Autumn Bird and the Runaway by Melanie Florence

Author:Melanie Florence
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781443182874
Publisher: Scholastic Canada Ltd
Published: 2022-08-07T00:00:00+00:00

Boomer’s nails click-clicked on the concrete steps. The stairway smelled worse than the lobby. Mr. Bird didn’t seem to notice.

“Are you afraid of your dad? That makes sense. Are you afraid of anything else?”

Cody didn’t answer.

“You don’t trust me, do you? What do you think I’m going to do?”

Cody didn’t answer.

When they got to the third floor, Mr. Bird handed him the leash.

“Hold on to Boomer, okay? Stay close to me.”

Cody nodded. He was not making another plan to run away. Plans took hope and energy. Rebellion of any kind took hope and energy. Cody was out of both of these things. He was doing what he was told. It was easier.

There was a piece of paper taped to the door of 312. An official piece of paper, with black and white writing under a big title, and red writing running diagonally.

Cody was too scared and upset to read. The words on the paper were a blur to him.

Mr. Bird nodded at it. “Your neighbour told me about this,” he said. “Your dad must have known it was coming. That may be why he was so angry. Why he beat you up so bad. Could he still be inside?”

He knocked on the door. No answer. He knocked again, harder.

Cody stared at the door. His door, apartment 312. The eviction notice was taped to it. Multiple warnings … Final notice … 14 days … City of Toronto …

“Let’s think,” said Mr. Bird. “The notice is two weeks old, and stamped today. That lock looks brighter than the rest of the door handle. I bet they changed it. Do you have your key?”

Cody checked the small pocket in the right front of his jeans. His key pocket. Wordlessly, he tried it in the lock. It didn’t fit.

“So he’s not there,” said Mr. Bird with a sigh. “But I have to talk to him. I have to talk to someone about you. Do you have any idea where he could be? A bar? A friend’s place?”

Cody shook his head.

Things were moving fast. His dad was gone. He had no home. He wasn’t sad. But he was … something.

Walking back downstairs, Mr. Bird spoke a few words in a language Cody didn’t understand. They sounded serious, echoing in the stairwell.

“What was that?”

“Something my mother used to say to me.”

“Oh. Right.” What did Autumn say she was — Cree? Of course they’d have their own language. In old movies everyone spoke English.

Heading back to Autumn’s house, the dog lolling in the back seat, Cody asked why.

“Why do you have to talk to someone about me?”

Mr. Bird hit the steering wheel hard enough to honk the horn. They were stopped at the lights at Castle Frank. The woman in the next car stared.

“Why? Because you’re a child, and people should know where you are. I can’t believe your dad. Walking away without looking for you. Someone should care about you!”

His voice was raw. He was upset. Boomer heard it too. The dog’s head came up, and he gave a questioning whimper.

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