Homeboyz by Alan Lawrence Sitomer

Author:Alan Lawrence Sitomer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 2016-06-15T00:00:00+00:00

14

Thunderstorms smashed across the sky. Diaz looked at the clock. The time ticked from 1:29 to 1:30. No Teddy.

The rain crashed outside: 1:35 came and went. Still no Teddy.

Then 1:38. Still no Teddy. Diaz waited.

“He just a punk anyway, Officer Dee. I don’t even know why you be hookin’ us up like dis,” Micah said, looking up from his colored-paper notebook.

Then 1:39. Diaz started slowly for the telephone, ready to make “the call.” Then the door opened. In walked Teddy, soaked from the rain. Diaz waited for an excuse.

“Traffic.”

She stared.

“What? You never heard of traffic? It’s pissing rain out there.”

Diaz hung up the phone, crossed the room, and whispered in Teddy’s ear. “You’ve used your slack. Don’t push me again.” Then, with her head held high, Diaz left the room, leaving Micah and Teddy alone.

Teddy took off his raincoat and tossed it on a chair. “Wanna do math?”

“Up yours, Dick.”

“That’s what I thought.”

Teddy flopped down in a chair, reached into his backpack, and took out an oversize Burger King bag. Inside was a Double Whopper, a large fries, a large onion rings, and a chocolate milk shake. The smell of warm food filled the room. Micah stared at a French fry.

“Don’t even think about it,” Teddy said.

Micah glared at Teddy, then looked down at his notebook and tried to concentrate on his drawing, but the thought of the food distracted him from his sheet of blue paper.

Teddy took a giant bite out of his Double Whopper. Ketchup dribbled down his chin. Micah couldn’t help but look over. “Not even a seed from my sesame-seed bun, punk,” Teddy taunted, and to make the point entirely clear, he took another huge chomp of his burger.

“You’re a dick,” Micah replied.

Teddy smiled and slurped his milk shake. “A-a-ah!” he added with an exaggerated expression of satisfaction to rub it in.

A moment later Diaz entered, attracted by the smell as well. She took a moment to observe the situation, then approached Micah.

“Storm’s gonna get worse tonight, Micah. Why don’t you go ahead and get back early. Try to stay dry if you can.”

Micah stood up, tucked his pad of colored paper under his shirt, and hesitated at the door, looking out into the storm. Pellets of wetness crashed to the pavement outside. Micah turned, flipped Teddy the middle finger, and pulled the hood of his sweatshirt over his head and dashed off into the rain.

Teddy smiled and popped an onion ring into his mouth. Diaz glared. “That mean I’m off early, too?”

Diaz took a moment before answering. “Yeah, you too.”

“Sweet!” Teddy said, quickly gobbling down the rest of his burger. Three gulps later the Whopper had disappeared, and Teddy started putting on his raincoat.

“You know, he’s probably hungry,” Diaz said.

“Well, so am I,” Teddy replied, shoveling a fistful of French fries and onion rings into his mouth. Diaz shook her head. “What? What are you shaking your head for? How come women are always shaking their heads?”

“The file said you were extraordinarily perceptive.”

“So?”

“So didn’t you notice Micah’s ‘raincoat’? That’s the same sweatshirt he’s worn for the past three days.

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