“Hmm.” Tara raised an eyebrow, clearly not impressed.
The day couldn’t go by fast enough. Cole even stopped fighting the urge to sleep so as to jump through time a little quicker. A half hour here, an hour there. He was getting good at this. Each time he woke he could feel the strange and familiar presence of his friend from the night before. He found himself checking his surroundings, certain he would find Him, though he still had no idea what He looked like. Cole could even feel Him while he was walking through the halls in between classes, as if He were following just out of sight. When he was with Ashley however, his lethargy as well as his friend seemed to disappear.
After having a nice visit with Joshua, Cole and Ashley walked to lunch together yet again. This time, however, they sat alone at their own table. It was like the good old days; the conversation flowed effortlessly, peppered with belly laughs and jokes only they knew. At times Cole thought she might have been pulling his leg because she seemed to break down in a fit of giggles even when he wasn’t trying to be funny. He forgot how easy it was to talk with Ashley. He felt safe with her. This was how things were supposed to be.
“So what are your plans for after the dance?” Ashley stopped massaging Cole’s scarred hand, “And don’t tell me you’re going back home right after, the thing ends at ten and it’s a Friday night.”
“Well, that depends on what you’re doing after the dance. If you’re about to invite me to something boring then maybe I should call it a night.” Cole raised his chin and looked away as if she were the most boring thing in the room.
Ashley laughed, fast and breathless. Was he really that funny? “Oh stop it! You know you’re coming with me to Sarah’s right? Her parents are away for the whole weekend and she’s having a few people over.”
“Do these ‘few people’ include… I mean it’s fine if he is. I’ll still come, obviously,” Cole held his breath, waiting for the let-down.
Ashley’s smile disappeared. “Kyle and his goon squad are definitely not going.”
Cole took a deep breath, hoping she didn’t notice. “Well that’s good I guess. Wouldn’t want any competition eh?”
Ashley’s eyes connected with his for a long moment. “Trust me, there’s no competition.” She resumed massaging his scarred hand, “And make sure you pack a sleeping bag.”
The elation from their lunch date carried him all the way through his next class. Cole had no urge to sleep whatsoever, even when the lights dimmed in the planetarium. Anticipation of the night’s events filled his head like a hot air balloon.
Cole wasn’t the only restless one in the class, either. Wayne seemed to sense the atmosphere in the small room was not very conducive to learning about much of anything today. It was a Friday, and the Fall Ball was merely hours away. Instead of teaching, Wayne took music requests from the impressive library on his laptop, and invited the class to chill out and ‘take in the stars, man’.
After astronomy, Cole’s lethargy returned, and so did He. Cole could feel Him, stronger than ever, calling and pulling. He was enticing, tempting Cole with vivid memories and surging emotions from the night before. If only Cole would lay his head down for but a moment, He would take him there again. The orbs of light were with him as well, beckoning with their lustful songs. Cole shook his head, bringing himself awake and sending Him away. He laid an understanding hand on Cole’s shoulder and agreed to leave, for now.
The final bell rang as Cole took off at a trot, hoping to outrun his drowsiness and connection to Him. He collected Joshy and the two of them took their circuitous route to the bus circle. Cole would not sleep on the bus today. In fact, he would not sleep the rest of the day at all, no matter how tired he was. Cole felt a wave of weariness as the bus’s motion sent vibrations up his legs. Mustering every ounce of willpower, Cole took to teasing and playing with Joshua to keep his mind occupied. He would need Joshy in a good mood for what he was about to pull off anyway.
As the bus rolled to its first stop, Joshua looked confused as Cole rose from his seat. “Let’s go Bud, we’re getting off here today.”
Joshua sprung up from his seat. “Yahahah! Okay!”
A surge of gratitude gushed within Cole. Joshy’s loyalty was unwavering as ever. The little guy really would follow him anywhere. He clapped Joshy on the shoulder and led him off the bus.
This stop was only a few minutes’ walk from a mini mall where Cole intended to buy a suit for tonight. He wouldn’t have time to get it tailored of course, but hopefully he could find a cheap one that would be under his meager budget. Gently coaxing his brother down a cobblestone alley, they walked as fast as Joshua’s little legs would allow. As long as Joshy didn’t fuss too much in the store, they would be back long before Nana Beth noticed they were late. She certainly wouldn’t approve of taking Joshua for a late stroll through the Tree Streets, especially with the days getting shorter and the nights growing colder. This wasn’t the best neighborhood, but as long as they kept to themselves there should be no cause for trouble. Besides, Cole was Joshy’s protector.
The alley opened up into a parking lot adjacent to the mini mall. The whole lot exemplified the ghetto trashiness of the Tree Streets as it was a hub for its denizens. Out-of-towners were easy to spot because they usually wore jeans and shoes instead of filthy sweatpants and flip flops. A small trash tornado of fast food bags and cigarettes skittered across the pavement. Though they were nowhere near a body of water, fat seagulls patrolled the area, demanding their next handout with as much fervor as the wandering homeless. Even though Blossom Street was only a couple miles away, Cole couldn’t help but feel judgmental of the people here. It certainly made him appreciate how his mom had raised him and Joshy.
“Almost there, Joshy. How are you doing, Bud?” Cole placed both hands on Joshy’s shoulders and sidestepped a pile of something that smelled terrible.
“Good,” Joshua said plainly.
“That’s good.” Cole felt his pocket for what must have been the hundredth time today. All day he had been carrying ninety-two dollars in his pocket, vestiges from birthdays and holidays. This was definitely not the best place to be walking around with that amount of cash.
Cole pushed open the door to Larry and J’s Tux. The smell reminded him of the first day of school mixed with strong cologne. On display was a meager selection of dress slacks, jackets, shoes, and hats for formal wear. Slightly out of place in such a low-income area, Larry and J’s managed to stay in business by advertising ridiculously low prices on their stock. There was no staff to be found, so Cole went to work searching for an ensemble while Joshua busied himself watching the TV behind the counter.
Cole knew nothing about suits or what size he might be. He tried on a few jackets, most of which were far too big. A door slammed in the back of the shop, startling both him and Joshy. He crammed a champagne colored blazer back onto the rack before the racing footsteps got too close.
“Hey lil’ guy. Uh, can I help you find sumthin?” The man addressed Joshy, clearly not aware that Cole was standing right next to him. “What the hell are you doing in here, where’s your…handler? Parent?”
The man had a disheveled look about him. His patchy stubble was not flattering and he was overdue for a haircut. Cole would have pegged this guy as a stray from the parking lot, had he not been wearing a suit identical to the one on the mannequin in the window. Joshua pointed to the TV and mumbled a request for the Spanish channel, but his words were lost to one not fluent in Joshuan-English.
“Joshy we’re not here to watch TV.” Cole stepped into the man’s view. “That’s just my little brother. I’m looking to buy a suit.”
The man gave an audible sigh of relief. “Man, I thought the kid just wandered in by himself. I’m no good with kids, especially special-needs ones, no offense. I’m J.”
“Don’t worry, none taken.” Cole was used to people not knowing what to make of Joshua. “So I’ve got a dance tonight and I need a suit, except I have no idea where to start.”
J chewed his lip and rubbed the stubble on his narrow chin. The scratching sound irritated Cole for some reason. Walking a full circle around Cole, the man appraised him.
“What are you, about a thirty-eight, maybe a forty?” J asked.
Cole shrugged, “I don’t know. I was hoping you could tell me.”
Pulling a measuring tape out of nowhere, J set about measuring Cole’s arms, neck, chest, waist, and inseam. “Pretty average, won’t have to do much tailoring.”
Cole checked his watch. “Wait, how long does it take to tailor a suit?”
J snapped the measuring tape back into its reel. “Can have it ready for ya by Monday night. Any idea which one ya want?”
“Just a plain black one is fine. And a white shirt and black tie and shoes. Monday doesn’t work for me though, I’m going to a dance tonight. Does a suit have to be tailored?” Cole asked, feeling stupider by the minute.
“Of course not, but ya might look a little chubby with an uncut suit.” Then he seemed to see the worry on Cole’s face, and reconsider. “But maybe we can get ya pretty close. Besides, dances are pretty dark right? No one will notice a thing. Lemme look at what we got in the back. Hey, customers ain’t allowed behind the counter ya know.”
Joshy had taken full advantage of the moment’s distraction and was now standing on a chair behind the counter, trying to find the Spanish channel on the TV.
“Dammit Joshy get down from there! I told you we’re not here to watch TV!” Cole grasped his brother by the belt and yanked him off the chair. He would have fallen if he weren’t being held up by Cole’s wedgie grip.
“Camaan Cole!” Joshua bellowed like a bullfrog, yanking himself free and rubbing his backside, “I want TV!”
“Listen to me you little asshole! I told you we’re not here for that! This needs to be a quick trip so just stand there and shut the hell up for five minutes!” The words were out of his mouth before Cole could bite them. Between his yelling and the wedgie, Cole had just incited a full-blown, top-tier, Joshy tantrum of the highest order.
J cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting to Cole, “I’ll just give ya a minute to deal with that, huh? I’ll be in the back room picking out a few pairs a slacks for ya.”
Joshua was in full swing by the time J left the room. He even melted onto the floor, screaming all the louder when Cole attempted to pick him up. There was no hope for it; Cole would just have to wait it out. He looked outside to make sure no one was coming. The streetlights were coming to life as the sun sank behind the opposing buildings.
After several minutes ground by, Joshua had screamed himself hoarse and calmed down enough for Cole to get a few words in. Standing up by his own volition, he allowed Cole to lead him over to the hat rack to pick out one of his very own. It had been years since Tara had allowed Joshy to wear a hat as he never wanted to wear it properly, the end result making him look even more foolish and mentally challenged. Unfortunately these were all tacky fedoras and trilbies. Their mother would without a doubt be confiscating it. But satisfied that Joshy would keep himself busy for at least ten minutes, Cole rang the bell and summoned J from the back room.
J was laden with several variations of shades and styles. The options were cut down significantly when Cole told the man his budget. He certainly wouldn’t have the nicest suit at the dance, but it was going to be dark in there anyway. Ten minutes and ninety dollars later, Cole and Joshy strode out of the store with a full complement of men’s fashion accessories, to include one pin-striped fedora. Cole checked his watch again. They hadn’t much time now.
The sun had fully set now and had taken its warmth with it. The wind had picked up too, so they hurried across the parking lot for momentary solace in the cobblestone alley. Cole paused for a moment. There was a man in the alley, lit by a soft orange glow. He appeared to be arguing with someone, but as they got closer it was apparent he was alone. Probably one of the crack-heads who plagued the dingier parts of the neighborhood. Cole seriously considered turning back and going around the mall, but it was freezing and that would add at least another twenty minutes to their trip. He couldn’t be late for Ashley. Determined to ignore the stranger, Cole placed Joshy on the opposite side of the alley and trudged onward. Judging by the man’s rambling, and the fact that he was talking to the wall, he was definitely high on something.
“Don’t tell me what I’m owed! You know what I did to the last motherfucker who tried to short me? Don’t nobody walk away from shortin’ Ricky, baby. Sets a new standard, and there’s only one standard up in this motherfucker and that’s mine! Me, my standard!” The weirdo was clearly out of his mind, but hopefully he would be too preoccupied with yelling at the brick wall to notice two boys sneaking by.
As Cole rushed Joshua behind the lunatic, he noticed the man wielding an object with which he alternated between beating his chest and striking the wall. Cole could hear chunks of brick chips skittering across the cobblestone. Joshy seemed to sense Cole’s urgency and they doubled their pace.
“Hey! Don’t think I don’t see you there!” The man directed his sunken eyes in their direction.
An icy hand tickled Cole’s insides, but he didn’t stop. He heard the man’s footsteps scuffle down the alley. Towards them.
“I see those bags you got. That’s my delivery ain’t it? You tryin’ to short Ricky again this week?” The man broke into a sprint.
Before Cole could grab Joshy and run, the stranger was on them.
A stench of body odor and ammonia breathed down Cole’s neck. “Don’t you take another fuckin step or I’ll stomp both your heads in.”
Cole froze.
“Keep walking, Joshy,” he whispered into his brother’s ear, “He’s one of the mean kids. Keep walking so Cole can protect you.”
If there ever had been a time for Joshy to obey a command from his older brother it was now. He hesitated, but thankfully took one baby step at a time, watching Cole all the while.
“Keep walking Joshy,” Cole repeated.
“Give me them bags, you little bitch.” The man stepped close and ripped the bags free. Cole stood there, rooted to the cobblestone.
“Please keep walking Joshy,” Cole breathed, closing his eyes.
“Where’s it at? Where the fuck is it?” The stranger tore the bags open and sifted through the clothes, throwing them in a puddle. “What’d you do with it? Did you sling it your damn self? You better make with the stuff or make with the money real quick ‘cus Ricky sure as shit don’t got a lot of patience these days.”
Still unable to speak, Cole reached a quivering hand into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. The wallet slipped out of his fumbling fingers. He bent over to pick it up but the man shoved him. Cole stumbled and fell into the puddle his clothes had landed in.
“There’s nothing in here!” the man screamed as he pulled a few loose bills from Cole’s wallet. “There should have been at least five hundred in there! What the fuck did you do with it all? Where is it?”
Cole never shied from his fights in school, even when the odds were stacked against him, but this was real. This was danger and fear in their purest form. Cole didn’t dare get up from the puddle, especially when this psycho still had that heavy thing in his other hand.
The man was now so close that Cole could smell a strong odor of crotch funk mixed with chemicals. He could count what was left of the individual blackened rocks that were once teeth and see the raw sores that pocked his cheeks. Spit flew from the man’s crusted lips as his breath threatened to knock Cole unconscious. The fear was as nauseating as it was debilitating, but there was something else happening inside of Cole; he felt tired.
Sleep pulled at his eyes as the alley faded in and out of focus. Even as the man stood over him screaming his head off, Cole’s head bobbed and his eyes drooped. It was as if something or someone were trying to take his mind away from here.
Walking down the alley, He was silhouetted by the orange glow of the street lights. T
hough the world seemed to slow, He walked along at an urgent pace. A few orbs of light trailed the familiar presence. No, now was not the time. Cole shook his head, sending Him away. Grabbing hold of his fear, Cole used it to bring his focus back to the babbling lunatic.
The man had stopped screaming and looked not to his left where He was, but to his right, where Joshua was walking towards the three of them. His little fingers grasped the brim of his pinstriped fedora as he offered it to the man. Joshua gave Cole a proud smile, as if he were about to set everything right and they’d soon be on their way.
“I know,” Joshua said plainly.
The man appeared to move in slow motion as he took a step towards Joshy. He swung his arm and with a sickening crack, clouted Joshua in the head. Joshy’s little Velcro shoes left the ground as he sailed through the air. His arms were still reaching even as the hat flew from his tiny fingers. It seemed to take a lifetime for his little body to fall. If he made a noise when he landed, Cole didn’t hear it. The screaming coming from Cole’s own mouth drowned out everything else.
The world continued to slow as he emptied his lungs. The flow of time ceased, leaving the grizzly scene in freeze-frame. The man’s arm was still in the follow through and Joshua’s feet had yet to meet his body on the cobblestone. Cole found that he could still move, though very slowly as if he were trapped in a jar of cold honey. A deep pulsing sound shook the alleyway, jarring his teeth. It came from Him.
Boom
Boom
With every throb Cole felt himself falling, just as he had in his bed the night before. He resisted, but the sensation was overwhelming.
Boom
Boom
He could no longer fight it. Cole was falling now, fading into himself. The next pulse would take him for sure. He looked to his right to see Him striding smoothly over. Little orbs of blue light dancing about His feet. He knelt down, offering a hand.
Saving The Dark Side: Book 1: The Devotion Page 8
