Undergrounders Page 8

  I was a nervous wreck when we pulled into the parking lot at Johnny’s. It was a nice-looking place — a real old-fashioned burger joint.

  “You coming, Jonathon?”

  Rasheed had slid open the van door.

  “I guess. Sorry.”

  “You don’t have anything to be sorry about,” he said, closing the door behind me, “not the way you played today.” He slapped me on the back. “This place is the best. You gotta get the double-burger — total automatic call. The shakes are just okay, but get one anyway. Fries — of course. I’m feeling all onion-ringy, though. What about you?”

  I felt the two quarters in my pocket — my life savings. “I didn’t know we were … coming here and I didn’t … exactly bring enough …” My voice sounded all squeaky, like a little kid about to burst into tears. Rasheed was looking at me all funny. “I don’t have any money,” I said in a rush, and prayed I wouldn’t start crying.

  Rasheed laughed and slapped my back again. “Dad’s got you covered. Don’t sweat it. And this joint’s named after you, so you shouldn’t have to pay.” He kept laughing as we went in. Alisha held the door for us. For the first time I noticed her bright green eyes, which stood out against her brown skin and long, straight black hair.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled, as I walked past.

  “You’re welcome,” she said.

  Those were the first words I heard her say. She was small, shorter than me, and I figured she’d have a high voice, but it was smoother and lower even than Rose’s. She was way prettier than Rose too.

  Chapter 17

  Rasheed had his arm around Collin’s shoulder. “I assume you’re going for the double double-burger.”

  “As much as that appeals to me, good friend, I fear that would be somewhat expensive and therefore, out of respect for your father I will limit my appetite to one pathetic, barely-fills-me-up regular burger, with no toppings, no drink, and no fries — and perhaps get a snack when I go home.”

  Rick lowered his chin to his chest, but I could tell he thought it was funny. He peered over at the pair of them. “I think I might be able to finance the double double-burger on this tremendous occasion. You need to keep your energy up, considering the Rangers are on a winning streak.”

  “I won’t let you down, Rick.” Collin cleared his throat. “And I’ll have the burgers with everything but tomatoes, and perhaps I’ll add a large fries, chocolate shake — and maybe Rasheed and I can split some rings?”

  Rick rolled his eyes. “To be young again. And Rasheed — the usual?”

  “Sure, Dad. Make mine a banana shake.”

  “What do you want, Alisha?”

  She crinkled her nose. Her eyes were really bright, and her skin was so smooth it glowed. I’d never seen skin like that. She sort of looked like Rasheed too, but in a girl way, of course.

  “Hot dog and fries and a vanilla shake,” she said.

  Rick looked at me and raised his eyebrows. “I assume you want two double-burgers also.”

  The burger smell was so strong I could almost taste it, which made my mouth all watery and I had to gulp a ton of saliva. I prayed Alisha didn’t notice.

  Thank God Rasheed answered for me. “He’s got double double-burger written all over his face.”

  I could have hugged him.

  “Doin’ da double double ting,” Collin chanted.

  “Grab a table and I’ll order,” Rick said.

  As I followed them, Rick called out, “Jonathon, I forgot. What do you want on your burgers?”

  “Maybe ketchup, mustard … and pickles and onions … and hot peppers.”

  For some reason Rick thought that was funny, and I could tell because I know when adults try not to laugh. “And to drink?”

  This was definitely over the top. “Chocolate shake, I guess.”

  Rasheed and Collin were sitting next to each other, so I had to sit beside Alisha. I hoped I didn’t smell too bad. My knee touched hers by mistake and I moved away real fast so she wouldn’t get mad. She smiled at me when I squeezed in, though, and I smiled back.

  “I’m still so stoked by the game,” Collin was saying. “I think Jonathon killed that whole penalty by himself in the first period.”

  We got a penalty and the puck just seemed to follow me around. I carried it in our end, then circled through the neutral zone and back into our end, and then all the way down to their end. I didn’t score, but Lou still made a big fuss when I came off, and I killed every penalty after that.

  “The third goal was the best,” Rasheed said, “when you split the D and put it under the crossbar on your backhand. I mean, Jonathon, that was insane skill.”

  I wish they’d stop talking about me. It was embarrassing in front of Alisha.

  All I could think of saying was, “I thought the team played good.”

  Rasheed and Collin began to laugh so loud the other customers began to look over. Alisha giggled too. Her laugh was musical, like she was singing a song, the opposite of Rose. Her laugh was like a soggy cough.

  “You keep scoring and the team will play really good,” Rasheed said.

  He and Collin began talking about the next game against the Flames, who were in second place behind the Red Wings.

  “What school do you go to?” I heard Alisha say.

  It took me a few seconds to realize she was asking me. “I doubt you’ve heard of it. I don’t live that close to you.”

  “Oh.”

  “Where do you go?” I asked.

  She giggled again. “Same as Rasheed.”

  “What grade?”

  She giggled even harder. “Same grade. We’re twins, in case you didn’t notice. We don’t have any classes together, though.”

  Rasheed must have heard that. “We would if you didn’t hang out with all those gifties.”

  “You’d be in the gifted program too if you did your homework and tried for once.”

  “I did my homework once — just can’t remember when.”

  Alisha didn’t look impressed — more like disgusted. “You’re such a doofus, sometimes.”

  “Takes one to know one,” Rasheed shot back.

  “Food!” Collin interrupted.

  Rick slid two trays onto the table. Rasheed and Collin reached out, only to have Alisha slap their hands away.

  “Jonathon’s the guest of honour today. You animals can wait. Go ahead, take yours,” she said to me.

  “I’m not sure which one is mine.”

  “I heard you ask for hot peppers, so they’re probably the ones with HP written on them.”

  I took my two burgers. Collin and Rasheed were laughing and I could feel myself blush.

  “Shut up, you two,” she said, and took her hot dog. “You’re both such goofs.”

  Rick sat down and handed out the drinks. “Let’s eat up. It’s getting late.”

  The first burger went down so fast I didn’t remember eating it. Rasheed poured the fries and onion rings onto some napkins in the middle of the table and we dug in. It took all my energy not to scarf them all down myself.

  I was halfway through my second burger when Rick ruined it all.

  “We should get going,” he said. “It’s almost ten o’clock.”

  “Don’t sweat it,” Collin said. “My parents love it when I’m out.”

  They all laughed. I practically choked on my burger. I didn’t know if I could get from the rink to the Theatre to drop off my equipment and then to the Underground before the door was locked. I’d have to sleep outside. My mind seemed to freeze even thinking about it. Maybe I could sleep on a vent, but the drunks would be there by now. I’d have to walk around all night to keep warm. I thought about the door next to the shopping mall. Maybe they hadn’t fixed it yet and I could sneak into the stairway.

  Alisha tugged on my arm. She must have noticed my reaction, because she asked if I was all right.

  “My mom likes me home … on school nights. No problem. Didn’t know it was so late.”

 
No one else seemed that worried, not even Rick, so it took another ten minutes to finish. My burger tasted like chalk all of a sudden.

  “Why don’t we finish our milkshakes in the van,” Rick said.

  Rasheed sucked on his straw and it made that crackling noise that means you’re done. “Not necessary, Dad. I’ve solved the problem.”

  Seconds later, Collin did the same, and then Alisha. They all looked at me. I sucked so hard on that straw I thought I’d puke. Finally, I heard that empty sound and slammed the cup down. I had to force myself not to scream, I was so mad. Everything was such a big joke to them.

  Chapter 18

  The clock in the van read 10:15 when we finally pulled out of the parking lot. I was totally messed in the head. Maybe the best plan was to sleep in the garbage bin and use the bags as blankets.

  And then as if I wasn’t stressed enough, Rick asked me where I lived. “Your house is by the train station, right?” he asked me.

  I’d assumed he’d drop me off at the rink. “Um … yeah.”

  “What’s the address?”

  “You can drop me off at the rink. I’ll walk home.”

  He laughed. “Don’t be silly, Jonathon. It’s ten thirty. I can’t have you walking home across the city. Your mom would kill me.” He paused. “So … your address?”

  I remembered the row of townhouses behind the station. I had no idea of the street name, though. “It’s right behind the station. Do you know the townhouses there? It’s just on that street. You take Front to …”

  “I know those places. They’re nice. I remember when they were built. Not a problem. It’s not that out of the way, actually. We’ll be there in ten minutes, tops.”

  The rest of the ride was pure agony. Rasheed and Collin joked the whole way. Did they ever shut up? It’s great when you have a soft, warm bed to look forward to. I had a night of street walking. I’d probably get pounded by drunks or freeze to death. I complained about the Underground all the time, but I tell you, now that I was going to be locked out I’d have given anything to get in there.

  It felt like it took forever before we turned onto the street where I supposedly lived.

  “What number is it?” Rick asked.

  I picked a house with the lights off. “The one next to the stop sign.”

  He pulled the van over. The clock read 10:45. Rasheed hopped out and opened the trunk.

  “Thanks for the lift,” I said, “and Johnny’s.”

  “Great game, Jonathon,” Rasheed said. “Do you need a lift to the practice on Wednesday? We can give him a lift, right Dad?”

  “Sure. It’s early, at seven thirty. Is it possible for you to meet us at our house again? We’ll have to leave at six thirty sharp.”

  “That’s fine,” I said. I wasn’t really thinking about practice. I could feel the wind right through my jacket.

  “See ya,” Rasheed said, and he got back in.

  “Nice to meet you,” Alisha said, as the door closed.

  I waved at her and went to the trunk to get my equipment and stick. As I did, I noticed a blue nylon bag with a pull string. I reached over and pulled it a bit — a sleeping bag! Most Undergrounders would kill for a real sleeping bag. Mine was barely better than a bed sheet; it was so short I had to sleep all crunched up, and the bottom was beginning to tear. I snatched it and stuffed it in my hockey bag as fast as I could.

  “Hey, Jonathon.” Rasheed was leaning over the back seat grinning at me. “You were on fire tonight. For the first time all season I’m actually looking forward to the next game. See ya Wednesday.”

  I was too scared to answer. Would he notice the sleeping bag?

  “So … I’ll see ya,” he repeated.

  “Okay. Bye,” I managed finally.

  I waved, but the van did not move. Then I realized they were waiting for me to go inside. I looked around and saw a gate leading to the backyard. I pulled on the latch and waved again. That convinced them this was my house and the van pulled away. I kept waving until they were out of sight. It was snowing lightly and the streets were quiet. The street was actually real pretty, with these old-fashioned street lights and all the houses looking the same. If only I was actually going inside a house, life would be perfect. I closed the gate and headed down the street.

  I didn’t have time to drag this hockey bag all the way to the Theatre. I decided to stash it inside the door to the Underground. Rigger would charge me extra if he knew, but I could get up early and move it before he found out. Hopefully, Creeper was still guarding and he wouldn’t squeal. He hated Rigger more than anyone. At least I wasn’t hungry, and the game had been fun. I hadn’t thought about food, or Will, or W5, or anything for the entire time we played. I wished the game had gone on forever — that I could just play hockey and not have to worry about anything.

  I skidded down the hill, trying not to fall with the hockey bag on my shoulder. I used my stick to balance me, and I made it. In the window by the door, I thought I saw something flash, like a light. I held my breath as I sprinted to the door. Rigger had warned us about banging on the drawbridge after curfew, so I lightly tapped a few times with my stick.

  Creeper peered out with a cigarette hanging between his lips. I’d never thought I would be happy to see him.

  “You’re lucky I decided to have a smoke before going down,” he said.

  I’d never been happier to walk through the drawbridge. “Thanks.”

  He shrugged and sat back down, looking out the window, and took a deep drag of his cigarette.

  “Do you think it’s okay if I leave my bag up here for the night?”

  “I couldn’t care less. Do what you want.”

  I took out the sleeping bag and tossed my hockey equipment in the corner. I’d started down the ladder when I heard Creeper ask, “Did you win?”

  I popped my head back up. “We did. 4–2. First win of the season.”

  He made an ugly face. “Sounds like your team is garbage.”

  I climbed down, all the time thinking of my new sleeping bag. I bet Will and the others would be over-the-top jealous. As soon as I got to our store I unrolled it and slid in. It was soft and so warm it was like being in a furnace. After a minute I had to take my coat off and my shoes, and finally my pants. I felt bad about stealing it, especially after how nice Rasheed and Alisha and Rick had been.

  I promised myself — no more stealing.

  The last thing I remember before falling asleep was Alisha’s green eyes.

  Chapter 19

  I peeked into Lewis’s store. He’d been real scarce lately, which was actually a good thing because I hadn’t had to tell him about W5. So I was kind of surprised to see him stretched out on the couch listening to his iPod. I had to wait like a minute before he noticed me.

  “Don’t be so shy, Mouse. You know you can come in any time. Have a seat and have some bread and peanut butter.”

  I knew he’d kill me if I came in without his permission, but I didn’t say anything.

  “Thanks. Maybe a little sandwich is good,” I said. The truth was, I could have eaten the entire loaf.

  “I hear some interesting things about you.” He looked at me and laughed. “Apparently, we have a W5 problem.”

  I told Lewis what happened, and waited for him to freak on me. But he didn’t — just the opposite.

  With a wave of the hand, he told me to forget about W5. “I’ve got better things for you. You’re too smart to deliver packages. It’s a waste of your talents.” He laughed again. “First, I got you something from the Goodwill, you know the one on Preston. They had this hanging outside the store. I think they call it a sidewalk sale.”

  He laughed real hard, as if it was the funniest thing in the world. “It was a good deal, all right. Those losers didn’t even see me take it.”

  He pulled out a green coat and tossed it on my lap. “Try it on,” he told me.

  It was beyond ugly, but Lewis made such a thing about it, telling me how sick I looked and tough, that
I didn’t say anything bad. The hood even had gross fake fur around the edges, and it was Velcroed on — very weird. But the strangest thing was these huge pockets on the inside.

  “Fits nice,” he said. “I knew it. Perfect. I totally dig it, dude.”

  “Thanks, Lewis. I … uh … it’s great.”

  I looked like a complete doofus.

  “Why don’t we hang out today,” he said all sudden-like. “You doing anything?”

  “Not really. Just going to the Market with J.J., and maybe Will and Rose. Dunno.”

  “Blow them off. Stick with me. I got a way to make way more money than hawking with them.” He put an arm around my shoulders. “You’re better than them, Mouse. You need to take advantage of your skills. Why waste your time hawking a few quarters a day just to give them to Rigger.”

  He said Rigger like it was a dirty word. No one talked about Rigger like that. Of course, Lewis wasn’t afraid of anyone.

  He pointed toward my store. “I also noticed you picked up a sweet sleeping bag. Where’d you snatch that?”

  It had been three weeks since I’d stolen it from Rasheed’s van, but as much as I loved it, I couldn’t shake the guilty feeling, and I didn’t want to sound like a slimer to Lewis, so I lied.

  “The army surplus store had it outside. I guess like what you called a sidewalk sale. I grabbed it when they weren’t looking.”

  Lewis slapped the couch. “That’s what I mean, Mouse. You’re good, dude. That sleeping bag will keep you healthy. Keep your eyes open for stuff; stake a place out and make your move. You’re small, so people won’t notice you.”

  “Okay, Lewis.”

  He reached into another box and pulled out some bread and a jar of peanut butter, and handed me a Swiss Army knife from his pocket. It was a sweet knife, gleaming black with like a hundred blades and gadgets attached. I didn’t waste any time making a sandwich. I had only eaten three Chinese buns yesterday, and I was starved.