Undergrounders Read Free Page B

time.”
    “Give me a quarter, Mommy. Give me some money.”
    I got hopeful. Definitely time to make a move. I hunched my shoulders to look real small and pathetic. “I haven’t eaten today. You got any change, even a nickel?”
    Best to ask for crazy small change. Makes Reggies feel cheap if they don’t give you something bigger.
    “Joshua, stop pulling on Mommy’s arm when I’m carrying heavy things.”
    Joshua kept tugging away and his mom was going to lose it, which was bad because that would mean she’d just bolt to her car.
    “You don’t have to,” I said, making my voice crack a bit. “I’ll be okay.”
    She put her bags down and began to dig around in her purse. Joshua wouldn’t stop pulling on her coat, and then the other kid started asking for money.
    “I don’t have any change,” I heard her mutter as the kids kept pulling away. “Stop it, you two. That’s enough already, please!”
    She pulled out two five-dollar bills. I swear. I couldn’t believe it. She gave one to each kid, only the wind picked up and Joshua’s brother dropped the bill and it blew away, with both kids tearing after it and their mom yelling at them to be careful and to stop. The bill went under a car and Joshua actually crawled under to get it.
    “Joshua, get up. It’s dirty and there’s ice everywhere.”
    He obviously wasn’t big on listening. He kept at it until he got the money, and ran over and gave the bills to me.
    “You’re legit, dude,” I said to him. “Stay cool.”
    “Let’s get going. Mommy’s going to the car now. Daddy’s at home waiting for us.”
    I guess they loved their dad since they ran to the car. Joshua turned and waved, and I waved back, and why not since he basically got me ten dollars. That did it for hawking today. I’d never been so loaded in my life — $15.50. This really was the best day ever.
    I cut up to Union Street toward the hot dog vendor around the far side so I wouldn’t have to deal with Creeper. I smelled the dogs before I even saw the cart. All the Undergrounders love these hot dogs, and if anybody has the coin to buy one they brag about it forever. I’d only eaten a few. One time a dad bought a hot dog for his little son and the kid threw it on the ground. The dad lost it and yelled and screamed and wouldn’t let the little kid pick it up, and as the dad pulled his kid, who was having a total temper tantrum, I ran over and snatched it. I didn’t get to choose my own toppings, though, so this would be way better.
    “One hot dog,” I ordered in a loud voice.
    The man eyed me suspiciously. “Hot dogs ain’t free,” he said.
    “No kidding,” I shot back, holding out one of my five-dollar bills.
    He squinted at me, making his face lopsided before cooking me up the dog.
    “I see you here with the other boys. You ever go to school?” he asked me.
    “Every day, sir. I’m in university.”
    “Another wise guy. All you kids are wise guys.” He gave me my dog. “You want something to drink?”
    The dog smelled so good I couldn’t resist. “Give me a Coke,” I said.
    I loaded up on toppings until I could barely get my mouth around the hot dog. The heat from the hot dog warmed my mouth and my throat as I swallowed. It felt so good. If only this day could last forever. I ate as slowly as I could, wandering along the street past the railway station and around the back.
    I tossed the hot dog wrapping and the pop can into the bushes and clambered down the steep hill past the old, rusting railway tracks. Only a loser brought food to the Underground, unless you were Rigger or Lewis or another big kid. I learned that the hard way when two kids jumped me for some bread and gave me two black eyes. Lewis called me raccoon-face until the dark circles went away.
    Footprints in the snow dotted the way. A Reggie wouldn’t notice the grey metal door in a million years. We called it the drawbridge, because drawbridges protect the only way in and out of a castle, and so did