I wavd my hands round.
He nodded. It was quiet ware we were—no 1 was yelling. I cud hear music playing thru the mall. I new the song. Baby baby sum thing.
Guns arnt all bad said Jaden. Good thing I have 1 or youd still be getting kickd.
Yah I gess so I said.
We came to the fountin ware I got my pants wet. There was a bench and we sat down. Jaden told me about his mom then. She was in sum place a long way away and she was stacking time—48 months and she was haff way thru her stacking and that was why he was living with his gramma.
I dint understand about the stacking but I nodded.
I hate it at Grammas he said. She makes me dress up and go to church and she prays for me all the time. Cobra said I cud stay with him wen the deel went thru and he got a bigger place. Id have my own room and evrything. Xept now Cobras going to go to jale like Mom and Ill have to keep staying at Grammas.
He side. Its aw full.
I saw how much the guns ment. With the money from selling them the possy cud keep hanging out at the jim and Jello cud go on traning and Jaden cud live with his brother insted of his gramma. And now nun of this wud happen.
And stacking time ment being in jale. Thats ware Jadens mom was. No wonder he lookd sad.
I put my hand on his sholder. Its aw full at your grammas but it cud be worse.
Yah? How?
If they catch us now.
Yah he said. Then well go to jale 2. Yah that wud be worse.
The fountin stoppd. It does that sum times. I cud here the song going ooo ooo ooo.
I missd you Bunny he said. Wen you ran away.
Yah me 2.
Guns were bad rite? Xept that guns helpd my frends in the possy and Jadens gun saved me from the Angels. So guns were bad xept wen they wernt.
WE LOOK RONG SAID JADEN
YOUR TATOO AND MY rippd pants. We look like we shudnt be here. Peepl r staring he said.
Can we change how we look? I said. I cud put my hair differnt. And you cud—what?
He grabbd my hand.
What is it?
Your a jeenyus Bunny.
No Im not.
Come on he said. Sports store is rite here.
He pulld and I followd him. The fountain was going agane. Im not a jeenyus I said.
Yes you r.
There were esclaters up and down. At the top of the esclater we ran into the Angel with the gloves. He tryd to punch me. I twistd him round and he calld Jaden and me a name. Reely. First time I have ever bin calld that. Up close like this and without his helmet on I cud see his shiny haircut and I new who he was and why Jaden was so frowny at him.
No 1 messes with my frend I said.
He was facing the other way now so I twistd him sum more and he trippd and fell down the esclater. He lay at the bottom for a second and then limpd off.
Thats 2 times you got him said Jaden.
On the back of his jacket he had the Angel tag and the name Butch.
Butch I thot. Did you here what he calld us? I ast.
Yes.
But me 2. He calld me 1. Does that meen Im a brother now?
Jaden laffd and pushd me into the store. It felt good to here him laff. And to not be alone.
The store peepl stood by the windo looking out. The close were in piles. I grabbd a shirt and pants and then thot—a hat. The changing room had 4 hooks on the wall. I countd them and then agane. 4. I put on the new close and left my old 1s on the hooks. I checkd in the meer. Was that me? Yah. I made a face. Yah. I pulld up the sleevs and then put them down agane. I dint like the long sleevs but cops were looking for a tatoo.
My phone rang from my pocket on the hook. It was Mom.
Bunny? Ware r you? she ast but she dint let me anser. Im at the phone store and they gave me a new phone number she said. I cant keep my old 1. So now you have the number rite? Its on your phone.
O I said. Rite.
Stay in touch she said. Dont lose this new number.
I thot about telling her what was going on but I dint no ware to start. I memberd I was sposd to be close to home and not at the mall. And then she was gone.
I put the phone in my pocket.
Nock on the change room door. I opend and it was a store girl. She walkd rite in.
That looks grate Bunny she said. Differnt. The long sleev. The hat is grate 2. Good for you.
She smiled at me. I dint no how she new my name.
Well what do you think? she ast.
I shook my head. I dint no what she was talking about.
Dont you reconize me?
And then I saw. Your—
I stoppd and startd agane.
R you? I said.
YES SHE SAID
IM JADEN. AND SHE WAS—I cud here it. She sounded like Jaden. But she lookd like a girl. She was Jaden in girl close.
Wow I said.
Good disguys huh?
Yah.
Her top was blu and white stripes. Her skirt and nee sox were blu too. I gess I shudnt be saying her—Jaden was still a guy. A guy in a skirt. His skirt was blu. His.
What r you doing now?
He had his folding nife out. He cut the plastic tags off my close. He had to rip the end of my shirt but it tuckd into the pants and you cudnt see any thing rong.
Dont want the alarm to go off wen we get out of the store do we? he said.
Uh I said.
He put the nife in a pocket of his skirt and stood next to me so there we were in the meer. He pushd his hair around to make it stand up more.
You look funny I said.
Shut up.
The sports store had stuff for camping and swimming and running round. The models all had arms and legs but no heads. Funny eh? A lady lookd like she was playing tennis but had no head. How did she no ware the ball was? The sines said SUMMER SALE!! and 50% OFF!! and like that. We went down stares past a seen with a tent and campfire and kids and mom and dad. I stoppd to stare. The trees had leevs. Mom had a nap sack. The fire was flicking and evrything. It was so reel. But the only 1 who had a head was the deer in the background. Jaden told me to come on.
There rosting weenees I said. How r they going to eat them with no heads?
Thats wen we herd the shots. 1 2. Then a screem We ran out into the mall and there were sum more screems and an other shot. Peepl came out of the stores asking did you here? We were up stares and we lookd down over the raling and lissend to the sound of the shots getting softer like at the loyers offics that time.
Bang-ang-ang. Bang-ang-ang.
A guy ran up in those thick shoos for old peepl. He wasnt old but his shoos were. He had his name on his shirt. DAVE. There shooting Dave said. Pleece and gangs shooting each other. They shot my boss in the store.
Dave ran away and we went after him—me and Jaden and evry 1 els. Wen we got to the movy theeter the peepl wating in line saw us running and came over to run with us so now there were lots of us running. The girl next to me was spilling her bag of popcorn—evry step she wud spill sum more. We ran until we herd shots from in front of us and then we stoppd and ran back the way we came. You no those birds that fly all over the sky together? Like that. We ran back to the movy theeter and stoppd agane. A line of blu was coming tords us. Cops. Lots of them. We watchd them go into 1 place and come out agane and go into the next place closer to us. They were serching the mall.
What do we do? Jaden ast me. What do we do Bunny? We cant run any ware now.
We can see a movy I said.
I meen there we were.
Jaden pulld me past the soft loopy rope. No 1 was taking tickets. We ran past the booth and down the hall to the first door. Jaden was in front. He lookd weerd in girl close.
NIKKI THE COP CAME BACK
INTO THE ROOM WARE I was riting. She had a man with her. She calld him boss and told him who I was. He had those things that hold up your pants. What r they? Any way he had them. His shoos were shiny.
He leend on the table ware I was riting and crossd his arms.
&n
bsp; Sarjent Nolan says your working hard son he said. Riting out what happend this afternoon r you?
Yes I said.
He nodded and said sum thing I dint hear. My ears were still ringing a bit. I ast him to say it agane.
We need your help son he said pretty loud.
Did you lose sum thing? I ast.
What?
My mom needs my help wen she loses stuff. I’m good at finding things.
He lookd over at Sarjent Nikki. She shruggd. Then back to me.
Yah I lost sum thing he said. I lost my key witness. He was working for us and now hes dying. You no who Im talking about son?
I shook my head.
Yes you do. You were there wen it happend.
He frownd down at me. Big thumbs behind his spenders. The lite over the door had a cage round it like a hocky mask. I dint see that til now.
I want you to be my witness son he said. I want you to ID sum bad guys for me. Can you do that?
ID? Like who they r?
Yes son. That’s xactly rite. Who they r. I want you to take Jacksons place. He was working for us and now I want you to. I need sum 1 to put in jale and I need a witness to help me.
O I said.
It was still tuff to think about Jackson.
You sure you dont want me to find sum thing? I ast. A pen or sum keys? Moms always losing her car keys.
Sarjent Nikki and her boss went into a corner and talkd for a moment. I cudnt here what they said but I new they were talking about me and not being happy.
Mary Lee Berdit felt the same way about me. We were both in the class play in Grade 4. She was the lady and and I was the prints and in the big seen I had to skip over and kiss her. I was the prints cuz nun of the other guys wantd to be. We did the seen over and over and I kept getting it rong—ether the skip or the kiss. I must of kissd Mary Lee 10 times and thats a lot of kissing. Finally she neeld down and told the teecher we had to stop now. She slappd her hand on the stage and said I was recking the play. The teecher was OK. She smiled at me and said she wud try to think of a way to make it easy for me. No 1 els in the class wud look at me. Ed and them laffd and startd to hit each other with there card bord sords. I stood in the middl of the stage in my cape and boots and countd the folds in the curtins.
Boss was mad at me just like Mary Lee. Id messd up his plans. He and Nikki talkd about Jackson who was mayb dying in hospital. All they had was me and I was no good. He left without saying good by and Sarj Nikki took me to see Mom. She was in a wating room with a worry face and a sell phone. She ast if I was dun yet. I said I was still riting. She shook her head and said O Bunny. She said that a bunch of times all reddy. O Bunny.
There was a form. Mom sined it fast and jerky like she had all the other forms.
Your helping them rite Bunny? she said. Your ansering what they ast you and telling them what happend.
Im trying I said.
Nikki took Mom aside and talkd for a minit or 2.
R you sure? said Mom. All rite. Ill make a call.
I still think its all a big mistake she said. Bunny dint no what he was doing. You dont no any thing do you Bunny?
I no lots of things I said.
No you dont! she yelld. No you dont!
I ast Nikki who Mom was going to call.
A loyer she said.
For me?
For you.
We were back in the riting room. She stared down at the table with my pile of yello paper.
You almost finishd?
Uh I said.
Well get going.
Show nite and the jim was full of moms and dads. It was time for the big seen. Mary Lee put out her hand for a handshake. This was the teechers idea—so I wudnt get the kiss rong. I dint mind. I skippd across the stage with my hand out—only I trippd on my big prints boots and fell face down. O it hurt. Mary Lee screemd. There was blud from my nose all over the floor and my shirt. They pulld the curtin and evry 1 clappd.
You never forget stuff like that do you?
WE SAT
IN THE MIDDL OF THE THEETER. It was dark and loud. Jaden pulld me along an empty row and we sat down. The movy was at an xiting part. The guy in the movy ran across a bisy street and just missd getting hit by a truck. He ran thru a parking lot and down a lane. He climed a fence. He had a flappy white coat and a cut under his eye and his breth came fast. The music was the kind that goes deedeedeedeedeedeedee and makes you bite down hard.
Jaden leend over and ast if I herd sum thing.
What?
Sum thing outside?
No.
The movy playd. The bad guys after the guy in the white coat. They shoutd at him. The music got louder. The guy ran down stares and onto the subway and the doors closed and he got away. Then it was the next day and he was having coffee in his apartment. He still had the littl cut on his cheek from last nite but it lookd OK in fact it lookd pretty good. His hair was wet from the shower. Nice music so you new nothing bad wud happen.
Jaden wisperd what now?
I dont no. We missd the start of the movy.
I meen what about us?
O.
The guy with the cut went to anser the door bell and there were the bad guys agane—what a twist. They had there guns out and evrything.
O no I wisperd.
Jaden turnd in his seat. Behind us there were 2 lites from flashlites. They were moving down the theeter row by row. Pleece offisers—I cud see there hats. They were getting closer. I herd them wispering.
Clear they said. Clear.
O crap.
They were coming to our row next. I thot about all the running me and Jaden had dun today. Now there was no ware to run and no ware to hide. The pleece wud see our faces in a minit.
Jaden leend forward.
Hold me he wisperd.
What?
Its just pretend. Come on Bunny.
What?
And he put his arms round my neck and held on tite and kept his face close to my neck. And we sat there close to each other in the movy like we were—you no.
Ew.
I cudnt see the movy now but there was lots of yelling. The music was spiky—CRAK! PONKA! SKIK! PONKA PONKA! Sort of.
Relax wisperd Jaden.
His breth was in my ear. It was so weerd.
Ware r they? I ast.
Shhh. Dont talk.
But I want to—
He pulld my face down. With his lips on mine I cudnt talk. Im stronger than him so youd think I cud pull away but he rappd his arms round me and hung on and I cudnt do it. I cudnt pull away.
Mm I said.
Mm he said.
And we were kind of kissing and I wantd to get away xept the pleece offisers were rite there with there flash lites. And the movy was going on. And evrything.
I countd in 2 3 4 out 2 3 4. I had to breeth thru my nose cuz my mouth was bisy. My eyes were closd. I herd the cops laffing and saying geez and look at those 2. And clear.
And I new sum thing about Jaden.
We kept kissing until the shooting startd.
IN THE MOVY
THE BAD GUYS WERE SHOOTING at the guy with the cut face. And a few rows down from us a guy in a lether jacket was running to the front and the pleece were telling him to stop or they wud shoot and he dint stop and there was a brite yello flash and a boom and that was the pleece shooting. The guy duckd and there was a flash and he was shooting back. And there was an other flash from over on the left and an other 1 from down at the front and sum thing went past my head. There was yelling and more shooting in the theeter and on the screen and I cudnt here hardly any thing. And then the lites came up and the room was full of smoke and it smelld like matches or no like fire cracks at the cottage. I wonder if weel do it next year? Probly not. But thats what it smelld like after the shooting. The start of summer. Pleece stood at the back and at the front with there guns out and there mouths open shouting. Guys lay on the floor with more pleece standing over them. Peepl peeping over the back of there
chairs.
I was counting. 4 5 6 7. Freckls on Jadens face. I never thot of freckls on black faces but Jaden had sum and I was counting them. For head. Cheek. 8 9 10 11 12 13. Jadens lips were moving. I cudnt here. Littl dot freckls like with a pin. Other cheek. 13 14 15.
The movy stoppd. I lost count and startd agane. My ears got better. We marchd out of the theeter with our hands up. There were sum old peepl and they cudnt keep there hands up but the pleece said they were OK with there hands down. We all got in a line and walkd up the ramp and out the door and past the velvet ropes and there were more pleece standing there. Peepl were crying and shaking.
Wares your hat?
Jaden had to ast 2 times befor I herd.
I shook my head.
Did you see the dead guy? The Angel? You no who it was?
I shook my head agane. I was looking at Jadens shoos. They were the same 1s from this morning. From yesterday. The same shoos but Jaden was differnt.
The pleece kept us in line. 1 by 1. We walkd slow past the place ware they sell movy tickets—booth I meen. The door of the booth was open and there were pleece on both sides of the door and a curtin. We all walkd past.
Wen I got to the booth the pleece told me to stop. A pleece man pointd his gun at me and told me to step away from the line. He ast me my name and I told him. He ast me to pull up my sleev and I did. Jaden turnd round to look at me. So did sum of the others who were past the booth. An old lady ast what was behind the curtin. She ast a few times.
R you part of the 15 Street Possy? the cop ast me.
Uh I said.
I want to see! said the lady. I want to see!
She came out of the line and went rite up to the curtin talking all the time. Her voys was shaky like a yo yo or a pudding. I new who she was now—the oldy from the bus on the way in. Dinty. She pulld away the curtin with her spider hands. And no 1 stoppd her cuz she was old I gess and cuz they were suprised and cuz they were looking at me.
There was a guy I new behind the curtin. I said hi. His pink shirt was dark under his arms. His mouth hung open. He lookd tired to deth. He nodded hi back at me.
You no this guy Jackson? ast the cop who was pointing his gun at me.
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