Too Many Rules

by G. L. Snodgrass

  Neither of us moved. It was as if the world had fallen away and left each of us alone in our own unique space.

  He was obviously a boy of the streets. From a different world. A strange and scary world. I wondered what his life was like. Did he have anyone special, someone to care for him? A brief jealous feeling flashed through me as I thought of some other girl running her hands through his hair and across his forehead in soothing comfort. I wondered about the man lying in the alley, what was he to street boy, friend, family? Why did he care about the old man?

  We continued to stare into each other, communicating a thousand thoughts. I wondered about pressing my lips against his and what it would feel like. My face grew flush and warm as he smirked. The boy could probably read my mind.

  I don’t know how long the moment lasted. It could have been hours or seconds. All I knew was that it had hit me deep and to my very core.

  The bus lurched and my heart stopped. We were going to leave. I would never see him again, would never get to know his name or his story.

  My heart raced and my vision narrowed as the bus began to move. I was going to lose him. I just found him and he would disappear back into his streets. How is this possible, how could a simple look, a connection be so powerful that I knew it would rest in my memory forever. I wondered if when I was an old person of forty I’d remember that boy I saw on the streets of the city. Somehow I knew I would.

  The corner of the building broke our eye contact as a feeling of sadness washed over me. Why did everything always go wrong? Why did my life suck so badly?

  Stephanie had been oblivious, lost in a conversation with Mary Ellen across the aisle. She hadn’t seen him, was it my imagination? Oh, Casey, grow up, it’s only a boy. A boy you don’t know and have no chance of ever knowing.

  I grumbled to myself as the bus pulled into the front of the Art Museum. The last thing I wanted to do was haul my butt all over the place looking at paintings. I knew I was being a bitch and had no reason to complain, but still, I was angry and didn’t even know why.

  “Jeanie,” Stephanie squealed pointing out the other side of the bus. I jumped up to see what she was pointing at. A girl with flaming red hair, the same color as Jeanie, I know because I’m the one who put it in there two weeks earlier. The girl turned into the park and all I got was a quick flash of the back of her head.

  “Are you sure?” I asked.

  “Yes, Yes, I saw her. She’s wearing the green parka she has,” Stephanie said. “She was with some guy, sort of older, maybe in his twenties or so, greasy brown hair.” She shuddered as she provided the description.

  I looked again to try and get another peak. Could it be Jean, down here on these streets? My heart lurched and my mouth dried up, would it ever stop doing that. Could I get her, find her in this place and get her home and safe? My mind flew through the different scenarios. I could imagine my parents and what they’d say if they ever learned I ditched the field trip to explore the city. But I also knew Jeanie needed me. She didn’t want to run away, not really, she couldn’t have. And even if she had, I bet she probably wanted to change her mind.

  “Cover for me,” I said as I thrust my sketchpad and pen box into Stephanie’s hands. Her eyes got as big as soccer balls and her face drained of what little color it had.

  “No way, Mrs. Thompas would kill me. I’ll get detention.”

  “Steph, Jeanie’s safety is a little more important than if you get detention or not.” She raised her eyebrow as if she wasn’t too sure. Racing to the front of the bus I pushed the other kids back into their seat and squeezed by.

  “I’ve got to go to the bathroom, immediately, like now,” I said to Mrs. Tompas as I shifted my weight from foot to foot doing the big girl potty dance. Mrs. Tompas was a sweetheart and I had a reputation of being one of the good girls. A reputation that was going to finally pay off. No way would she think I could do anything wrong

  “Okay Casey, meet us inside.” Mrs. Tompas said nodding to the driver to open the door and let me out. I gave her my best good girl smile and slipped out the door and into the Museum.

  The lobby alone was bigger than our school gym. Sculptures of modern art, some kind of Iron twisted monstrosities that didn’t do a thing for me filled the reception area to the right. Totally ignoring them and what I liked to call flying art overhead I made a beeline for the double glass doors at the far end and pushed my way onto the street.

  The nip in the air surprised me. I hadn’t realized how cold it was getting. Was Jeanie warm enough? How was I going to find her? Scrunching my shoulders against the wind, I was glad I’d worn jeans today instead of the cute pleated skirt I’d almost chosen. Turning left I headed back down the hill. I’d go a block down then cut over and start looking for her. The girl had been headed for the small park, maybe she would still be there. People spent time at parks, right?

  The smells changed as I made my way down the street. Roasted coffee became fresh bagels followed by alcohol and cigarette smoke. Through it all, was the stink of exhaust and an oily aroma that overlay everything. The air tasted cold and bitter. I shivered and pulled my jacket tighter as I turned the corner and headed for the park.

  There were so many people on the wide sidewalks. It was like fighting to get to your next class at school. Everyone intent on going their own way but miraculously people didn’t run each other over or knock them to the ground. Maybe that was the whole reason for high school, to teach us how to navigate the sidewalks of downtown.

  Shaking my head at my stupid thoughts, I scanned the crowd for any signs of a gawky redhead with a soft smile and the friendliest of eyes. Standing on my tippy toes in my sneakers I looked over a group of men in suits talking in a circle by the edge of the sidewalk. My stomach turned over every time I thought about her being stuck here. I needed her to tell me she was okay. I needed her to look me in the eye and tell me this was what she wanted. Even if she did, I was going to change her mind. Most of all, I needed a chance to tell her I was sorry. If she was pissed, she’d forgive me, she had to.

  Jeanie and I had been friends since third grade when Ms. Johnson sat us next to each other the first day of school. She was the one who always pushed the boundaries. The first to dye her hair. The first to get a nose piercing, the first to go all the way with a boy.

  Stephanie was always the last. She was the one who put a brake on our more stupid ideas. The voice of reality that was our Stephanie.

  Me, I was the middle. The glue that kept us together as Jeanie used to say. The one who figured out what the teachers were looking for on the school projects. The one with the nice parents and the safe place to hang out. Now I was the one who had skipped out on a school field trip and was roaming the big bad city. God, it felt great, a little scary, but I was sort of proud of myself, I was doing what needed to be done. I know my parents would be all right with it. Once they got past the whole missing person aspect of things. Okay, they might not be all right with it, but it wouldn’t matter if I could find Jeanie and get her home.

  I stood up on tippy toes again to glance out over the crowd gathered on the corner waiting for the light to change. Worming my way to the front of the crowd I scanned the park across the street for any sign of her.

  A group of kids were sitting on park tables, horsing around. Jeanie wasn’t with them. My heart fell. She wasn’t here, I couldn’t see her. The teenagers hanging out in the park reminded me of the stoner crowd that hung out behind the temporary trailers at school. Long hair and baggy clothes. There were three boys and one girl. One of the boys sat on the table top with the girl standing between his legs. Her back to his chest while he nuzzled her neck, his arms around her waist. The other two guys shadow boxed. One of them had a cigarette hanging from his mouth while he fake punched his friend.

  No Jeanie anywhere in sight. The rest of the people in the park were older. A woman pushing a stroller. A couple of Joggers, two old guys playing chess. No Jeanie. My stomach fell. Where do I search next I wondered
?

  I thought of the street boy from the alley. Did he know these kids, was he a friend of theirs? Taking a deep breath, I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and showed them a picture of Jeanie, Steph, and I.

  “Have you seen this girl,” I asked as I approached what I would always consider the Table Kids. I held the picture out and pointed at Jeanie.

  The girl placed a hand on her boyfriend’s thigh and stared at me as if I was from another planet or something. Her eyes bore into me as her brow narrowed in concern. I’d seen that look before. It was the look one girl gave another when she was worried about somebody poaching her man. A look that said “Mine” stay away.

  I tried to give her a reassuring smile. The last thing I wanted was her straggly assed boyfriend. I only wanted some information.

  One of the other boys, he appeared to be about fifteen, pulled the cigarette from his mouth and flicked it into the gutter. He smiled at me in a creepy, “Let’s get it on” way that made my skin crawl. The other three barely looked at the phone before shaking their heads.

  Chapter Three

  Austin

  After leaving Billy to sleep it off, I headed back down to 2nd. A quick mental count reminded me I had a couple of bucks and some change. Enough for a couple of McDonald’s hamburgers. It’d carry me through the night but I’d have nothing for breakfast in the morning. Again!

  Maybe Chang would let me clean up his alley for a meal. I could save the money until tomorrow. Better yet, it was Friday. Sammy at the 102 club might need help stocking the beer. That was always good for five bucks, sometimes ten. I spun on my heel and headed that way.

  When I saw the bus girl cross the street and head into the park, my first thought was - It’s not often you get a second chance in this life. At least, that’s been my experience. So naturally, I followed. Thoughts about Chang’s and the 102 club disappeared. Sure, it might have been a little creepy, following some unknown girl, but like I said, second chances don’t come around all that often.

  I halted behind the corner of a delivery van and watched. She stopped to talk to some kids hanging out at the picnic tables. They weren’t street kids. They hung out down here during the day then headed home each night with made up stories about where they’d been all day. They’d either get their life squared away or end up down here on a permanent basis. No threat there. Cataloged and filed. I scanned the rest of the street. I couldn’t see any cops, no obvious junkies, the only crazy person was Slap Happy Mary across the street and she wouldn’t bother anyone. The neighborhood appeared way safer than usual. Thank God for minor miracles.

  What is she doing here? I wondered. This was not a girl who belonged here. Too cute, too clean. The way she was dressed screamed suburbs, a gray scarf, Green waist length jacket and tight jeans that displayed a very cute and very round butt. Tennis shoes fresh out of the box. All of it yelled ‘happy home’. Why would she venture down here? Was she searching for some kind of thrill? On some kind of religious mission? None of it made sense.

  She shifted from foot to foot as she showed them her phone. Her nervous feet never stopped moving as she went from person to person. One of the stoner creeps stepped towards her and she immediately backed up. I think this was the first time she realized where she was and who she was talking to. He stopped his advance and she seemed to relax a little as he pointed down the hill and to the left.

  “Oh crap, don’t send her down there you idiot,” I mumbled to myself.

  Casey

  I nodded my thanks and headed down the hill. The stoner boy had said he saw Jeanie go this way with some guy. My heart raced and my palms began to sweat even in the cold. Could I find her? What would I say to her? Would she listen? All of these questions and a thousand more bombarded my brain.

  The path wound its way through bare trees and short green grass. Edged with bushes it reminded me of the campus of our high school. I didn’t feel the same sense of belonging here, though. Believe me; I knew where I was at and what I was doing.

  My eyes bounced from side to side as I scanned for Jeanie. A flash of red made my heart skip. It fell when I realized it was only a cardinal flitting from one limb to another. You’d think he’d have flown south or something.

  Sighing to myself I headed down the hill towards a tunnel. A dark cavernous opening awaited as I hesitated for a moment. “You’re not in Kansas,” I reminded myself. Bending I peered deep into the tunnel. A faint white light was visible at the other end but there was a lot of dark in between.

  “Hey honey,” A young man said as he approached from a side trail. Dressed in slacks, a striped dress shirt, and a short shiny leather jacket out of place for downtown. He must have been about twenty with long, lanky brown hair that he flipped out of his eyes. He smirked and raised an eyebrow like he’d just found a free meal. My stomach tightened up and I was tempted to tell him no I wasn’t looking for anyone. But maybe he’d seen Jeanie. You can’t be choosy where you get your help, Casey.

  Giving him my most mature smile I pulled out my phone and showed it to him. “Yes, have you seen this girl?” I asked.

  He hesitated for a moment; maybe he was surprised to find his cheesy pick-up line might have worked. The smile dropped for a brief moment then returned. I caught the hint of a gold tooth. Not the type of thing you see much anymore. What kind of young guy gets a gold tooth? He caught me staring at it and smiled even more.

  “Yea, sure, I saw her a few minutes ago. She went down that way,” He said pointing towards the tunnel. Then he did something that surprised me. He grabbed my upper arm, not too tight, but solid, the kind of grip that was meant to control you. “Come on I’ll show you,” He said as he started to pull me towards the tunnel.

  Alarm bells were overriding my dumb brain. I pulled back but he didn’t let go and for the first time, I realized how serious this was. Nobody was around. I flashed back to all two of my self-defense classes and realized I’d forgotten everything they'd told us. Something about insteps, kneecaps, and groin. But what I was supposed to do next wouldn’t come.

  Taking a deep breath, I got ready to scream.

  “Hey, hold up,” Someone yelled behind me.

  I turned to be shocked again. It was the boy from the alley. The guy helping the old man. I gulped a huge breath and froze in place. What was he doing here? Was he working with this slime? My heart cracked a little thinking that he might be part of all this but I also felt a fleeting flash of hope.

  My shoulders itched with worry as I glanced over his shoulder. Where there others? At the same time, my heart skipped, had he followed me? Creepy gold tooth guy seemed surprised and hesitated. I felt his grip on my arm lesson a little. It was enough for me to pull away and step towards the alley boy as he jogged up.

  “I’ve been looking everywhere for you, I told you not to get lost. Dad is pissed.” He said.

  His mouth-watering brown eyes were trying to tell me something. I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer but I can put two and two together.

  “Ohhhh, okay, I’ll be there in a minute. This nice man was telling me he saw Jeanie,” I said, giving Mr. Creep a brilliant smile. Go along to get along. The disappointment that flashed in his eyes was one of the best things I’d ever seen. I wanted to smirk back. Hell, I wanted to slap his face and knock that silly tooth from his mouth.

  Creepy gold tooth rapist smiled back and nodded like he hadn’t been ready to pull me into his slimy cave. No, nothing to see here, no problem, his smile seemed to say. “Yes, down that way,” he said pointing to the tunnel. He looked back at alley boy and for a brief moment, a look of pure hate flashed across his face to be quickly replaced by a smooth salesman’s grin.

  Alley boy smiled back but didn’t nod or say thanks or anything. Just stared back at him expectantly. Finally, Creep got the message, shrugged his shoulders before turning and heading down one of the side paths.

  We watched him go for a moment before the reality of what had almost happened hit me. I put a hand up to wipe my hai
r back and took a deep breath. I still had to find Jeanie.

  “Are you okay?” Alley boy asked.

  I turned back to see him for the first time. The gray hoodie and jeans made him appear like he could fit in anywhere. He was taller than I thought he would be. Probably close to six feet. His brown eyes crinkled when he smiled which he was doing right then. As if he’d tricked somebody out of their Halloween candy. I’m sure he wasn’t much more than sixteen or seventeen, my age, but something about him made him seem so much older. Maybe it was the way he stood, like a wall, straight and unafraid. Or the eyes, definitely the eyes. They held so much depth as if they were pools a person could fall into and never get out.

  Shaking my head, I pulled myself into the here and now. “Yes, I’m fine, thanks,” I said with an answering smile. "Thanks again. I don’t know what that was all about but it wasn’t going to be good.” I said as I kicked at the imagined dust on the path.

  We both stood there for a moment as an awkward silence descended over us like a dome of embarrassment. This is ridiculous I thought to myself; say something before it gets worse. But my mind was blank again. It seemed to be doing that a lot lately. My face grew warm and I knew I was blushing.

  “Um… I’ve got to ask. What are you doing down here, I’m pretty sure being mugged in the park is not on your field trip itinerary.”

  How did he know about the field trip? Oh, that’s right, he saw me on the school bus. It looks like he can put two and two together, at least, I thought snottily. Looking up into those sparkling eyes I shrugged my shoulders. See two could play at that game. Then remembering why I was there I whipped out Jeanie’s picture on my phone and showed it to him.

  “I’m looking for this girl. My friend said she saw her come into the park a few minutes ago. I have to, just have to, find her. Soon! Like really soon.” I said as I saw the time on my phone, I’d already been gone for thirty minutes. If Steph held it together, Ms. Tompas might not know yet. If she did then, she’d have the National Guard out looking for me.