Untitled as of Now

one

I blew a thin line of smoke out of the barely cracked window of the Mercedes I sat in. Yes, this is the car that I will use next. I watch as police lights flash from every corner of this god forsaken hillbilly town. The police were going up and down every street and had been for at least 30 minutes and still they couldn't find me, but here I was right in plain sight as always and they were missing me again. Another 30 minutes and they would give up and I would be on my way to another podunk town with a new name and character to play. It's nothing new. I have done this for so long it's just everyday for me and the end of life for someone else up the road. It's been 25 yrs since I started this long spree and I feel like soon they will get me and it won't be pretty. August 1990 "Jason?," Mrs Danceton asked. "Are you paying attention?" I look up at her as she approached my desk. The smell of her perfume followed her and it was lovely but her clothes, geez! It looked like she was trying out for Flashdance and Dirty Dancing all at the same time. Her clothes were too tight for her body, black spandex was expanding here and there and her auburn hair was teased up into a dynamite exploded here look. "Jason you need to pay attention if you expect to learn." she let out a heavy sigh and danced her way back to the front. I was paying attention, I was always paying attention just not always to the lesson. I paid attention to the other kids desks and what was inside their cubby hole underneath them. Today I had my eye on a Simpson's video game that was inside Damon Evans desk. By lunchtime it would be mine and no one would see me do it. They never do, it's like I'm invisible. Things had come up missing all year. Sierra's expensive calculator, Jeff's new shiny waterproof watch, Ryan's Incredible Hulk comic book and other kids special things. All of them hiding like hidden treasure under a false bottom I had made myself in my dresser. At 11 years old, I had already become quite the magician, I know you're thinking criminal but I look at it differently. I could take things in plain sight of people and they just didn't care or didn't seem to notice. But I was becoming bored with the disappearing acts of crap that I continuously grew tired of. I needed something more exciting. It was a little after 4 when I climbed out of the noisy bus. I was followed by redheaded freckle faced Tabby who lived across the street. She was always trying to get me to come over and play. No way was I going to play with a snot like her. "Jason you wanna come over and play video games?, she asked in that sickly high pitched voice. "No," I answered with a gruff and scowl and I just kept walking across my yard, kicking at the purple flowers my mom had growing in the yard. I was mutter under my breath about how annoying she was and I was never going to.........Wait, I was thinking I need to do something new. My hand was around the doorknob when I turn around and yelled, "Hey Tabby, let me get a snack and I will be right over". From the look on her face she was shocked but the smile that took over her face said she was excited. She ran into her house and shut the door, as I walked into our house. It was quiet as usual and dark no one bothered to open her curtains or shades, nobody was there long enough. Mom didn't get home until after 9 and sometimes Dad didn't come home at all. I made my own breakfast because Mom would usually still be asleep and usually with some liquor bottle still hanging out of her hands. It was a good thing I had learned to fend for my self at such a young age or I would be dirty and starving. I grabbed some cupcakes, couple bags of chips and a strawberry soda from the fridge. You could tell I also do the shopping. Mom always has money stuffed in her purse, so I take and get everything an 11 yr old is probably not suppose to have but hey I get fed! I put everything in my backpack and headed next door. I wasn't sure what I would do there but I was sure I could make some kind of excitement. One hour later after playing the most boring game in the world I asked Tabby is I could use the restroom. She told me how to get there and I went rambling down the hallway. The house was starting to smell like fried chicken and mashed potatoes where her mother was cooking in the kitchen. Actually cooking like a mom should do or want to. I found the bathroom and turned the light on but I decided to go on down the hall. I passed what must have Tabby's room it was all pink and frilly with canopy bed and lots of stuffed animals. YUCK! The next room seem to be some kind of game room. It had a sewing machine in the corner, a exercise machine in another corner and a pool table right in the middle with one of those hanging lights over it that you see in the movies. It was huge and I was tempted to jump right into a pool game, but I kept going. I turned down another hall and came to her parent's room. It was nice and light. The bed was made with a huge comforter that had butterflies and flowers, and it matched the curtains hanging over the sliding doors that went out into the back yard. They had too big closets and it didn't take me long to figure out they had a gun hidden in the upper left corner under some sheets and blankets. They wouldn't miss it until they need to use it, so yes I took it and stuffed down the front of my pants, after putting the safety on, you know safety first. I crack myself up some times! I looked into the master bathroom and it was so clean you could eat a full dinner off the floor. I thought I better get back to Tabby but I couldn't help myself, I had to see what was out the sliding doors. And what I saw I made me know that this was the excitement I had come for. First thing, I noticed was a full sized pool complete with diving board, a slide and the bluest water ever. The smell of chlorine hit my senses just as I was hit in the chest by a huge Saint Bernard dog. It knocked me too the ground and licked my face with it's slobbering tongue. Nasty! I pushed it off of me and it just stood there looking at me like an idiot. Every time I move my head to the side so would it. Stupid dog! I kicked at him and he still wouldn't move and I knew this was a point of no return. I had just finished up cleaning up in the bathroom in the hallway and flushed the toilet just for good measure. As I came out Tabby just about ran into me. "I thought maybe you got lost or fell in," she giggled holding her hands up over her mouth. I had to hold my eyes so I wouldn't roll them. "Just about it is a big house," I smiled a big toothy grin for her. "My mom wants to know if you want to stay for supper, if you do she said you need to ask your mom," she pleaded more than asked. As we walked into the kitchen my stomach growled, it had been a long time since I had eaten a real meal and the smell was wonderful. "I can eat over Mrs. Evans, my mom won't be home for another couple of hours," I said to my hostess with my best manners. "Well we will be glad to have you then" she smiled and ruffled my sun streaked brown hair,"in fact if your mom works late a lot you can always eat here anytime". Her smile was genuine and so sweet that I almost felt bad for what I had done in the back yard. Of course that hadn't been discovered yet. "Go clean up your room before your dad gets home and by that time supper will be ready Tabby" she requested not screaming just softly requested. My mom would've had the whole neighborhood hearing. "Jason, you can help me set the table if you don't mind." "I would like that Mrs. Evans." She handed me the tableware and as I set out everything, I watched as she checked all the pots on the stove and added some seasonings. Her strawberry blonde hair fell over shoulder almost like a waterfall and shined just as much. Why can't my mom act like this and not the drunk that she is I thought almost saying it out loud because I was so used to being alone. The front door opened and Mr. Evans came walking in. He was dressed in a polo like shirt and some loose fitting dress pants. He kissed Mrs. Evans on the cheek and plopped down in one of the dining chairs. "What a day, it was like everybody in the county was looking for a new house. We probably had 28 people come in to view houses and list them too! I may have to go out again and show some houses tonight." he said all of thought and I swear he never took a breath. Tabby came around the corner and jumped into her dad's arms. He kissed her on the forehead and asked how school went as she giggled with happiness. It made me a little angry. When my dad did come home he usually smelled like a pot farm that was growing in a manure field and all he wanted to know was what is there to eat. He might acknowledge me with a slap up side the head and then grabbed my mom and they would go to their room for hours. "Hey who is our guest," Mr. Evans said as he noticed there was an extra person in the room(told you I'm invisible). Tabby clapped her hands together and with a big grin said "This is Jason Steel from next door, he's staying for supper." "Well welcome Jason, glad you can join us, have a seat," he said as he gave me a handshake and big smile. Are they always this goody goody? But I kept my manners and shook his hand as I set down in a very comfortable dining chair complete with a cushion that matched the paint on the walls. My stomach felt like it was going to bust. I had eaten like a king. Flaky fried chicken, mashed potatoes with the creamiest gravy ever, green beans with bacon bits throughout. They also had yellow squash that I ended up really liking and tomatoes that I would not touch, that is gross. There was also a magnificent warm apple pie with melting ice cream on top. Yum, I thought I could eat like this everyday! It almost makes me sad for them knowing what they would find just outside in their backyard. We were sitting around the table and they were talking about their day while I listened thinking "is that what regular families do" and "is this normal" when Mr. Evans clapped his hands together and said "How about a little swim before it gets too dark?" Everyone jumped up and started to get their suits on when they all stopped and looked at me-"Do you have a suit or anything I could borrow?" I asked feeling embarrassed that I didn't own one. Mr. Evans smiled and said we actually have extras for just that occasion and he put his arm around my shoulder and led to me to room down a hall I had not noticed earlier. I really couldn't believe these people were so nice and in a little while their world be turned upside down and I might just lose all this food I ate when they found out. But too late and I knew I would still get excited inside cause a smile came to my face. Within ten minutes we were all back in the dining room about to go out the sliding door that adjoined it to the patio. Towels over our shoulders and Tabby holding a few floatie things we started to go out when Mrs. Evans said "Just let me grab these chicken bones for Nero, I almost forgot." Tabby start giggling and told me "Nero is our Saint Bernard. He is giant and we like to call him our "guardian"!" They all started giggling at that except me. When we first slid the door open the still warm night air hit us and the smell of chlorine from the pool. "Nero, where are you boy?" hollered Mr. Evans, "he usually smells food before we get out the door." Again everyone was laughing but still no Nero showed. "That's strange," Mrs. Evans said with a look of concern. Tabby was looking all over the yard when suddenly she screamed a horrific devilish scream. "There he is", she whispered with trembling lips and shaking hands she pointed to the edge of the pool by the slide, "at least I think it used to be" She screamed again and ran to her father.