CHAPTER TWO
Timothy opened the door to his room quietly, because it had a tendency to squeak in the cold weather. He closed it behind him and tiptoed down the stairs. He was planning to sneak out to join his friends at the old, deserted warehouse near the docks, for a few drinks.
Tim went into the garage to collect his six-pack of beer he had bought that afternoon-with his fake id.
He walked down the street, smiling to himself. His parents were so dense! They were lying in bed, thinking their baby son was keeping out of trouble…well, they thought wrong. Tim was not going to change his image just because graduation was two months away.
He arrived at the docks, five minutes early. Steve Hart was already there talking to the two girls who usually hang around the group. Their names were Melissa Clancy and Olivia Morris. They were quite pretty girls, but Tim thought of them as sisters since they have known each other since the eighth grade.
" Hey Tim," Steve greeted him, " I see you bought the booze."
" I told you I would." Tim answered and handed him one, " you girls want?"
Melissa made a face and flipped her long red hair over her shoulders, " No thanks. Jake's coming with some red wine for us."
Tim made a face back. He hated wine, it was for sissies. He opened the can of beer and took a long gulp and glanced down at his watch. It was nearly eleven-thirty and the get together was going to last for an hour.
Soon, four others arrived, Jake Collins, Terry Stamp, Bryan Faulkner and the 'leader' of the group William Forte.
" There should be more girls in the group," Melissa complained, " because all guys talk about is sports and electronics. It's so boring."
" No one said you had to come," William pointed out, " but we enjoy female company, don't we guys?"
Tim suddenly felt uneasy. William had that look in his dark eyes-the look that told everyone he wanted a girl tonight.
Melissa glanced over at Olivia, " We're going home," she declared, " It's getting too cold anyway."
" Wimps," Bryan sneered.
" Don't go, I bought some wine," Jake held up a cask of red wine.
Melissa hesitated, but Olivia spoke first, " We'll stay-only for half an hour though."
" Deal." Jake took out two wine glasses and filled them to the brim with the red wine. Melissa took a careful sip-it didn't seem laced, she so started drinking.
It wasn't long before Tim started feeling tipsy-and drowsy. The beer was making him feel sleepy and clumsy. He had to sit down.
" Can't handle the drink can you?" Bryan asked him, always quick to criticize.
Tim looked up and glared at Bryan. He's never trusted Bryan with his curly black hair and dark eyes. Why did William let him hang with them was beyond him.
Tim stood up carefully and took another can of beer.
" I heard something guys," Olivia hissed suddenly, her eyes wide with alarm.
" Like what?" Tim demanded her, frowning. After a moment's silence, they heard footsteps outside the closed warehouse.
" It's the security guard!" Steve whispered, his face growing pale.
" That's bullshit, this place doesn't have a security guard-there's nothing in here to steal." William waved his hand, unconcerned.
" Let's get out of here," Olivia pleaded, " I'll get into so much trouble if I'm caught." The footsteps were getting louder and whoever was beyond the warehouse door was fiddling with the doorhandle-they had locked it from the inside.
" All right, let's climb through that window, it leads to the back of the warehouse." William decided. Tim glanced over at the window which was about four feet high and big enough for all of them to climb through.
Tim followed the others and scrambled through the window. The sudden motion had made him dizzy as he fell through the window and landed on the ground in an ungainly heap.
" C'mon!" Steve grabbed his arm and hauled him to his feet. His stomach gave a sickening lurch as he ran after the others.
The intruder had heard them, " Stop you little buggers!" he yelled out to them. Tim glanced over at his shoulder. In the darkness, he could see a shadow of a man wearing a uniform. Tim could see the large lump on the man's back-a shell to be more precise. Tim knew the man was his Uncle Raphael-he happened to be a cop in the NYC Police Department.
If he saw me, I am dead. Tim thought and ran faster. They were running out of the jetty and towards the streets, heading in no particular direction.
The group began to go in their own directions and Tim ran home. He felt the need to vomit-and to pee.
* * *
Tim threw up in the gutter outside their house until there was nothing left in his stomach to throw up. He threw his ripped, messy shirt into the garbage bin and tiptoed back inside-thankfully his parents had not been woken by his retching.
That was a close call. Tim thought going into the bathroom to refresh himself, Did Uncle Raphael see me?
No, he didn't. It was way too dark. I'm safe-for now. Tim thought hopefully.
The next day was Saturday and two of Tim's uncles came to visit-Raphael and Michelangelo. Uncle Mike bought his youngest daughter with him-Madeline and Zach "Mr Perfect" took her to play outside. Tim glanced at Raphael uncertainly and decided to escape to his room.
" Where you going?" Mike asked him, " Why don't you stay and have a drink with us?"
" Uh, I got homework to do and-"
" You have the whole weekend buddy. Sit down and let your mother make you a drink." Raphael insisted, his eyes boring into his.
Tim did as he was told and Leah bought him a glass of 7-Up. Tim had a headache and a soda might help it.
I'm starting to regret last night. He thought to himself as his head pounded unmercifully.
When Leah left the kitchen, his father joined them with a cold beer, " So, how's it going guys?" Leo asked his two brothers.
" Pretty good." Mike answered but Raphael remained silent.
" Raph?"
" Okay I guess."
" Is anything wrong?" Leo asked, " You seem kinda down."
" It's Renee," Raph was referring to his wife, " She's been so tired lately and complaining about headaches. And the other day at work, she blacked out."
" That's not good, has she been to the doctor?"
" No, she reckons she's getting the flu." Raph told them, " but I think it's something more than that."
" You've got to convince her to see a doctor," Leo advised him.
" I'll try, but she's stubborn."
" Sounds like someone we know!" Mike joked, winking at Raph. Tim half-smiled. Uncle Raph was famous for his hot temper and was extremely stubborn-even in his middle-age.
" How's the chef business?" Raph asked Mike, abruptly changing the subject. Mike was a chef and co-manager of a pizza restaurant downtown.
" Good, it's been a little slow of late, so I'm starting to write again."
" That's great, it's been awhile since your last novel."
" I guess so." Mike paused, " we tried to contact Donny, but his daughter told us he's working this weekend."
" Geez, he might as well be married to that stupid laboratory," Raph complained.
" He shared in his millions Raphael," Leo reminded him.
" I know, I know, but he has a family. Family comes first." Raph shot back.
Tim downed his glass and made a hasty escape. When Raph and Leo fought, they fought. It seemed they hadn't been able to break their habit of disagreeing with each other from their teens.
Family comes first. The words echoed in Tim's head as he went to have a lie down. His own family would never find out about last night. or any other nights he's had….
Timothy opened the door to his room quietly, because it had a tendency to squeak in the cold weather. He closed it behind him and tiptoed down the stairs. He was planning to sneak out to join his friends at the old, deserted warehouse near the docks, for a few drinks.
Tim went into the garage to collect his six-pack of beer he had bought that afternoon-with his fake id.
He walked down the street, smiling to himself. His parents were so dense! They were lying in bed, thinking their baby son was keeping out of trouble…well, they thought wrong. Tim was not going to change his image just because graduation was two months away.
He arrived at the docks, five minutes early. Steve Hart was already there talking to the two girls who usually hang around the group. Their names were Melissa Clancy and Olivia Morris. They were quite pretty girls, but Tim thought of them as sisters since they have known each other since the eighth grade.
" Hey Tim," Steve greeted him, " I see you bought the booze."
" I told you I would." Tim answered and handed him one, " you girls want?"
Melissa made a face and flipped her long red hair over her shoulders, " No thanks. Jake's coming with some red wine for us."
Tim made a face back. He hated wine, it was for sissies. He opened the can of beer and took a long gulp and glanced down at his watch. It was nearly eleven-thirty and the get together was going to last for an hour.
Soon, four others arrived, Jake Collins, Terry Stamp, Bryan Faulkner and the 'leader' of the group William Forte.
" There should be more girls in the group," Melissa complained, " because all guys talk about is sports and electronics. It's so boring."
" No one said you had to come," William pointed out, " but we enjoy female company, don't we guys?"
Tim suddenly felt uneasy. William had that look in his dark eyes-the look that told everyone he wanted a girl tonight.
Melissa glanced over at Olivia, " We're going home," she declared, " It's getting too cold anyway."
" Wimps," Bryan sneered.
" Don't go, I bought some wine," Jake held up a cask of red wine.
Melissa hesitated, but Olivia spoke first, " We'll stay-only for half an hour though."
" Deal." Jake took out two wine glasses and filled them to the brim with the red wine. Melissa took a careful sip-it didn't seem laced, she so started drinking.
It wasn't long before Tim started feeling tipsy-and drowsy. The beer was making him feel sleepy and clumsy. He had to sit down.
" Can't handle the drink can you?" Bryan asked him, always quick to criticize.
Tim looked up and glared at Bryan. He's never trusted Bryan with his curly black hair and dark eyes. Why did William let him hang with them was beyond him.
Tim stood up carefully and took another can of beer.
" I heard something guys," Olivia hissed suddenly, her eyes wide with alarm.
" Like what?" Tim demanded her, frowning. After a moment's silence, they heard footsteps outside the closed warehouse.
" It's the security guard!" Steve whispered, his face growing pale.
" That's bullshit, this place doesn't have a security guard-there's nothing in here to steal." William waved his hand, unconcerned.
" Let's get out of here," Olivia pleaded, " I'll get into so much trouble if I'm caught." The footsteps were getting louder and whoever was beyond the warehouse door was fiddling with the doorhandle-they had locked it from the inside.
" All right, let's climb through that window, it leads to the back of the warehouse." William decided. Tim glanced over at the window which was about four feet high and big enough for all of them to climb through.
Tim followed the others and scrambled through the window. The sudden motion had made him dizzy as he fell through the window and landed on the ground in an ungainly heap.
" C'mon!" Steve grabbed his arm and hauled him to his feet. His stomach gave a sickening lurch as he ran after the others.
The intruder had heard them, " Stop you little buggers!" he yelled out to them. Tim glanced over at his shoulder. In the darkness, he could see a shadow of a man wearing a uniform. Tim could see the large lump on the man's back-a shell to be more precise. Tim knew the man was his Uncle Raphael-he happened to be a cop in the NYC Police Department.
If he saw me, I am dead. Tim thought and ran faster. They were running out of the jetty and towards the streets, heading in no particular direction.
The group began to go in their own directions and Tim ran home. He felt the need to vomit-and to pee.
* * *
Tim threw up in the gutter outside their house until there was nothing left in his stomach to throw up. He threw his ripped, messy shirt into the garbage bin and tiptoed back inside-thankfully his parents had not been woken by his retching.
That was a close call. Tim thought going into the bathroom to refresh himself, Did Uncle Raphael see me?
No, he didn't. It was way too dark. I'm safe-for now. Tim thought hopefully.
The next day was Saturday and two of Tim's uncles came to visit-Raphael and Michelangelo. Uncle Mike bought his youngest daughter with him-Madeline and Zach "Mr Perfect" took her to play outside. Tim glanced at Raphael uncertainly and decided to escape to his room.
" Where you going?" Mike asked him, " Why don't you stay and have a drink with us?"
" Uh, I got homework to do and-"
" You have the whole weekend buddy. Sit down and let your mother make you a drink." Raphael insisted, his eyes boring into his.
Tim did as he was told and Leah bought him a glass of 7-Up. Tim had a headache and a soda might help it.
I'm starting to regret last night. He thought to himself as his head pounded unmercifully.
When Leah left the kitchen, his father joined them with a cold beer, " So, how's it going guys?" Leo asked his two brothers.
" Pretty good." Mike answered but Raphael remained silent.
" Raph?"
" Okay I guess."
" Is anything wrong?" Leo asked, " You seem kinda down."
" It's Renee," Raph was referring to his wife, " She's been so tired lately and complaining about headaches. And the other day at work, she blacked out."
" That's not good, has she been to the doctor?"
" No, she reckons she's getting the flu." Raph told them, " but I think it's something more than that."
" You've got to convince her to see a doctor," Leo advised him.
" I'll try, but she's stubborn."
" Sounds like someone we know!" Mike joked, winking at Raph. Tim half-smiled. Uncle Raph was famous for his hot temper and was extremely stubborn-even in his middle-age.
" How's the chef business?" Raph asked Mike, abruptly changing the subject. Mike was a chef and co-manager of a pizza restaurant downtown.
" Good, it's been a little slow of late, so I'm starting to write again."
" That's great, it's been awhile since your last novel."
" I guess so." Mike paused, " we tried to contact Donny, but his daughter told us he's working this weekend."
" Geez, he might as well be married to that stupid laboratory," Raph complained.
" He shared in his millions Raphael," Leo reminded him.
" I know, I know, but he has a family. Family comes first." Raph shot back.
Tim downed his glass and made a hasty escape. When Raph and Leo fought, they fought. It seemed they hadn't been able to break their habit of disagreeing with each other from their teens.
Family comes first. The words echoed in Tim's head as he went to have a lie down. His own family would never find out about last night. or any other nights he's had….