Hope For Garbage Read Free Page A

there for cabbage and noodles and she started talking to me like I was her best friend or something.  She told me—to tell you—to come to the diner.  And I quote, ‘the noodles are on her’.”
    Tom ignored the kid’s attempt at crude humor .  “And you didn’t bring me any!”  His eyes widened at the mere mention of real food.  “Now we have to eat that TV-dinner crap.”  What he wouldn’t give for a home-cooked meal.
    “Well, you weren’t very high on my favorite’s list when I was riding home from the Crazy Kids Center.”
    Tom tried to suppress a laugh.  “Trevor, please don’t call it that.”
    “Hey, just telling it like it is.”
    “It’s just a place kids can go to talk about their problems.  A lot of kids.  And they’re just like you.  You don’t think you’re crazy, do you?”
    Trevor got up from the couch.  “You know what Mr.T?  I’m seventeen and my best friend is like seventy.  Maybe I am crazy,” he walked toward the back door with Jip at his heels.  “See ya Mr.T.  I’m going to work!”
    “See you later kid!”  Tom called after him.  He smiled as he thought about what the kid had just said— his best friend .  He reclined in his chair and closed his eyes.  He would be dozing in no time.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER 3
     
     
    The nightmare was always the same.  Trevor flew over a large grassy field, frantically flapping his arms, trying to stay up in the air.  A man dressed in black ran on the ground below him, reaching up for him, trying to catch him.  Every time Trevor stopped flapping his arms, he fell closer to the man’s clutches.
    His arms were so tired.  He couldn’t keep this up much longer.  As he fell closer to the ground, he could hear the man-in-black singing.  Trevor couldn’t make out the song at first, but then he recognized the familiar tune: “Welcome to the new age…to the new age…Welcome to the new age…”
    Trevor sat up in a cold sweat.  His cell phone was buzzing and playing the “Radioactive” ringtone.  He looked over at the red numbers glowing on the clock—5:47 a.m.  Flashing on his cell phone was the name FRANK.  He flipped it open, “Jesus Frank, why are you calling me at five in the morning?”
    “I know, sorry kid.  I had to call before my shift starts.  But you’ll be thanking me later.”
    Trevor yawned, “OK, what do you got?”
    There was excitement in Frank’s voice, “Honda HRX, really nice. It won’t be out there long.  You’ve got to snatch it up.”
    Trevor threw off his cover and sat up on the edge of the bed, “Where?”
    “Well that’s the thing.  It’s up in Harbor Village, on Lakeside Avenue.”
    Harbor Village was one of the wealthiest suburbs outside of Cleveland.  It was also a place where residents weren’t fond of outsiders snooping around.  He sighed, “Frank, you know I can’t go up there.  Uncle Gary will kick my ass.”
    “Kid, I’m telling you it’ll be worth it.  He doesn’t have to know where you got it.”
    Trevor was thinking it through.  He wasn’t physically afraid of his uncle.  The fat slob wouldn’t stand a chance against him in a fair fight.  But he didn’t like the idea of losing the roof over his head either.  Still, these opportunities didn’t come around very often…
    “Hey kid, I’ve got to get to work. ” Frank sounded impatient, “Are you interested, or should I make some other calls?”
    He knew he might regret this.  “Give me the address.”
     
    ***
     
    As quietly as he could, Trevor took a quick shower and got dressed.  The last thing he wanted to do was wake up Uncle Gary.  He threw on his usual outfit of Levi’s and a hooded sweatshirt and tip-toed down the stairs.  An atomic bomb probably wouldn’t be enough to wake hi s uncle, but Trevor didn’t want to take any chances.
    He opened the back door and let Jip out.  It was supposed to be in the fifties today with lots of sun—balmy for May.  And thanks to