smile.
The driver crossed his arms. “So this is some kind of school project?”
“Exactly,” Scott said.
“Why do you need plastic sheeting and bags of sand? What are you making?”
“It’s … like … a … the teacher has the plans,” he said in a rush. Scott held up his phone again. “I just spoke to him and he’s running late, so if you want towait about another half an hour … or maybe an hour … or two.”
The driver’s shoulders slumped. “I don’t have time for this.” He peered intently into Scott’s eyes. Scott smiled back. “Okay. I’ll leave the stuff with you. But I need you to sign.” Scott took the pen and signed with a flourish. The driver ripped a copy off and gave it to Scott.
“Where do you want me to put it?” the driver asked.
“Right here is fine,” Charlie said.
“Are you sure you can leave it in the parking lot?”
“It’ll be gone in five minutes, tops,” Charlie said.
The driver chewed on his pen. “Fine. I’ve wasted too much time already. Stand back.”
He ran to his truck and used a hoist to lower the plastic sheeting and the sandbags. They were on a wooden skid, bound by metal straps.
He leaned out the window. “Bring the skid back to the shop and you get fifteen bucks,” he yelled, and then pulled away.
“Should I rip this up now, or wait until we’re really bored,” Scott said, holding up his copy of the invoice.
“Why don’t you frame it for your bedroom?” Nick said. “You can put it next to your miniature glass kitten collection.”
“Nick, you know it’s our glass kitten collection,” Scott said.
Nick wiped his eyes. “Is he not the best pal in the world?”
Charlie’s and Dalton’s eyes met. Charlie was feeling worse every second. He couldn’t imagine how ugly this was for Dalton. “Hey guys, I kinda messed Dalton up,”Charlie said. “I didn’t tell him exactly why we are here and …”
“It’s okay, Charlie,” Dalton said, nodding slowly. “I understand your motivations, and I admire your school spirit and initiative. But, at the same time, the dangers of being caught cannot be exaggerated.” He gave his keys a whirl. “We would be wise to hurry. In order to determine the availability of the gym for fundraising events I did a search of permits given to community groups. The gym is booked every Saturday starting at ten o’clock.”
Dalton selected one key and held it out to Charlie. “I believe you are more fleet of foot than I. This key opens the front doors. I assume we’ll be moving the supplies in through this side door, so you’ll have to walk through the school.” He held up another key. “You need this key to open the door leading to the south stairwell.”
Charlie wanted to give Dalton a hug — obviously not a good time for that. “I’ll see you guys in a sec,” he said, and took off with the keys in hand. It was weird to be the only person in the school. Only a few lights were on, and it was a bit creepy. As he reached to open the side door, for some reason he felt compelled to look back. This place meant a lot to him, and he realized how much when he saw it empty like this. It filled his heart with a heavy feeling. This was the place where he had come after his dad died, when he thought he would never be happy again. Here he had made the best friends of his life; and he had expected grade ten to be an even better year.
He opened the door. Matt was snipping the straps. Scott and Nick were staggering under the weight of the sandbags and coming towards him. Charlie quicklystuffed a rock into the corner of the door to keep it open and ran over to help.
10
RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY
Charlie and Pudge struggled up the last few steps. “My arms are gonna fall out of their sockets,” Charlie said. “Hold on.” He rested a corner of the plastic wrapping on a stair. “How can plastic weigh so much?”
Pudge was breathing heavily and he put his end down too. “Maybe another school ain’t such a
The driver crossed his arms. “So this is some kind of school project?”
“Exactly,” Scott said.
“Why do you need plastic sheeting and bags of sand? What are you making?”
“It’s … like … a … the teacher has the plans,” he said in a rush. Scott held up his phone again. “I just spoke to him and he’s running late, so if you want towait about another half an hour … or maybe an hour … or two.”
The driver’s shoulders slumped. “I don’t have time for this.” He peered intently into Scott’s eyes. Scott smiled back. “Okay. I’ll leave the stuff with you. But I need you to sign.” Scott took the pen and signed with a flourish. The driver ripped a copy off and gave it to Scott.
“Where do you want me to put it?” the driver asked.
“Right here is fine,” Charlie said.
“Are you sure you can leave it in the parking lot?”
“It’ll be gone in five minutes, tops,” Charlie said.
The driver chewed on his pen. “Fine. I’ve wasted too much time already. Stand back.”
He ran to his truck and used a hoist to lower the plastic sheeting and the sandbags. They were on a wooden skid, bound by metal straps.
He leaned out the window. “Bring the skid back to the shop and you get fifteen bucks,” he yelled, and then pulled away.
“Should I rip this up now, or wait until we’re really bored,” Scott said, holding up his copy of the invoice.
“Why don’t you frame it for your bedroom?” Nick said. “You can put it next to your miniature glass kitten collection.”
“Nick, you know it’s our glass kitten collection,” Scott said.
Nick wiped his eyes. “Is he not the best pal in the world?”
Charlie’s and Dalton’s eyes met. Charlie was feeling worse every second. He couldn’t imagine how ugly this was for Dalton. “Hey guys, I kinda messed Dalton up,”Charlie said. “I didn’t tell him exactly why we are here and …”
“It’s okay, Charlie,” Dalton said, nodding slowly. “I understand your motivations, and I admire your school spirit and initiative. But, at the same time, the dangers of being caught cannot be exaggerated.” He gave his keys a whirl. “We would be wise to hurry. In order to determine the availability of the gym for fundraising events I did a search of permits given to community groups. The gym is booked every Saturday starting at ten o’clock.”
Dalton selected one key and held it out to Charlie. “I believe you are more fleet of foot than I. This key opens the front doors. I assume we’ll be moving the supplies in through this side door, so you’ll have to walk through the school.” He held up another key. “You need this key to open the door leading to the south stairwell.”
Charlie wanted to give Dalton a hug — obviously not a good time for that. “I’ll see you guys in a sec,” he said, and took off with the keys in hand. It was weird to be the only person in the school. Only a few lights were on, and it was a bit creepy. As he reached to open the side door, for some reason he felt compelled to look back. This place meant a lot to him, and he realized how much when he saw it empty like this. It filled his heart with a heavy feeling. This was the place where he had come after his dad died, when he thought he would never be happy again. Here he had made the best friends of his life; and he had expected grade ten to be an even better year.
He opened the door. Matt was snipping the straps. Scott and Nick were staggering under the weight of the sandbags and coming towards him. Charlie quicklystuffed a rock into the corner of the door to keep it open and ran over to help.
10
RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY
Charlie and Pudge struggled up the last few steps. “My arms are gonna fall out of their sockets,” Charlie said. “Hold on.” He rested a corner of the plastic wrapping on a stair. “How can plastic weigh so much?”
Pudge was breathing heavily and he put his end down too. “Maybe another school ain’t such a
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