Spud Read Free Page B

what’s it to you? Stay out of our way, and we’ll
stay out of yours.” By now, we’re standing in the doorway, between the heat and the
cold, and it’s obvious Miss Candi is irritated that we’re letting out the cool air.
Okay, everyone is irritated.
    “Well, it ain’t quite so easy, Cooper, because I’ve got a right to wander where I
please. How about you all stay outa my way? And don’t think I’m dumb about you wanting
my girl. You stay away from Deena, as she don’t need to be hanging with welfare scums
like you.” He’s got this smirk on his face. Hit a sore spot and knows it.
    The ass! My parents don’t make much, and we’ve always lived in the government housing
apartments, but that doesn’t make us scum. Man, I could outscore Mike any day on
a test in any subject. I know that if I want a future that includes a college degree,
I have to be smart, get good grades, and score some scholarships. If my parents taught
me anything, it’s hard work.
    Now I really hate Mike. He’s always looked down on me. One of these days I’m gonna…
    I stare him hard, deciding he’s not worth the trouble, walk out the door, and meet
Spud, my eyes blinded briefly with the brightness. Spud knew better than to test
the waters and has been on the sidewalk outside. With those jeans and boots, he must
be near death.
    How can Deena stand that dumbass Mike? She totally must be the most patient, sympathetic…
    “Finally!” Spud says, taking a deep breath and wiping sweat from his forehead. He
starts toward the sidewalk and is drenched in sweat it’s as if he just weathered
a real storm.
    “I’m about to die here, Jackson. And I don’t wanna know what that weasel had to say.
Let’s just forget we saw him and get to your place where things are nice, where people
are nice.”
    I keep quiet, and as we walk toward my place, a couple blocks to go, Spud is now
engrossed in some wrestling magazine he must have swiped. How the hell does he do
that? While he flips through it, I just busy myself staring at the houses I’ve seen
hundreds of times, decorated yards with their colorful summer flowers (illegal watering,
I’m quite sure, as those flowers should be dead in this hot draught) and dull, thirsty
brown grass, with the occasional tykes out in their family pools. How I’ve always
wanted to have our own pool! Wouldn’t it rock to swim in my own backyard, away from
toddlers and tinkling? How sweet it would be to float on my raft and catch some rays,
without being splashed or crashing into some dippy pool toy. Ahhh.
    In the meantime, my refreshing daydreams cannot last. You know the old saying, that
you could fry an egg on the walk? Well, it is so true. Literally, today, it could
be done. Imagine that, and how your clothes just stick to you. Daydreaming helps
a bit, but you can only pretend so long, until a sweaty wedgie brings you back to
reality. A moment, please.
    “Hey, Jackson,” Spud suddenly says, about five minutes into the solemn journey home,
but with a welcome grin on his mischievous face. He’s obviously tired of trying to
read a magazine and walk at the same time. “Your shoe’s untied.”
    Here we go.

Chapter 2
    Stupid to fall for it, I glance down, on instinct, even though I’m wearing flip flop
shoes, and Spud takes off running, despite the heat, despite his sweaty, stuck jeans.
    “Last one home’s a rotten egg,” he childishly shouts as he has taken off his boots
(how did I not see him do that?) and is running barefoot down the sidewalk. Damn!
He’s good.
    Not that I, in any way, think I’ll actually turn into a rotten egg, but it’s a pride
thing. I take off my flip flops hurriedly and start to run after him. “You punk,”
I teasingly yell ahead of me. Oww! This is much like running on hot coals; the sidewalk
is on fire!
    Racing after him, sweating all the more, I realize this is one of the things, though,
that I like about Spud. He’s spontaneous, fun, can change any situation, even a