mean I’m getting contact lenses?”
“No, not this year. You’re too young, I think.”
“Well, how am I gonna wear these?”
“Try them on!”
He took off his glasses and slipped on the Vertigos – they were completely clear! He could see better than with his old glasses!
“They’re prescription! Oh, Mom, thanks!”
He gave her the tightest hug he’d giv
en her in a long time.
“Here,” she said, handing him $40, “go get a good hair cut, and a bottle of gel if you’d like.”
Back to School
Chapter 6
The first day back at school wasn’t so bad. He was a little nervous, and there was still a little pit in stomach, but he got over it when he realized he was in a different class then Rick and his buddies. That was lucky! At that point, it felt like starting over, which Layton was more than happy to do.
To further his good mood, he’d received several compliments on his glasses, and was even invited to sit with a fairly well-liked classmate, Mike, whom Layton was assigned to partner with on a biology project. At the end of the day, they had several good conversations and even exchanged numbers.
On his walk home from school, he saw Rick, Jeff and the twins, but they didn’t say anything to Layton. Instead, they were busy harassing some other kid Layton didn’t know.
Rick looked bored and out of place. In contemplation, Layton realized that Rick was not a bully personality, but rather just a big coward and a follower.
Still, he picked up his walking pace because the last thing he wanted was for Jeff and the twins to start a fight with him, which even though Layton had leverage against them, he still didn’t put it past them to try, anyway.
“Hey, Layton!”
He turned around and, to his surprise, there was Rick running toward him. Instantly, several thoughts rushed through Layton’s mind: he could make up with Rick by waiting for him to catch up, or he could turn around and run away from him, the way he’d done so many months before. He was torn between being a good person and being as shallow as Rick was, the year before.
And like that, Layton turned around and ran to the end of the block. Looking back, he saw Rick walking with his head hanging down. Well, he figured he didn’t have to be a really good person at the moment, and maybe he’d apologize the next morning on his way to school. But the main thing is that Rick now knew what Layton felt like the year before.
Langley’s Blues
By Jamie Ott
Copyright Jamie Ott 2012. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used without written permission.
Black Crowe Publishers: an imprint of Passionate Prose Industries
ISBN-13: 978-0615517129
ISBN-10: 0615517129
For all inquiries, please contact [email protected].
Blanket of Chill
Chapter 1
Night was coming fast.
The wind was a death-chill that no one person or thing could escape.
Three kids huddled behind the Central Mall dumpster, shivering.
Bruce had his arm wrapped around Tatia, whose teeth chattered loudly.
Not more than a foot away, Jack sat on the cold, hard asphalt, hugging his legs.
“If we don’t get somewhere, I’m gonna die,” said Tatia through clenched teeth.
Jack stood up, resolute, and said, “Let’s go!”
“Where?” asked Bruce, partly annoyed and partly curious. Half the time, his ideas got them into trouble, and the other half, got them what they needed.
“I don’t know but sitting here on the ground isn’t a good idea because it’s only going to get colder. My butt already feels like a chunk of ice.”
“We could sneak into my father’s shed. I know where the key is. Problem is, if he finds us, he’ll kill us,” chattered Tatia.
“No, look what he did to you last time you were there!” Bruce said angrily.
Begging on the streets during the fall and winter months was the worst. With holidays and all; people in a bigger hurry to get where they’re going, they hardly collected any money during those times.
After several days had passed, and all they’d eaten was a couple cans of tuna, Tatia snuck into her father’s house to find food.
She thought he was at work!
“Where the hell have you been?” he shouted.
Tatia dropped the loaf of bread and turned.
When she wouldn’t answer, he lost it.
She turned to leave, but he pinned her against the wall and gave her one of his mind blowing welts.
Tatia slipped out of his grip, bolted through the kitchen sliding glass door, into the back where she hopped up onto the brick wall that fenced in the yard.
In a hurry to get away, she lost her footing and rolled off the wall, smashing onto the ground where she broke her nose and her glasses.
Her nose healed rather quickly, but her glasses were shattered. The white tape that now held them together almost glowed under the light of the moon.
“We could try the City Pan again?” suggested Bruce.
It was one of the few shelters that took people in without asking questions. For a couple of underage kids, their options were few, and especially during winter as more and more adults sought shelter earlier in the day.
“No, the beds will be taken,” Jack replied.
“Well,” Tatia said, as she stood up, “let’s go. The cold coming up from the ground is just as bad as the wind. The neighborhood park lawn will be warmer.”
As they made their way through the Pickley Hills neighborhood, they were careful to stay in the shadows. They needed to avoid adults who would call the cops. In their part of town, it wasn’t common to see teens lurking the streets at night.
Tatia lived in the neighborhood for as long as she could remember and although it was a middle class neighborhood, her family wasn’t at all respectable.
The first time she left home, she’d spent the night at the Pickley Hills Park. That was where she met Bruce and Jack. Since then, they’d stuck together no matter what.
“Oh no,” she said soddenly, and stopped walking.
From a block away, they could see the sprinklers, at the park, had been set.
“Let’s keep on,” said Bruce. “We’ll just have to squat tonight.”
They continued past the park, and into another neighborhood.
“What do you think of this one?” asked Bruce, as they approached a dark house with a ‘For Sale’ sign.
“It’s been sold,” said Jack. He pointed to a trail of heavily disturbed dirt that lead up to the front door. Its screen was slightly bent out of place, and there were scuff marks on the porch. “Someone’s been moving things in.”
After a few more blocks, they happened into a wealthier neighborhood. Nearly every house had tall security fences that protected the mac mansions in their midst.
“This looks good,” said Tatia with hope, as they approached a tall gray manor style house. Its gate had been left open.
They walked up to the porch. Jack peered through the front window.
“Oh, man,” he groaned excitedly.
“What?” asked Tatia.
“There’s a table setting and dishes out; candles and silverware, too. They’re probably going to show it tomorrow.”
“Think there’s food in there?” asked Tatia.
“Gosh, I’m starving,” said Bruce.
Jack did a 360, and seeing that none of the neighbors’ lights were on, urged Bruce and Tatia to keep a lookout while he went around back.
A moment later, they heard the sound of breaking glass. Next, an alarm sounded off.
“Oh, no!” Bruce said in a loud whisper. “Jaaack!”
They turned around and around, looking for neighborhood security cars.
“Jack! Come on! I hear sirens; they’re coming, now!” Bruce said hoarsely.
Carrying a bag, Jack ran past them and out of the gate; Tatia and Bruce followed.
They turned right and ran to the corner, made another right and then a left.
When they finally stopped running, they found themselves in an unknown alley.
“What did you get?” asked Bruce.
“Chicken and some rolls.”
In the distance, they could still hear sirens.
“Did anyone see us?” asked Jack, panting for air.
<
br /> “I don’t think so,” said Bruce.
“Great. The last thing we need is to get into trouble with the police again.”
“Hey, what if we crashed here?” asked Tatia.
Jack turned to look behind him. Bruce moved his head over, so he could see around Jack.
Across from where they stood was a large wrought iron fence that was barely visible through a barrage of ferns that were growing out of control.
The property was dark and still; the gardens were overgrown and the grass was over three feet high.
In the center of the property was a two story house; its brown paint cracked and peeled on every square inch of its surface.
“What do you think?” asked Bruce.
“Vines are growing up through the cobble stones,” Jack commented. “Ivy has broken through the window. I’d say it looks like a good place to hide out for a couple days or more… maybe weeks.”
The sirens got louder.
“Okay, help me up,” said Tatia.
Bruce and Jack intertwined their fingers, giving her a boost. She grabbed the top of the fence, lifted her leg up and over, and jumped onto the ground.
She, in turn, stuck her hands back through the iron bars and clasped her fingers with Jack. Bruce jumped over and, together, they stuck their hands through the bars, once more so Jack could follow.