"Jude, your walkies yelling, son!" Randell called from the recliner in the living room, not getting an answer, "Jude!"
"Give me a second!" Jude's voice rang through the hallway, the boy half way in the barely working washing machine, collecting quarters that had fallen from the washed jeans. He only managed to find two, "Dad, you got any quarts?"
"Ask Mrs Carmichael next door!" Russell called back to him, hearing the dryer slam shut.
"Jude! Answer the phone, you son of a bitch."
"Which friend is that?" Russell asked in disbelief. Jude emerged from behind the thin wall, coated in ugly wallpaper. He looked older then he was around this time last year, his hair going from wavy to curly and a bit longer, standing three or four inches taller, still wearing the oversized brown jacket, hands shoved tightly into his pockets.
"Dustin." Jude grabbed the walkie as Dustin's voice continue on the other line, "Dustin, shut your mouth, you make me want to shoot myself in the head!"
"I'm about to ride past Gratton! I will leave you!" Dustin called from the other line, clearly riding down the street. Jude didn't answer, rummaging for his missing shoe.
"Make sure you're back before ten, i've got the night shift and someone's gonna break in again if they see the place is empty." Russell spoke, throwing Jude one extra quarter that he dug from inside the recliner.
"I'll be back by eight, I have to study for Mr.Clarkes quiz tomorrow." Jude answered, looking behind the couch, "Have you seen the black vans? The knockoff ones?"
"Front door." his dad said back, leaning back in the chair to watch him go, "Don't forget, you have to bring your bag to school tomorrow."
Jude sighed as he faced his dad again, pulling on his shoe, "I still have to go?"
"She wants to see you, son." Russell said back, staring his way, "It's been four months."
"An entire three days though?" Jude signed as he gave a pleading look, "What'd the lawyer say when you called?"
"You gotta go unless you tell her to her face you wanna stay." Russell shrugged as Jude sighed, "And I know you're not gonna do that."
Jude finished the last tie on his shoe, "Will you bring me a burrito back for the morning?"
"Will do!" Russell called back. Jude secretly hoped that he'd let Linda, the woman he worked with at the diner, make it considering he never actually got it right. Jude closed the door back, walking down the small steps as his eyes fell onto Mrs Carmichael outside on her porch, Winkel, her cat, purring by her side.
"Hi, Mrs Carmichael." Jude spoke to her, how close they lived not causing him to yell.
"Hey there, Jude." she smiled as him, watching the boy grab hold of his bike, "Going out with some friends?"
"To the arcade." he smiled back, hoping she'd take pity onto him and pass off a few extra quarters, "Hey there, Winkel."
Winkel only purred.
"Here, be sure to tell Rustin hello." Mrs Carmichael said as she leaned over the porch to hand him four quarter. Jude tried not to laugh at the name she'd always gotten wrong, "Haven't seen him in quite sometime."
"His bike was fixed so he doesn't need me to drive him everywhere." Jude said, taking the quarts with a small smile, she caught sight of his blue painted nails after taking them, "Thanks a billion."
She smiled, Jude's eyes falling onto the for rent sign in her front yard, "Haven't found any biters yet?"
"A few, we're just trying to figure out what to do with Wink." she said, petting the one eyed cat, "Our new place doesn't allow pets."
"Really?" Jude frowned, looking at the black cat with green eyes, "Poor wink."
"Jude!" Dustin yelled from the Gratton sign, "I'm leaving in three seconds!"
"Thanks again." Jude smiled at the woman, putting the quarters into his pocket, "Have a good night."
The woman smiled, waving to Dustin as Jude peddled off toward him.
"Lady killer." Dustin laughed as Jude road up besides him.
"What?" Jude asked in disbelief, gripping his handle bars, "She's like, fifty-one."
"Still." Dustin said, the pair peddling down the small hill as the trailer park was behind them now, getting smaller and smaller, "How's it feel for a older woman to have the hots for you."
"Oh, shut up, Rustin." Jude gave a snort as he peddled before him.
"It's not funny!" Dustin yelled back, catching up quickly.
"To slay the dragon, use the magic sword." the blonde animated character on the video game spoke suductivly.
"Oh, Jesus. I'm in unchartered territory here, guys." Dustin panicked as the four leaned around him to watch what would happen next.
"Watch right here, I tell you this every time." Jude huffed, pointing toward the bottom of the screen.
"Down! Down! Down!" Lucas yelled as the dragon came into sight.
"I'm going! I'm going!" Dustin yelled back, yanking the controller and pressing the single button over and over.
"Get ready to attack, get ready the attach!"
"Watch it, watch it, watch it!"
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"
Dustin's character was hit with the fire, ashing away into a pile to the ground.
"No! No! No!" Dustin yelled, throwing his hands over his head. Jude ducked to avoid his hand hitting him, bumping into Mike slightest as he patted his shoulder in a sorry, "I hate this overpriced bullshit! Son of a bitch! Piece of shit!"
"You're just not nimble enough. But you'll get there one day." Lucas spoke arrogant like, a cheeky grin on his face as he patted Dustin's shoulder, "But until then, Princess Daphne is still mine."
"Whatever. I'm still tops on Centipede and Dig Dug." Dustin commented, rolling his eyes.
"You're a sore loser." Jude said honestly.
"I am not!" Dustin defended himself.
"You are." Jude argued back with a raise of his eyebrows, "Tell him, Mike."
"You're a sore loser." the Wheeler boy agreed.
"Told you so." Jude pointed out.
"You're just mad my score on Dig Dug and Centipede is way above yours, top spot." Dustin pointed out, jamming his index finger into Jude's chest.
"You sure about that?" Keith spoke up from behind them, causing the five to spin around and watch as he munched on some cheetos.
"Sure about what?" Dustin gave a look of disbelief, only getting a crunch in return.
"No, no, no. Move! Move!" Dustin called, leaning onto Centipede, "No! No! No! No!"
Hurrying toward Dig Dug, he was face to face with a second place score, "No! No! No! No!"
"751,300 points!" Will said in disbelief as he stared at the number.
"That's impossible." Mike shook his head in disbelief.
Jude gave a snort, "Clearly not."
"Who's Mad Max?" Dustin turned to Keith in disbelief.
"Better then you." Keith said back, earning a finger from Dustin.
"Is it you?" Will asked, looking up at him.
"You know I despise Dig Dug." Keith said with a odd look.
"We also know you have a 2.1 GPA and only make 50 cents an hour." Jude rolled his eyes at him.
"Then who is it?" Lucas cut in.
"Yeah, spill it, Keith." Dustin shot his way.
"You want information, then I need something in return." the older boy said back, looking at Mike.
The Wheeler boys eyes went wide, "No, no, no. No way. You're not getting a date with her."
"You gotta move on, dude." Jude pointed at Keith, "Never gotta happen."
"Mike, come on. Just get him the date." Lucas cut in with a huff.
"I'm not prostituting my sister!" Mike yelled in disbelief.
"You don't deserve Nancy, anyways. She's way out of your league." Jude rolled his eyes at Keith, "She needs a strong, 5'6, honor roll, curly haired man to love her."
"Jude!" Mike said in disbelief, hitting his shoulder.
"Mike, it's for a good cause!" Lucas argued with him.
"No, don't get him the date. Know what? He's gonna spread his nasty-ass rash to your whole family." Dustin shot at Keith, clearly taking the insulting route to pry him of information.
"Acne isn't a rash and it isn't contagious, you prepubescent wastoid." Keith glared down at him in defense.
"Oh, i'm a wastoid? She wouldn't go on a date with you!" Dustin glared up at him.
"Never in a million years." Jude added in, feeling a nudge to his arm. Turning, Mike gave a worried look. Jude followed his gaze toward Will, who was wondering out of the arcade slowly.
Mike headed after him first, Jude close behind as he pushed the door open, "Will!"
The small boy gaped, turning back to them. Mikes eyes widened, "Are you okay?"
Will looked back at the sign quickly before facing the two, "Yeah, I just... I needed some air."
"October will give that to you, that's for sure." Jude nodded, pulling his jacket closer to him.
"Come on. You're up on Dig Dug." Mike nodded him back in, Jude holding the door open for the pair.
"It's literally so stupid! Shouldn't I just be able to say I don't wanna go and that should be enough? It's my right! I'm gonna have a birthday in five days too! How is it fair that I don't get to make my own choices!" Jude ranted on that night, ten until eight, Mike and Jude biking home.
"Did you tell your mom you didn't wanna go?" Mike asked him, riding on the opposite side of the road.
Jude huffed, "Well, no, I don't wanna hurt her feelings. But I told my dad, and the lawyer, and the judge!"
"Maybe it'll go by fast." Mike pointed out, "Three days, plus you can call your dad at any time you want to go back."
"I'll have to have a reason." Jude huffed, "I mean, why wasn't my aunt attacking me enough? I could have became brain damaged, I could have snapped my neck!"
Mike tried not to laugh, "Snapped your neck?"
"Yes, snapped my neck." Jude agreed, the pair coming across the stop sign, "What if I just sneak out after everyone's asleep? You live close."
"I'll leave the basement door unlocked." Mike said as they paused, this being were they'd split, "See you in the morning?"
"Yeah." Jude nodded, going to peddle off before cutting in, "Oh, wait!"
Mike paused, "Huh?"
"Do you want a cat? Mrs Carmichael has to get rid of Winkel and she doesn't want to give him to someone she doesn't know." Jude thought of his neighbor, pausing the breaks and raising his eyebrows his way.
"Winkel?" Mike sighed, "He's our mascot though."
"I know." Jude frowned, "So, you want him?"
"Hollys allergic to cats." Mike huffed, "Maybe your mom would want him?"
Jude gave a crazy look, "I'd never do that to poor Wink!"
Mike laughed for real this time, "Night."
"Night!" Jude called back as they road off in opposite directions.
•
kylie speaks
smh poor winkel.
BUT JUDE MY LOVE
MY SCOPIO KING!