RENEGADES

Chapter Six

Siggy sat on some boxes in the alley, smoking his cigar. I noticed his blue shirt had dirt smudged on it. He got up when he saw me.

"Real smooth, Romeo," he said sarcastically.

"Stop calling me Romeo," I grumbled.

"Alright, Andy Dandy. I heard Marielle crying. Why are you making her cry?" Siggy and I walked out of the alleyway. That's when I remembered Rickie.

"Siggy, for one second of your life can you be serious?" I yelled at him.

"Okay, okay what's wrong?" Siggy's voice turned somber. I stopped outside Marshall's clothing store.

"It's Rickie, he hurt Marielle, and now I'm going to make him sorry he was ever born," I growled while making a tight fist.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down, Andrew. Let's find Thomas and then we can figure out what to do," Siggy put his hands up like he was trying to steady me. But I was enraged. I had to find Thomas. He would help me. I know he would. Then Thomas, Siggy and I could beat Rickie to dust. Then he would never hurt Marielle again. Then he and his gang would never beat us up or chase us again. The gangs would live in peace and he wouldn't be there to make us fight.

I scowled as Siggy and I walked over to Dilly's. Jim would be there. Jim could tell us where Thomas was.  I stormed across the street while cars honked at me and people yelled but I didn't care.  I had a mission.  The door was glass and nearly broke when I shoved it open.  The sign hanging from the ceiling that cheerfully stated Welcome to DILLY'S usually made me glad but today was different.

"Hi Andrew, Siggy!" Jim was in a good mood.  He was smiling, even while he wiped down the dirty countertops.  

"Where's Thomas?" I asked, walking up to Jim.   Siggy cowered behind me.

"What's a matter with you guys?  It's not even Monday," Jim looked at us like were pouty little kids whose ice cream cones had fallen to the ground.  But I wasn't interested in improving my emotions right now.  I just had to find Thomas so we could beat up Rickie.

"Nevamind what day it is.  Where's Thomas?" I barked.  Just then the kitchen door opened and Thomas came out dressed up like a waiter.  He walked over to a table with a few kids at it and handed them milkshakes and napkins.  Siggy started bending over cracking up.  

"Wow!  I've never seen anything so funny.  Great joke Thomas.  Jim, were you in on this too?  You guys are hilarious," Siggy laughed.

I smiled a bit.  Thomas did look ridiculous.  And he was never one to joke around, that was always Siggy's doing.  

"Alright, enough fooling around Thomas, we got something important to do," I went over to Thomas and put my arm around him.  

"I'm not fooling around - I'm working," Thomas's ears turned red.  I couldn't believe it.  At nineteen, I don't think Thomas had ever had a real job.  One that was legal at least.  He was too reckless.  No one would hire him.

"You're serious?" I took my arm off of him.  Siggy walked up to us.

"Yeah, guys, if I want to pay for a house someday I gotta start saving money."  Thomas looked at both of us and straightened his apron.  I was beginning to wonder if he hit his head or something.

"You know, of all the things you could have said, that was probably the last thing I would expect," Siggy wasn't smiling anymore.

"Well, I need to work and you guys are distracting me, so either sit down and order something or leave."

I was struck.  I thought Thomas was part of our gang, he was always there for me and Siggy.  I looked at Thomas standing there in his white waiter uniform.  For some reason, he seemed so old.  All of sudden he was like an adult.  And we were just kids.  We didn't matter as much anymore.