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Authors: Claudia Hall Christian
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that
sounded like, “Tink’s brother.”
“ Tink has a brother?” Aden
asked.
“ A few years younger than
her,” Charlie said. “Her stepdad finally figured out he was gay. I
mean, it’s been obvious forever, but he’s such a pretty kid. We
think the stepdad liked to show off the good-looking
kid.”
“ What happened to Tink’s
brother?” Aden’s voice rose in an effort to get information from
Charlie.
“ Oh, he got kicked out
last night,” Charlie said.
“ Where is he?” Aden
asked.
“ That’s a whole other
mess,” Charlie said. Aden turned right on York Street.
“ How so?” Aden
asked.
“ Oh, sorry, I’m not really
awake yet,. Charlie rubbed his eyes. “Tink’s brother wanted to be
with Tink, of course, but Heather just took in Jabari. The house is
full. He got placed someplace, and get this—”
Charlie put the second muffin in his mouth.
Aden scowled, and Charlie said something that sounded like, “You
woke me up at the crack of dawn. I’m hungry.” Aden smiled.
“ Get what?” Aden
asked.
“ He told the social
worker, you know Tink’s social worker, Risa?” Charlie
asked.
“ I know her,” Aden
said.
“ He told Risa that the
other kid? The one they adopted?” Charlie nodded. “She’s autistic.
She’s never been to school or anything because the stepdad is
embarrassed of her. He says if she’s going to act like an animal,
she should live like one. Tink told Risa that before, but it kind
of got lost in all this stuff with the rape case.”
“ What
happened?”
“ Risa took the kid,”
Charlie said. “Man, don’t fuck with Risa. She was pissed off about
Jabari and went on the war-path with Tink’s mom and stepdad.
Anyway, it’s a big mess.”
Aden turned on Thirteenth Street and found a
parking spot near Garfield.
“ They call you Pan,
right?” Aden asked.
“ So?” Charlie finished off
his coffee and eyed Aden’s mug. Aden gave him the
coffee.
“ You just spent time with
the fairies, right?” Aden asked.
They got out of the car and started walking
toward the York Street Club, the AA meeting house on the corner of
Thirteenth Avenue and York Street.
“ What’s your point?”
Charlie asked.
“ Lost boys?” Aden smiled.
“You’ve got Jabari and Keenan. Now Tink’s brother. What’s his
name?”
“ Chester,” Charlie said.
“He goes by Chet.”
“ Now Chet,” Aden said.
“You are the Pan.”
“ You mean all the lost
boys are coming to Never-Neverland because the fairies were here?”
Charlie nodded, thinking about it. “You know what I
think?”
Aden turned to look at Charlie.
“ I think you need a
meeting,” Charlie laughed, and went up the sidewalk to the
clubhouse. On the porch, he turned to Aden and said, “We’ve been in
Never-Neverland this whole time.”
“ See why I think you need
a meeting?” Aden said under his breath.
Charlie grinned and followed him into the
clubhouse.
~~~~~~~~
Sunday morning — 10:35 a.m.
Heather looked up when she heard a knock at
the front door. Blane had taken Tink to see her brother, Chet.
Jeraine had taken Jabari to Dionne and Bumpy’s house. Mack had
spent the night at Heather’s mother’s house. She was going to meet
Jill, Sandy, and Tanesha at mass. If it was possible, they were
going to grab lunch before heading back to their families.
The doorbell rang.
Heather wasn’t expecting anyone. She stuffed
her swollen feet into her shoes and went to the door. She looked
out the peephole and frowned.
The guy who worked for Ava in the crime lab
was standing at their door. Heather opened the door.
“ Hi,” Heather
said.
“ Uh . . .”
The guy swallowed hard.
“ I don’t remember your
name,” Heather said. “You’re welcome to come in. I need to get
ready for mass.”
“ Oh,” the guy said.
“Nelson.”
“ Nelson?” Heather
asked.
“ My name.” Nelson
smiled.
“ Nice to see you again,
Nelson,” Heather held the door open. He came in after her. “What
can I
sounded like, “Tink’s brother.”
“ Tink has a brother?” Aden
asked.
“ A few years younger than
her,” Charlie said. “Her stepdad finally figured out he was gay. I
mean, it’s been obvious forever, but he’s such a pretty kid. We
think the stepdad liked to show off the good-looking
kid.”
“ What happened to Tink’s
brother?” Aden’s voice rose in an effort to get information from
Charlie.
“ Oh, he got kicked out
last night,” Charlie said.
“ Where is he?” Aden
asked.
“ That’s a whole other
mess,” Charlie said. Aden turned right on York Street.
“ How so?” Aden
asked.
“ Oh, sorry, I’m not really
awake yet,. Charlie rubbed his eyes. “Tink’s brother wanted to be
with Tink, of course, but Heather just took in Jabari. The house is
full. He got placed someplace, and get this—”
Charlie put the second muffin in his mouth.
Aden scowled, and Charlie said something that sounded like, “You
woke me up at the crack of dawn. I’m hungry.” Aden smiled.
“ Get what?” Aden
asked.
“ He told the social
worker, you know Tink’s social worker, Risa?” Charlie
asked.
“ I know her,” Aden
said.
“ He told Risa that the
other kid? The one they adopted?” Charlie nodded. “She’s autistic.
She’s never been to school or anything because the stepdad is
embarrassed of her. He says if she’s going to act like an animal,
she should live like one. Tink told Risa that before, but it kind
of got lost in all this stuff with the rape case.”
“ What
happened?”
“ Risa took the kid,”
Charlie said. “Man, don’t fuck with Risa. She was pissed off about
Jabari and went on the war-path with Tink’s mom and stepdad.
Anyway, it’s a big mess.”
Aden turned on Thirteenth Street and found a
parking spot near Garfield.
“ They call you Pan,
right?” Aden asked.
“ So?” Charlie finished off
his coffee and eyed Aden’s mug. Aden gave him the
coffee.
“ You just spent time with
the fairies, right?” Aden asked.
They got out of the car and started walking
toward the York Street Club, the AA meeting house on the corner of
Thirteenth Avenue and York Street.
“ What’s your point?”
Charlie asked.
“ Lost boys?” Aden smiled.
“You’ve got Jabari and Keenan. Now Tink’s brother. What’s his
name?”
“ Chester,” Charlie said.
“He goes by Chet.”
“ Now Chet,” Aden said.
“You are the Pan.”
“ You mean all the lost
boys are coming to Never-Neverland because the fairies were here?”
Charlie nodded, thinking about it. “You know what I
think?”
Aden turned to look at Charlie.
“ I think you need a
meeting,” Charlie laughed, and went up the sidewalk to the
clubhouse. On the porch, he turned to Aden and said, “We’ve been in
Never-Neverland this whole time.”
“ See why I think you need
a meeting?” Aden said under his breath.
Charlie grinned and followed him into the
clubhouse.
~~~~~~~~
Sunday morning — 10:35 a.m.
Heather looked up when she heard a knock at
the front door. Blane had taken Tink to see her brother, Chet.
Jeraine had taken Jabari to Dionne and Bumpy’s house. Mack had
spent the night at Heather’s mother’s house. She was going to meet
Jill, Sandy, and Tanesha at mass. If it was possible, they were
going to grab lunch before heading back to their families.
The doorbell rang.
Heather wasn’t expecting anyone. She stuffed
her swollen feet into her shoes and went to the door. She looked
out the peephole and frowned.
The guy who worked for Ava in the crime lab
was standing at their door. Heather opened the door.
“ Hi,” Heather
said.
“ Uh . . .”
The guy swallowed hard.
“ I don’t remember your
name,” Heather said. “You’re welcome to come in. I need to get
ready for mass.”
“ Oh,” the guy said.
“Nelson.”
“ Nelson?” Heather
asked.
“ My name.” Nelson
smiled.
“ Nice to see you again,
Nelson,” Heather held the door open. He came in after her. “What
can I
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