Jacob made his way through the streets of Seattle on one of the summer’s most beautiful days. It had been a mild summer this year with plenty of overcast skies, but anything less wouldn’t be Seattle-like would it? Today, it was a roasting seventy-eight degrees and climbing. All Jacob could think about was the pool at his friend Jayson’s house. If he could get there before lunch, maybe he and Jayson could get a dip in before they were forced out to eat lunch by his overly-protective mother.
As he rounded a corner, just three blocks from Jayson’s, he ran into the last person he ever expected to see this time of year- Fred Malone.
“Where ya goin in such a hurry Jakey!” He and four of his cronies, John, Bud, Clyde and Sebastian, were blocking the whole sidewalk and were closing in ranks at the site of him. Fred and his gang were known in and out of school as some of the meanest kids around, but no one ever told on them because the consequences were dire. The last known kid to do that was Bobby Brown who got his leg broke in a “mysterious accident” a week after Fred got out of Juvenile Hall for stealing Bobby and a few other kids’ bikes. So, any “chance meeting” with Fred and the Gang was one where you just curled up and hoped it got over with quick.
“Well?” John, Fred’s number one crony asked. “Aren’t ya gonna answer the man?” Clyde and Bud had laid their hands on Jacob’s shoulders and Sebastian, Fred’s number two crony, came up to fill in the gap to the other side of their leader. There was nowhere to run and nothing to do but give up or die trying.
Not being the hero-type, Jacob gave in easily. “Here Fred,” He said as he opened his wallet. Pulling out his last ten dollars he held it out expecting it to help calm the situation. “This is all I’ve got man. I was just on my way to a friend’s. What’s ten dollars anyway?” Tactic was something Jacob was never good at.
“Ya know Jakey… You’re right,” he said as he grabbed the money from him. “Those look about like nines to me boys,” he said to Bud and Clyde with a grin on his face that evil only understands. “Get me them shoes too.” Before Jacob could even fight, not that he would, he was on his face. The two boys behind him had grabbed his ankles and flipped him upside-down in order to fulfill their boss’ request. And there went Jacob’s brand new Nikes.
Dizzy, scraped up from his fall, and worried about what he would say to his folks, Jacob scooted up against one of the trees along the sidewalk and held his head. After he figured out a story he could tell Jayson’s mother, should she ask about the scrapes, Jacob got up and stumbled the rest of the way to his friend’s home.
***
“All right man,” Jayson stared him down. “You might be able to fool my mom with that story, but I wanna know the truth. Was this Fred who did this to you?” Jayson was Jacob’s best friend since they lived around the corner from each other when they were four years old. The two had never been good at lying to one another and so the truth came out. As Jacob told his story, Jayson got an “I knew it” look on his face. “Man… That sucks.”
“You’re telling me!”
“Hope your parents buy the whole ‘someone stole my shoes at the beach’ story you cooked up. Man. They’re never gonna buy you new shoes again.”
“Yeah. Looks like it’s Thrift Store Shoes once again.” Jacob grabbed his head. The pulsing from his accident still hurt a little.
“You gonna get that checked out? It looks pretty hashed.”
“I’ll be all right. It’s just a little scratched up,” he said, pulling his hand away. He dunked his whole body underwater and then pushed up off of the bottom of the pool with surprising results. All Jayson could do was stare as his friend shot up into the air above him. Jacob looked down in shock as he hovered in mid air. Both boys looked in wonder until they heard Jayson’s mom call them for lunch. Then, with a thought, Jacob floated back down into the pool.
“What was that?!” Jacob asked as he turned white with fear.
“I… I… wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it myself!” Jayson had a look of glee in his eyes as he grabbed Jacob’s shoulders. “How did you do that?”
“I don’t… I don’t know.” Jacob said a little more nervous.
“We gotta figure this out man.”
“Like heck we do! I don’t wanna do that again!” Jacob exclaimed as he pulled away from his friend’s grasp and climbed out of the pool. Jayson hopped out after him and spun him around to face him.
“Whatever ya do, don’t tell my mom!”
“Do you honestly think I would tell anyone about what just happened?! It’d be my luck they’d ask to see it again and I couldn’t do it, or I’d tell them and they’d think I was nuts. OR, worse yet, they’d take me to some hospital and run experiments on me til the day I die!!! Telling your mom about… about that… whatever it was… is the farthest thing from my mind Jayson!!!” Jacob turned in frustration. He grabbed his towel and put on his t-shirt and headed for the gate.
“Hey!” Jayson yelled as Jacob began to run, “Aren’t ya gonna stay for lunch?”
***
To be continued…
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