Read Online Tail of the Devil by Danielle DeVor - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Danielle DeVor
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ain’t gonna leave a tip?” The waitress asked as she got to the register.
“I need change first,” Mathias said.
She rang him up and handed him his change. He gave her two dollars and left the diner. He had no idea where to go. He wandered around, and finally settled himself in the alley behind the diner. He curled up with some old newspapers from the trash and used his backpack as a pillow.
He thought about his parents. He knew that they never expected Annette to act like she did, but it was still hard to think that his folks had wanted him to make something of himself, and here he was, living on the streets. But he was alive, and that was the important part.
* * * * *
The next morning, he dusted as much grime as he could from his pants and left the alley. A few blocks west, he found a small market with a display of fruit out front. He watched one of the employees talk to an old woman. She was small with gray hair that was cropped close to her head. The employee was an old Italian man who looked like he wanted to strangle the old woman.
“I told you last week Mary, we don’t do credit. And we sure don’t do credit on oranges.”
The old woman looked like she was about to cry. “But George, I’ve know you for forty years.”
George looked like he wanted to slap himself in the face. “Yeah, and last time we gave you credit, you didn’t pay then, so no more Mary.”
The old woman hit George with her purse.
Mathias snatched an apple from one of the displays and ran off. It was the first time he’d stolen anything. It felt exhilarating. His heart beat fast and he felt like he could do anything. He sat down on a bus stop bench and ate his apple. After he was finished, he got up and began to walk. He knew he needed to find something better than an alley to sleep in if he could find it. Soon, he learned to watch where he walked, because of the broken sidewalks and after falling several times.
“Hey, kid,” she said.
Mathias looked around. Finally, he spotted a black girl wearing a shiny silver jacket, a pink sequined tube top, a black leather mini-skirt, fishnet stockings, and the highest heeled boots that Mathias had ever seen.
“Get over here.” She motioned for him with her hands.
Mathias straightened the strap on his backpack and wandered over. She seemed sort of normal.
“Whatch you doin’, boy? You wanna get yo’self mugged?”
Mathias looked at her and raised his left eyebrow. “I’m just walking.” What did she care anyway?
She shook her head. “Boy, ‘less you stay wit me, you ain’t gonna survive da week.” She took Mathias by the arm. “Don’t you know you in hell, boy?”
She’s crazy. Completely fucking crazy.
“Hell, since I got here yesterday, I seriously doubt if I’d know where I was,” Mathias said with a smirk.
“Fuck boy, you crazy.” She sighed heavily. She took him by the arm and led him into the apartment building behind her. “You jus’ gonna haveta stay with Lucretia.” She shook herself. “Dequan jus’ gonna hafta deal.”
“Who’s Lucretia?” Mathias asked. This girl was the weirdest girl he’d ever met. But, at least she was being nice.
“Jesus Christ. Boy, you dumb. I’m Lucretia. You jus’ stay here til my shift be over. Then you and I’s gonna have us a long talk.”
“I’m Mathias.”
She nodded and then walked back out of the building.
The least she could have done was showed him something to do. But, he didn’t know where else to go, so he sat down on the steps and waited.
* * * * *
After a while, Lucretia came back. She stepped into the dim hallway, carefully avoiding the broken tiles as if not to mess up her shoes. “Come on, kid. Let’s get home. It’s so hot, my titties are so wet they’s makin’ noise when I walk!”
Mathias laughed. He followed her back out into the street. The sun was shining, and Mathias followed her and noticed her walk. She seemed proud and walked in what he would describe as a
“I need change first,” Mathias said.
She rang him up and handed him his change. He gave her two dollars and left the diner. He had no idea where to go. He wandered around, and finally settled himself in the alley behind the diner. He curled up with some old newspapers from the trash and used his backpack as a pillow.
He thought about his parents. He knew that they never expected Annette to act like she did, but it was still hard to think that his folks had wanted him to make something of himself, and here he was, living on the streets. But he was alive, and that was the important part.
* * * * *
The next morning, he dusted as much grime as he could from his pants and left the alley. A few blocks west, he found a small market with a display of fruit out front. He watched one of the employees talk to an old woman. She was small with gray hair that was cropped close to her head. The employee was an old Italian man who looked like he wanted to strangle the old woman.
“I told you last week Mary, we don’t do credit. And we sure don’t do credit on oranges.”
The old woman looked like she was about to cry. “But George, I’ve know you for forty years.”
George looked like he wanted to slap himself in the face. “Yeah, and last time we gave you credit, you didn’t pay then, so no more Mary.”
The old woman hit George with her purse.
Mathias snatched an apple from one of the displays and ran off. It was the first time he’d stolen anything. It felt exhilarating. His heart beat fast and he felt like he could do anything. He sat down on a bus stop bench and ate his apple. After he was finished, he got up and began to walk. He knew he needed to find something better than an alley to sleep in if he could find it. Soon, he learned to watch where he walked, because of the broken sidewalks and after falling several times.
“Hey, kid,” she said.
Mathias looked around. Finally, he spotted a black girl wearing a shiny silver jacket, a pink sequined tube top, a black leather mini-skirt, fishnet stockings, and the highest heeled boots that Mathias had ever seen.
“Get over here.” She motioned for him with her hands.
Mathias straightened the strap on his backpack and wandered over. She seemed sort of normal.
“Whatch you doin’, boy? You wanna get yo’self mugged?”
Mathias looked at her and raised his left eyebrow. “I’m just walking.” What did she care anyway?
She shook her head. “Boy, ‘less you stay wit me, you ain’t gonna survive da week.” She took Mathias by the arm. “Don’t you know you in hell, boy?”
She’s crazy. Completely fucking crazy.
“Hell, since I got here yesterday, I seriously doubt if I’d know where I was,” Mathias said with a smirk.
“Fuck boy, you crazy.” She sighed heavily. She took him by the arm and led him into the apartment building behind her. “You jus’ gonna haveta stay with Lucretia.” She shook herself. “Dequan jus’ gonna hafta deal.”
“Who’s Lucretia?” Mathias asked. This girl was the weirdest girl he’d ever met. But, at least she was being nice.
“Jesus Christ. Boy, you dumb. I’m Lucretia. You jus’ stay here til my shift be over. Then you and I’s gonna have us a long talk.”
“I’m Mathias.”
She nodded and then walked back out of the building.
The least she could have done was showed him something to do. But, he didn’t know where else to go, so he sat down on the steps and waited.
* * * * *
After a while, Lucretia came back. She stepped into the dim hallway, carefully avoiding the broken tiles as if not to mess up her shoes. “Come on, kid. Let’s get home. It’s so hot, my titties are so wet they’s makin’ noise when I walk!”
Mathias laughed. He followed her back out into the street. The sun was shining, and Mathias followed her and noticed her walk. She seemed proud and walked in what he would describe as a
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