by Various Orca
I herd yelling. Peepl were pointing at me. I had the gun in my hand. I droppd it and ran and then I thot—thats rong. I shud hide it. So I went back to ware it was spinning around on the floor and pickd it up and kept going til I came to the fountin and threw it in. But wen I lookd back I cud see it sitting there. It was huge—like a frying pan or sum thing. So I went into the fountin and grabbd it and put it back in my pocket and ran. I was running and dripping from the bottom of my pants and crying.
Yah crying. I wiped my eyes. I ran.
Close store. Shoo store. An other close store. TV store. I stoppd.
TVs were looking out so you cud watch them and peepl around me were saying wow and o my god and like that. The TVs were showing pick sures of the mall. There was the parking lot and the SUV and pleece car and bikes. There was the M pole. We were rite there a few minits ago. The news was about us. Across the bottom of the screen was a line of words.
GANG SHOOT OUT IN WEST TRONO MALL.
All the TVs had this. I saw it 4 5 7 8 times in the windo. I checkd each TV. Now they all showd pick sures of the pleece with sheelds and masks. And a guy lying on the ground.
Hey thats Bobby I said out loud and peepl turnd to look. Sum 1 pointd at my lying arm with the 15 and the candl. I dint no what els to do so I ran away with my wet pants flapping on my legs. Round the next bend I saw 2 pleece men in the distance and I held my gun over my head and ran tords them shouting help and hey and I give up but they got xited and took out there guns and pointd them at me. So I ran back the way I came past the TVs only this time I took a differnt turn and came to a store with paper on the windos so you cudnt see in. The paper said COMING SOON on it and the door was open a littl so I pushd on it and went in. The place was empty. I was alone and crying in an empty store. I countd my breths for a bit and took out my phone and calld Mom and Spencer. No anser. At the back of the store I found boxes like the kind washers and dryers come in. I threw my gun in 1 of them. And hid behind it wen the the door opend and the Angels came in.
Thats rite. Me behind the box and 3 Angels in the room. They dint talk much xept to sware. They wantd to no what went rong just like Snocone did. Sum 1 sold us down the river they said. Sum 1 from 15 Street talkd to the cops.
They used a word a lot. I wonderd if 1 of them was black and how he wud feel about that word. But probly they were all white.
I thot about me. I ran away so I wasnt in the possy any more and I dint like that. Drugs and guns were bad but so was being alone. Jaden used to be my frend. Man I dint like not having a frend.
The Angels were talking about a guy named Butch. Butch had the cash in a nap sack they said. Butch was pretty smart. He wud find a way to hide the cash from the cops and those basterds from 15 Street.
I dint like them calling 15 Street names and I must of made a noys. They herd it and came charjing back and found me. They were white guys all rite—with lether jackets and long stringy hair. 1 of them had a beerd like a patch on his chin. Wen they saw my tatoo they swore at me and said the possy had reckd evrything. Im not in the possy I said but they dint beleev me. They jumpd at me and the fite was on.
3 to 1 is tuff. I cot 1 guys foot and pushd him away. The other 2 were punching. I duckd 1 punch and cot the other 1. I got a kick in like Morgan had tot me and sum 1 went down. An other guy got me in the gut but not hard. I spun side ways and grabbd 1 guys rist and that hurt him. O he said. I ran for the door but sum 1 nockd me down from behind befor I got there. I got up and 2 guys were kicking me. I cot 1 foot and pushd it hi in the air and the guy fell but the other guy got me in the nee and I went down and then they were all round me kicking. That was bad. 1 of them had cowboy boots. I stoppd fiting and tryd to cover myself up. This went on for a wile and then I herd a voys I new.
Get away it said. Get away now or Ill shoot.
I lookd up.
I meen it. You basterds get the hell away from him.
It was Jaden. He stood in the doorway. He had his gun pointd at the Angels. Nun of them had guns—just Jaden. He was smaller than any 1 but the gun made a differnts. He held it in both hands. The end was reel still.
You wont shoot said the Angel with the patch beerd.
O yah? said Jaden.
You wont dare.
O yah?
He shot the box at the back. The Angels jumpd. Me 2—it was so loud and suprising. Jaden movd the gun back so that it was pointing at them agane.
I was standing up. My side hurt from the cowboy boots. Hi Jaden I said.
Hey Bunny.
I was mad at the Angels for hurting me and for being Angels and saying bad things about us. And I was happy to see Jaden. Mostly I was happy.
Come over here he said to me.
I did.
You OK?
Sure.
The Angel with the beerd said that if he shot any more the cops wud here him.
Im not scard of noys said Jaden. You were making noys wen you were beeting on Bunny. I herd you. Thats why Im here. It took all 3 of you eh? 3 big Angels to take 1 of the possy.
They dint say any thing.
Were going now. Let us alone. No 1 messes with 15 Street. Come on Bunny.
There was a bench out front of the COMING SOON store and we jammd it next to the door. Now the Angels cudnt get out for a wile.
We ran. I dint think about not staying with Jaden and he dint think of it ether.
Thanks I said.
Uh huh.
We kept going.
Wide you run away? he said. Was it about the guns?
I dint no how to xplane. Guns and drugs and my arm being a ly. Me being in the possy and then not in. Him and me being frends and then not being frends. I dint no.
It was all—evrything I said. It was evrything.
I wavd my hands round.
He nodded. It was quiet ware we were—no 1 was yelling. I cud hear music playing thru the mall. I new the song. Baby baby sum thing.
Guns arnt all bad said Jaden. Good thing I have 1 or youd still be getting kickd.
Yah I gess so I said.
We came to the fountin ware I got my pants wet. There was a bench and we sat down. Jaden told me about his mom then. She was in sum place a long way away and she was stacking time—48 months and she was haff way thru her stacking and that was why he was living with his gramma.
I dint understand about the stacking but I nodded.
I hate it at Grammas he said. She makes me dress up and go to church and she prays for me all the time. Cobra said I cud stay with him wen the deel went thru and he got a bigger place. Id have my own room and evrything. Xept now Cobras going to go to jale like Mom and Ill have to keep staying at Grammas.
He side. Its aw full.
I saw how much the guns ment. With the money from selling them the possy cud keep hanging out at the jim and Jello cud go on traning and Jaden cud live with his brother insted of his gramma. And now nun of this wud happen.
And stacking time ment being in jale. Thats ware Jadens mom was. No wonder he lookd sad.
I put my hand on his sholder. Its aw full at your grammas but it cud be worse.
Yah? How?
If they catch us now.
Yah he said. Then well go to jale 2. Yah that wud be worse.
The fountin stoppd. It does that sum times. I cud here the song going ooo ooo ooo.
I missd you Bunny he said. Wen you ran away.
Yah me 2.
Guns were bad rite? Xept that guns helpd my frends in the possy and Jadens gun saved me from the Angels. So guns were bad xept wen they wernt.
WE LOOK RONG
SAID JADEN.
YOUR TATOO AND MY rippd pants. We look like we shudnt be here. Peepl r staring he said.
Can we change how we look? I said. I cud put my hair differnt. And you cud—what?
He grabbd my hand.
What is it?
Your a jeenyus Bunny.
No Im not.
Come on he said. Sports store is rite here.
He pu
lld and I followd him. The fountin was going agane. Im not a jeenyus I said.
Yes you r.
There were esclaters up and down. At the top of the esclaters we ran into the Angel with the gloves. He tryd to punch me. I twistd him round and he calld Jaden and me a name. Reely. First time I have ever bin calld that. Up close like this and without his helmet on I cud see his shiny haircut and I new who he was and why Jaden was so frowny at him.
No 1 messes with my frend I said.
He was facing the other way now so I twistd him sum more and he trippd and fell down the esclaters. He lay at the bottom for a second and then limpd off.
Thats 2 times you got him said Jaden.
On the back of his jacket he had the Angel tag and the name Butch.
Butch I thot. Did you here what he calld us? I ast.
Yes.
But me 2. He calld me 1. Does that meen Im a brother now?
Jaden laffd and pushd me into the store. It felt good to here him laff. And to not be alone.
The store peepl stood by the windo looking out. The close were in piles. I grabbd a shirt and pants and then thot—a hat. The changing room had 4 hooks on the wall. I countd them and then agane. 4. I put on the new close and left my old 1s on the hooks. I checkd in the meer. Was that me? Yah. I made a face. Yah. I pulld up the sleevs and then put them down agane. I dint like the long sleevs but cops were looking for a tatoo.
My phone rang from my pocket on the hook. It was Mom.
Bunny? Ware r you? she ast but she dint let me anser. Im at the phone store and they gave me a new phone number she said. I cant keep my old 1. So now you have the number rite? Its on your phone.
O I said. Rite.
Stay in touch she said. Dont lose this new number.
I thot about telling her what was going on but I dint no ware to start. I memberd I was sposd to be close to home and not at the mall. And then she was gone.
I put the phone in my pocket.
Nock on the change room door. I opend and it was a store girl. She walkd rite in.
That looks grate Bunny she said. Differnt. The long sleev. The hat is grate 2. Good for you.
She smiled at me. I dint no how she new my name.
Well what do you think? she ast.
I shook my head. I dint no what she was talking about.
Dont you reconize me?
And then I saw. Your—
I stoppd and startd agane.
R you? I said.
YES SHE SAID
IM JADEN. AND SHE WAS—I cud here it. She sounded like Jaden. But she lookd like a girl. She was Jaden in girl close.
Wow I said.
Good disguys huh?
Yah.
Her top was blu and white stripes. Her skirt and nee sox were blu too. I gess I shudnt be saying her—Jaden was still a guy. A guy in a skirt. His skirt was blu. His.
What r you doing now?
He had his folding nife out. He cut the plastic tags off my close. He had to rip the end of my shirt but it tuckd into the pants and you cudnt see any thing rong.
Dont want the alarm to go off wen we get out of the store do we? he said.
Uh I said.
He put the nife in a pocket of his skirt and stood next to me so there we were in the meer. He pushd his hair around to make it stand up more.
You look funny I said.
Shut up.
The sports store had stuff for camping and swimming and running round. The models all had arms and legs but no heads. Funny eh? A lady lookd like she was playing tennis but had no head. How did she no ware the ball was? The sines said SUMMER SALE!! and 50% OFF!! and like that. We went down stares past a seen with a tent and campfire and kids and mom and dad. I stoppd to stare. The trees had leevs. Mom had a nap sack. The fire was flicking and evrything. It was so reel. But the only 1 who had a head was the deer in the background. Jaden told me to come on.
There rosting weenees I said. How r they going to eat them with no heads?
Thats wen we herd the shots. 1 2. Then a screem We ran out into the mall and there were sum more screems and an other shot. Peepl came out of the stores asking did you here? We were up stares and we lookd down over the raling and lissend to the sound of the shots getting softer like at the loyers offics that time.
Bang-ang-ang. Bang-ang-ang.
A guy ran up in those thick shoos for old peepl. He wasnt old but his shoos were. He had his name on his shirt. Dave. There shooting Dave said. Pleece and gangs shooting each other. They shot my boss in the store.
Dave ran away and we went after him—me and Jaden and evry 1 els. Wen we got to the movy theeter the peepl wating in line saw us running and came over to run with us so now there were lots of us running. The girl next to me was spilling her bag of popcorn—evry step she wud spill sum more. We ran until we herd shots from in front of us and then we stoppd and ran back the way we came. You no those birds that fly all over the sky together? Like that. We ran back to the movy theeter and stoppd agane. A line of blu was coming tords us. Cops. Lots of them. We watchd them go into 1 place and come out agane and go into the next place closer to us. They were serching the mall.
What do we do? Jaden ast me. What do we do Bunny? We cant run any ware now.
We can see a movy I said.
I meen there we were.
Jaden pulld me past the soft loopy rope. No 1 was taking tickets. We ran past the booth and down the hall to the first door. Jaden was in front. He lookd weerd in girl close.
NIKKI THE COP
CAME BACK
INTO THE ROOM WARE I was riting. She had a man with her. She calld him boss and told him who I was. He had those things that hold up your pants. What r they? Any way he had them. His shoos were shiny.
He leend on the table ware I was riting and crossd his arms.
Sarjent Nolan says your working hard son he said. Riting out what happend this afternoon r you?
Yes I said.
He nodded and said sum thing I dint hear. My ears were still ringing a bit. I ast him to say it agane.
We need your help son he said pretty loud.
Did you lose sum thing? I ast.
What?
My mom needs my help wen she loses stuff. I’m good at finding things.
He lookd over at Sarjent Nikki. She shruggd. Then back to me.
Yah I lost sum thing he said. I lost my key witness. He was working for us and now hes dying. You no who Im talking about son?
I shook my head.
Yes you do. You were there wen it happend.
He frownd down at me. Big thumbs behind his spenders. The lite over the door had a cage round it like a hocky mask. I dint see that til now.
I want you to be my witness son he said. I want you to ID sum bad guys for me. Can you do that?
ID? Like who they r?
Yes son. That’s xactly rite. Who they r. I want you to take Jacksons place. He was working for us and now I want you to. I need sum 1 to put in jale and I need a witness to help me.
O I said.
It was still tuff to think about Jackson.
You sure you dont want me to find sum thing? I ast. A pen or sum keys? Moms always losing her car keys.
Sarjent Nikki and her boss went into a corner and talkd for a moment. I cudnt here what they said but I new they were talking about me and not being happy.
Mary Lee Berdit felt the same way about me. We were both in the class play in Grade 4. She was the lady and and I was the prints and in the big seen I had to skip over and kiss her. I was the prints cuz nun of the other guys wantd to be. We did the seen over and over and I kept getting it rong—ether the skip or the kiss. I must of kissd Mary Lee 10 times and thats a lot of kissing. Finally she neeld down and told the teecher we had to stop now. She slappd her hand on the stage and said I was recking the play. The teecher was OK. She smiled at me and said she wud try to think of a way to make it easy for me. No 1 els in the class wud look at me. Ed and them laffd and startd to hit each other with there card bord sords. I s
tood in the middl of the stage in my cape and boots and countd the folds in the curtins.
Boss was mad at me just like Mary Lee. Id messd up his plans. He and Nikki talkd about Jackson who was mayb dying in hospital. All they had was me and I was no good. He left without saying good by and Sarj Nikki took me to see Mom. She was in a wating room with a worry face and a sell phone. She ast if I was dun yet. I said I was still riting. She shook her head and said O Bunny. She said that a bunch of times all reddy. O Bunny.
There was a form. Mom sined it fast and jerky like she had all the other forms.
Your helping them rite Bunny? she said. Your ansering what they ast you and telling them what happend.
Im trying I said.
Nikki took Mom aside and talkd for a minit or 2.
R you sure? said Mom. All rite. Ill make a call.
I still think its all a big mistake she said. Bunny dint no what he was doing. You dont no any thing do you Bunny?
I no lots of things I said.
No you dont! she yelld. No you dont!
I ast Nikki who Mom was going to call.
A loyer she said.
For me?
For you.
We were back in the riting room. She stared down at the table with my pile of yello paper.
You almost finishd?
Uh I said.
Well get going.
Show nite and the jim was full of moms and dads. It was time for the big seen. Mary Lee put out her hand for a handshake. This was the teechers idea—so I wudnt get the kiss rong. I dint mind. I skippd across the stage with my hand out—only I trippd on my big prints boots and fell face down. O it hurt. Mary Lee screemd. There was blud from my nose all over the floor and my shirt. They pulld the curtin and evry 1 clappd.
