Ch. 28: The Misfits

The next 7 days were pure torture. I never heard from David and I had a court date on Tuesday that he knew about. The idea of being in that courtroom with a juvenile court judge scared me to no end. Greg was so wrapped up in that girl he was with in Florida that when we spoke it was brief and superficial.

 

When my phone rang on Sunday night I answered it without even looking at the caller ID. I was just so desperate to talk to someone.

 

"Hello?" I said in a rushed voice.

 

"Hey," Greg said sounding super happy.

 

"Greg?" I asked not recognizing his voice.

 

"Yea," he answered humorously.

 

"You sound strange," I told him looking at my clock and reading the time.

 

"Yea I know," Greg said keeping up with his upbeat tempo.

 

"So what's up?" I asked knowing that I truly didn't want to know.

 

"Nothing just sitting here. Cadence just left," Greg said and I heard his voice fluctuate as if that was a sad thing.

 

"Oh," was all I could respond with.

 

"I think I'm in love with her, Myra," Greg confessed to me and my stomach churned when he said that.

 

"Is that why you sound so funny?" I asked trying to play off my disappointment.

 

"Yes," Greg said and I looked at my clock.

 

"I don't know what to say," I told him noting that it was just before eleven PM.

 

"You don't have to say anything. God I never thought love could feel this good," Greg told me and now I was holding back my tears.

 

"Yea," I said, "lucky you."

 

"I just can't get her out of my head. Every waking moment I spend just thinking about ways to keep her closer to me," Greg said continuing on with his passionate devotion to a girl he barely knew.

 

"Now where have I heard that one before?" I asked Greg sarcastically hoping to spread my bad mood to him.

 

"Being in love is the best," Greg gushed and I knew he wasn't actually listening to me.

 

"Well having to go to court is the worst," I said trying to bring Greg down to Earth.

 

"It is," Greg agreed and that just irritated me further.

 

"It's even worse when the people you care about have turned their backs on you," I said in an attempt to throw daggers at the one person who'd always been there for me.

 

"That's just awful," Greg said completely oblivious to my insults.

 

"Well that's my life right now," I told him in hopes that he would finally hear what I was saying.

 

"Where's Devin at?" Greg asked and I knew I had reached him.

 

"His name is David and I don't know. My family scared him off I'm sure," I said making myself sound completely devastated.

 

"Well if he's so easily scared off by your brothers then maybe he's just not that into you. I know no one can keep me away from Cadence," Greg said and I knew I'd lost him and my temper.

 

"I've known David way longer than you've known your precious little virgin Cadence so don't try and compare the two!" I yelled at Greg as the clock switch from eleven ten PM to eleven-eleven PM.

 

"Don't talk about her like that!" Greg said getting angry.

 

"I'll talk about her however I feel like," I hissed at him.

 

"Well Cadence and I are nothing like you and David because unlike you Cadence doesn't give it up to any guy that looks her way!" Greg screamed and it still amazed me how the truth could hurt so badly.

 

"Oh yea you think you know everything! Well here's a fact: David and I have NEVER had sex," I told him so that he would know the nature of David and I's relationship.

 

"There's the shock of the year," Greg muttered in a more calm voice.

 

"Oh, f**k you," I belted out into the phone so that Greg would know I meant it.

 

"Yea," Greg said right before he hung up, "you already have!"

 

I was so angry that I almost threw my phone at the wall, but I didn't. Instead I went to my closet and grabbed some shoes and a pair of shorts. I was going to take a walk.

 

When I left my bedroom the downstairs was dark. Mom and Arthur were out on a date and where my brothers were I didn't have a clue. I hadn't spoken to them since Friday night. Once outside the warm breeze blanketed my skin and I knew at once where I wanted to go.

 

The park was a landmark in this community. By day it was filled with playing children and happy housewives and at night wayward teens hung on the jungle gym trying to recapture their lost youth. I was one of them now and I figured it was time to unveil myself. As I approached I saw the shadowy figures that were only lit by the ends of their cigarettes. The air was blanketed with the tender soft kiss of summer's breeze and menthol.

 

I walked with my chest out trying to appear unafraid. I saw some figures sitting on the picnic benches doing God knows what and others sitting on the play set. I headed straight for the swings, which at the moment were vacant. I passed a person who was obviously a male with a very dark face. I felt his smoke hit the back of my neck, but I didn't turn around. Once at the swings I got on and saw no one behind me.

 

I began to swing until I was really high in the air. I didn't hear anyone speaking, but I could feel eyes on me. To my surprise someone got onto the swing next to me and soon we were going at the same pace. When my legs grew tired I slowed down and so did the person next to me. No words were said until we had come to a complete stop.

 

"You're bold," she said to me as we stood up off our swings and faced each other.

 

Her voice was extremely soft and from my angle I could tell she was shorter than me by at least three inches. I couldn't make out features, but I could see her skin was sickly pale. 

 

"How?" I asked her and she giggled.

 

"Most people are terrified to come here at night like this," she told me as I scanned the area around us to make sure no one was creeping up behind me.

 

"I know, but I'm not one of them," I replied in a casual voice to let her know that I was far from scared.

 

"What's your name?" she asked as she sat back down on her swing and rocked gently back and forth.

 

"Myra," I answered and I decided to not ask for hers so I could appear to not be concerned with who she was.

 

"My name is Eliza, but hey you're not Myra Huntington are you?" Eliza asked as she used to feet to stop her rocking.

 

"Yes I am," I answered her in matter-of-factly tone.

 

"Oh my, HEY GUYS IT'S MYRA!" Eliza screamed jumping up off the swing and running to the middle of the playground.

 

In the blackness I could see heads turning. Her voice carried all through the park. The people smoking headed over to the swings. I was now more afraid than ever.

 

"What am I some kind of celebrity?" I asked aloud since my name seemed to interest this crowd so much.

 

"No more like a God!" Eliza said coming back to her swing and laughing as the others gathered around me on the swing.

 

We were surrounded. I could feel their stares as Eliza explained how everyone here at the park had heard about me stomping on those two girls and how they saw me get arrested. She went on to say that they also watched certain protesters who would only come out at night to show their disgust for my actions.

 

"Some people are just cowards. I'm glad I whooped Daisy and Kimmi's asses. I'd do it again," I said so that my tough bravado would be kept up in this group.

 

"You were all over the news," a male voice in the crowd said.

 

"I know," I answered staring into the blackness in front of me.

 

"So when is your first court date?" Eliza asked me.

 

"Tuesday," I replied.

 

"Mine is on Wednesday" a female voice added.

 

"We're all banished in this community," Eliza told me and I cracked a smile.

 

"So I've heard," I said and people in the crowd started laughing.

 

"Our parents don't understand us and people our age are afraid of us," Eliza said and I could see heads nodding in agreeable against the street lamps in the background.

 

"Well I'm in the same boat," I announced proudly hoping, in some weird way, that I'd be accepted out here.

 

"Exactly and that why we knew you'd be out here sooner or later," Eliza said and my heart started racing in excitement.

 

"Freaky," I muttered trying to contain my delight.

 

"So what school do you go to?" Eliza asked me and it took me a minute to think about that.

 

"I'm probably not going to regular school again," I said after a few moments.

 

"Yea a bunch of us are on independent studies and others are just drop outs," Eliza said and quiet conversations had begun in the amongst those I couldn't really see.

 

"So you come here every night?" I asked Eliza so I could get an understanding on how they operated.

 

"Just about, but we like going out of the city every once in awhile," Eliza said and this intrigued me.

 

"For what?" I asked because the thought of leaving here was more than I could ever hope for at this point.

 

Everyone laughed.

 

"Parties, concerts, and just about anything between," Eliza answered after the laughs subsided.

 

"So what is this like a cult or something?" I asked in a very serious voice.

 

"Nope just a bunch of misfits looking for fun," Eliza said and this generated more nods from those who were still listening.

 

"I'm looking for fun too, but all I seem to find is trouble," I said solemnly.

 

"You and the rest of us," Eliza said and I felt like this was the place for me.

 

"Who are you guys?" I finally asked looking out into the crowd.

 

"I'll introduce you to everyone. This is Jimmy, Violetta, Cameron, Scott, Robbie, Crystal, Amber, Nick, and Dom," Eliza said pointing to each person.

 

"Hi," I said to them all.

 

"Hey," the girl named Amber said back to me.

 

"So when is the next party?" I asked wishing that it was right here, right now.

 

"Not until next month when Cameron's daddy buys him that new Expedition for his birthday," Eliza said mockingly.

 

"It'll get us around so what are you teasing me about?" Cameron asked and he was the second tallest boy in the group.

 

"So do you guys go to the mall and stuff?" I asked trying to figure out where their hang out spots were since I never saw them at any of the places I frequented in the past.

 

Again this caused laughter.

 

"Of course. We do everything by day and everything by night," Eliza said and it sounded like she was reciting a pledge.

 

"When do you sleep?" I asked suddenly confused by her statement.

 

"Some of us don't," Eliza snorted.

 

"So, you all live here in Pinewood Acres?" I asked out to the rest of them.

 

"Yes, with the exception of Crystal who lives with Robbie and his folks. They've been together for four years now," Eliza explained.

 

"How lucky," I said.

 

"If you say so," Robbie said and everyone started laughing.

 

Crystal gave Robbie a friendly punch in the arm.

 

"I've seen you with that Finster dork. Are you two dating?" Jimmy, the tallest and darkest of them all, asked me.

 

"Nope. We're just friends. He's in Florida for the summer," I said trying to get Greg off my mind.

 

"Wasn't he with you when it happened?" Eliza asked and I knew I had to find a way to divert the conversation from Greg.

 

"Yes, but no charges were filed against him," I said shortly trying to hint to her to let it go.

 

"Money talks and his parents are more loaded than Cameron's," the boy named Nick spoke.

 

"You're just jealous," Cameron said and he stuck his middle finger at Nick.

 

"So what have you been doing since it happened?" Eliza asked me and again I had to stop and think about that.

 

"Just staying indoors. This social worker kept coming by and asking question and besides that it's been...lonely. None of my friends will talk to me and neither will my brothers," I finally said as I sat back down on the swing.

 

"Oh you're Sonny's sister, right?" the girl named Violetta asked.

 

"Yes," I answered looking toward her and seeing that she and Eliza were about the same height, but I could see that her hair was platinum blond even in this dim light.

 

"He never comes out here," Violetta said and I could hear some sadness behind her voice.

 

"He's more of a day time person," I told her wanting to also take this conversation away from Sonny.

 

"What a shame," Violetta commented and she went back to talking to Amber.

 

"They're not your friends then," Eliza said quietly to me.

 

"What?" I asked not knowing who she was talking about.

 

"You said your friends aren't talking to you anymore well that's because they're not your friends," Eliza said to me.

 

"I guess, but once school starts and this whole thing blows over it'll get better," I said to her trying to remain hopeful that I'd come out of all of this swinging and on top.

 

"Don't count on that," Jimmy said jumping into the conversation.

 

Jimmy had a voice that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It was extremely baritone with a hint of gangster street talk I heard some of Sonny's friend speak in.  

 

"Why not?" I asked him.

 

"They never forget," Jimmy said emphasizing on the word never.

 

"So what did everyone out here do that was so bad?" I asked everyone and Jimmy spoke first.

 

"Well I robbed a bank when I was thirteen," Jimmy said told me and he sounded happy about it.

 

"Illegal dog fighting ring," Scott said and he barred his teeth as he did so. 

 

"We sold meth out of my garage," Robbie said for he and Crystal.

 

"I cooked heroin, meth, and crack in my parents basement and sold it," Violetta said and I suspected she did those same drugs too.

 

"I'm a shoplifter and one day I was caught stealing from the collection baskets at my church," Amber said and I was surprised at her honesty.

 

"Grand theft auto and I'm not talking about the game," Nick said and I could tell he liked to joke.

 

"I hacked into the governments data files and re-wired funds from their accounts to a secret one I had in the Cayman Islands just for fun. They hunted me down and took me to jail for extortion, but my dad got me off those charges," Cameron explained and his story took me by surprise.

 

"I drove drunk and killed an elderly couple," Dom said and I looked at him in shock.

 

Dom was even shorter than Eliza and I suspected he was no older than twelve or thirteen.

 

Hearing all their stories made me realize that for the first time in weeks I wasn't alone.

 

"What about you?" I asked Eliza who's face twisted in anguish.

 

"Let's not talk about that," Eliza said in a low voice and I left it at that.

 

"So do you all smoke?" I asked.

 

"For the most part, but you don't have to," Eliza said told me and I liked how accommodating she was.

 

"I smoke cigarettes from time to time, but mostly when I'm away from my house," I told her so that she knew I was comfortable with it.

 

"A closet smoker," Jimmy said laughing and I could tell he was interested in what I had to say so I smiled at him.

 

"Oh s**t!" Cameron yelled as a searchlight hit the picnic table that Robbie and Crystal had occupied.

 

"We gotta get moving," Eliza said to me as she hopped off the swing.

 

"Where are you guys going?" I asked moving with her and trying to keep up with the pace they were all traveling at.

 

"Come with us," Eliza said to me and I did so.

 

We moved quickly as the search light darted toward the swing set where we'd just been. These kids were stealthy and I found it hard to keep up. Jimmy lagged behind and grabbed my hand. I drew it back defiantly.

 

"No one touches me," I said to him and snatched my hand away.

 

"Suit yourself. I was just trying to hurry you along," he said to me and shrugged his shoulders.

 

We headed toward the soccer field at the east side of the play set. I almost stopped because there was nothing, but a gate to separate the field from a very busy creek that ran on the other side. I almost stopped, but the searchlights were moving closely behind us. If I got caught outside after curfew there would be trouble.

 

As we got closer I grew more nervous thinking this was all a ruse and they wanted me to get into more trouble just to have something to talk about. Nick reached the fence first and went through it like butter. There was a hole in the fence. They all followed and I was last. The searchlight was hitting the fence and I moved quickly behind some bushes. The light went off and I looked to see the police car rolling passed very slowly.

 

"We have to keep moving" Eliza said falling back so that she could hurry me along.

 

I turned around and suddenly grew afraid. One thing in life that scared me the most was heights. The creek was at least forty feet below and the hillside was steep. We walked on the edge which frightened me even more since the pathway was just packed dirt that could crumble at any moment.

 

After fifteen minutes of walking my fear subsided, but we were headed toward the city lights. I didn't want to ask where we were growing, but as time went by I knew the chances of mom or one of my brothers noticing I was gone increased.

 

Up ahead there was a bridge for us to cross and and the streetlights grew brighter. There were cars zooming by us as we reached the paved highway.

 

"We have to cross quickly and whatever you do don't stop running!" Eliza screamed back at me and over the noise of traffic on the road.

 

I nodded my head and we ran. Cars honked and brakes were slammed on. My heart was racing and yet the fear I felt exhilarated me. We reached the other side with everyone still intact and then climbed up some steps to a regular neighborhood street.

 

Eliza fell back and started walking with me. Nick, Dom, and Jimmy stayed close together. Amber and Violetta were chatting about something and Robbie and Crystal were walking together hand in hand.

 

"There's this twenty four hour grocery store we go to," Eliza explained to me as everyone was still calming down from our run.

 

"Oh," I told her her breathing in and catching my breath.

 

"They let us eat and do whatever we want without paying or calling the cops," she added with a grin.

 

We were in a more lit area. I could see that Eliza had soft blue eyes and deep brown hair. Her nose was pointed with freckles on her cheeks. She was striking in a very subtle way.

 

 "Cool," I said to her while I took my phone out and checked it

 

"Waiting for a phone call?" she asked me as I did this.

 

"Checking the time," I said and she seemed immediately uninterested.

 

"Oh" she said.

 

"So how long have you all been hanging out?" I asked.

 

"Since last summer. One night we all showed up at the park at the same time and it just kept going like that," Eliza said, but the way they carried on I assumed they'd all been friends for years.

 

"Sounds nice," I commented out of jealousy.

 

"The police have been busting up our hangout even more lately so we moved to the store. We'll see how long this lasts," Eliza said.

 

"Where do you live? I've never seen you around," I said needing to know as much about these new friends as possible.

 

"On Bakers Circle in the farthest end of Pinewood Acres. My guardians work full time and I'm the only child," Eliza said.

 

"Do they know where you are right now?" I asked wondering what she meant by guardians.

 

"I don't think they care," Eliza said to me and I knew she was being honest.

 

I felt bad, but in a way I understood her.

 

"My mom only cares because the state is harassing her about me. I used to be able to go as I pleased," I revealed to Eliza and she smiled at me with perfect white teeth.

 

"So what's it like having brothers?" Eliza asked and I answered her immediately.

 

"Hell. One of them is always monitoring what I'm doing," I told her and she suddenly looked concerned.

 

"Would they follow you here?" Eliza asked quickly as we passed by a house with a barking dog chained to a tree.

 

"Yes, but when I left the house was dark so I'm thinking everyone was gone," I told her and she looked relieved for some reason.

 

"So you're alone all the time?" Eliza asked and that struck me as odd.

 

"No hardly ever," I said precariously as crickets sang in far away places that I would never see.

 

"I'm about to turn fifteen in October. I know you're fourteen from the news reports," Eliza said and I was surprised that the news had put all my information out there.

 

"Yea I am and the local media has been slaughtering me since the courts have decided to charge me as an adult. I get less privacy," I told her hoping she would understand my need to not have everything the TV said about me reported back to me.

 

I could see the 24 hour store up ahead.

 

"We usually crash here until dawn and then part ways. Sometimes we all go to Cameron's for breakfast and some sleep, but that's usually when his dad is on vacation," Eliza said and up ahead Nick and Dom were doing somersaults in the street.

 

"Where does Cameron live?" I asked watching them in amusement.

 

"In the biggest house of Dwight Street," Eliza said and my eyes bugged out.

 

Dwight Street was notorious in our neighborhood for having the most expensive homes in the community. The biggest was bought two years ago for 2.4 million dollars. It has fourteen bedroom and eight bathrooms with a full pool and spa in the backyard. Mom always talked about saving up for a Dwight Street mansion and I let her know how crazy that was.

 

"Does Cameron have siblings?" I asked knowing that his father must truly be loaded.

 

"Yes, a half brother. His parents divorced three years ago after his mom took off with a handyman and remarried," Eliza said and I frowned.

 

She seemed to know everyones business. I would make sure to watch what I said around her from now on. We were in parking lot and everyone seemed so happy. The mood had definitely lifted and I knew that this was the beginning of a wonderful friendship.

 

I spent three hours total at the store with everyone. When I decided to go back home it was three AM and Eliza let me know how dangerous it was to walk back the way we came alone.

 

"Homeless people are out there looking to get someone alone hoping we've got cash on us. Since you have a phone they'd take that and probably try to do other stuff to you," Eliza said and I didn't want to know what that other stuff was.

 

"I'll walk you home," Jimmy offered with a wide smile on his face.

 

"The night's young, man," Nick, who Hispanic looking with jet black hair, brown eyes, and thin red lips, said.

 

"Yea, but I have somewhere to be in the afternoon so I have to sleep," Jimmy explained.

 

"Whatever. I'll MySpace you later about the concert," Nick grunted and then joined Cameron, Scott, and Dom.

 

 Eliza said goodbye to me as she, Violetta, and Amber walked off to another aisle.

 

Jimmy and I walked out into the night. Everything had quieted down. When we reached the highway there was much less traffic. Jimmy didn't start talking to me until we reached the park.

 

"So how do you like the crew so far?" Jimmy asked me once we were in the stores parking lot.

 

"Everyones nice," I answered him and stared ahead suddenly feeling shy.

 

"So you have a MySpace page?" Jimmy asked and now I smiled.

 

"No," I answered and kept looking ahead.

 

"Bummer. That's how we keep in touch. You should get one," Jimmy said to me as we passed two men who were walking very fast paced to the sewage pipes to our immediate left.

 

"I don't know I got into trouble over Facebook and I don't want drama on a different site with the same theme," I explained to him as nicely as I could.

 

"None of your former friends would have access to it just us," Jimmy said coaxing me into the idea.

 

"I never thought about that," I relented as we passed by the now familiar houses.

 

"Yea, you see what holds us together is the fact that this is our new life. A part of us died during the event that changed our lives and now we see ourselves as evolved," Jimmy said and that sounded so strange coming from a guy like him.

 

"I kinda get it," I told him as we went by the house with the dog.

 

"Your old friends, for the most part, won't ever speak to you again. You've been tainted by the press attention and by now their parents have drilled it into their heads that they are not allowed to associate with you," Jimmy said to me and I was surprised at how sure he was about it all.

 

"Well there's one friend I have who lives around the corner from me," I started to tell him, but he cut me off.

 

"when is the last time she called you?" Jimmy asked without missing a beat.

 

"The day I was released," I said remember Katy's kind words.

 

"Almost three weeks ago and just one phone call?" Jimmy asked in a critical voice.

 

"Well, I never responded," I confessed and he shook his head like I was being silly.

 

"Doesn't matter. A true friend would've knocked on your door to see how you were," Jimmy said and talking to him felt like a constant game of chess, he was always one move ahead of me.

 

"Yea, but the protesters," I said weakly.

 

"Through thick and thin friends are supposed to be there. I'm pretty sure she's been sworn to never speak to you again," Jimmy said and I was unnerved by his assuredness.

 

"How can you know that?" I asked, but then he didn't answer as we reached the freeway.

 

We crossed the same way we came and went through the same creekside without speaking any words to one another. It wasn't until we neared my house that he answered my question.

 

"During the transition all your true friends will come to light," Jimmy said and I had to back track in my mind to our last conversation.

 

"So where are your true friends?" I asked him.

 

"Back at the store," Jimmy replied and I knew he would say that.

 

"That's all? Last year I had triple that number of friends," I said bragging.

 

"It's quality not quantity," Jimmy said and I knew he was right.

 

"I guess," I said rolling my eyes.

 

"Yea, so how was it?" Jimmy asked and I turned to him.

 

"How was what?" I asked thinking he was going to say something else brainacky.

 

"Kicking their butts" Jimmy said laughing and referring to Daisy and Kimmi.

 

"I can't talk about it," I said because I didn't want to appear to be a savage in front of a guy like him.

 

"Oh yea lawyer-client confidentiality," Jimmy said and I knew right then he was smarter than he looked.

 

"Exactly," I said smiling.

 

"So what are you doing later today?" Jimmy asked me and I thought about it.

 

"Waiting for my friend to call. No, not the friend I was talking about. He's a male friend," I said and Jimmy became silent.

 

"Oh," was all he said.

 

"He's not my boyfriend," I pointed out as we passed under a lamp post.

 

"Yet," Jimmy quipped.

 

"So how was it?" I asked him changing the subject.

 

"What?" Jimmy asked.

 

"Robbing a bank," I said as we passed by Greg's house.

 

There were lights on in what I knew to be Donald's room. I let my mind wonder on what he could possibly be doing in there.

 

"Awesome. I got all the way home with the money and was able to stash a lot of it away in places the cops never searched," Jimmy said and he was bragging.

 

"Why'd you do it?" I asked now suddenly curious about the event.

 

"Mom was about to be laid off and dad was on permanent disability for a broken back," Jimmy started.

 

"I'm sorry to hear that," I told him and he went on.

 

"Thanks. Well anyway one day a letter arrived in the mail for my dad. At that point in time all he could do was have letters read to him and sign things. It hurt too even get up and go to the mailbox. Well I open the letter and it's from disability saying that my dad only had a thousand dollars left to collect and that due to budget cuts he was getting axed from disability," Jimmy said and even though I'd never really known what it was like to struggle until now I felt his pain.

 

"So what did you do?" I asked hanging on his every word.

 

"I threw the letter away and told my mom I was leaving for good. I went to a friends house with thirty dollars in my pocket I'd been saving up since I was eight. I told him to take me to buy a gun, an envelope, and a stamp," Jimmy said and I could she Mrs. Parker's house, but it was completely dark.

 

"Why an envelope and a stamp?" I asked him.

 

"I'll explain later, but anyways he took me to get what I needed and then I had him drop me off three blocks from the friendliest bank on the east side of town. I walked in, announced that it was robbery, went to the teller who was hurriedly stuffing money into two bags for me" Jimmy said.

 

"Wasn't there a security guard?" I asked trying to take his words with a grain of salt.

 

"No. Everyone was so trusting in that neighborhood that they didn't bother. I took the bags and ran out. No one even noticed," Jimmy said.

 

"Wow," I said letting my imagination recreate Jimmy's moves that day.

 

"I hid in an alley way where my luck continued, I found a discarded backpack which I threw my loot into and casually walked down the street to the post office where I proceeded to mail out seven five thousand dollar post office checks to my mom under an alias. The worker thought nothing of it I guess because people went in their all the time doing that. It was so crazy she chattered on and on about how she could've gotten her supervisor's permission, but he had left early for the day leaving her to close up alone. I just listened as the sirens blared behind me. When the last check was sent I left or so she thought. When she went to the back to do God knows what I took all the copy prints of my receipts, the money in the till, and the surveillance video tape that was stupidly placed right behind the counter," Jimmy said and now I was in shock twice in one night.

 

"That's incredible!" I blurted loudly.

 

"My only mistake was trying to hot wire a car a few days later. The police surrounded me and I was hauled off to juvi. The judge was sympathetic to my situation and only gave me three years plus seven years probation," Jimmy said.

 

"Did your mom get her checks?" I asked.

 

"Yes and since that particular post office had never been robbed before the detectives working the case couldn't make a connection for the life of them. They said I was just too stupid to pull it off. When they found me I had given half my loot to my friend and I sent the other half across the country to my aunt through Western Union," Jimmy explained.

 

"So when they found you, you were broke?" I asked trying to understand his story.

 

"I had three thousand on me, but I never told them what happened to the rest of the money. My mom hired a very good lawyer who found loopholes in the law that protected me as a juvenile to not disclose information that might endanger my well being," Jimmy said laughing out loud now and his voice carried off into the distance.

 

"Were you in any danger?" I asked.

 

"No, but I told my lawyer a local gang had recruited me under the 80/20 guise and when I returned with the money they took one percent," Jimmy said laughing again.

 

"Wow. Well thanks for walking me home," I said as we reached my mailbox.

 

"You're welcome, but uh how will we get in contact with you?" Jimmy asked.

 

"Oh yea what's your number?" I asked taking my phone out.

 

Jimmy told me the numbers and I typed them in and called it. His phone lit up right away.

 

"Thanks and make that MySpace tonight and text me your name so the crew and I can add you," Jimmy said to me and I smiled at him this time meeting his gaze.

 

"I'll see, but maybe not tonight," I told him truthfully

 

"Good and night!" Jimmy said I walked quickly up my walkway.

 

Mom's car wasn't parked outside and I doubted she would put it in the garage on a summer night. I put my key in the door and was greeted by complete darkness. I closed the front door and locked it and headed upstairs.

 

As soon as my head hit the pillow I was asleep. Something about this night had truly calmed me.

Reviews

[Tina Kline]

That's cool that Myra found a new place to be and friends too. I hope it works out.