snapped forward. The back of his neck stung from the impact of Tony’s ice ball then went numb as snow trickled beneath his shirt and ran down his skinny back. Along the side of the house, Tony motioned for Wesley to get over there.
Wesley got his bearings and made a dash for him.
“What the heck are you thinkin’?” Tony grabbed Wesley by the lapels of his baggy coat. “Are you with me or not, you moron? What are you, scared?”
“I can see the SUV clear as day!” Wesley squealed, looking back at it again. “I’m ready to get outta here. Why’d you hit me?”
“No you’re not!” Tony bent him to the ground. “Get down on all fours. I’m gonna hop on your back and look inside.”
“This is it.” The icy wetness seeped through the knees of Wesley’s baggy cargo pants, and he wanted to be back in his apartment. “We’re going after this. Hurry up.”
“I’ll tell you when we’re going.” Tony hiked up onto Wesley’s back with his left foot, then the rest of his weight with the right.
Wesley groaned and bowed, letting his shaved head rest on the surface of the snow. Tony continued to reposition his boots on Wesley’s back, but he became indifferent to the weight. This is about what I’m good for. He shivered again, anguish creeping up on him. What was it, guilt for being here? Condemnation about taking the Jesus figure?
“We need to do some more of that cristy.” Wesley turned his head sideways. “You hear me?”
When no reply came, Wesley craned his neck just enough to see the light from inside the house reflecting in Tony’s little black eyes as they invaded the privacy of his uncle’s home.
“No way… You ain’t gonna believe this.”
“What?”
“Your old man’s in there with Lester and the wife. Looks like he got the crap beat out of him.”
“Who?”
“Your old man.”
“Lemme see.” Wesley squirmed and Tony jumped down, landing with a thud on both feet. He hit the ground and squared his back so Wesley could hop up.
Everett and Karen were seated next to each other, holding hands on a flowered loveseat. His dad was on the edge of a chair next to them, elbows on his knees, head in his hands.
Although he tried, Wesley couldn’t make out a word of what looked like an intense conversation.
Suddenly, Karen rose and leaned over to say something to Everett, her long, shiny blond hair brushing against his shoulder. Then she left the room and the collies eased up from the floor to follow her.
When Karen was gone, his dad raised his head toward Everett. There were bandages on Dad’s forehead and cheek. His eyes were bloodshot. He squinted and pleaded urgently with his hands.
What’s he doing here?
Both Tony and Wesley’s heads spun as a bolt lock clicked and a door opened on the front porch just around the corner. Then a bunch of light footsteps. Claws clicking on wood. And jingling.
Tony began to rise from the ground, Wesley jumped from his back into the snow, and they froze like plastic soldiers.
“Brrr. Go on, go potty, girls,” Karen yelled from what must have been just forty feet from them. Can she see the Yukon?
After shooting a worried glance at Tony, Wesley’s eyes became transfixed on the dogs, whose name tags clinked at their collars as they moseyed and sniffed a little ways out from the house.
“C’mon, girls, hurry up, do your business! It’s freezing out here. Let’s go!”
Everything appeared as if it was going to be okay until, virtually at the same time, the dogs picked up their scent and started barking.
Taking off like trained security hounds, the collies darted through the snow, as they seemed to fly five feet with each stride. Coming to within a few feet of Wesley and Tony, the dogs ducked, jumped, barked, and growled—baring big white teeth and severely testing Wesley’s bladder.
The knocker from the front door rattled. Karen must have gone inside. Then, floodlights bathed the yard with light.
Wesley looked frantically at the
Wesley got his bearings and made a dash for him.
“What the heck are you thinkin’?” Tony grabbed Wesley by the lapels of his baggy coat. “Are you with me or not, you moron? What are you, scared?”
“I can see the SUV clear as day!” Wesley squealed, looking back at it again. “I’m ready to get outta here. Why’d you hit me?”
“No you’re not!” Tony bent him to the ground. “Get down on all fours. I’m gonna hop on your back and look inside.”
“This is it.” The icy wetness seeped through the knees of Wesley’s baggy cargo pants, and he wanted to be back in his apartment. “We’re going after this. Hurry up.”
“I’ll tell you when we’re going.” Tony hiked up onto Wesley’s back with his left foot, then the rest of his weight with the right.
Wesley groaned and bowed, letting his shaved head rest on the surface of the snow. Tony continued to reposition his boots on Wesley’s back, but he became indifferent to the weight. This is about what I’m good for. He shivered again, anguish creeping up on him. What was it, guilt for being here? Condemnation about taking the Jesus figure?
“We need to do some more of that cristy.” Wesley turned his head sideways. “You hear me?”
When no reply came, Wesley craned his neck just enough to see the light from inside the house reflecting in Tony’s little black eyes as they invaded the privacy of his uncle’s home.
“No way… You ain’t gonna believe this.”
“What?”
“Your old man’s in there with Lester and the wife. Looks like he got the crap beat out of him.”
“Who?”
“Your old man.”
“Lemme see.” Wesley squirmed and Tony jumped down, landing with a thud on both feet. He hit the ground and squared his back so Wesley could hop up.
Everett and Karen were seated next to each other, holding hands on a flowered loveseat. His dad was on the edge of a chair next to them, elbows on his knees, head in his hands.
Although he tried, Wesley couldn’t make out a word of what looked like an intense conversation.
Suddenly, Karen rose and leaned over to say something to Everett, her long, shiny blond hair brushing against his shoulder. Then she left the room and the collies eased up from the floor to follow her.
When Karen was gone, his dad raised his head toward Everett. There were bandages on Dad’s forehead and cheek. His eyes were bloodshot. He squinted and pleaded urgently with his hands.
What’s he doing here?
Both Tony and Wesley’s heads spun as a bolt lock clicked and a door opened on the front porch just around the corner. Then a bunch of light footsteps. Claws clicking on wood. And jingling.
Tony began to rise from the ground, Wesley jumped from his back into the snow, and they froze like plastic soldiers.
“Brrr. Go on, go potty, girls,” Karen yelled from what must have been just forty feet from them. Can she see the Yukon?
After shooting a worried glance at Tony, Wesley’s eyes became transfixed on the dogs, whose name tags clinked at their collars as they moseyed and sniffed a little ways out from the house.
“C’mon, girls, hurry up, do your business! It’s freezing out here. Let’s go!”
Everything appeared as if it was going to be okay until, virtually at the same time, the dogs picked up their scent and started barking.
Taking off like trained security hounds, the collies darted through the snow, as they seemed to fly five feet with each stride. Coming to within a few feet of Wesley and Tony, the dogs ducked, jumped, barked, and growled—baring big white teeth and severely testing Wesley’s bladder.
The knocker from the front door rattled. Karen must have gone inside. Then, floodlights bathed the yard with light.
Wesley looked frantically at the
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