Five Days Left by Julie Lawson Timmer

Author:Julie Lawson Timmer [Timmer, Julie Lawson]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2014-09-09T00:00:00+00:00

23.

Scott

After the hearing the previous April, Scott had taken Bray and Curtis to LaDania’s apartment to pack Curtis’s things. Graffiti covered almost every inch of brick at the complex, and parts of the doors and windows. There appeared to be only one functioning car in the parking lot. The others were missing a wheel or two, their bare axles propped up on two-by-fours and cinder blocks.

A few rusted grocery carts took up one parking space and a picnic table sat in another, three rough-looking teenagers sitting on top of it, their feet on the benches, bottles wrapped in brown paper in their hands. They called “Hey” to Bray as he, Scott and Curtis got out of the car. Bray called “Hey” to them, and under his breath said to Scott, “Lock the car.”

The smell in the hallway made Scott gag: a combination of sweat, vomit and urine. The graffiti continued on the inside walls and up the stairwell. The stench carried into the stairwell, too, the confined space making it even stronger. He was glad Laurie hadn’t come. Over the years, he had dropped Bray off outside many times, but had never been inside. He always offered to walk Bray in, but the boy always quickly declined. Scott had guessed why, but never guessed it was this bad.

When Bray unlocked his mother’s apartment, the smell of spoiled milk hit Scott before he could see anything. It was worse than the vomit and urine in the hallway. When Bray turned on the light, Scott saw at least a dozen roaches scurrying across the counter and floors.

“Visitors,” Curtis announced casually, as he gingerly stepped over them.

“He doesn’t ever want to kill anything,” Bray said to Scott. “But you can’t let them stay, Curtis. Where are those traps I got you?”

The boy shrugged and Bray brushed the roaches off the counter and stepped on as many as he could. Some escaped into the space between the counter and the small grime-covered stove. Curtis watched them go, looking pleased they had dodged the stomping. Scott took in the rest of the kitchen, which overflowed with dirty dishes. There was a cereal box on the counter, tipped over, its contents spilled out. A blackened, oozing banana sat nearby and beside that, the source of the offensive odor, a half-full container of milk.

Bray shook his head in disgust but put a gentle hand on his brother’s head. “Curtis, you’ve got to put stuff away. Remember how I showed you?”

He picked up the milk, shoved some dirty dishes to one side of the sink and poured the liquid down the drain. But when he turned the tap to wash it down, only a clanging noise came out of the faucet. He turned to his brother, a confused look on his face.

“That’s why I couldn’t wash the dishes,” Curtis said. “We haven’t had water in a while.”

Bray sighed and turned to Scott. “This is the reason I picked Michigan over all those other schools. So I could stay close by.

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