Read Online Light of Day by Jamie M. Saul - Free Book Online Page B

You talked Rosalie into ordering Mexican.”
    â€œI didn’t talk her into it.”
    â€œNot José Sent Me .”
    â€œShe said it was okay.”
    Jack smiled and began tapping the rhythm on the kitchen table. Danny smiled back at him, recognizing what was about to happen.
    Jack started if off: “The burritos are lethal and those beans are…”
    â€œMean.”
    â€œMean beans.”
    â€œMean beans.”
    â€œYou can serve me Doritos, Cheetos…”
    â€œOr Fritos. But not the beans.”
    Jack laughed. “Those beans are mean.”
    â€œThose beans are mean.”
    â€œThey’ll empty you clean…”
    â€œDown to your spleen.”
    â€œTake the tacos with cheese-o…”
    â€œIf you please-o…”
    â€œOr try the meat-o…”
    â€œBut not the burrito…”
    â€œThose beans are mean…”
    â€œThey’ll turn you green.”
    They laughed together.
    Jack said, “We haven’t lost a thing.”
    Danny rolled his eyes. “I know, and it made my stomach ache even worse .”
    â€œNo one likes an eight-year-old wise guy.” Jack clipped Danny lightly on the chin. “How’d you like to loaf a little longer and I’ll drive you to school?”
    â€œI’d like to loaf all day and not go to school.”
    â€œDream on, pardner. You can have fifteen minutes with your dad or you can ride the bus. Take it or leave it.”
    â€œI’ll take it.” Danny still didn’t eat, but now he had that serious and solemn expression on his face. There was something on his mind and he couldn’t get started.
    â€œWhat is it?” Jack said.
    Danny shrugged his shoulders.
    â€œYou can tell me. Is it school?”
    Danny shook his head. “I wrote something.”
    â€œReally?”
    â€œAbout my friend Eric.”
    â€œI’d like to hear it.”
    â€œIt’s really dumb.”
    â€œIt can’t be dumb if you wrote it.”
    Danny thought this over and said, “Okay. But don’t laugh.”
    â€œI promise.”
    Danny took a piece of lined paper out of his notebook, stood up, cleared his throat and looked around the room, as though he were waiting for late arrivals to be seated. “My friend Eric is eight and he’s myfriend to the end. A friend to the end means you understand things the other kids don’t. A lot of the other boys make fun of Eric because he’s not very good at sports. They don’t let him hang out with them. But Eric is very smart and funny. Last week, Eric had a birthday. When some of the bigger kids in my class found out I was going they said I was a weenie and they would beat me up if I went. They pushed me around after school all week but they didn’t really hurt me. Eric told them if they wanted to pick on anyone to pick on him because he was bigger than me. They just spitted at him and they kept calling us weenies and stuff. I was the only kid in our class who went to Eric’s birthday party. But his cousins and some relatives went so it wasn’t so bad. When I have a birthday I know Eric will be there.”
    Danny folded the paper and put it back in his book. He wouldn’t look at his father.
    â€œCome over here,” Jack said.
    Danny walked around the table. Jack put his arms around him and kissed him on the cheek.
    â€œThat was a very kind thing, being Eric’s friend. And that’s a very beautifully written story.” Jack hugged him tighter. Danny hugged him back.
    â€œWhy didn’t you tell me about the other kids picking on you?”
    â€œI don’t know.” Danny shrugged his shoulders.
    â€œWere you ashamed to tell me?”
    â€œI don’t know.”
    â€œYou must have felt some thing,” Jack said, keeping his voice soft, not stern or scolding.
    â€œI guess I was afraid.”
    â€œOf?”
    â€œYou’d think I was a weenie because I didn’t