"Man, how come we're the ones who have to carry the most gas cans?"
asked Mikey Blumberg.
"Yeah, these things are heavy," Declared Vince LaSalle.
"Easy" said TJ, "You two are the strongest, you can carry the most."
Though he resented carrying the cans, Vince was glad TJ had finally come up with something to help them out from between the rock and hard place they were in. They had enough gas to last a while, and if there was as much food at the warehouse as he hoped, he could whip up some fine meals. Not that he wasn't thankful for Gus' army rations, but a kid needs more than chipped beef and crackers to sustain himself. He was also looking for a way to pay back the gang for helping him out. When his parents left, he didn't no what to do with himself. No kids to beat, no games to win, he started thinking he was pointless; what good was an athlete with no sports? The gang helped him through that, especially TJ and Spinelli. Speaking of whom...
"Hey guys" Spinelli shouted excitedly "I got one"
"Got one, what do you mean?" inquired Mikey.
"A car, I hot-wired it."
"How'd you learn to hot wire a car?!"
"Joey taught me."
'Joey...' she thought. He must be dead, Vito too. She hadn't seen either for quite some time. Now she never would again. Even though they may have done some bad things...they were still her brothers and she loved them. She cherished the little time she did get to spend with them, like that Christmas morning two years ago when they showed up as a surprise. Looking back, she felt that was her best Christmas yet. 'The way things are going, it'll be my best Christmas ever.'
"Alright" said TJ, stepping into the driver's seat of the 95 Ford Taurus "let's get this baby rolling"
Spinelli hopped in the passenger seat, Vince and Mikey were in the back, Gretchen and Gus stayed behind to man the fort. TJ released the parking break and stepped on the gas. The car lurched...backwards.
"You have to put it in drive Einstein" Spinelli barked.
"Oh yeah" TJ sheepishly replied.
Once he had done that, he timidly stepped on the gas. Thankfully, the car moved slowly forward-into a mailbox.
"Can you even see over the dashboard?" Vince asked.
"Maybe I should drive." Offered Mikey.
"Would you guys just relax! I got this already."
So the car made their way down the road, in search not only of food, but of hope. Back at the house, a hunchbacked boy was delighted. This is perfect time to strike. He should report this information at once. Slowly, so as not to be noticed, he crept out of the bushes and, keeping out of sight, began the trek to 61st street. 'This is great' he thought. 'Now those losers will finally get what they deserve'. After a long walk, he found himself at his destination. He approached the entrance, but was stopped by a large kid wearing sunglasses.
"What business do you have with the king?"
"I have important information to report"
"What kind of information?"
"Important information".
"Don't try my patience snitch boy."
"All I ask is that I be allowed to see King Bob for just five minutes."
"Five minutes, no more."
"I can't believe you got us lost Teej!" shouted Vince
"Relax; we're just on a slight detour."
"Detour my foot! We're lost and you know it Teej." Said Spinelli angrily.
"Friends, shouting at TJ will not get us any closer to our destination." They grudgingly agreed. The car wound its way down narrow roads, even a dirt trail. They were about to give up hope, when Mikey noticed a roof above the treetops.
"There it is" he exclaimed.
"What Mikey?"
"The warehouse, it's over there."
"Where Mikey?" pleaded TJ.
"Over there" he gestured.
"You'll have to guide us; me and Spinelli are too short to see it.
"Who you calling short!"
"What is it Weems?" Said King Bob. Now he was more than king of just the playground. He controlled all of town from 82nd street to 9th street. Tj's house was on 7th street. Still he tried to rule fairly, but it was really hard sometimes...
"Detweiler and his friends left their house to go somewhere; they left only Gretchen and Gus behind."
"Where did they go?"
"I don't know, but they were excited about it."
"What else?"
"That's it."
"THAT'S IT!!!" bellowed King Bob, "You dragged me out here for this?!"
"But your highness, with 4 of the 6 gone, you could take over from 8th to 1st streets with virtually no opposition."
"And what will that accomplish? I'll just have more kids who want me to provide for them. I have more problems than I can handle already."
"Any real king would seize this opportunity with two hands and run with it." Declared an angry Randall.
"What did you say? Are you challenging me?"
"No your highness, what I meant was..."
"ENOUGH, guards, take him to the dungeon."
"Wow Gretch, will that thing really work?"
"Of course Gus, provided there is ample wind."
Gretchen had just hooked up the generator she had built. It was nothing heavy-duty, just some wire coils, a magnet, and a crank fitted from fan blades that would turn with the wind. Regardless, she figured it should be able to run a refrigerator, maybe even the lights.
"Ok, here goes"
She gave the crank a little push to help catch the wind, and, as if by magic, the fridge turned on.
"YES"
"ALRIGHT"
"Wait till the guys get back and see this, huh Gretch?"
"I agree, they will be most surprised."
"Man, this stuff ought to last us weeks!" said Mikey, who was nearly salivating.
"You said it man, and there's still plenty left in here" declared an excited TJ, "If we keep coming back, and manage to keep this place a secret" he glared at his three friends "this will last us till the stuff Gretchen planted grows."
'Man, leave it to TJ to think this up' thought Spinelli. 'That's my Teej for ya' 'Wait a minute, MY Teej? Man this is driving me crazy. Why do I have to feel this way about him? It's all so confusing, times like this especially make me wish my parents were here. They'd be able to make some sense about this, make me feel better like when I first told them about...it. Then they had to go and almost ruin everything on parent's night. What if TJ had heard them...our friendship might have been over. I'd rather have him as a friend than not at all. Man, I'm losing it, maybe I'll understand this better when I get older??? Parent's night. Strange how I used to dread it, but what I wouldn't give now for just one more...
"Yeah, these things are heavy," Declared Vince LaSalle.
"Easy" said TJ, "You two are the strongest, you can carry the most."
Though he resented carrying the cans, Vince was glad TJ had finally come up with something to help them out from between the rock and hard place they were in. They had enough gas to last a while, and if there was as much food at the warehouse as he hoped, he could whip up some fine meals. Not that he wasn't thankful for Gus' army rations, but a kid needs more than chipped beef and crackers to sustain himself. He was also looking for a way to pay back the gang for helping him out. When his parents left, he didn't no what to do with himself. No kids to beat, no games to win, he started thinking he was pointless; what good was an athlete with no sports? The gang helped him through that, especially TJ and Spinelli. Speaking of whom...
"Hey guys" Spinelli shouted excitedly "I got one"
"Got one, what do you mean?" inquired Mikey.
"A car, I hot-wired it."
"How'd you learn to hot wire a car?!"
"Joey taught me."
'Joey...' she thought. He must be dead, Vito too. She hadn't seen either for quite some time. Now she never would again. Even though they may have done some bad things...they were still her brothers and she loved them. She cherished the little time she did get to spend with them, like that Christmas morning two years ago when they showed up as a surprise. Looking back, she felt that was her best Christmas yet. 'The way things are going, it'll be my best Christmas ever.'
"Alright" said TJ, stepping into the driver's seat of the 95 Ford Taurus "let's get this baby rolling"
Spinelli hopped in the passenger seat, Vince and Mikey were in the back, Gretchen and Gus stayed behind to man the fort. TJ released the parking break and stepped on the gas. The car lurched...backwards.
"You have to put it in drive Einstein" Spinelli barked.
"Oh yeah" TJ sheepishly replied.
Once he had done that, he timidly stepped on the gas. Thankfully, the car moved slowly forward-into a mailbox.
"Can you even see over the dashboard?" Vince asked.
"Maybe I should drive." Offered Mikey.
"Would you guys just relax! I got this already."
So the car made their way down the road, in search not only of food, but of hope. Back at the house, a hunchbacked boy was delighted. This is perfect time to strike. He should report this information at once. Slowly, so as not to be noticed, he crept out of the bushes and, keeping out of sight, began the trek to 61st street. 'This is great' he thought. 'Now those losers will finally get what they deserve'. After a long walk, he found himself at his destination. He approached the entrance, but was stopped by a large kid wearing sunglasses.
"What business do you have with the king?"
"I have important information to report"
"What kind of information?"
"Important information".
"Don't try my patience snitch boy."
"All I ask is that I be allowed to see King Bob for just five minutes."
"Five minutes, no more."
"I can't believe you got us lost Teej!" shouted Vince
"Relax; we're just on a slight detour."
"Detour my foot! We're lost and you know it Teej." Said Spinelli angrily.
"Friends, shouting at TJ will not get us any closer to our destination." They grudgingly agreed. The car wound its way down narrow roads, even a dirt trail. They were about to give up hope, when Mikey noticed a roof above the treetops.
"There it is" he exclaimed.
"What Mikey?"
"The warehouse, it's over there."
"Where Mikey?" pleaded TJ.
"Over there" he gestured.
"You'll have to guide us; me and Spinelli are too short to see it.
"Who you calling short!"
"What is it Weems?" Said King Bob. Now he was more than king of just the playground. He controlled all of town from 82nd street to 9th street. Tj's house was on 7th street. Still he tried to rule fairly, but it was really hard sometimes...
"Detweiler and his friends left their house to go somewhere; they left only Gretchen and Gus behind."
"Where did they go?"
"I don't know, but they were excited about it."
"What else?"
"That's it."
"THAT'S IT!!!" bellowed King Bob, "You dragged me out here for this?!"
"But your highness, with 4 of the 6 gone, you could take over from 8th to 1st streets with virtually no opposition."
"And what will that accomplish? I'll just have more kids who want me to provide for them. I have more problems than I can handle already."
"Any real king would seize this opportunity with two hands and run with it." Declared an angry Randall.
"What did you say? Are you challenging me?"
"No your highness, what I meant was..."
"ENOUGH, guards, take him to the dungeon."
"Wow Gretch, will that thing really work?"
"Of course Gus, provided there is ample wind."
Gretchen had just hooked up the generator she had built. It was nothing heavy-duty, just some wire coils, a magnet, and a crank fitted from fan blades that would turn with the wind. Regardless, she figured it should be able to run a refrigerator, maybe even the lights.
"Ok, here goes"
She gave the crank a little push to help catch the wind, and, as if by magic, the fridge turned on.
"YES"
"ALRIGHT"
"Wait till the guys get back and see this, huh Gretch?"
"I agree, they will be most surprised."
"Man, this stuff ought to last us weeks!" said Mikey, who was nearly salivating.
"You said it man, and there's still plenty left in here" declared an excited TJ, "If we keep coming back, and manage to keep this place a secret" he glared at his three friends "this will last us till the stuff Gretchen planted grows."
'Man, leave it to TJ to think this up' thought Spinelli. 'That's my Teej for ya' 'Wait a minute, MY Teej? Man this is driving me crazy. Why do I have to feel this way about him? It's all so confusing, times like this especially make me wish my parents were here. They'd be able to make some sense about this, make me feel better like when I first told them about...it. Then they had to go and almost ruin everything on parent's night. What if TJ had heard them...our friendship might have been over. I'd rather have him as a friend than not at all. Man, I'm losing it, maybe I'll understand this better when I get older??? Parent's night. Strange how I used to dread it, but what I wouldn't give now for just one more...