Read Online Stealing Home by Ellen Schwartz - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ellen Schwartz
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Joey ran in. Bobbie and Grossie slapped him on the back. This was great – playing ball with friends,teasing and trading insults, falling in the dirt, sweating and cheering, being part of a team….
Joey was just coming up to bat in the second inning when someone roared, “You again?”
He turned. Eli Fishkin. And Tommy Flanagan.
“Shoot,” Bobbie muttered. “There goes the game.”
Eli pointed at Joey. “I thought I told you you couldn’t play here.” He jerked his thumb. “Get lost.”
Joey looked at the arrogant expression on Eli’s face. “Who died and made you king?”
Vito chuckled. “Yeah, I don’t remember anybody crowning you, Fishkin.”
“Hey, it’s King Fish.” Joey bulged out his eyes and opened and closed his mouth like a fish.
More chuckles.
“That’s not funny,” Eli said.
Tommy took a step closer to his friend. “Why’s he making like a fish, Eli?” he whispered.
“Shut up, Flanagan,” Eli muttered.
“And this one’s like an ox – big, dumb Prince Ox,” Joey added, pointing at Tommy.
“I am not an ox!” Tommy said. Then, to Eli, “What’s an ox?”
“It’s like a cow, dummy.”
Tommy’s ears turned red. “I am not an ox. Or a cow.” The other kids burst out laughing.
Eli gave Joey a shove. “Shut up, Nigger.”
“You shut up,” Joey returned. “I don’t see any crown on your head. You only think there’s one.”
The other kids murmured agreement.
“Or a throne,” Joey added. “Or a – what do you call that thing – you know, that long thing that kings hold?”
“A scepter,” Grossie said.
“Right.” Joey flashed his friend a smile. “Or a scepter. So I guess you’re not king after all.”
“Shut up!” Eli’s hands balled into fists. His ears turned red. He made as if to go after one kid, then another, but stopped in frustration.
Boy, it’s great to be dishing it out for a change,
Joey thought. “So, guess what – you don’t own the field,” Joey said. “We all get to say what goes on here.”
“Yeah, Eli!” Louie shouted.
“Eli,” Tommy said uneasily, “what’s going on? Aren’t you going to make him stop?”
“Yeah. Right now,” Eli growled. He advanced on Joey until they were practically nose to nose. There was sweat on his forehead. “Shut up!” he blustered. “I am in charge. I make the rules. I say who plays here. And no two-bit punk – especially one who’s a nigger – is going to tell me what to do. So scram!”
Joey stood his ground. “Nope.”
Eli charged him. Before Joey knew it, he was flat on his back with the other boy on top of him, rocks digging into his spine, Eli’s knee pressing into his stomach, and hands squeezing his neck. Joey kicked and twisted from side to side, grinding into the dirt, but couldn’t dislodge Eli.
“Quit it, Eli!” Bobbie yelled. “You’re choking him!” She grabbed hold of one of Eli’s arms with both hands and tugged, and Joey felt a slight lightening of the pressure. Although he was relieved, he wanted to tell her to stay out of it – but before he could get a word out, Tommy had shoved Bobbie and sent her sprawling.
“You big bully,” Vito shouted as he entered the fray, “leave her alone!”
Taking advantage of the distraction, Joey managed to roll over and get to his knees, gasping for air. He was grateful that Vito had jumped in to help Bobbie. Maybe together they had a chance of beating Tommy. He struck out again at Eli and a dust cloud rose as the five went at it with surprising fury.
Though it was now three against two, Joey, Bobbie, and Vito were getting creamed. It was clear that the two bigger boys were not just angry, they were enraged.
A bruised and bloodied Vito called to the kids on the sidelines. “Come on, guys! You gonna just stand there?”
Grossie, Larry, and Louie stood in a cluster, looking frightened. Louie made a slight move as if to jump in, but checked himself and stayed where he was.
Bee-e-e-e-p!
A loud whistle
Joey was just coming up to bat in the second inning when someone roared, “You again?”
He turned. Eli Fishkin. And Tommy Flanagan.
“Shoot,” Bobbie muttered. “There goes the game.”
Eli pointed at Joey. “I thought I told you you couldn’t play here.” He jerked his thumb. “Get lost.”
Joey looked at the arrogant expression on Eli’s face. “Who died and made you king?”
Vito chuckled. “Yeah, I don’t remember anybody crowning you, Fishkin.”
“Hey, it’s King Fish.” Joey bulged out his eyes and opened and closed his mouth like a fish.
More chuckles.
“That’s not funny,” Eli said.
Tommy took a step closer to his friend. “Why’s he making like a fish, Eli?” he whispered.
“Shut up, Flanagan,” Eli muttered.
“And this one’s like an ox – big, dumb Prince Ox,” Joey added, pointing at Tommy.
“I am not an ox!” Tommy said. Then, to Eli, “What’s an ox?”
“It’s like a cow, dummy.”
Tommy’s ears turned red. “I am not an ox. Or a cow.” The other kids burst out laughing.
Eli gave Joey a shove. “Shut up, Nigger.”
“You shut up,” Joey returned. “I don’t see any crown on your head. You only think there’s one.”
The other kids murmured agreement.
“Or a throne,” Joey added. “Or a – what do you call that thing – you know, that long thing that kings hold?”
“A scepter,” Grossie said.
“Right.” Joey flashed his friend a smile. “Or a scepter. So I guess you’re not king after all.”
“Shut up!” Eli’s hands balled into fists. His ears turned red. He made as if to go after one kid, then another, but stopped in frustration.
Boy, it’s great to be dishing it out for a change,
Joey thought. “So, guess what – you don’t own the field,” Joey said. “We all get to say what goes on here.”
“Yeah, Eli!” Louie shouted.
“Eli,” Tommy said uneasily, “what’s going on? Aren’t you going to make him stop?”
“Yeah. Right now,” Eli growled. He advanced on Joey until they were practically nose to nose. There was sweat on his forehead. “Shut up!” he blustered. “I am in charge. I make the rules. I say who plays here. And no two-bit punk – especially one who’s a nigger – is going to tell me what to do. So scram!”
Joey stood his ground. “Nope.”
Eli charged him. Before Joey knew it, he was flat on his back with the other boy on top of him, rocks digging into his spine, Eli’s knee pressing into his stomach, and hands squeezing his neck. Joey kicked and twisted from side to side, grinding into the dirt, but couldn’t dislodge Eli.
“Quit it, Eli!” Bobbie yelled. “You’re choking him!” She grabbed hold of one of Eli’s arms with both hands and tugged, and Joey felt a slight lightening of the pressure. Although he was relieved, he wanted to tell her to stay out of it – but before he could get a word out, Tommy had shoved Bobbie and sent her sprawling.
“You big bully,” Vito shouted as he entered the fray, “leave her alone!”
Taking advantage of the distraction, Joey managed to roll over and get to his knees, gasping for air. He was grateful that Vito had jumped in to help Bobbie. Maybe together they had a chance of beating Tommy. He struck out again at Eli and a dust cloud rose as the five went at it with surprising fury.
Though it was now three against two, Joey, Bobbie, and Vito were getting creamed. It was clear that the two bigger boys were not just angry, they were enraged.
A bruised and bloodied Vito called to the kids on the sidelines. “Come on, guys! You gonna just stand there?”
Grossie, Larry, and Louie stood in a cluster, looking frightened. Louie made a slight move as if to jump in, but checked himself and stayed where he was.
Bee-e-e-e-p!
A loud whistle
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