Seven Bundle

by Various Orca

  Poor Xray said Jaden.

  Wen Snocone nockd at the door of the jim I went to let him in and wen I gave the sine—fist and open—he gave it back to me. He had pizza boxes in the other hand.

  Who r you? he said.

  Cobra came up behind him. He had a long white shirt and a littl hat like a hocky puck on his head—like they have in Africa. Car keys in his hand.

  Snocone this here is Bunny he said. Watch out for him. Hes a killer.

  But hes—White? Yah. He is. And who r you to talk?

  Snocone had curly tite hair like a black guy but the hair was white. His skin 2—white like milk.

  After the pizza we did sum more fiting. Jello beet Snocone and Xray and then I beet Snocone who was tricky fast but not very strong. Without sunglasses I saw his eyes were pink. Jello laffd at the 2 white guys in the ring. He wantd to fite me agane and I said OK. I tryd Morgans spin kick wen he ran at me but I missd and he pushd me down. He jumpd on me and tryed a kamora but I got my hand up in time to block. I wiggld my fingers on his ribs to try to grab sum thing and his mouth opend and he startd laffing and rolld off me.

  No fair! he said. Morgan hes tickling me.

  Morgan cudnt blow the wistle he was laffing 2 hard.

  Secret wepon! yelld Jaden. Jellos ticklish!

  I cudnt tell if Jello was mad or not. This isnt over! he said. The rest of us were laffing—but we stoppd wen the pleece broke in.

  They said they nockd and we dint anser witch was why they broke down the door. They came into the jim with there guns out—2 3 6 8 of them. I countd. 8 cops spred out over the jim in there blu uniforms. They held up a paper and said they were serching the jim. Then they took us out thru the broke door and put us in pleece cars. Weerd eh? 1 of the pleece men took me aside.

  What r you doing here? he ast witch was funny cuz I was wondering the same about them.

  Your differnt he said.

  DIFFERNT

  IS WHAT MIKE CALLD ME back in Grade 4 wen I cudnt do up my shoos.

  Evry 1 els in the class can do up there shoos he said. And walk to skool. And tell time. You cant.

  I walk to skool evry day I said.

  With your brother.

  I can do it by myself.

  No you cant. Your differnt.

  So we bet on it. He said Id get lost on my own and I said o yah? and we made a bet. Next day I told Spencer to go without me. I wated and then went out the front door on my own. I wasnt worryd. I new my way round. I walkd a lot. Spencer wud be watching a movy on his computer and Dad wud be doing londry and Mom wud be away and I wud walk. I new the streets and stores and parking spaces and hiding places by our house. I was good at finding things. I found the skool befor and I cud find it now. I walkd down our street to the silver house and across to the park with the broken slide and thru to the lane with the hobos sleeping. I said the root out loud as I went. Rite then strate then rite then left. Past the hobos and at the end of the lane I went left and there was the skool. Easy. I went rite up to Mike and said here I am. Here here here. Evry 1 round was laffing and pointing but I dint no why until Mr Ogden came over and ast ware my pants were.

  I was so xited about the bet I forgot I had my pjs on. Witch is funny cuz they were yello with stripes and youd think Id notice.

  My pants r at home I said.

  Do you see any 1 els dressd like you? said Mr Ogden. Or r you the only 1?

  He smiled round so evry 1 wud laff. He was that kind of teecher.

  Im the only 1 I said.

  I had to go home and change. The bet was for a pack of gummys but Mike never payd.

  I thot about this wen we were being lined up on the wall of the jim and 1 of the pleece men took me a side and ast me what I was doing.

  Your differnt he said. You dont belong here.

  And then a pleece woman pushd me back into line.

  Dont be color blind Steve she said. Hes here. Hes part of the possy. He belongs. Dont you white boy?

  She was taller than me. She put her hand under my chin and liftd my head up.

  I said hi. She made a tuna face—like I make wen I get tuna for lunch witch Dad nose I dont like but he does it any way.

  Your all the same she said and turnd away.

  All the same I thot. All the same. Ha.

  Xray was with me in the back of the pleece car. What happens now? I ast him. Ware r we going?

  Stashun. Ware you think?

  The driver turnd on the siren and cut thru traffic. Xray put his head in his hands and startd moning. Poor old Xray.

  This is so cool I said.

  The pleece man in the front seat turnd round.

  Your a happy 1 he said. You saying you want to go to the stashun?

  Why not? I said.

  We turnd uphill with the siren wooping the other cars out of the way. Stop sine. Stop sine. The sun was on my side of the car. Stop sine. We dint reely stop for any of these sines—slow down then fast agane. Xray moned evry time.

  Hey r you the guy? ast the cop in the front seat. Phil is he the guy were sposd to watch for? Your name Jackson kid?

  Whos Jackson? I said.

  A frend of ours—guy the sarj said to look out for.

  Shut up Tony said the driver.

  I finally got a text back from Mom. ware r u?

  I sent back in a pleece car.

  I thot she wud be worryd but she wasnt. very funny.

  I never no with Mom.

  They put me in a room by myself and closed the door. The lites buzzd and flickerd. Nothing happend. I slid down my chair and back up agane and sent Jaden a text. what now?

  A fat pleece man came in with a tape recorder. He made me say my name and address into the tape recorder. His name was Sarjent Don. He filld up his chair. I dint. I kept sliding down and then trying to get back up agane.

  Don ast me was I in the possy? I said I was. Then he ast about the deel we were planning. He new all about it.

  You and the Mimico Angels rite? he said.

  The Angels r the bad guys I said. They do tagging on our turf.

  But you have a deel with them. Your working together. You and the Angels and the Buffalo mob.

  O yah Buffalo I said.

  We no a lot he said. But we need more if were going to stop the deel. Talk now and itll be better for you later. You dont want to go to jale do you? So help us. Talk. Will you talk to me?

  Sure I said.

  Wen is the deel going down? he ast.

  I dont no.

  Sunday? Monday?

  I dont no.

  Well what r you deeling?

  I dint no what he ment so I dint say any thing.

  Come on what? What kind of product?

  I dint no why he was on me about this.

  Ast Cobra I said. He nose. Or mayb Jello or Snocone I said. Dont ast Xray hes always moning. But Cobra wud no for sure.

  Sarjent Don shook his head. His chins wiggld back and forth.

  Tell us about the deel he said. Let us help you. You dont think so but were your frends Bunny. We r. You think Cobra cares about you? You think the possy cares about you? They dont. Sum thing goes rong they will throw you away. They will save themselves and you will go down. They dont care about you.

  Yes they do I said.

  So many things I dint no but I new this. Jaden cared about me. The others 2—mayb not as much but they still cared sum. Cobra put his hand on my sholders and said this heres Bunny. I was part of the possy. They cared about me and I cared about them.

  How did I no this? How was I so sure? I dunno.

  But I was.

  They care I said.

  Wens the deel? Don ast agane.

  I dunno.

  But there is a deel.You just said so. You said you dint no wen it was.

  Im not very smart I said.

  Get smart he said. Its smart to no who your frends r.

  I was slipping down the chair agane. I pulld myself back up.

  Don stoppd the tape recorder and got up to go. Befor he w
ent he leend over and said he had to ast me sum thing. No tape he said. I just want to no.

  What?

  He leend forward and talkd soft.

  I no how gangs work. What r you doing with 15 Street Bunny? Your the only face rite?

  The only—?

  I no wen Im in a room full of white peepl he said. I look around and I see theres no 1 like me and I feel differnt. Even if there my frends I feel differnt from them. Dont you feel differnt?

  Don left and an other guy came in. He dint tell me his name. He had dark hair and littl eyes and his chin was blu. I stared at it. Blu. He ast the same questions as Don and wen I still dint no the ansers he got mad. Not the norml Jeez Bunny kind of mad. His mouth went all wide and he had bulgy things on his face.

  Your LYING! he shoutd.

  I dont—

  I NO the kind of punk you r! You think you can SCARE me with THAT?

  Pointing at my arm.

  I am NOT scared. I am disGUSTd he said. That candl makes me want to PUKE! Your a SICK peace of CRAP kid. TALK to me or Ill HURT you! Ill put you in jale and you will NEVER get out. You cud go there NOW!

  Im used to yelling but this was xtra loud and weerd. The guys face was dripping wet with swet. He movd his mouth like he was chewing and then spit on the floor. He leend close.

  TELL me! he shoutd.

  What?

  Ware the stash is. Wen the deel goes down. Its a 3 way deel—rite? Pipes for cash for hash? Who you talking to in Buffalo? WHO?

  I shook my head. I had no idea what he ment. It was like he was talking french or sum thing. Or klingon or dog.

  Your blu I said.

  WHAT?

  Like a smurf. You no? Your face is blu. Rite there.

  I pointd. I saw now that his chin was stubbly. That was what made it blu. He slappd at my hand but I pulld it out of the way and he fell down. And just then the door opend and a pleece woman lookd in.

  Loyers here Sarj she said.

  Behind her was a guy in a soot and breef case. He pushd past her into the room and lookd at me and the angry pleece man who was back on his feet now.

  Just what is going on here? said the loyer. R you questioning this boy? he said. You shudnt be. Why r you hiding him? Ive bin all over this pleece stashun looking for him. R you trying to sum thing? R you? Do you no sum thing sum thing? This boys a miner. Look at him. You have no rites here. I will file a sum thing about you. Sum thing els 2. And sum thing sum thing sum thing els.

  I dint understand a lot of what he said.

  The angry sarj walkd out of the room with the loyer talking after him into the hall. Then the loyer came back in and kept going.

  Did you say any thing to that cop? he ast me. Did you admit any thing? Did you sum thing sum thing? Did you sine any thing? If you did tell me now. Im your loyer. I can fix it.

  I laffd.

  Your like that guy on TV I said.

  What?

  The guy selling choppers. It does all these differnt things and never gets dull and its yours for 2 easy payments call now I said.

  He talkd xactly the same as the chopper guy—so fast you dint here the words 1 by 1 but all in a bunch like a shower. His name was Julius and he was Jadens uncle but I dint find that out til the next day. He was the loyer for the possy. He got evry 1 els out of this place and now it was my turn.

  A funny guy—he dint want to no any thing. Wen I startd to talk about what was going on he shook his head. Dont tell me he said over and over. If youve dun sum thing I dont want to no. Dont tell me any thing about plans or Angels or deels or guns or any thing. Now lets go.

  Guns? I said.

  I dont no any thing about guns he said. I dont no what your talking about.

  Ware is Jaden? I ast. Wares evry 1?

  I dont no he said. They were here and now there not. I dont no ware they r or what they plan on doing. And if you no—dont tell me!

  We went down the hall reel fast. Pleece offisers were all over but we went thru them and out the front door of the pleece stashun. I dint no any of the bildings or streets. There was a statu on the sidewalk—a littl kid pulling a wagon with a triangl thing on it. He lookd tired and I cud see why—the triangl thing was bigger than he was.

  I dint move rite away. Dint no what to do ware to go. The loyer pointd.

  Streetcar stop is there on the corner he said. Good by.

  He shook my hand and went back in.

  I never saw him agane.

  I SENT JADEN

  AN OTHER TEXT

  AND WATED. NOTHING. I dint no any other possy numbers so I got on a streetcar for home. I dint no ware els to go. I got a text from Spencer—almost dun jackfish. Whatever that ment. I dint no what a jackfish was. Then gost town tomoro morning. I red it agane but dint understand the fish part. Unless jackfish was a place. Maybe that was it. Mayb it was the gost town. I sent him a text back but it dint go thru. Error said my sell phone. I tryd agane. And agane. Error. Error. I lookd up wen the driver calld out a street name I dint no.

  Inside the streetcar evrything lookd norml. Ads for movys and pills and sad babys and a pull cord over the door. But outside was differnt. I dint no the street names or the stores. We past a restront and a church and a park with a glass house in the middl. Weerd eh? House made of glass. A minit later we came to the end of the rode and the streetcar turnd like a car. I dint no they cud do that but this 1 turnd rite and kept going. What to do? What to do? Dad says wen your lost stay ware you r and sum 1 will find you. But what about now? If I stayed ware I was I wud keep moving. That was rong wasnt it?

  I calld Moms sell phone and home. I got the voys saying pleas leev your name and hung up. I never no what to say to the voys. I dint want to say help me Im lost. Id sound like a littl kid.

  I countd parking meters. I dint no what els to do. They were on both sides of the street so I was up to 20 22 24 in no time.

  Moving moving. What to do? What to do? We turnd agane. Left. This streetcar was like a dodjem. Not so many restronts now. The stores were closed. Sum of the street lites were on and sum wernt. The windo was open. I cud hear the sound of the metal weels on the metal rales. A singing sound.

  No more meters. I went up to the driver and ast ware he was going. He told me a name but I dint no ware that was. I ast if it was any ware near Tecumsee and he shook his head. Your on the rong car—Tecumsee is back there he said.

  The weels sang on the rales.

  Let me off! I said. Man O man O. I was going away from home. Evry second I was farther and farther away. Let me off ! I said agane. Let me off! Let me off!!

  I got so upset that the driver stoppd in the middl of a block and opend the doors. I jumpd onto the rode and almost got run over by a littl green car.

  The driver had his mouth open wide.

  Shut up! I said to him. Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!

  I pounded the hood of the car and walkd away slow.

  The partments on my side of the street were ugly and squashd and no 1 cared what was in them. Like boxes at the back of the closet. Windos with bords on them. Close hanging over ralings.

  It was 9:10 by my sell phone. I was breething better now that I wasnt going the rong way. I was stoppd and sum 1 wud find me. And sum 1 did—an old raggy guy. But he cudnt help me cuz he dint no ware he was ether. I ast him and he pointd at the sky and at the ground and then shook his head. So I gave him a loony and he wandered away smelling like garbaj. Next past me was a girl with a baby. I ast ware I was and she laffd and kept going. No I meen it ware am I? I yelld. She went into 1 of the box places pushing her stroller.

  A streetcar went past. It was weerd to see it coming around the corner tord me. On the front it said MAIN. I calld home agane but it was still the voys on the other end. I startd to jump up and down. I cud feel myself getting workd up agane. Like water on the stove. All the bubbls going up and up. Thats how my insides felt. My phone said 9:11. Then 9:12. Then 9:12 agane. I was talking out loud. I do that sum times. Come on I said. Come on come on.

  M
y phone buzzd. Mom I thot. But it was Jaden.

  Hi! I shoutd.

  Bunny?

  Did you get my text?

  Yah he said. Ware r you?

  I dont no!

  Were cruzing around he said. The jim is off limits. Cobra is at home and the rest of us r in Jellos car. You shud be here. You want to come along?

  Yah! I said. But you have to find me.

  Jaden said no problem. He ast what I cud see and I told him about the streetcar that said MAIN and the box houses and he said the same as Dad—stay ware you r and weel get you he said.

  I stared at the store across the street. There was used stuff for sale in the windo—a thing to put your close in with drawers and a meer on top and a trumpet hanging on a string and stacks of DVDs. The windo had bars across it. The sun was down but there was still lite in the sky. I cud here car doors and music. A siren rising and falling a long way away. City things. I cud here the same things outside my place.

  I thot about that. I dint want to be here but did I want to go home? I did and I dint. What wud I do at home? What was home any way? My famly? My stuff?

  Huh.

  I dint notice the 2 guys until they came rite up and ast for my shoos.

  What? I said.

  Your shoos. Take them off said the big guy with the cigar and hat.

  Why?

  Cuz there good 1s. And you dont belong here. Take them off.

  He was blowing smoke up—like a chimny. The other guy was behind me now. He movd sneeky and sideways.

  We were standing under a street lite and it came on just then.

  I seen that befor said the cigar guy.

  He was staring at my arm.

  A guy in my range at Millhaven had that 15 on his chest. Striped like that. Thot he was cool as any thing but he was crap. You seen that 15 befor Dixon?

  The other guy made wisper sounds from behind me. I dint no what he was saying. Sum thing rong with the way he talkd. I tryd to look at both guys at the same time. Dixon pulld a long stick out of his pocket and slappd it on his hand. Not a stick from a tree but like a club. The big guy threw away his cigar and made his hands into fists. These 2 reely wantd my shoos. I thot about xplaning about them being a birthday present but I new they wudnt care. I wonderd how much the club wud hurt. Probly a lot.