Seven Bundle

by Various Orca

  Im not shamed I said. I like you.

  Thing was I wasnt used to going around with any 1. I was used to being alone.

  Itd be cool to hang out at the jim I said. But I cant rite now. I need to check in with my mom.

  He nodded a cupl times.

  Mom. Rite. Your talking about your prole offiser rite? I forgot you just got out of jale. My brother used to call his PO Mom too.

  Mayb Ill come to the jim later I said.

  His face britend—it reely did.

  Ill look for you he said. Morgan runs the place. You no him rite?

  Uh I said.

  Well anyway its on 15 Street beside the king pizza place.

  OK I said.

  A streetcar was slowing down in front of the drug store. Water splashing off the tracks. Doors opend and peepl hurryd off and on.

  Well—by I said. By Jaden.

  By Bunny.

  I ran thru the rain.

  AT DINNER

  IT WAS JUST ME AND MOM. I showd her my tatoo wen I got home and she said O deer and lookd away fast. I put back the band ade. She kept looking at my arm and then looking away. I new she hated the tatoo so I put on a long shirt for dinner. The blud was gone but it still hurt even with the stuff on it. Arm arm.

  We ate in front of the TV sins it was just the 2 of us. It was Dads stew from last nite. I had 4 carrots and 2 chickn chunks and 4 potatos. Mom hates cartoons and sports so we watchd an old guy talk to an other old guy across a table. I ate the carrots and potatos first and countd my chews. 20 and a swallow. I do that sum times. 20 more and an other swallow.

  I told Mom about Jaden. Were frends even tho were differnt I said.

  She said that was grate. Evry 1 is differnt she said. Now shhh.

  The old guys on TV were fiting about sum thing. Your rong said 1. No your rong said the other.

  They both had gray hair and shirts and tys and glasses. They were the same. They even shook there heads at the same time.

  Last bite. 17 18 19 20. Swallow. I was dun. I ast if I cud go out. Mom dint anser. I ast agane. Its Friday and theres no skool I said.

  Mom turnd. You want to go out? Ware?

  My frends jim. He ast me. I no ware it is. Its 1 streetcar. Pleas mom.

  You have your phone rite? And you no the rules—

  home by 9.

  Yes.

  OK then.

  She turnd back to the TV.

  Grate! Thanks Mom. Im on my way.

  Mom said shhh.

  The streetcar stoppd rite at 15 Street. I walkd past places that fixd cars and places that sold candy and places that I dont no what they did and places that dint do any thing cuz of the bords in the windo. I saw guys smoking and moms pushing babys. Evrything smelld good after the rain. Even the smoke. Peepl stared at me out of the side of there eyes.

  The jim was easy to find—big brick bilding with no windos. No door ether and I was staring at it and wondering how to get in wen I herd my name. Jaden came out of the pizza place next door with 2 slices in his hand.

  I was wating for you he said witch made me feel good. He took me round the back. The wall beside the door had my tatoo on it. 15 with stripes. Weerd eh—a wall with my tatoo.

  What was Grampa thinking?

  We went into a hall with a bare lite bulb and a smell that was not as nice as the after the rain smell. Pretty bad reely. Down the hall was a wide open room with brite lites. There was a boxing ring and wates and a punching bag off to the side. And a guy who came over and said Who the hell is this?

  Jaden said Hi Morgan this is Bunny. Bunny this is Morgan.

  He gave Morgan 1 of the pizza slices. I said hi.

  Morgan was a grone up—had a beerd and all. His nose was flat and his eyes were sort of skinky at the corners. He had a wistle round his neck like a ref.

  What you doing here boy? he said to me.

  I dint no what to say.

  Show him Bunny said Jaden.

  Show him?

  Your ink. Your tatoo.

  OK I said. The band ade came up with my sleev and there was the 15. Morgans eyes opend wide.

  Ware you get that? he ast me.

  Bunnys bin in hall said Jaden. Thats ware he got the candl. Thats why you dont no him. Hes OK.

  Morgan still lookd—I dunno.

  What hall you in? he ast. That juvy place out in Scarboro? Bonesaw was there and I herd it was pretty bad. You there boy? Or sum ware els?

  So many questions and I cudnt anser any of them. I countd black drips. 1 2 on the floor then a bunch on the wall 3 4 5 6 7.

  Jaden was talking.

  Bunny saved my ass today he said. Shud of seen him throw this big Angel away. Bunny nose the sines. Hes with the possy Morgan.

  2 guys were in the ring going round and round. They were dressd like UFC fiters—tite shorts and littl gloves and that was all. The fiter in black shorts was good. He was kind of fat but he movd fast.

  That inks fresh—ware you get it dun? Morgan ast.

  I new this anser. I told him about the Ink Tank place and Roxy the dorf and he ate his pizza and nodded.

  I saw old Billy from Ink Tank this afternoon. Told me sum thing about a white boy hurting an Angel on the street. That you? Billy said you threw the Angel round like he was a frisbee or sum thing.

  What I told you Morgan said Jaden. Bunny here was saving me.

  Xept I dint no that guy was an Angel I said.

  The fiter in black nockd the other 1 down with a hammer to the neck. Morgan blew his wistle and told them both to stop. Then he went back to looking at me.

  So Bunny—how you get to be 15?

  I dint no what he ment. I was 14 last year and now Im 15.

  It just happend to me I said. Same as any 1.

  The fiters were leening on the ropes staring down at us. Black Shorts had a tatoo like Jadens and mine and the wall out side. This was weerdr and weerdr.

  Your name reely Bunny? he said. Like a bunny rabbit?

  I said yah and ast what his name was. He jumpd down from the ring and walkd over. His belly hung over his shorts.

  His names Jello. Cuz he got a jelly belly.

  Shut up Jaden. You just a kid.

  Jello movd easy. He was in shape. His hair was shavd so I cud see his skull underneeth. He had reel black skin—blacker than Jaden or Morgan.

  There were flys all over. Jello swiped at 1 and it buzzd away.

  So you tuff he said to me. You a tuff Bunny. A killer like Scratch. Can you fite? Mayb you can toss sum Angel on the street. Mayb you put down sum guy in hall—white guy I bet. But can you take on a brother?

  A brother? I said.

  He dint meen Spencer. I can nock Spencer down evry time. We dont fite any more. We never did much but its bin a long time now.

  I dont want to hurt any brother I said.

  Dint think so. You not 15. I wont beleev it til Cobra says so.

  His words hung in the air in front of me. Like a sheet or sum thing. A curtin.

  Cobras coming said Jaden. You wate Jello. Wate and see. Hey Bunny you want sum thing to drink?

  Mayb I shud go I said.

  Yah said Jello.

  No—wate for Cobra.

  There was 2 flys buzzing around my head. I grabbd them both. I dont like flys.

  Huh! said Morgan. You got fast hands Bunny.

  Jaden and I drank coke wile Jello went over to the punching bag and startd in punching. He was good. The bag was jumping round. Morgan was with him but kept looking back at me. Jello wud punch the bag and Morgan wud look at me. The other fiter came over to ware we were on the couch and hung his head. I cud see his ribs go in and out wen he took a breth. Jaden calld him Xray.

  Wo he said.

  Wen I was dun my coke I went over and pickd up a wate. It said 20 on it so I thot I wud lift it 20 times. Wen I got to 20 I put it down and my phone rang.

  IT WAS SPENCER.

  HEY! I SAID.

  HE SAID H EY BACK and we talkd for a wile. He told me he got my shot of the ta
too and it was cool. His words went in and out. I pushd the phone into my ear so I cud here him. He ast sum thing about the 15. I told him about Jaden and the possy. Im in I said. I ast him if he got his kiss. Not yet he said. They were in a place calld Torrents. I ast if Torrents was in Buffalo cuz I thot thats ware Spencer was going. No he said it was Torrents Ontario and he was there with an other guy insted of Dad. And get this—Spencer was driving. He told me all about it.

  Al Capoli? I said. Your with Al Capoli? And your driving a white convert able car?

  Not bad I thot.

  I herd a gasp and turnd round. A stranger was staring at me. He must of come into the jim wile I was on the phone. He was like 7 feet tall. I came up to his shirt. He was thin but not week. Bendy like a bow like he was reddy to shoot arrows at you. Cool guy with a super cool tatoo on his neck—a snake with fangs.

  Al Capoli? he said to me.

  He must of herd me.

  I coverd the phone. Im talking to my brother I said.

  Al Capoli from Buffalo? he said.

  Yah.

  Jaden stood next to the tall guy. Cobra this is Bunny he said. Pointing at me. You no him rite?

  Evry 1 was staring at me—Morgan and Jello and Xray and Jaden and Cobra.

  I wavd hi to Cobra.

  Is Al Capoli in Torrents now? he ast. I nodded my head. You no how your talking on the phone and talking to sum 1 in the room at the same time? Thats how I was talking to Spencer and to Jadens brother.

  Al Capoli is in Torrents Ontario in a white convert able I said to Cobra and he threw his hands in the air and walkd away.

  I went back to Spencer. He was glad things were cool with me. I told him I was pumpd and he said that was xellent but that he had to run. I made a joke and said wasnt he driving? Insted of running you no. He said yah and later and hung up.

  9 oclock soon. I shud be going.

  Cobra was holding a sell phone. I wud like to talk to Rocko or Al he was saying. This is Cobra from 15 Street. I have got sum thing for you. Give me a call.

  Your brothers tall eh? I said to Jaden. He dint anser.

  The wate on the floor next to me was pretty big. It had a 35 on it. I dint feel like lifting it 35 times.

  Cobra came over to me. Bent down.

  How do you no so much? he ast.

  His head was close to my head. Was he joking? No 1 ever thinks I no so much.

  Capoli is missing he said. Rocko Wings does not no ware he is. No 1 in Buffalo nose ware he is.

  But you do. Strange white kid out of no ware. How is that? he ast.

  I dint say any thing. Cobra was 2 big. Not just tall but—there—you no? He took up room. I cudnt think next to him.

  Your a mistery Bunny he said. A reel mistery. Who did you kill?

  What?

  He pointd at my arm.

  That says your in the possy he said. Says your a killer. Jaden told me you were inside. I have bin inside 2 and I no there r bad guys in there. Sum times you can work with them and sum times you cannot. Sum times you have to step up. Rite Bunny? Step up for yourself and for your frends.

  Things were weerd here. Evry 1 was black and tuff and staring at me and I dint no why xept that I wasnt black. Cobras eyes were like lazers flashing inside me. I dint no what he ment about being a killer. I feel stupid looking back but I reely dint. Grampa wud call us killer sum times and he was kidding. Hey killer he wud say to DJ or Webb or Steve. Hey killer hows it going? I dint no what was going on here so I nodded at Cobra. Jaden stood next 2 his brother smiling at me. I did no about Jaden—leest I thot I did.

  Step up for your frends I said. Yah.

  I was thinking about Jaden.

  Cobra undid buttons on his shirt and pulld it aside. There was a 15 with 3 candls.

  Do you see that Bunny? he said and I said yah. You no what it meens rite? It meens I am not scared to step up for the possy he said. And nether r you. The possy comes first. Rite?

  Rite I said. Frends first.

  Say it. Say your 15.

  He was doing up the buttons agane.

  Sure I said. Im 15.

  Sum thing was rong about the tatoo. Why was my 15 all over the place? I dint no but I kept on saying yah like I always do. Cobra thot I was tuff and that made me happy. He held out a fist and I did 2 and we did our xploding together. He calld evry 1 over and put his hand on my sholder.

  This here is Bunny he said.

  Jaden smiled. Morgan nodded. Jello dint look happy. Xray was still shaking his head and saying wo.

  Cobras phone rang and he jerkd it open rite away.

  Hello Rocko he said. Did you get my message?

  THE NEWS WAS ON

  WHEN I GOT HOME. Mom was in her chair. I dont like the news so I was standing in the door getting reddy to go up stares wen the pleece cars and yello tape came on the screen and the news guy said sum thing about Angels.

  What Angels r they talking about? I ast Mom.

  A gang she said. Mimico Angels. There from west of here. See on the TV—thats the subway stashun.

  Whats rong with these Angels? I ast.

  They do awful things she said.

  On TV 2 pleece men put a guy into a car. He had a black beerd and vest like a pirate. The car door closd and that was the end of the news and we went to a girl opening a can of cat food.

  Nite Mom I said.

  Nite.

  I went online to see ware Spencer was. It took me a wile but I finally found Torrents. It dint look far from Trono but nothing looks far on a map does it? I meen China and Peru r only this far apart. You can cover Africa with your hand.

  I put on my goop. There was no blud and the tatoodint hurt much. I flexd my arm and the 15 movd. I went to bed and thot about that bully and Jaden. I thot about Cobra with his hand on my sholder and Jaden smiling.

  Mom went off to be Prof O’Toole and tell peepl more about how we no what we no. I was alone in the house. Sum times Im alone cuz Spencers watching a movy in his room and Dads riting in the basment—not reely alone. Today was differnt—I was reely alone. I had my tost and jam and TV and I had a place to go after. I was so xited I cud hardly eat my brekfast. Goop on the tatoo and out the door. Morgan was sweeping the jim wen I got there.

  Well well he said. Look whos here.

  He was the only 1 around. I ast ware Jaden was. He said he dint no but did I want to work out wile I was wating? Help yourself he said and went back to sweeping.

  I was lifting the 20 wate wen Morgan came over and said I was doing it rong. He showd me. His arm was huge.

  I tryd it his way but it was harder. I cant do 20 I said.

  OK how about 12?

  But it says 20.

  12 is fine he said.

  He ast if I wantd to try fiting and I went yah. I like fiting I said.

  I dont fite at home cuz Mom and Dad hate it and Spencer cant. And no 1 pix on me at skool any more. But theres fiting on TV. Spencer and I watch UFC sum times befor Dad changes the channel. I try to see how the guys do the moves.

  Your fast said Morgan. I saw you catch those flys yesterday. You have fast hands.

  I gess I said.

  We climed into the ring.

  First thing is to lern how to fall he said. Your going to get hit and you have to no how to fall safe and fast. Lets do it here in the ring cuz its a soft floor.

  I can fall I said.

  Yah? Show me.

  And he nockd me down. His hands came out of noware and hit me in the chest and his leg was behind my foot and I fell to the floor and lay there going O. I wasnt hurt—just suprised. I climed back onto my feet.

  Pretty slow said Morgan. With a littl smile on his face.

  No fair I wasnt reddy I said.

  Fiting isnt about being fair Bunny. Your a kid and I used to be a pro. That isnt fair ether. Trust me—you want to lern how to fall.

  I was staring at him.

  For reel? I said. A pro fiter like on TV?

  Yah.

  Like UFC?

  Yah. Now watch
me.

  He went down but befor I new how he was back on his feet.

  And thats with my bad leg he said.

  I ast if he new any of the UFC guys on TV now. He said no. It was a wile ago he said. He was traning in a New York jim and they were all going to sine sum TV deel only he broke his leg in a practis fite and never came back.

  And it happend cuz I dint fall rite he said. I got my leg twistd and sum 1 jumpd on me and it snappd.

  Ew I said.

  You try now he said. Try falling.

  I did. Try agane he said. So I did it agane. Tuck in your sholder he said. Dont land flat. Land rolling. Hit like a brick and fall like a ball.

  What?

  Its what they say.

  I smiled. Nice I said.

  I fell agane. And agane. And agane. My sholder was hurting but I was getting the roll and Morgan said I was doing better.

  Jello came in and ast what I was doing there.

  Looks like you want to fite he said. He had on sunglasses and a stripy shirt and was eating a donut. You want to fite white boy? Do you? Ill fite you. Ill beet you like a drum he said.

  I dunno said Morgan. Bunnys pretty fast.

  Like a drum said Jello.

  But just then Jaden came running in and ast did I want to do sum thing for Cobra? Sure I said. So I left without fiting Jello. I told him mayb later and he said any time at all. He tryd to push me but I got out of the way.

  I thot about what they said. Hit like a brick and fall like a ball. Cool eh?

  THE SUN WAS

  BEHIND US

  WALKING UP THE STREET. My shadow was bigger than Jadens—his was like a bunch of sticks walking beside my big lump. He was talking about tagging. Thats what we were going to do. We were going to do sum tagging today.

  Like the game? I said.

  What game?

  Tag.

  He laffd. Your funny he said.

  I ast did he no about Morgan being a pro fiter? Jaden dint like fiting at all and dint want to talk about it. OK I said. We walkd sum more and then he stoppd so I did 2.

  Wud you look at that? he said.

  What?

  He was pointing at a brick wall—the front of a place with bords on the windos. Uh huh I said but dint no what I was looking at.