by Pat Schmatz
"We just have to scan it in. I'll show you how. You could ask your other teachers to put material on here, too."
He spent the rest of the hour playing with the Kurzweil. Speeding up, slowing down, watching the yellow highlighter crawl across the words. He made it read the same sentence over and over to see if he could mouth the words along with it.
The voice wasn't as good as McQueen's, not by a long shot. It was machiney and choppy. Good for reading textbooks, not fox stories. But it meant that he could read.
Social studies. Science. All those handouts they gave him that he ditched in a folder. He could find out what they said. All of them.
"So, Travikins," said Velveeta when he sat down at lunch.
"Bradley here tells me you've been walking home with him. Are you his official bodyguard now?'
"No." Travis looked at Bradley. "Did you tell her that?"
"She made the bodyguard part up. Next time I run into them, I'm going to try what you said." He turned to Velveeta. "Travis says if I treat them halfway normal, they'll leave me alone. Do you think that'll work?"
"Why'd you say that?" Velveeta asked Travis. "They'll kill him."
"Maybe, but when he acts all scared, it makes them want to kill him more. Like if you run away from a mean dog, it's going to chase you and kill you."
"Chilson, mean dog, grrr, bark, slobber, grr," said Bradley.
"He's not a dog," said Travis. "You say stuff like that, no wonder he doesn't like you."
"You're the one who said dog."
"I didn't say he was a dog."
"I didn't mean anything by it," said Bradley.
"Well, nobody really means anything by anything, do they, Bradley?" said Velveeta. "Travis has a point. Maybe Chilson thinks you think you're better than him."
"Maybe I am," said Bradley. "I'm smarter for sure."
Travis looked up and met Velveeta's eyes.
"Should I try to be not smart?" asked Bradley. "It's not my fault I'm smart and he's not."
"Yeah, but it's your fault you go around saying that," said Travis.
"Bradley." Velveeta stood up as the bell rang. "If you're really as smart as you think you are, you'd listen to Travis more."
As she walked away, Bradley grabbed Travis by the sleeve.
"Did you see how she looked at you?" he whispered.
"She totally wants you."
"Bradley, shut up."
"Okay. But she does."
Travis sat in Life Skills sixth period, not listening.
Velveeta's volume was still turned down. It had to be about her place and her scarves. Whatever happened, maybe it was as bad as his place and his dog. Maybe worse.
After the last bell, he walked alone through town, working over a new idea. He forgot all about the picnic table until he got to the bridge.
"Hey, Skinnyboy," yelled Chilson. "Where's Bradley cakes? Did you two break up?"
Just Chilson and Maddox were there. Travis reached in his pocket and found Rosco's rabies tag. He'd taken it off the collar and put it on his key ring the night before.
He crossed the bridge and walked directly down the slope to the table. By the time he got there, Maddox was on his feet. Chilson stayed on the table, his feet on the bench.
"You want to stomp my guts now?" asked Travis.
He'd never walked into a fight on purpose before.
They always just happened.
Maddox walked in a circle around him. "I kind of do," he said. "I'm not sure you're worth the trouble, though.
Seems like a lot of work, making your guts spout out your nose."
"Can you guys just lay off of Bradley then?" Travis said to Chilson.
"Why should we?" Chilson flicked his butt away.
"You know you can make him cry - so what? What's it prove?"
"Ooo, that's all deep," said Maddox. "So now you're telling us what to do?"
"No." Travis said it to Chilson. "Just asking."
He turned and walked away. His back crawled with the hope and the dread of Maddox rushing up behind him, but it didn't happen. When he got up to the road, he turned and looked over his shoulder. Maddox was back on the picnic table. They both had new cigarettes lit.
Travis walked on up the hill, hammering away at his new idea. He turned it over and around, looking at it from every angle. It was risky. Much riskier than inviting Maddox to stomp his guts.
"Hey, Grandpa," he said when the front door opened.
"How was your day?"
"What do you want?" Grandpa looked at him sideways.
"I was just wondering - I know someone else is renting the old place now, but what if I wanted to go back to the swamp? Just to walk around back there? Do you think they'd mind?"
"I could call Chuck and ask him to check with them," said Grandpa. "How you planning to get there?"
"I was hoping you might drop me and a friend there on Saturday when you get off work. I want to show her the swamp."
"Her? This friend is a her?"
"She's just a friend."
"What's her name, this just a friend?"
"Okay, forget it." Travis got off the couch. "If you're going to make it into a big thing, forget it."
He shut his bedroom door behind him and dropped onto the bed. What made him think for even a second that could work?
"Don't sulk!" yelled Grandpa through the door. "God, boy, you are the touchiest thing crawling. Can't you take a joke?"
"No!"
The TV came on, and Grandpa banged around the kitchen for a while. Travis finished his math homework and worked on his word list. The TV went off .
"There's dinner on the stove," Grandpa yelled through the door. "I'm going to the meeting. I'll be home later."
Travis was on the couch when Grandpa came back.
"I called Chuck and it's a go," Grandpa said as he walked in the door. "I'll take you and your friend to the swamp Saturday. But just tell me this -are you going there to fool around? Because if you get her pregnant, I' ll - "
"Grandpa! God! No."
Grandpa was as bad as Bradley. Worse.
"No sex, no drugs. Rock 'n' roll, that's fine."
"Forget the whole thing," said Travis. "It was a bad idea."
"I'll drop you for an hour or so and pick you up after."
Travis stared at the TV. Maybe it wasn't a bad idea.
Even withGrandpa in the picture.
"What time you want to go?" asked Grandpa.
"I'll let you know. I gotta check with her."
"Her." Grandpa giggled. "You ever going to tell me the name of this her?"
"No."
Grandpa slapped his knee and lit up a cigarette.
on TUESDAY
Since the madre didn't come to conferences, they gave me my mid- quarter grades today at school. It's the worst I've ever gotten. All Cs. I'd rather be almost anything than aver-age. Calvin would give me sad eyes over this, and probably only let me watch black- and- white movies for a month.
I keep thinking about how Travis rescued Bradley from that punk Chilson and his buddies. I wish I could have seen it. I just love it that he protects Bradley. I liked that about him from the very first day.
I'd still love to see him beat the crap out of Jimmy. It can't ever happen because they'd have to be in the same place at the same time, and that would cause some freaky disruption to the space- time continuum of the universe.
But it makes an amazing movie in my head. Best movie I've ever seen.
I've decided to quit the no- homework religion. It's no fun anyway since Travis converted. I took some books home and stopped by the library after school.
Connie's teeth just about fell out of her head, she was so surprised.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Travis found Velveeta in the lunchroom, eating a bowl of cereal.
"You get off at noon on Saturday, right?" he asked.
"Are you busy after that?"
"Why, do you want to pull my wagon?"
"No, I want t
o take you someplace."
"Where?"
"It's a surprise. We'll be gone for like three hours. My grandpa's going to drive us. Do you want to?"
"That's a vague invitation." Velveeta got up and cleared her place. "Are you going to kidnap me and hold me for ransom?"
"No, but I have some words I need help with, and I thought we could do some of that."
"You're trying to help me by letting me help you.
Don't think you're being tricky."
"I'm not being tricky. I just want to make sure you'll come." Travis followed Velveeta to her locker. "But you have to promise not to yell at me to try.
If you do that, I'll leave."
"Let me get this right. You want me to go to some secret place with you, for some completely unexplained reason, and if I tell you to try, you'll walk away and leave me wherever we are."
"Right," said Travis as she closed her locker.
"That sounds like a perfect action suspense setup. What time?"
"Anytime after one because my Grandpa works in the morning."
"One fifteen?"
"Okay, good. Wear warm clothes if it's cold, because we'll be outside."
"Is that a date?" Megan came up behind them as they entered the classroom.
"Are Velveeta and Travis going on a date?"
"Pull your nose in, Megan," said Velveeta. "It's no date.
It's a financial summit with our lawyers and accountants in Vegas. You can't come, so stop begging."
"Like I'd want to," said Megan.
"Yes, exactly like you'd want to."
Megan whispered to Cassidy on the other side of the classroom, and they both laughed.
"You're so mysterious," said Velveeta. "Okay, so probably not Vegas. But are we going to a secret hidden cave?
Indiana Jonesy?"
"No. Tell me where you live so we can pick you up."
"No. You can pick me up at the library."
Ms. Gordon closed the door, and Travis faced front, happy little birds fluttering around inside his chest. She said yes! This was going to be good.
"Okay, so you know Friday is the dance, right?" Bradley set his lunch down.
"Quit with the dance," said Travis.
"No, I know, I know. Not the dance. You're both invited to my house on Sunday for the anti- dance."
"Two invitations for Velveeta in one day," said Velveeta. "What's an anti-dance?"
"It's a party where nobody dances. I wanted it to be on Friday night, but my parents are busy. My dad said you can come Sunday afternoon for a while."
"Sunday afternoon - that's pretty anti- dance." Velveeta nodded. "Are your gamey pals coming?"
"No, they're going to the dance, so they can't anti-dance. It's just you and you and me. Travis, say yes and make her say yes."
"How am I supposed to do that?"
"Will there be food?" asked Velveeta.
"My mom said she'd make that spinach-pine nuts thing for a late lunch."
"Tempting. I'll think about it."
"Okay, this time that means yes, right? Oh, and Travis, she's going to make that cherry crisp thing that you liked last time you were over.
Please? Say yes?"
"Don't beg, Bradley," said Velveeta. "Or we'll sic Chilson on you."
"I'm in," said Travis.
Bradley grinned so big, Travis thought the rubber bands on his braces might snap.
"I knew you would be. Come on, Velveeta, say yes."
"Okay, Bradley, yes. I will come to the anti- dance. If nothing else, just because you should be rewarded for thinking that party title up."
"Yay." Bradley gave a little hop in his seat and opened his lunch bag. "Two o'clock Sunday. My house."
When the bell rang, Travis walked with Velveeta to her locker.
"He's so Bradley-esque," she said. "You can't help liking that."
"He doesn't really care if we make fun of him, does he?" said Travis.
"No. I think he's adopted us, and the anti- dance is the official ceremony."
on WEDNESDAY
When I got to the library today, Connie yanked me into the back room and held up a key. She said I needed a place to study and I could use the library when it's closed, but only under three conditions. Then she started jabbing the key in the air, a jab for each rule.
Jab number one: I can't tell anyone I have it, and if she ever hears about it from anyone else, she'll take it away from me. She said Pauline already knows, and Pauline's the only other one who has a key. So if anyone else ever knows, it's because I told them and key gone.
Jab number two: I have to lock the door when I'm in here. Always. If she ever comes and I'm here and the door isn't locked, key gone.
Jab number three: I can't ever bring anyone here with me. Because of course, that would also be breaking rule number one. Anyone here with me, key gone.
I told her it's not like I'm going to have crack parties in here. Maybe I'd just want Travis to come and study sometimes, and she said no, we can do that during open hours.
No Travis, period, the end. Could I live with those rules, and did I want the key?
I asked her why she was so nice to me.
She said because Calvin was so nice to her.
I told her she is twisted.
And yes, I understood her rules, and yes, I want the key.
CHAPTER TWENTY?? SEVEN
Travis turned the radio on and the volume up as he and Grandpa drove down the hill to pick up Velveeta.
"If you don't want me to say anything, just say so."
Grandpa talked loud over the music.
"I'm saying so."
"Okay, I'll shut up."
Velveeta was waiting on the sidewalk in front of the library.
"There, pull over," said Travis.
"That's the girl? Velveeta is your her?"
Velveeta opened the truck door with a huge grin, and Grandpa turned the music down.
"Mr. Ed is not your grandpa. Tell me he's not. Mr. Ed, are you his grandpa?"
"Travis, you dog," said Grandpa. "Why didn't you tell me this was the girl you were talking about?"
Travis slid over so she could get in.
"Travis was talking about me?" Velveeta clicked the seat belt between her and Travis. "What did he say?"
"Not very much at all. Gotta drag words out of him witha backhoe and a crowbar."
"I know, right?" Velveeta laughed. "He only gives out ten a day. Fifteen on Fridays."
That was good for a big ol' hee- haw from Grandpa, but then he leaned over and turned the radio back up.
"Where are we going?" asked Velveeta.
Grandpa actually did not say anything. He stayed shut up.
"We're not talking now, are we?" Velveeta whispered in Travis's ear.
Travis shook his head, and Velveeta elbowed him in the side. They rode with nothing but music until Grandpa pulled over to the side of the road by the old place.
"You're dropping us in a ditch?" asked Velveeta.
"See you at three thirty, kids! Remember, Travis: only rock 'n' roll."
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Velveeta as he drove off .
"Nothing. He's crazy. How do you know him, anyway?"
"I see him every Saturday at the bakery. He appreciates the Velveetic humor.
Where are we going?"
"You'll see. Follow me."
The driveway was familiar but also completely different. A blue Prius instead of the truck. No Rosco row- wowing up to greet them. Travis kept his eyes turned away from the sunny spot on the gravel.
Just past the drive, trees closed in around them.
Travis put his feet on his favorite dirt path, and the smells and sounds wrapped around him. Treetops murmured a soft and comforting conversation overhead. A red- winged blackbird tweedled the local gossip. Travis's skin stretched wide open, pulling it all in. He pointed at a pileated woodpecker that swept across the path in front of them. They both stopped and watched until it flew out of sight. The su
n sprayed through the colors in the trees, and leaves drifted down in front of them.
"Oh, Travis," said Velveeta. "This is pretty."
"Remember you asked about a place? I'm taking you to it."
The path narrowed, and they couldn't walk side by side.
"So, you used to live by here?" Velveeta spoke softly behind him.
"Yup, in that house we just walked past. I came out here every day after school."
He turned at the fork, and the path widened as they climbed the ridge near the swamp. The swamp water was as still and black as ever. Rusty pine needles layered the ground, along with shifting patterns of red and yellow leaves. Travis leaned against a birch trunk, and Velveeta sat next to him.
"Look at those yellow leaves on the water," she said.
"They look like little boats. Why would you ever move away from here?"
"Kind of a long story."
"Oh. I know about those."
The sun shone on the stand of maples, firing up the opposite side of the swamp with red and orange like Velveeta's scarf that she didn't have anymore.
"So, will you tell me anything about anything?" asked Travis. "Like, what happened to your other scarves?"
"What's that noise?" asked Velveeta.
A high, throaty warble drifted across the treetops, growing louder.
"Sandhill cranes." Seven of them came into sight, big birds with necks stretched out straight and legs trailing behind. "Flying south."
The birds passed overhead in a V, hooting the whole way.
"Very Jurassic Park," said Velveeta as the sound faded.
"I should have brought my lawyer friend. Maybe a T. rex would eat her."
"What lawyer friend?"
Silence settled around them, no sound but the breeze rattling the leaves. Travis sat perfectly still like he used to do when waiting for a fox pup to stick its nose out of the den.
Velveeta lay back, looking up at the sky.
"This old guy Calvin lived next door to me," she said.
"In a trailer. He was my best friend. I know that sounds like it might be skinky, but it's not. He gave me all those scarves. There were twenty- three of them.
They used tobe his wife's before she died. And then he went and died."
"When?"
" Forty- nine days ago."
Travis pulled Rosco's rabies tag out of his pocket. He rubbed it between his fingers.
