Snaggle

by PD Kiernan

  Everything was set for the big stakeout-sleepover. Dwayne and Roberto showed up early with sleeping bags. Everyone looked at it as an end of summer slumber party, although Suzie refused to acknowledge it was even close to the end of summer. Peter’s father set up his big tent on the large covered front porch that stood next to their long driveway.

  Suzie and Peter chose a nice spot to plant his bike. It was a little ways up the driveway, in between some metal garbage cans. It was far enough in that you really had to be actively looking for bikes to see it, but was plainly visible if you were. The streetlight nearby was also in view, which helped get it noticed. They buried Cassidy’s bike behind the house, well out of sight.

  By the time everyone settled in, it was after dinner and time for dessert, Pete’s favorite meal of the day. S’mores was still on the menu, even though Peter’s mom refused to light any type of camp fire, especially on a wooden porch, which everyone agreed was a wise decision.

  In the kitchen they melted the chocolate on the stove and smushed in the marshmallows over the graham crackers. It all came together splendidly. Ice cream was next on the agenda, and although Pete’s mom didn’t have the toppings of Lillian’s, there was still hot fudge and sprinkles.

  Then Pete’s dad had the idea to have a lightning bug hunt. He handed out glass jars to everyone and started a simple contest. Whoever nabs the most in their jar gets the air mattress for the night. That was all of the incentive Peter needed.

  He ran around the backyard like a man on a mission. He was running in front of people and jumping over lawn chairs to get any fireflies that went streaking by. Everyone else went at a slower pace, but a contest is a contest, and they were all trying hard to win.

  Most of the fun was had by trying to follow and capture a lightning bug as it constantly escaped from inside the jar. It took several tries before one could cover it while keeping it trapped inside. It was especially hard to trap the next one without letting all of the previous ones out. This proved to be the hardest challenge for Suzie. Peter, however, seemed to have the knack for it.

  Cass was probably the most competitive behind Peter, and caught at least twenty. Suzie caught only two. Most of the time she watched in amazement as the pair of little lightning bugs that kept taking turns blinking at each other in her jar. Some form of communication, she thought, or they were showing off. Either way, it was great to sit and watch.

  Pete clearly won the contest, despite the protests by Cassidy that his dad ended it too early, favoring his son. Pete showed true chivalrous spirit, however, and offered the air mattress to Cassidy, which she accepted with gratitude.

  That reminded Peter’s parents it was getting late and the kids should start getting ready for their night inside the tent. By the time Pete’s mom suggested everyone brush their teeth, Suzie realized something. She was having so much fun she had completely forgotten why they were there in the first place.

  Suzie grabbed Cassidy and they quickly ran towards the front of the house and peeked into the driveway. Pete’s bike was still where they had left it.

  “Well, that’s a relief!” Cass said to Suzie.

  “It is. I’m pretty sure he’ll make his move near dawn. Even so, we really don’t want Pete to lose his bike too,” Suzie said.

  “At least not ‘till I’m ready to chase him down,” said Cass.

  “You mean follow him, right?” Suzie asked.

  “Right,” Cass said with a smile.

  Everyone piled into the tent. It was a large red stand up tent that could sleep four comfortably, and five a little squishy. The sole air mattress went to Cassidy, which she thanked Pete for again. Everyone else stacked pillows under their sleeping bags against the hard deck of the porch. Pete’s mom made everyone comfortable with some hot cocoa, even though it was still quite warm out. A nice breeze picked up and they kept the door of the tent open which kept it cool inside.

  It was lights out pretty early. Pete’s mom took breakfast orders and left them alone shortly after they settled in. Pete went out for something so Cass and Suzie quickly maneuvered their sleeping bags by the opening of the tent. They were able to see Peter’s bike leaning against the garbage cans through the white spindles of the porch railing.

  “This is a good view, right here,” Suzie said.

  “Yeah, but it’s kind of hard to see the street. We’re too far back. We can’t see anyone coming,” said Cass.

  “It’ll be fine,” Suzie said as she reached into her backpack and took out her map and unfolded it onto the floor. “If he sticks to his pattern, he should see the bike.”

  “Hey, want to play a game?” Peter asked everyone as he came back into the tent with his mason jar full of lightning bugs.

  “Hey,” Cass said. “I thought your dad made everyone empty out their jars and free them all?”

  “I know. I will,” Pete said. “Look how cool they look lit up inside the tent!”

  He brought the jar inside and immediately the light of the jar began to spread an ever shifting warm glow across the inside of the tent. Roberto turned off his little camping light and then the entire tent was filled with the yellow radiance of the fireflies.

  “That is soooo cool!” said Cass.

  “Yeah, it’s like a lantern,” Roberto added.

  “Yeah, that’s great. You said something about a game?” Dwayne asked.

  “Oh yeah, right.” Pete said, putting down his lightning bug lantern. “Who’s down?” Peter asked as he made a fist with one hand and pounded the palm of his other hand repeatedly.

  “Down with what? What are you doing? Is that rock-paper-scissors?” Roberto asked.

  “That’s right,” Peter said as he repeated the motion and then held out his hand like a scissors.

  “That’s a two player game, Pete,” Cass said.

  “Not true! Try it, I’m telling you. We can all do this!” Pete said as he moved in closer to everyone. “C’mon, let’s go,” he continued as he starting his fist again.

  “Okay, I’ll give it a shot,” Dwayne said as he started to pound his fist.

  Roberto followed with his and finally Cass and then Suzie. They all put out their choices simultaneously. Peter’s rock crushed everyone’s scissors, except for Cass, who also put out a rock.

  “Alright. It’s a playoff!” shouted Pete.

  “Okay, don’t get too excited, rock boy,” Cass said. “You’re still going down.”

  As they started their playoff round, Suzie decided she needed some air. She went out of the tent and Roberto joined her. She could see Peter’s parents through the front window sitting nearby in the living room watching television. It looked like they were going to make sure everyone was safe sleeping out there on the porch.

  “Hey, what’s up?” Roberto asked Suzie as he stepped out and leaned on a railing.

  “Oh nothing. I wanted to stretch my legs.”

  “What’s wrong? Aren’t you good at rock-paper-scissors?” he asked.

  She laughed. “Is anybody good at that, really?” she asked.

  “I guess not. It’s kind of like tic-tac-toe. After a while, what’s the point?” he asked.

  He looked over at the glowing television light emanating from the living room windows of Peter’s house. “It’s not going to be easy trying to get the guy with Peter’s folks sitting right there.”

  “We’re not going to try to get the guy,” Suzie said. “We’re only going to follow the guy and get the cops to get the guy.”

  “Right, I know. You said that before. What if he gets away?” he asked.

  “He’s not. Believe me, Cass is not going to let that happen.”

  “Yeah, that’s true. She is pretty persistent.”

  “You got that right,” she said as she turned to listen to a burst of laughter coming from inside the tent.

  “Must have been a good round,” Roberto said. “C’mon, let’s go back inside. It’s not too late to have some fun before the guy shows up.”

  “Yeah, if he
shows up,” Suzie said and they both went back inside the tent and joined a new round.

  They started new games; word games, guessing games, and memory games. They almost started to tell ghost stories, but decided not to after everyone started to get a little creeped out, especially when they thought about what was waiting for them during the night. Finally they got tired, and started to drift off one by one, except for Suzie and Cass.

  “What if we miss him?” asked Cass when she started to close her eyes.

  “We’re going to hear the metal of the cans for sure. He has to move them to get the bike out,” Suzie said. “We’ll hear him.”

  Both of them had resumed their positions leaning out of the doorway of the tent, with a good view of the driveway and the bike. Cass was the first to fall asleep, but Suzie could not close her eyes for a long time.

  Every little sound kept her awake. If a car slowed down by the street, she strained to see what was going on, but saw nothing. Thoughts started to run through her mind. Maybe he had someone who drove him around. Maybe he used a van or something like that to grab the bikes.

  She started to have serious doubts. Everyone got together because of her that night and the thief might not even see Peter’s bike, or even be out on this particular night. What would they do then? Go back to school? Lose their bikes forever? She thought about her mom, about what she said. It would take weeks to save up for a new bike. Probably months.

  She started to think how much she missed her bike. The gold paint with the butterfly stickers. She imagined riding again. The wind rushing by as she sped across wide sidewalks. She started to drift off.

  She heard footsteps. It was someone running next to her while she was riding. She knew it was him, her father. He was clapping, cheering! It was her first time riding on two wheels by herself. She was finally about to stay up and ride on her own. She kept drifting off as she kept riding on, alone. No one was near her now. She pedaled harder and faster into a long, deep sleep.

 

  Chapter 17