Seven Bundle

by Various Orca

  You never forget stuff like that do you?

  WE SAT

  IN THE MIDDL OF THE THEETER. It was dark and loud. Jaden pulld me along an empty row and we sat down. The movy was at an xiting part. The guy in the movy ran across a bisy street and just missd getting hit by a truck. He ran thru a parking lot and down a lane. He climed a fence. He had a flappy white coat and a cut under his eye and his breth came fast. The music was the kind that goes deedeedeedeedeedeedee and makes you bite down hard.

  Jaden leend over and ast if I herd sum thing.

  What?

  Sum thing outside?

  No.

  The movy playd. The bad guys after the guy in the white coat. They shoutd at him. The music got louder. The guy ran down stares and onto the subway and the doors closed and he got away. Then it was the next day and he was having coffee in his apartment. He still had the littl cut on his cheek from last nite but it lookd OK in fact it lookd pretty good. His hair was wet from the shower. Nice music so you new nothing bad wud happen.

  Jaden wisperd what now?

  I dont no. We missd the start of the movy.

  I meen what about us?

  O.

  The guy with the cut went to anser the door bell and there were the bad guys agane—what a twist. They had there guns out and evrything.

  O no I wisperd.

  Jaden turnd in his seat. Behind us there were 2 lites from flashlites. They were moving down the theeter row by row. Pleece offisers—I cud see there hats. They were getting closer. I herd them wispering.

  Clear they said. Clear.

  O crap.

  They were coming to our row next. I thot about all the running me and Jaden had dun today. Now there was no ware to run and no ware to hide. The pleece wud see our faces in a minit.

  Jaden leend forward.

  Hold me he wisperd.

  What?

  Its just pretend. Come on Bunny.

  What?

  And he put his arms round my neck and held on tite and kept his face close to my neck. And we sat there close to each other in the movy like we were—you no.

  Ew.

  I cudnt see the movy now but there was lots of yelling. The music was spiky—CRAK! PONKA! SKIK!

  PONKA PONKA! Sort of.

  Relax wisperd Jaden.

  His breth was in my ear. It was so weerd.

  Ware r they? I ast.

  Shhh. Dont talk.

  But I want to—

  He pulld my face down. With his lips on mine I cudnt talk. Im stronger than him so youd think I cud pull away but he rappd his arms round me and hung on and I cudnt do it. I cudnt pull away.

  Mm I said.

  Mm he said.

  And we were kind of kissing and I wantd to get away xept the pleece offisers were rite there with there flash lites. And the movy was going on. And evrything.

  I countd in 2 3 4 out 2 3 4. I had to breeth thru my nose cuz my mouth was bisy. My eyes were closd. I herd the cops laffing and saying geez and look at those 2. And clear.

  And I new sum thing about Jaden.

  We kept kissing until the shooting startd.

  IN THE MOVY

  THE BAD GUYS WERE SHOOTING at the guy with the cut face. And a few rows down from us a guy in a lether jacket was running to the front and the pleece were telling him to stop or they wud shoot and he dint stop and there was a brite yello flash and a boom and that was the pleece shooting. The guy duckd and there was a flash and he was shooting back. And there was an other flash from over on the left and an other 1 from down at the front and sum thing went past my head. There was yelling and more shooting in the theeter and on the screen and I cudnt here hardly any thing. And then the lites came up and the room was full of smoke and it smelld like matches or no like fire cracks at the cottage. I wonder if weel do it next year? Probly not. But thats what it smelld like after the shooting. The start of summer. Pleece stood at the back and at the front with there guns out and there mouths open shouting. Guys lay on the floor with more pleece standing over them. Peepl peeping over the back of there chairs.

  I was counting. 4 5 6 7. Freckls on Jadens face. I never thot of freckls on black faces but Jaden had sum and I was counting them. For head. Cheek. 8 9 10 11 12 13. Jadens lips were moving. I cudnt here. Littl dot freckls like with a pin. Other cheek. 13 14 15.

  The movy stoppd. I lost count and startd agane. My ears got better. We marchd out of the theeter with our hands up. There were sum old peepl and they cudnt keep there hands up but the pleece said they were OK with there hands down. We all got in a line and walkd up the ramp and out the door and past the velvet ropes and there were more pleece standing there. Peepl were crying and shaking.

  Wares your hat?

  Jaden had to ast 2 times befor I herd.

  I shook my head.

  Did you see the dead guy? The Angel? You no who it was?

  I shook my head agane. I was looking at Jadens shoos. They were the same 1s from this morning. From yesterday. The same shoos but Jaden was differnt.

  The pleece kept us in line. 1 by 1. We walkd slow past the place ware they sell movy tickets—booth I meen. The door of the booth was open and there were pleece on both sides of the door and a curtin. We all walkd past.

  Wen I got to the booth the pleece told me to stop. A pleece man pointd his gun at me and told me to step away from the line. He ast me my name and I told him. He ast me to pull up my sleev and I did. Jaden turnd round to look at me. So did sum of the others who were past the booth. An old lady ast what was behind the curtin. She ast a few times.

  R you part of the 15 Street Possy? the cop ast me.

  Uh I said.

  I want to see! said the lady. I want to see!

  She came out of the line and went rite up to the curtin talking all the time. Her voys was shaky like a yo yo or a pudding. I new who she was now—the oldy from the bus on the way in. Dinty. She pulld away the curtin with her spider hands. And no 1 stoppd her cuz she was old I gess and cuz they were suprised and cuz they were looking at me.

  There was a guy I new behind the curtin. I said hi. His pink shirt was dark under his arms. His mouth hung open. He lookd tired to deth. He nodded hi back at me.

  You no this guy Jackson? ast the cop who was pointing his gun at me.

  Your name is Jackson? I said to him.

  Yah.

  Jello Jackson?

  He side.

  Yah Bunny.

  O.

  A pleece woman was trying to drag Dinty out of the way and Dinty was fiting her—stomping down on her boot and throwing her arms round. I wonderd ware the bully with the red cap was. Mayb she was inside the theeter. Mayb she was shot along with the Angel. Dinty was calling the pleece woman a not see and peepl were staring.

  The pleece man said I was under arrest.

  I was thinking back. In Snocones basment wen the guys shoutd Jackson. In the pleece car that time wen the guy in the front ast if my name was Jackson. Jackson is a frend of ours he said and the other cop told him to shut up.

  He was talking about Jello.

  All this time Jello was like a statu. Black and smooth and no xpreshun. His hands were at his sides. His mouth was strate across like a bar in his fat face.

  My pleece man told me to get down on the floor now. Dinty nockd the pleece woman in the chin with the back of her head. The cop trippd and fell forward and Dinty broke free. And now here was Jaden running rite at Jello and pulling out a gun. I movd without thinking without stopping without any thing. Jello and I grabbd Jadens hand at the same time so 3 of us were holding the gun at wunce. I dont no who pulld the trigger. The first bullet went into the air and hit sum kind of lite thing witch xploded into sparks. Jello got free for a second and I trippd him and we all went down rolling over and over and nocking into Dinty and the pleece woman and they fell 2. So all of us were tangld on the floor by the ticket booth. Jaden was yelling at Jello calling him a rat and saying he sold us out. Dinty was in between me and Jello but I wasnt worryd about her or the
pleece woman who ended up under evry 1. I was fiting for the gun. I was scared that Jaden wud shoot Jello and I was scared that Jello wud shoot Jaden. I was more scared of that than any thing.

  I wantd to ast Jello—did you reely sell us out? Were you on the phone to the cops in the parking lot? Is that why they got there so fast? And I wantd to ast—why?

  But the hole fite only lastd a few more seconds and there wasnt time to ast him any thing. What happend was I pushd Jellos hand away from him and Dinty got hold of him under the arm and he got ticklish and let go of Jaden. And Jaden brot the gun down so it was aming at Jellos belly. I grabbd it just befor it went off.

  The shot was softer than the others. Sort of a plop sound.

  We were messd together on the floor—me and Jaden and Jello and the old lady and the pleece woman. Jadens face was next to mine.

  Jello dint no you wen you walkd past I said.

  No.

  No 1 nose who you r I said. They no me but not you. You can get away.

  The gun Jaden said.

  I have the gun I said.

  I shot Jello.

  Did you? I said.

  I dont no what happend. Its all a blur.

  I WAS DUN. I DINT

  WANT TO RITE ANY

  THING EVER AGANE

  AND IT WAS LATE like mid nite. Sarjent Nikki took my yello sheets of blobby riting to her desk to reed. I went to the bathroom with a pleece man wating outside. Wen I got back to the room Mom was there with a loyer for me. Not Jadens uncle who dint want me to tell him any thing. This was Grampas loyer from way back wen we all went to his offis. I new him rite away—his soot and smooth hair. He said hello Bernard and we had a talk him and me and Mom.

  Things were seeryus he said. The pleece new I was in a gang and we were deeling guns and drugs with other gangs and there was shooting at the mall and that I was part of that. He xplaned about Jello being a rat only he calld him a pleece inform ant. Now Jello was in hospital and mayb dying from being shot and they cudnt use him as a witness. And it was my falt. If he did dy the pleece were going to charj me with killing him. Not murder but sum loyer thing—sum thing about an axident and a killing.

  I thot about Snocone in the bathroom at the mall wondering who gave us away. Jello. Huh. It was still hard to beleev. Mom said they cudnt put me in jale—that I was 2 much of a dummy. She dint say that but its what she ment.

  You no him John! she said to the loyer. He dint no what he was doing!

  The loyer shook his head and said the pleece were talking differnt. I wud go to jale unless I cud ID sum 1 who new about the guns. And I had to see the gun deel myself—I cudnt just here about it.

  He said they wantd me to look at a line up. Wud I do that? I said sure. So a pleece woman took me and the loyer to a dark room with 1 wall that was all windos looking into the next room. 5 guys walkd into that room and stood on the wall.

  Its 1 way glass the pleece woman told me. You can see them but they cant see you. Dont be scared.

  Why wud I be scared? I said.

  There were numbers sprayd on the wall. 1 2 3 4 5. They stood under the numbers. The pleece woman pushd a button and talkd to them. Number 1 step forward she said. Turn left. Turn rite. Walk back. Then Number 2 and Number 3 and Number 4 and Number 5. And they went back to standing.

  The pleece woman ast if I new the guys.

  Yes I said. Xept for Number 4.

  You ID them.

  You meen who they r?

  Yes. There in the 15 Street Possy?

  Yes I said. Xept for Number 4.

  So Number 1 2 3 and 5 belong to the possy?

  Yes.

  And what r there names?

  I told her. Snocone was there and Cobra and Xray and Bonesaw. She rote down the names. It was weerd but nice to see the guys. Cobra was as tall as ever. The next tallest guy was Bonesaw and he only came up to Cobras sholder.

  The pleece woman told Number 4 he cud go. Now it was only the guys I new. She ast if I new there reel names and I shook my head and she told me to say no so the tape recorder cud here me.

  No I said. And then I said—O wate.

  Snocones reel name is Arthur I said.

  We went back to the room and wated and Sarjent Nikki came in looking tired. Her boss was mad. Sure Way Mall was all over the news. They were calling it a war zone and blaming the pleece for letting it happen. That was bad enuff but what was worse was the pleece cudnt put any 1 in jale for what happend. Not for long any way. They found sum guns and sum bags of white powder but no proof of a deel.

  We dint even find any money she said.

  Mom was shaking her head. A war zone she wisperd. O Bunny!

  We need sum 1 to say that Jeffers and Mcray were deeling guns said Nikki. We dont want them to get away with a littl charj like having fire arms. We want to put them in jale for years and for that to happen we need a witness—sum 1 who saw them. Do you no what I meen?

  I shook my head.

  Who r Jeffers and Mcray? I ast.

  You no them as Cobra and uh Bonesaw.

  O I said.

  You no sum 1 named Cobra? said Mom.

  Sure. Hes OK.

  Mom put her hand to her mouth.

  Your new in the possy said Sarjent Nikki. And your not like the rest of them. We dont want you in jale—we want the others. You pickd them out of the line up Bunny. Now we need you tell us what you saw them do. And it has to be better than your report here.

  She wavd the yello papers around. Turnd out that what I rote was no good. Funny after the ours of riting and my sore hand and evrything. The pleece cudnt use what I rote cuz I dint see any 1 by guns or sell guns. Or drugs. Jaden told me there were guns in the boxes but I dint see them myself.

  Its 2 bad Bunny said the sarjent. We had hopes for you.

  The loyer jumpd in here and said sum thing about me trying. Sum thing sum thing good faith. Nikki came back with sum thing els. Sum thing missing. Or mayb my report was missing. Mom watchd back and forth.

  Want to no sum thing? I wasnt upset about the report. I was even kind of glad. I dint want the possy to go to jale cuz of me. Guns were bad and all but was the possy bad? I dint think so. I liked them.

  They were on my side. Witch made them the good guys. Mayb not Jello. He was a rat. Mayb he was bad.

  Her boss wantd to put me in jale said Nikki. But there mite be a way to save myself if I cud tell the pleece more about Jaden.

  Whos Jaden? Mom ast me.

  My frend I said. I told you about Jaden.

  Hes a gang member said Sarjent Nikki. Mom got up and walkd away shaking her head. The sarjent sat on the table next to me with her feet hanging. Frendly you no? She pattd the yello papers.

  You rote about this storaj locker down by the Lake Shore she said. You got the guns and loded them into the car. Jaden new the way there and had a key and you went with him. So you cud be a witness about that. The only problem is that we dont no much about Jaden. We dont no ware he lives or what he looks like. We dont no ware he mite be hiding out. Hes disappeared.

  Uh I said.

  Wud you sit down with a pleece artist and help us make a pick sure of Jaden?

  Im pretty stupid I said.

  Do you now ware Jaden is now?

  No.

  If you told us ware Jaden was now—thatd be helping. My boss wud like that. Do you understand Bunny?

  She leend close. Her eyes near mine. Her frown. Her belt holding up her uniform pants.

  Can you tell us any thing about Jaden that wud help us locate him?

  I new sum thing all rite. But I cudnt tell.

  Uh I said.

  Thats 2 bad Bunny she said. That reely is 2 bad.

  The loyer went off to talk with Sarjent Nikki. Mom ast how I was feeling. I told her my ears were better but my hand was killing me. Your arm? she ast and I said no my hand from riting. My arm is fine.

  I blame that tatoo said Mom. Your grampa and that stupid will of his! You were a norml happy boy last week. And now look at you! Thi
s is a nite mare. Your a criminal. Your dad and I r very unhappy.

  She stood there and side for a bit.

  I ast her how you new sum thing. I was thinking about Jaden.

  What do you meen Bunny?

  Isnt that what you teech at skool Mom? You teech about noing things. Spencer said so. Im stupid but can you xplane it to me? About noing? Cuz I no sum thing and I dont no how I no it. I just do.

  Mom stared at me like she had never seen me befor. Like I was a stranger.

  The loyer came back with a long face. He talkd to Mom for a bit and she startd crying. I cud go home and get sum things but I had to come back to the pleece stashun and stay over nite. Like a sleep over I said. Mom cryd sum more.

  The loyer took me home. He was in charj of me. We walkd down the hall of the pleece stashun side by side. I had my yello sheets of riting since the pleece cudnt use them. I folded them up and put them in my pocket. The loyer ast me how I thot Grampa wud feel rite now. Your grampa was so proud of you boys he said. He wantd so much for you. He wantd you all to have xiting ventures and lern things about your selves.

  Wud your grampa be happy with you now Bernard? he ast.

  I think so.

  How can you say that? Your in pleece hands. A boy mite dy.

  Bad things happen I said. Grampa new that. He droppd boms.

  The loyer shut his mouth.

  We went out the back door to the parking lot ware the loyer had his car. It was nite time and the street lites were on. The air smelld good after all those ours inside. Gess who was getting out of a pleece car as I walkd past.

  Can you gess?

  We stared at each other. Her lips movd but there was no sound. Help me she said. I cud count the seconds ticking 1 2 3 4 5.

  1. I thot about Sarjent Nikki wondering ware Jaden was. The pleece dint no about Jaden. They dint no who this was getting out of the car.

  2. I thot about Grampas letter. The tatoo was so I wud no I had a crew behind me. He wantd me to no I had frends.

  3. I thot about the first time Jaden smiled at me. And all the other times.

  4. I thot about kissing her and finding out she was a girl like Mary Lee was a girl. I new it the way I new water was wet. I just new it.