Ink Me

by Richard Scrimger

There was a small soft minit and then they all startd to laff.

  What did you meen about your brother? Jaden ast me.

  Huh?

  Just now you were saying about him not being in Torrents. What you meen?

  Hes not in Torrents any more I said. Hes on his way to sum place calld Jackfish.

  Jello pulld off to the side of the rode and stoppd. The sine said No Parking but he stoppd any way and turnd around in his seat. Snocone 2—they both stared at me from the front.

  I think its a place I said.

  I got out Spencers text about the gost town. Snocone found Jackfish on a map on his sell phone and Jello calld Cobra and they had a long talk. Xray and Snocone were saying do you beleev this guy and Jaden was smiling and saying way to go Bunny. I dint no why any of this was happening but I smiled cuz they liked sum thing I did.

  I wonderd if Spencer new all these guys were thinking about him.

  Mom lookd up from her book. Your home late she said. What have you bin doing?

  Racing over speed bumps in a car I said.

  She shook her head. Still joking Bunny. I spose it was a pleece car?

  No that was befor I said.

  She scrunchd up her face and lookd at me.

  You wernt drinking beer were you? You no what weve told you.

  No.

  I went upstares to put goop on my tatoo. 2 days Id had it and it seemd like part of me.

  I DREEMD

  I WAS RUNNING on the cottage rode. Summer green beside me and the rode in front and I cud here my breth in 1 out 2 in 1 out 2. I was alone and then I herd feet behind me and Spencer and Mom and Dad went running by together. Spencer was watching a movy on his sell phone. Dad had his bandana. I yelld at them to stop but they dint. Then more feet and Ed from my class went past me and Grampa was running with him and pointing at Eds arrow tatoo and they ran away from me and I was breething in out in out and my arm hurt. Nun of this seemd weerd in the dreem not even the Grampa part. But I felt bad until the possy came running up to me—Xray moning and Jello with his tummy hanging over his pants and Snocone looking back at me like he did from the front seat of the car. Cobra with his hand on my sholder and Jaden with a big smile. They said hi and we ran together and I dint feel so bad xept for my arm that was still hurting and xept for my breething that was so loud. It was like I was breething my own name. In 1 out 2 Bun ny Bun ny in out in out Bun ny.

  Bun ny!

  Moms voys. I woke up. She was bending over me wispering in my ear.

  Bun ny!

  Yah?

  Shhh! she said. Theres sum 1 down stares.

  I sat up. Mom kept her face near my ear. Wares your sell phone? she ast. I want to call the pleece but my phones in the kitchen.

  I dint understand rite away. Whos down stares? Is it Spencer?

  No. No. Shhh. Lissen Bunny I just want your sell phone.

  Is it Dad?

  No.

  Is it—?

  Shhh!

  She was wispering but there was that Jeez Bunny! sound in her voys.

  I herd a clunk from down stares. Jaden or 1 of the other guys from the possy. I no its stupid but thats what I thot. They were in my dreem and now I thot they were in my house. I went down and turnd on the lite and there was this guy but he wasnt 1 of my frends. He had a ski hat pulld down with eye holes so I cudnt see his face. And a nife in his hand.

  Wares your money? he said. I want your money.

  I new the nife. It was ours. Thats why I wasnt scared. Its hard to be scared of your own stuff. I membered that nife from forever. In the sink. In the drawer. In Dads hands. It was part of my house like the couch or the TV remot or the car keys. Wud you be scared of sum 1 waving your car keys at you? Rite.

  Get out! yelld Mom. She was on the stares. I phond the pleece! she yelld. There on there way! Get out of my house!

  I thot your phone was down here Mom I said.

  Shut up Bunny!

  She was shaking. She was scared. Mom was scared.

  I memberd Morgan showing me how to kick in case of a nife fite. I got reddy to kick. But I dint have to.

  Your 15 the guy said to me.

  Yah.

  He took a step back. O he said and agane smaller—like o.

  He droppd the nife and a garbaj bag he had in his other hand and ran past me to the kitchen and out the back door. And that was that. I never saw him agane. I dont even no why Im putting this in—I gess cuz of Moms phone the next day.

  She came all the way down stares now and gave me a hug. She was shaking. OK I said. OK.

  He said you were 15 she said. Did he meen your tatoo?

  Yah. It scared him off.

  Well at leest its good for sum thing she said.

  We checkd over the down stares. The windo in the back door was broke. I went on the porch and lookd round. It wasnt morning yet but the sky over on the left was differnt. The nite was blurry like sum 1 was trying to rub it out. The moon was a tiny slice floting over the shado of the trees. I herd the xpressway humming in the distance. I shiverd and went in.

  MY RITING HAND IS HURTING

  SO ILL SPEED UP. Moms phone was in the bag the guy droppd and it broke so she used my phone to call a guy to fix the back door. He came with a tool kit and a smile. Sorry to intrupt your morning he said and went rite to work.

  Dad says TV is a trap and a waste of time but Mom puts it on wen hes not around. The news woman had big hair and a big micro phone. She said sum thing about American gangsters and the streets of Trono and guns and drugs. She shook her head at us to show how awful it was. This is Lisa Cook reporting from 52 Divishun she said. Wen the camera pulld back there was the statu of the kid pulling the wagon.

  What do you call that thing? I ast Mom.

  What?

  That thing on the wagon—that triangl thing. What is it?

  Peer amid she said.

  O.

  The door fixer was dun. He took Moms check with a smile. Im sorry for your trubbl mam he said. You have a grate day. He left closing the door behind him. What a guy. Came rite away and did his job. Strong hands white teeth no fuss. What wud the world be if evry 1 was like him? Wud it be perfect?

  Mom had stuff 2 do down town. She ast did I want 2 go with her but I dint cuz I was meeting Jaden.

  Then I want you close to home she said. After what happend last nite I want 2 no ware you are.

  O.

  Will you do that for me Bunny? Stay inside or close by?

  I took a deep breth. Yah I said.

  But I dint meen it.

  The woman on the streetcar wudnt stop talking. She had 1 of those ear kind of sell phones with wires hanging and she went on and on about a party last nite ware sum 1 did this amazing thing she dint beleev it and how bisy she was today and all the time she was waving her arms round. Her voys was like sizzers. Other peepl were staring 2 wishing she wud stop talking or get off the streetcar or dy. I cud see the wire going from her ear down the back of her shirt and coming out the bottom—and I saw it wasnt pluggd into any thing. She was saying I no Im just awful and o my god your sooooooo rite and all the time the wire was dangling and she dint even no. Funny eh? I was going to say your frend cant here you but the streetcar came to my stop and I got off. The woman was still talking to no 1.

  Jaden was wating outside a park down the bottom of 19 Street.

  I shudnt be here I said. I told my mom I wud stay home.

  So who nose ware you are? he said.

  No 1—xept you.

  Thats good.

  It is? Does your gramma no ware you are?

  Cors not. We smiled—2 guys lying to there famly.

  You reddy to pick up the stuff? said Jaden.

  Stuff I said.

  The deels on agane and this is our end of it. Stuff. You no—bang bang!

  Rite I said. Bang bang.

  We walkd thru candy rappers and gees and the smell of the lake. A squirrl stared at me from on top of a garbaj can. He had black button eyes and a nod like hello. I wond
erd what his name was. Zeke mayb. Zeke the squirrl. He had a donut in his paws and he took a littl bite and held it out to me. I shook my head no thanks.

  Bunny! This way!

  Rite I said. Later Zeke.

  The park had a slide and a sand box and a bunch of trees and a hill. Up on top of the hill was a statu of—I dunno—a thing. A blob with a curvy line. There were 2 picnic tables up by the statu and evry 1 was sitting on the tables. Cobra was there and Snocone and Jello and Xray and Morgan. And a guy I dint no—thin guy bent like a paper clip with a smoke hanging out his mouth.

  Cobra stood up wen he saw me. We did the 15 thing—pound and xplode.

  Thanks he said.

  Huh?

  This guy he said to the others. This guy Bunny saved us.

  They nodded. Snocone lookd unhappy but he nodded 2. Wo Bunny! said Jello. He was pink today—big shirt with buttons down the front.

  I stood in the middl of the picnic tables and Cobra put his hands on both my sholders. He told evry 1 there about Spencer and Al Capoli going 2 Jackfish and how Scratch and Hobo drove all nite 2 Jackfish 2 and now evry 1 was in Jackfish and the deel was on agane. I dint no why they cared so much about Spencer but they did and they were happy now and that was grate.

  And the actress I said.

  Huh? said Cobra.

  Why Spencers in Jackfish I said. He has to get a kiss from an old lady—Gloria sum thing. It was my grampas idea. Like my cuzzen DJ going to Africa and my tatoo. We got nvelopes I said.

  No 1 said any thing. From up here the lake smell was stronger. I cud see a bit of it thru the trees and houses—a spit of water flashing in the sun. With the sun on it the water lookd silver not blu.

  Cobra got a phone call. Hey Julius he said. And walkd away from us to here better. The paper clip guy came over and gave me the 15 sine.

  Beens talk he said.

  They do? I said.

  What they call me he said. Cuz Im skinny you no? And my reel names Jack. Like Jack and the beens talk.

  The cigaret stayd in his mouth moving up and down wen he was talking. He sounded like gravel.

  Bunny I said. Like Bunny.

  Cobra had to go rite away and he took Morgan with him. Befor he went he pointd to his littl brother.

  You get into the lock up—OK Jaden? Jello can drive you. Take enuff guys to carry the stuff. You member ware it is rite? Good. Thanks.

  Jaden smiled.

  Cobra was still on the phone. Dammit Julius he said going down the hill. Dammit why they need me?

  Whos Julius? I ast Jaden.

  Thats Uncle Julius—our loyer. Dint you see him last nite at the pleece stashun? I told him about you.

  Hes your uncle?

  Yah. He nose evrything.

  Well he sure dint want to no any thing more from me I said.

  Zeke the squirrl came back and stood with his paws hanging in front like he was begging. I found a candy in my pocket and got down on my nees. Held out the candy. Zeke took it and ran off and an other squirrl came up looking xactly the same. I wonderd if mayb he was Zeke or if he just lookd like him. And then I thot it dint matter who he was he cud still have a candy xept I dint have any more candy. Tuff luck Zeke I said. Wen I got up the guys were staring at me.

  Were going to pick up the stuff now Bunny said Jaden.

  Stuff? I said. You meen like—bang bang?

  Thats what I meen!

  Beens put out his fist and I punchd it. Snocone had a sour xpreshun like he was drinking milk from the back of the frij witch is a bad idea. Trust me.

  JADEN NEW WARE TO GO

  BUT HE WASNT OLD ENUFF to drive so he sat in the front beside Jello. Snocone dint come with us and ether did Morgan. So it was me in the back with Beens and Xray. Beens was next to me. He smelld like candy canes. We drove on the xpressway for a bit and then got off it. Jaden told Jello to take this exit and we went down. Turn here he said and we turnd. Go strate. Turn here. And here. Jello did what Jaden said.

  You sure this is the rite place? said Xray. I never bin down here. I never herd of any 15 stuff down here. You Jello? Beens? You no this place?

  Nope said Jello hands on the weel.

  Beens gruntd no.

  You sure its the rite place kid? said Xray.

  Cobra took me here said Jaden.

  We were in a strange broken part of the city—xpressway on 1 side of us and lake on the other—driving on dirt and bumps and dead grass and the car jiggling up and down past hobos and see gulls and bildings with no roofs and piles of trash and shopping carts and ovens and things like that. Past broken fences keeping no 1 out of no ware. I cud smell the lake and the trash and sum thing burning and sum thing rotten. We jiggld up to a sine that said LOK ALL and an arrow pointing to the rite. Follow that said Jaden.

  LOK ALL was 1 place ware the fence workd. We stoppd and wated for the guy to open the gate—chinka chinka chinka. It pulld side ways and we drove ahead slow. There was a line of garajs with oranj doors. The 1 at the far end was ours. Jello stoppd the car and we all got out.

  I dint no about this place Jello said. Did you guys?

  No 1 ever tells me any thing said Xray.

  Beens shook his head.

  Jaden opend the locker with a key from round his neck. The door went up and I saw the stack of boxes sitting on the stone floor.

  The stuff.

  They lookd like regular cardbord boxes to me—like youd find at the no frills store—but evry 1 was going Wow! and O yah! so I said it 2.

  All rite! Stuff! I said.

  Jaden punchd my sholder.

  The riting on the side of the boxes said Sum thing Sum thing Car Parts. It also said Handl With Care. It also said China. I dint have time to reed it all befor we were loding them into the car. That dint take long and Jello closed the trunk and we were dun.

  We stood in front of the garaj and nodded at each other.

  So the deels on said Jello. R we reddy? Is evry 1 reddy?

  Yah we said.

  Come on louder! I said is evry 1 reddy? You reddy Jaden? Xray? Beens? You reddy Bunny?

  Yah!

  We got back in the car. This time Xray got in front. I sat in between Jaden and Beens and took a deep breth in—Hahhh. And held it. It was good to be hanging out with these guys.

  I let out the breth—Ahhhh.

  The trip back was reel slow cuz we were riding low. The bottom of the car scraped wen we went over any bump. I cud hear the boxes rattling in the trunk.

  What kind of car parts r they? I ast. The boxes r pretty hevvy. Do they have like tires or mufflers or steering weels or what in them?

  Jaden poked me. Your funny he said.

  Uh huh.

  I wasnt joking. But I dint say so.

  We were riding along Lakeshore past trees and big houses and stores that sold things for a dollar. The next sine was Mimico Street. So thats ware we were.

  We stoppd in front of a partment bilding wating for the lite. Xray new the bilding. He was talking about all the things rong with it. The water dint work and the elvaters dint work and there were bugs and noys and other things and after a wile I stoppd lissening. Across the street a woman was walking a lizard. Thing was as long as her arm. It movd slow and careful—one leg at a time. A reel lizard. It lookd old like from befor time startd. I pokd Jaden.

  Hey! Cool! he said. The lite changd and we drove on.

  Beens leend over to me.

  You white he said.

  Yah.

  Never sat next to a white guy in a car he said.

  I have I said. Lots of times.

  He laffd. Jaden herd me and he laffd 2. So I gess it was funny.

  A motor bike passd us on the inside. Vroom. An other 1 on the outside. Vroom. 2 bikes. The riders had that on there jackets. They rode ahead of us side by side.

  Angels I said.

  Yah said Jello.

  He drove. The Angels vroomd ahead of us on there bikes. Xray was talking about how his place dint work ether. The door dint open and the buz
zer dint buzz and there were flys in the butter.

  More vrooming. There was a bike beside us. A guy with a beerd stared into the car. 2 more bikes behind us. Xray stoppd talking. Jaden put his hand on my arm.

  Do they no who we r? I ast.

  O yah.

  It was tents. I cud feel it. We drove like this for a wile bikes in front of us and behind us and beside us. No 1 talkd. I cud smell swet like after jim class. I was counting my breths. Finally I leend across Jaden and stuck my arm out the windo.

  Go away! I yelld at the biker.

  Beens pulld me back in. Jaden wisperd to me to shut up.

  You crazy? said Jello. You want to get in a fite with stuff in the trunk?

  The Angel beside us stared in. I stared out. A block later all the bikes vroomd off down a side street and the rode around us was empty. I cud feel evry 1 relaxing. We kept going past 10 Street and 11 and Jello fartd reel loud witch made us all laff. Xray startd moning about the smell.

  I turnd to Jaden. Angels r still the bad guys rite? I said. So why cant I yell at them?

  Member the deel with them? We need to be nice for now Cobra said.

  O yah the deel I said.

  He smiled. He cud have bin all like Jeez Bunny but he wasnt.

  I forgot the deel I said to Beens who shook his head but he was kinda smiling 2.

  Tomoro said Jello. Deels today so you can yell at the Angels tomoro.

  We turnd in at the Burger King on 16 Street and the Lake Shore.

  There r the guys said Jaden.

  THEY CRAMMD INTO THE CAR

  AND WE WENT TO Snocone’s house. I dint see ware that was cuz the back seat was full of legs and arms and behinds after Snocone and Morgan and Bonesaw piled in. I dint no he was Bonesaw then just a big guy with a bald head standing in the parking lot with bags of food but I met him later wen I spilld on him. Any way evry 1 was shouting and talking and Jello was saying watch out for the gear shifter and the car was smelling like french frys—you no how it does—and we stoppd with a jerk and Jello said get out get out and we did. It was a house with a stroller on the lon and we went inside and there was a lady in the kitchen holding a baby and making fart noys on the babys tummy with her lips you no what I meen? Wen she saw us all she stoppd making noys and the baby stoppd laffing.