Read Online Mr. Was by Pete Hautman - Free Book Online Page B

soon.
    I made it to the bluff road, my lungs burning, legs feeling like rubber. A car came rattling up behind me. The only thing to do, I decided, was to head for the trees and try to make my way back to Boggs’s End through the woods. I hit the ditch running, then heard a voice shouting, “Hey! You need a lift?”
    I stopped and looked back at the car. It was the same yellow Model A that had passed me on the way down. The blond kid was leaning out the window, grinning. “What you runnin’ from?” he asked.
    Now that I could see him better, I recognized that long, narrow face with the wide mouth. “Scud?”
    He flexed his brow. “You know me?”
    I looked back down the hill, breathing hard. “I’m Jack. You remember me?”
    His eyes widened. “You still runnin’ from that dog?” He laughed.
    The twins were coming around the bend, followed by a man in overalls and, farther back, the fat woman from the store. I ran to the car and hopped in. “Let’s go!”
    Scud revved up the engine and popped the clutch. The tires gave a squeak and we started up the hill, slowly picking up speed.
    â€œWhat’d you do, rob ’em or something?”
    â€œI tried to buy a comic book,” I panted, trying to catch my breath.
    He looked back down the road. “That’s a lot of runnin’ for one comic book.”
    I sat back. “You can say that again.”
    â€œSo what did you do? Try to swipe it?”
    â€œSomething like that.”
    Scud laughed. “So where you been? Me and Andie, we only seen you that one night, what, two or three years ago?”
    â€œI’ve been busy.”
    â€œDoin’ what? Where you from, anyways?”
    I hesitated, wondering whether I should tell him, thinking he probably wouldn’t believe me if I did. Scud was helping me out of my current predicament, but I had no reason to trust him, especially after his stunt in the apple orchard. Of course, a kid can change a lot in three years. We were both older and, I hoped, smarter. But I decided to play it safe.
    â€œI was just passing through,” I said.
    â€œWhat, you run away again or something?”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œYou need a place to stay?”
    â€œNah.”
    â€œSo where you want to go?”
    We were coming up on the driveway leading to Boggs’s End. “You let me out here,” I said.
    â€œHere? Why? You want ’em to catch you? They ain’t but a mile back. Old Mrs. Gleason, she’s mad enough she’ll run all night. And Harry and Hermie, they won’t stop till she tells ’em.” He laughed.
    We passed the driveway, still picking up speed.
    Scud said, “What do you say we drop in on Andie? She’ll be tickled to see you. She was mad as a cat that night. Boy, did you ever take off running! You shoulda seen yourself.”
    â€œSo what’d you do?”
    He laughed again. I was getting tired of it.
    â€œI watched you run is what I did. Old Red—that’s Henderson’s old mutt—he ain’t never bit nobody.”
    â€œYeah, well, thanks for telling me.”
    â€œAndie, she was all heated up over it. Said it was a mean thing to do. You still mad?”
    â€œNah.” I was, but not too mad.
    â€œWell, we was just kids, y’know. So what do you say? Let’s drop in on Andie. I was going up there anyways.”
    By that time we were a good mile past Boggs’s End, and I wasn’t interested in heading back down that road just then with the Gleason clan in pursuit, so I said okay.
    â€¢ • •
    Andie lived about three miles up the road in a sprawling, dilapidated farmhouse, pigs and chickens running loose everywhere. A couple of the pigs came running up to the car. I hesitated, not liking the look of the one snuffling outside my door.
    â€œShe ain’t gonna hurt ya,” Scud said, climbing out his side. “Just lookin’ for