A Friend in Need

by Demonwolf

When his family agrees to help care for a boy whose only relative is sick, James is initially eager to help out another boy in need. But Dylan Anderson couldn't be more different from James and not in a good way. But he's just a boy; he can't be that bad. Can he?

27. Chapter 27

Ch. 27

The skies above Central Park were a dark grey and the temperature was dropping fast. Even with all of their running around, James and Tessa could feel the awful cold seeping into their small bodies and neither one could fully enjoy being outside any longer. No sooner had the two children run back to the Peach Pit than Tessa's parents stepped outside, followed by Centipede.

"Ready to go home, Tessa?"

"Yes, Mom." Tessa took her backpack from her mother, who held onto her daughter's project protectively with her gloved hands.

"Good. Let's get out of the cold. Hopefully Katie hadn't drained all of our hot water."

"We don't have to worry about that thanks to the new water heater we got this fall. Not even Katie can wear it out."

"Same with us, which is good 'cause there's I ain't riskin' losing any of my fingers to frostbite." Centipede looked up at the dark skies with a frown. "Gonna start snowin' any minute now."

"Are you going somewhere, Centipede?' James asked.

"Yep. Just got a call from Chief Beatcom. Apparently, a certain runaway was spotted at the Locke and Key Department Store."

"Was he at the toy store?" Tessa asked.

"Got in one, Tessa."

"The snack bar." Tessa looked at James, who nodded.

"Our friend Adam's older brother works at the snack bar. Adam told us that kids can sit and watch TV and order food while their parents shop. Then their parents pay when they pick the kids up."

"Oh geez, that's their idea?" Centipede facepalmed and shook his head. "And here I had the city officials pegged as idiots. But that thing the store's got goin' is just begging to be used by kids like Dylan. And somethin' tells me Dylan ain't the only kid who's cut and run. But that's for another time. Right now, I gotta head over there and see how much trouble Dylan caused today."

"Will you be alright with this weather?" Tessa's mother asked.

"I hope so. I got a car service lined up for the day, but I ain't keepin' them out longer than I need to. And I gotta make sure Miss Spider makes it to the club and back alright."

"You'll both be okay though, won't you?"

"Sure thing, kiddo. Can't say the same about Dylan, though."

"Good luck with that, Mayor. And again, if you need another man on the street to help you search, just call."

"Thanks again, Peter, but no civilians should be out here any more than necessary. Chief Beatcom has a search and rescue team ready and they got gear for this, but even they gotta be careful. So we gotta find Dylan ASAP."

"Good luck. C'mon, let's get out of the cold."

"Bye, James."

"Bye, Tessa."

"Get inside and warm up, kid." Centipede squeezed James's shoulder. "Really warm up. Mrs. Ladybug and Mr. Grasshopper are gonna be home soon and if they and Angel Fangs find you this cold, they're gonna have a conniption fit."

"I will. I hope you find Dylan."

"Me too, Jimmy-boy."

Centipede trudged down the path after Tessa and her parents and James obeyed his guardian and stepped inside his warm, well-lit house. Immediately, the heat from a roaring fire washed over him and the little boy eagerly shed his winter clothing to go and sit by the crackling flames.

"Ah? Oh, James, you're-" Earthworm nudged James's hand with his head. "Oh, you're freezing."

"I'm alright, Earthworm. Tessa and I were just playing outside, that's all."

"That's all? Your hands feel like ice. Should I get someone? Do you need anything? What if-"

"Nothing will happen to James while we are here, Earthworm." Miss Spider had descended the stairs and though she smiled at James, the little boy caught a glimpse of annoyance on her white face. All the same, he was happy to feel Miss Spider's arms wrap around him in a tight embrace.

"Hmmm, but I will say that Earthworm is right in that you are cold, my James. I want you to sit by the fire for a bit, but let me know if you are unable to get warm."

"Yes, Miss Spider."

"I have finished with the laundry, so your sheets blankets, and pillowcases are back on your bed and your clothes are put away. But you must make sure your bath is hot tonight."

"Yes, I remember. I do want a hot bath later."

"I am sure. I have to finish putting Dylan's bedding in the laundry. I was going to clean up his room a bit, but there is something up there Mr. Grasshopper and Mrs. Ladybug will need to see."

"Oh please tell me the little monster hasn't done something to the guest room," Earthworm groused.

"Nothing that cannot be cleaned up, no. But still something I think they should see in regards to how Dylan has been behaving himself."

A fierce gust of wind howled out from the sky, making tree branches rattle like the fingers of a skeleton against the windows. James looked over to see snow not so much falling from the sky as it was pelting down upon the earth like bullets from a gun. The little boy shivered at the thought of being stuck outside in that kind of weather. Imagine having to dig a path or chop wood in that kind of cold snow when you had no jacket or hat or gloves and your fingers were numb and you were tired and hungry and so cold that even breathing hurt, but you weren't allowed inside even for a moment because then-

"James?" Miss Spider looked down at her son, her arms still around him as he sat by the fire. "Are you still feeling cold?"

"I... a little. Mostly because it looks so cold outside and I'd hate to be out there right now."

"The perhaps something hot to drink is in order. Mr. Grasshopper and Mrs. Ladybug will certainly want tea when they get inside. But if you are not warming up well, perhaps I will have you take your bath earlier rather than later."

"Okay."

"Are you sure you're alright?" Earthworm asked James as Miss Spider left the room.

"Yes, I am."

"Oh, well.. it sounds like you know what it's like to be out in such freezing weather. Did Spiker and Sponge...?"

"Yes."

Earthworm slid forward, wrapping his tail- which was quite warm thanks to Earthworm refusing to leave the fireside- around James's shoulders in a fond hug. "Well, that's not going to happen again. I insist you stay inside where it's warm until this ghastly weather is over and done with, James."

"Thanks, Earthworm." James felt a grin steal over his face. "I promise I will."

"Good lad. Humph, if only Dylan could be half as good as you. Why if-"

Any speculation of Dylan's behavior was cut sort by the front door opening. Mr. Grasshopper and Mrs. Ladybug stepped through, both of them brushing snow off their shoulders and heads and slamming the door shut against the icy wind.

"Good Heavens, that snow came on quickly." Mr. Grasshopper shrugged out of his coat and wiped his monocle clean. "And how frightfully cold it is."

"I know. And how dark it is now," Mrs. Ladybug added. "I do hope no one else is lost out in the city tonight. Oh no stay where you are, James dear. I daresay you need to."

"Oh that he does" Earthworm replied, his tail still wrapped around the little boy. "He's still cold; I can feel it."

"You and Tessa took advantage of the time you had outside, did you?" Mr. Grasshopper asked with a smile.

"Yes. We had fun, but then it got really cold and we couldn't stay outside any longer," James said as his two guardians came to sit on the couch closest to the fire. "I hope Tessa and her parents are alright, though."

"We saw them on our way here along with Centipede," Mrs. Ladybug told him. "He had to check in with Chief Beatcom's team and the officer picking him up offered to drop off our friends at their home first."

"That's good."

"Indeed." Mr. Grasshopper sighed heavily as he sat down. "But the problem of Dylan is as of yet unsolved. I do hope they managed to corner him at the department store, but from what Centipede implied, he's still missing."

"You are correct; Dylan has yet to be found." Miss Spider had re-entered the room and now she gestured for the family to follow her. "But as I told James and Earthworm, there is something you must see in his room."

"Oh? Do you have an idea of where he might have gone to?"

"No, but you will need to report this to Rachel Gould, Mrs. Ladybug. And I think it best we all see it in case we are asked."

"Not that I'd be much help," Earthworm grumbled as he shifted to let James stand up.

"You might be," James told him. "Maybe there's something Dylan hid in his room and only you can hear it."

"Well... maybe you're right, James. Very well, I'll follow you."

"Is there something hidden in Dylan's room, Miss Spider?" Mr. Grasshopper asked as the group made their way up the stairs.

"Yes. Tell me, did you not think it odd that Dylan was not complaining about being hungry despite him refusing to eat?"

"Yes, actually," Mrs. Ladybug agreed. "Though he did complain to his grandmother that we were starving him."

"You mentioned that." Mr. Grasshopper shook his head as he reached out to lay a gentle hand on James's shoulder. "That boy has no idea of lucky he is."

James couldn't disagree at all.

"True," Mrs. Ladybug was saying now. "But he didn't forgo eating entirely. After all, we've all seen how fond Dylan is of bread."

"And he ate the macaroni and cheese when Centipede gave him ketchup," James noted.

"That he did. Though I think we can agree that Dylan ate more ketchup than pasta that night."

"Still, it was probably less than he was used to eating, yes?" Miss Spider asked Mrs. Ladybug.

"I would have to agree. If Dylan was used to eating a lot of sweets and junk food, he would likely have been eating throughout the day just to feel full and he was probably used to mindless eating rather than actually being hungry. But given all of his tantrums, it was also likely he wore himself out before he could feel real hunger."

Lucky Dylan.

Well, sort of, James thought. After all, Dylan had the option to eat rather than being forced to work and sleep through hunger pangs.

He probably wouldn't have been able to handle really being hungry.

Probably not. But, James thought with a frown as the family approached the guest room, if Dylan had fallen asleep after throwing a tantrum, then surely he would have been hungry when he woke up. And when you were starving, almost anything looked good.

Well, except for fish heads. Or moldy bread. Or spoiled meat that was slimy to the touch. Spiker and Sponge had enjoyed reminding James of how "generous" they were in caring for him and how ungrateful he was for refusing their kindness.

"I thought the same as you," Miss Spider was saying to Mrs. Ladybug now as she opened the door to Dylan's room, pushing an empty laundry basket to the side as she did. "But when I came up to gather his bedding for the laundry, I found this."

Peering inside the room, James was surprised at how quickly the neat and tidy space had become an absolute disaster. While the bed had been stripped, the rolled-up sheets and blankets looked far more dirty than they should have been from less than a week of being used. Dylan's open suitcase was shoved against the wall and clothes had been tossed carelessly back into the container while dirty socks and undergarments were scattered over the floor. Comic books with their pages creased and wrinkled lay in a haphazard pattern on the rug, which was now covered in dirt and stains. Actually, the blankets and pillows on Dylan's bed were also covered in brown streaks and as the family stared in disbelief at the floor, James saw why.

The rug that had previously been covered with Dylan's pillows and blankets from his unmade bed was now a sea of empty cookie packages, crinkly potato chip bags and an untold number of candy bar wrappers, many of them embossed with a large golden "W." Crumbs of cookie, potato chip and chocolate were scattered all over the carpet, a good amount of said chocolate staining the pale blue material to the point where it was doubtful one shampoo would be enough to get the mess out. The same would also hold true for Dylan's bedding, as James now realized the grime covering the previously pristine linens were the remains of several late-night junk food feasts. The lingering smell of chocolate was nowhere near enough to mask the stale odors of sweat, dirt, and stale food, as one of the open bags of some treat or another hadn't been fully consumed and would now be fit for nothing, but the rubbish bin.

"Good Heavens." Mr. Grasshopper's stunned eyes traveled across the room.

"What is the horrible smell? Ugh, I thought Dylan had at least one bath while he was living here."

"Two, actually, and I did my best to keep him clean. But he must have been very skilled at hiding these treats or we would have found them by now."

"He never made his bed, right?" James asked.

"No, dear, he didn't. I made it on Monday morning, but between my work schedule and Dylan's fussing, I didn't have the chance to do so again."

"I left it for him, as I was not going to complete a task that Dylan could easily do himself," Miss Spider said. "And seeing as to how Dylan mainly kept to his room after school, it would have been easy for him to hide his food."

"He probably hid a lot of it in his blankets too," James noted. "That's why they're so dirty. And that way, they'd be safe if anyone came into his room and pushed aside any pillows. But after no one made his bed for him anymore, Dylan probably felt safer hiding them on the floor since it was so messy."

"Excellent observations, my boy." Mr. Grasshopper peered down at the floor. "Centipede certainly didn't notice any stash of sweets when he had his talk with Dylan two days prior."

"No he didn't, though he did mention the mess. Miss Spider, did you let Dylan know about your plans to wash his bedding?"

"I did not, mainly because I did not have the chance to do so, given his behavior. Otherwise, I am sure Dylan would have taken more care to find a new hiding place for his treats."

"And he's probably never had to worry about hiding food before," James said softly.

"No, Dylan has been very lucky to have everything he needs provided for him," Mr. Grasshopper said with a frown, pulling James closer to him.

"Humph, makes you wonder where he got the idea in the first place," Earthworm sniffed.

"Likely from one of those ghastly television programs he's so fond of." Mr. Grasshopper shook his head. "Right, you were correct in that we needed to see this, Miss Spider. Can we assist you in cleaning this room up a bit?"

"No thank you," Miss Spider said with a small smile. "I will take care of the laundry tonight, but the rest of the room can wait. Perhaps Dylan will enjoy a weekend cleaning this up himself."

"He won't be back," Mrs. Ladybug said with a sigh.

"Oh? I thought he would at least stay here until the weather clears up," Earthworm said.

"I'll let Rachel know about Dylan hiding all of this food in his room- it will certainly undermine any claims that were were starving him as his refusing to eat meals was probably due to binging on unhealthy food- but I'm afraid Dylan will have to face serious consequences for his actions. A child who runs away from school certainly causes worry, but it's not against the law. Stealing, however, is. Because of Dylan's actions at the diner, he willneed to be held in police custody at least for the next twenty-four hours and since we are relinquishing temporary care anyway, there's no need for him to return to our home."

"Not to mention, there probably won't be much of a chance for him to return to our home before Sunday, as the storm will prevent even small amounts of travel tomorrow," Mr. Grasshopper added.

"Exactly."

"Could we... could we at least make sure he gets his things back?" James asked softly, glancing over at Dylan's suitcase.

"Of course we will, James dear. And we'll also make sure that his belongings still at his grandmother's house are returned to him as well."

"Provided said belongings aren't just a mass collection of unhealthy food." Mr. Grasshopper stepped away to retrieve the laundry basket from the hall and set it by Dylan's bed. Miss Spider nodded in thanks to him as she began loading the soiled laundry into the basket.

"I will get this in the wash now. The kettle should be boiling in the kitchen."

"Thank you, Miss Spider. I daresay we could all use a cup of tea at the moment."

"And shall I at least make you a cup of coffee, Miss Spider?" Mrs. Ladybug asked.

"Yes please."

Sure enough, the kettle was steaming by the time the family made it back downstairs. Mrs. Ladybug raced over to the stove to remove it from the burner and began preparing mugs of tea for everyone as well as Miss Spider's coffee. Meanwhile, the storm outside was getting worse; though it was just past 2:00, the sky was as black as night and snow pounded down from the clouds with all the intensity of a furious thunderstorm. Looking out the window, James couldn't see even the barest hint of one of the numerous park lamps set along the path leading up to the Peach Pit.

"This storm will be one to remember," Mr. Grasshopper said grimly as he sat down on the couch while James and Earthworm resumed their places by the fire.

"Will Centipede and the police officers be alright?"

"I hope so. But I know we'll all feel better once everyone is home safe."

"Perhaps Miss Spider really should shut down her club tonight," Earthworm said, shuddering as the wind shrieked against the window panes.

"I agree, but knowing her, she'll go over just to make sure her employees are taken care of. Still, I can't fathom why anyone would want to go outside tonight."

"Unfortunately, they'll have to." Mrs. Ladybug entered the room with a tray of mugs which she passed out to everyone. "I know Dylan had his winter clothing, but that won't help him if he gets caught in the storm. He could end up with frostbite or even hypothermia. And if he's not found by the Search and Rescue Team..." Mrs. Ladybug let her voice trail off.

"Maybe he found somewhere to hide," James said, clutching his mug of tea to let the heat seep into his hands. "Dylan doesn't like being cold at all; that was why he ran into school today and everywhere he's gone, it's been somewhere warm." James paused, then added,

"And somewhere where he could eat something he wanted."

"An excellent point, my boy," Mr. Grasshopper said with a nod. "No doubt he'll try and find a similar safe haven. The question is, where?"
************************************************************************************************************************************

"And that's the last time you saw him?"

"Yes, sir. I was surprised, though; after all the ice cream he ate, I didn't think he'd be able to get away so fast."

"You'd be surprised. Just last night, Dylan threw a massive tantrum after spending the day eating nothing but toast and jam." Centipede shook his head, but gave the teenage employee a friendly grin. "Thanks for lettin' me know what happened here. I've already let your boss know what to do regardin' Dylan not paying, so don't worry, you'll keep your job. Oh, hey, you got a little brother named Adam?"

"Yeah. He's in the same class as James."

"Yeah, he and his friend Tessa mentioned you worked at the snack bar; Adam was the one who told everyone about the whole kids bein' allowed to order what they want without the parents payin' first. How's that goin'?"

"Honestly? Not too bad. We've had a few complaints, but that was mostly 'cause the kids ended up ordering more treats than the parents were okay with. Normally I don't say much, but the sundae that kid ordered was huge; it's meant to be shared and he ate the whole thing by himself. I figured at the very least I should ask if his mom was okay paying for two of them."

"His grandma probably wouldn't have cared," Centipede sighed. "But you were right to ask; if nothing else, it helped clue us in to where Dylan was. You got a way to get home?"

"Well... I was going to walk home because I was supposed to leave an hour ago. But then-"

"I gotcha. Officer Daniels?"

"Yes, Mayor. Come with me, young man; we'll have one of our Search and Rescue men get you home. You live close?"

"Yeah. Two blocks from here."

"In this weather, it might as well be two miles. C'mon, kid, I gotcha."

Centipede watched the teenage boy, who had been stuck working to clean up the snack bar after Dylan's most recent temper tantrum, depart with the officer. A few other lingering employees were also being sent home with members of the Search and Rescue team, but otherwise, the whole department store was deserted. Which, on one hand, was good because that meant fewer people at risk for being caught out in the storm. One the other hand, it meant the chances of finding Dylan were even less likely now.

Centipede paused and glanced up at the newly-assembled tower of pink boxes that stood near one of the toy aisles. According to the report he'd received, Dylan had managed to knock over the entire display and while no one had been hurt, the resulting chaos had ensured that not only had the employees been forced to clean up the mess, but that Dylan had once again managed to give adults in authority the slip.

How does a certified couch-potato like Dylan manage to pull this off?

On impulse, Centipede poked his head around the tower of plastic dolls and peered into the darkened aisle. In the dim light, the shiny eyes of stuffed animals glittered like stars in the night sky as they stared back at him.

"You guys got anything to add?" Centipede muttered under his breath. In response, a stuffed unicorn with blue eyes seemed to tilt its head ever so slightly and while its expression didn't change, Centipede could've sworn it was quite annoyed with the whole situation.

"Yeah, you and me both, buddy."

"Mayor?" Centipede looked over to see Chief Beatcom approaching with a man in a brown suit.

"Anything?"

"Maybe." The Chief jerked a finger at the man. "This is Frank Yeoman; he's one of the store managers."

"Hiya, Frank. You got some information on this kid?"

"I can't swear by it, Mayor, but I'm certain the boy matching the description the police officers gave me was intermingling with a large group of tourists who left the store in two large buses."

"Oh yeah?" Centipede frowned as he considered this. "Seems to fit Dylan's MO. He managed to swindle a free meal at the diner by claimin' he was part of a tour group. Was it the same one?"

"I'm not sure, sir. But I recognized the buses that came to collect the group and when I got the description of the boy who caused the scene in the toy department, I remembered I had seen him with the tourist group. I called the bus company and the group in question was taken to a hotel some distance from here. The Grand Deluxe, to be precise."

"The... you serious?" Centipede's blue eyes widened at the name.

"Yes, sir, I am."

"Whaddya know?" Centipede couldn't keep a rueful grin off his face. "That's right next to Miss Spider's club. Go figure."

"If I'm right and that's the boy you're looking for, it's quite the stroke of good luck," Mr. Yeoman noted.

"I'll say." Centipede turned to Chief Beatcom. "How do you wanna handle this?"

"Well, like Frank said, we have to make sure Dylan actually got on the bus. If he didn't and is wandering around somewhere, we need to find him. All things considered, I think it would be a good idea to send a few from Search and Rescue over to the boy's prior address and see if he turns up."

"Fair enough; better safe than sorry. Just don't keep them out longer than they have to be."

"Understood, but the team's ready and they've worked in these kind of conditions before. If Dylan's out there, they're not gonna want to stop searching until they've found him."

"I hear that. But if Dylan really is at the Grand Deluxe, we won't have to do much searching."

"Right. I'll head over there now with a few of my guys and see if we can spot him. I'll also call the head of security over there and see if they've spotted him and can hold the kid for us. I know the Grand Deluxe's policy is that half of their security team is always dressed in plainclothes in order to keep any of the guests from gettin' nervous when they need to do their rounds."

"Good idea. If Dylan spots any police, he may try to cut and run again. And we can't have him doin' that."

A particularly nasty gust of wind blew a curtain of icy snow against the department store doors and the overhead lights flickered ominously.

"What about you, Mayor?"

"Miss Spider and I gotta be at the club by four. We're only stayin' open till ten, but we'll probably shut down earlier if we can. I know a few people didn't wanna cancel reservations, but the sooner we can get 'em outta there, the better."

"Bet you anything most of the people who didn't cancel are staying at the Grand Deluxe," Chief Beatcom said with a couple.

"Let's just hope one of 'em is Dylan."