Read Online Rooster by Don Trembath - Free Book Online Page B

outstretched hand. But he didn’t. He let his own hand fall by his side and looked at Dorothy-Jane-Anne for a moment. For some reason, he was not completely surprised that such an odd meeting would end this way. And on the upside, at least he knew where he stood.
    â€œThat is true. I did say that,” said Mrs. Yuler.
    â€œGoddamn hill,” said Roseann, to herself but out loud. “Heh, heh.”
    The meeting ended shortly after that.

6
    I mmediately after the meeting with the Strikers, Rooster went to Puffs’ house. “I need a whiskey,” he said, lighting another cigarette. “No mix. No ice. No glass. Just put the bottle on the table and go back to what you were doing.”
    Puffs was currently living with his mom in a spacious house near the lake in north Winston, about three blocks from Common House. Mrs. Davis was out most nights. If she was not meeting with clients, caterers, hall managers, entertainers or other people related to her work, she was attending one of the many weddings, anniversary celebrations, or fundraisers that she organized.
    When she was home, she threw lavish parties with guests ranging from neighbors and relatives to local and national politicians for whom she worked. This meant, among other things, that there was always a steady and broad supply of liquor in the house. Rooster, Jayson and Puffs frequently took advantage of it.
    â€œTrouble in Cobbville?” said Puffs. He’d just finished his social studies homework and was ready for a break. He’d also written up two more invoices for computer jobs he’d recently completed, meaning more money would soon be coming his way. In other words, his spirits were as high as Rooster’s were low.
    Rooster slumped into a kitchen chair and let his head fall back. For a moment he said nothing. Then he turned to Puffs and repeated his request. “Whiskey?” he said.
    â€œThursday?” said Puffs. “I thought we were gonna lay off the weeknight assaults on my mom’s supply until school was out.”
    â€œI don’t remember anything about that.”
    Puffs hesitated. “Maybe that was something Jayson and I talked about.”
    â€œIt certainly wasn’t with me. And with the kind of day I’m having, it wouldn’t matter anyway.”
    Puffs pulled out a chair and sat down. “Why? What happened?”
    Rooster had not intended to spill the contents of his day until he had a drink in his hand, but he did anyway, beginning with his meeting in the morning with Mrs. Nixon. When he finished, Puffs sat and stared at him in silence.
    â€œBowling?” he finally said. It was all he could come up with for an initial comment.
    Rooster nodded glumly.
    â€œYou’re taking four people from Common House to the Winston Bowling alley?”
    Rooster continued to nod.
    â€œFor the next six weeks?”
    â€œUntil school’s out.”
    â€œAnd none of them like you?”
    â€œOne does. A really spunky little guy who wants to be a rock star.”
    â€œWhat are the women like?”
    â€œThey’re weird. One of them sticks her whole hand in her mouth and sucks on her fingers.”
    â€œWhat’s so weird about that?”
    â€œThen she cleans her glasses with them. It’s like, ‘Could you be more disgusting if you tried?’”
    â€œWhat about the other one?”
    â€œThe other one did not take her eyes off me the whole time I was there. I sat in that chair for an hour and she did not take her eyes off me once.”
    â€œWouldn’t that mean she likes you?”
    â€œNo. She’s just weird. She’s like the other one, except she doesn’t suck on her fingers. She asks me questions all the time. One after another after another after another. ‘Do you like being called a moron? How come you didn’t say nothing after he called you a moron? Are you a moron?’ And she was staring at me the whole time. I’m