at Jake for a second longer, then her eyes softened and she reached out and hugged him. She pushed away and shook her head. With disappointment weighing her face, she grabbed her pack of cigarettes from the hall table and walked toward the balcony. “Dinner’s in the kitchen. It’s cold.”
Jake dropped his backpack by the door, kicked off his shoes, and strolled into the living room. “Get out the Xbox. I’m gonna kick your butt in Karate Chaos.” He plunked himself onto the sofa. Jake was still a bit edgy from the elevator experience and figured playing a game or two would calm his nerves. The Xbox was an old hand-me-down. He wished they had one of those new high-tech systems. If only his luck would change, then he’d be able to earn back some of his losses and buy one.
“You wanna piece ’a me?” said Drew, grinning. He got out the controllers and turned on the TV. “So how’d it go today? Did you win?”
The money. Jake cleared his throat. “Oh. Yeah. Yeah, I won, but …”
“Cool! So where’s my money?”
Jake took a deep breath. His brother’s eyes were so wide and happy that Jake had to look away. “Well, thing is … well, this teacher came and, well … he kinda confiscated the cash.” Jake glanced at his brother. The smile remained on his face, but the light in his eyes had dimmed.
“Confiscated?”
Jake paused. “He took it.”
The corners of Drew’s mouth quivered, but he kept on smiling.
CHAPTER THREE
Jake lay on his bed, his eyes closed, his iPod cranked to the max. Drew was watching his favourite reality show. Jake loved his time alone — and in the one-bedroom apartment there was never enough of it. Once nine o’clock rolled around, Drew would come bouncing into the bedroom, and Jake would no longer have the space to himself. He’d have to listen to his ten-year-old brother yak on and on until Drew finally passed out. Jake glanced at his alarm clock. Fifteen more minutes of peace.
As bass bludgeoned his ears, Jake thought about the 5 King Tribe. How cool would it be to be a real member? Guys to watch his back. Security. Belonging. Respect. Power. But there was other stuff, too. Stuff that worried Jake.
His phone vibrated. He dug into the pocket of his jeans and pulled it out. It was Cole. Jake shut off his iPod. “What do you want?”
“Nice greeting.”
“I’m bagged, man. What’s up?”
“Flash party.”
Jake sat up. The rusty bed frame creaked. “Party? Where?”
“No idea.”
Cole was one of those guys who dragged everything out, like a cat playing with a mouse before he ate it.
“That’s stupid. How can you not know where?”
“It’s a flash party. Could be anywhere. At a house. In an alley. In a barn …”
Jake sighed. “Okay. So how does it work?”
“You’ll get a text later tonight. It’ll tell everyone where to meet. You won’t know where until the last minute. What do you think? You in?”
In. Out. In. Out. Jake’s thoughts were spinning again. “I dunno.”
“Come on,” Cole whined. He paused, then pulled out his ace in the hole. “Shelly might be there.”
“Shelly? You sure?”
“I can’t guarantee she’ll show, but she’ll get the text.”
Jake stood up. He walked over to the bedroom door and opened it a crack. His mother was sitting beside Drew on the sofa. “What time?”
“Late,” Cole said. “So?”
Jake watched his mom put her arm around his little brother. Drew was the perfect son. He did well in school. Never got into trouble. Jake and his brother were like night and day. Jake couldn’t seem to stay out of trouble. His mother would skin him alive if he snuck out again. She caught him once and nearly kicked him out. She gave him the silent treatment for an entire week. Wouldn’t say a single word to him, as if he didn’t exist.
“I dunno …”
Cole sighed dramatically. “Jake … Jake … this is so you. You say you wanna be cool. You say you wanna hook up with Shelly. Then you get a chance and you chicken out. You’re such a loser.”
Cole’s words stung. “Watch your mouth.”
“Whatever,” said Cole. “You’ll get the text. It’s up to you.”
Jake stared at his phone for a second, then pressed end.
Another decision. Why couldn’t life be simple? No problems. No decisions. Jake suddenly wished he was a wild animal. A wolf. A lone wolf, sitting pretty at the top of the food chain, with nothing and no one to worry about. Except maybe his next meal. Or the odd hunter. Or a possible run-in with an angry bear. And then there was the deterioration of his natural habitat …
Okay, so life sucks even for wolves, he thought.
Anyway, he’d made up his mind. Shelly or no Shelly, he was tired. He wasn’t going to any stupid flash party.
Just as Jake lay down again, his bedroom door burst open. His mother stood there with that crazed look she got when Jake had done something really horrible.
“I can’t believe you!” she hissed.
Jake winced. This wasn’t good. For a second he wondered if she’d overheard his conversation with Cole. Maybe she had his room bugged.
“I can’t believe you did such a rotten thing!”
Did? That was the past tense. Jake took a deep breath. Whatever it was, he’d already done it and she knew about it. No use in trying to talk his way out.
“Where’s Drew?” he asked.
“Brushing his teeth.” His mother eyed him with disgust. “How could you take your little brother’s money and gamble it away?”
Jake rolled his eyes. The money thing again.
“It’s bad enough you gamble your own money, my money, money I work hard for and give to you so you can buy lunch and clothes, but now you have to gamble Drew’s money away, too?”
“Listen, Mom …” he tried.
“Don’t listen Mom me! I’ve had enough of you. Lazy. Irresponsible. You’re throwing your life away, you know that? You’re so selfish. You’re exactly like —”
Jake sat up and cut her off before she could finish. “Like who? The Pigeon? Is that who I’m like?” He glared at her.
She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her expression had changed. She slumped against the wall as if her bones had evaporated. Then she took a deep breath
