HOOD: A Post Apocalyptic Novel (American Rebirth Series Book 1) Read Free Page A

anyone know any new stories? I could stand to be distracted.”
    “I'm not sure we haven't heard every true story and twice as many made up ones at this point,” Whiskey said, unscrewing the top of his flask and taking a drink. Hood smacked him in the knee and beckoned it over with two fingers. Whiskey handed the flask off to him. Hood tipped it back, holding his breath to keep the taste but not the burn.
    “Yeah, actually, I got one,” Hood said wiping his lips on his knuckles. He looked down at the stainless steel flask, a smile growing from the fond memory. “It's from high school, actually. You aren't gonna believe it's true.”
    Hood looked up at the three of them. Billy and Lucky stared back, attending to their bottle and cigarette respectively, while Whiskey kept staring into the fire. Hood handed the flask back to him, breaking his reverie.
    “Well shit, don't keep us in suspense,” Billy said, resting the bottle on his knee.
    “Bet a bottle it's another one about his adopted brother Isaac or whoever,” Lucky pointed at Billy.
    Hood picked up a pebble and threw it at Lucky over the fire. Lucky snatched it out of the air, and jumped to his feet in a crane stance.
    “You see that Mr. Miyagi shit? Like a ninja, son!”
    “Congrats you caught a rock, sit down and let him tell the damn story,” Billy grumbled.
    “Nah that's cool, Lucky wants to practice his Tai Chi,” Hood said.
    “Stop being an asshole,” Billy gestured at Lucky with his bottle.
    “Don't get all butthurt. Go on, tell your fuckin' story,” Lucky sat down, pulling the cigarette out of his mouth.
    Hood rubbed his palm with his thumb, launching into the saga. “So yeah. Way back in high school Ian was all about this girl Deirdre Connelly. Ian's the kinda kid who was single-minded in his focus. She was a pretty girl, but spoken for all through high school until senior year she and her dude broke up. She skipped class one day, apparently getting pretty high and sexting Ian with her address, saying her parents weren't home. Problem is, his teacher saw him on his phone and took it away, giving it to the front office for my mom to pick up. . .”
    Lucky had perked up at the mention of a pretty girl and sexting, taking a strong pull from the cigarette as he watched intently. Hood chuckled to himself remembering it. The memories almost didn't feel real, like it was a different world.
    “Anyway, so Ian obviously isn't going to let this stop him. He sneaks out at lunch, meets up with this chick he knows who's a makeup artist at the mall. They come up with a plan, and they go full Mrs. Doubtfire, turning Ian into my mom. I mean full-blown: dress, stockings, heels, wig, makeup, everything. I swear, it was pretty goddamned convincing. He strolls right into the front office claiming to be Mrs. Huntington, there to pick up her son's phone. He had the voice pretty good too. Unbeknownst to him, I had just got caught drinking cheap vodka in the bathroom and they decide that while 'my mom' was there, they should take me to her for discipline. So I'm in the front office and I see him all done up. Immediately I lose it, I'm howling, dying, I can't help it. Afraid his cover is going to be blown, he launches into a rant about me being more responsible and taking away my phone and X-box and grounding me and how mad my father is going to be when he finds out, and the whole time I'm in tears. Someone finally musters the nerve to question Ian's facade. Ian tries desperately to whisk me and his phone away but is caught when the Dean calls my mom's cell. Ian was so pissed I thought he was going to kill me, but I didn't care, it felt like the best day of my life. The dean rambled to us about integrity and the whole time I couldn't stop laughing and Ian wanted to stab me.”
    Hood drew the story to a close, staring off into the fire.
    “Well?” Lucky said, staring at Hood. “Did Ian bang that chick?”
    Hood shook his head. “You're an idiot.”
    “Don't leave it