Romeo is Homeless (12 page)

Caraleen drove the pickup along the highway, scanning the cornfield. The tractor sat idling in the field fifty yards away. She pulled onto the gravel shoulder and slid to a stop. She sprinted through the field, thrashed through corn rows, not giving a damn if she damaged the stalks.

Don was leaning against the tractor smoking. He straightened up. “Whoa, what are you doing?”

She leaned over and put a hand on one knee and held the other up so he’d stop talking while she caught her breath. She stood up. “The Sheriff called. Someone saw her. Someone saw August and called the police.”

“What? Where?”

“She stayed at a youth shelter last night. The woman who registers kids recognized her face. She said she signed in under a different name, some comic book name. What would she know from comic books?”

“Who cares? Did they find her?”

“No. They left the shelter before the woman saw the newspaper. But it gives them an area they can concentrate on. The police said most street kids stay close around one neighborhood.”

“They?”

“She was with some –” Her voice caught in her throat. “Some boy.” She crossed her arms and turned her head away, staring into the cornfield. Her eyes widened. “Do you think she’s with that boy she was seeing?”

Don wiped tears from his cheek. “I don’t know. I’ll ask around, call Sara, find out who he is. In the meantime, what are we supposed to do?”

“Same thing we’ve been doing. Wait. Wait. And wait some more.” She stepped into his arms and rested her head on his shoulder. “And maybe we could go get one of those cell phones.”

Reese hung back while August pored over a box of silver rings. She tried one on and flashed her hand at him, a huge grin gracing her pretty face. That ring came off and then three more went on, one with a glass stone that she put on the ring finger of her left hand.

“What do you think?”

He nodded slightly and smiled through closed lips. “Nice.”

“Are you all right?”

He wasn’t sure. She loved to try things on, look at expensive jewelry and clothes that he could never afford to buy her. He was such a loser. And he’d lose her soon enough. No way would she stick it out with a schmuck who can’t do anything except barely feed her crap food.

He should be able to take her out for a fancy meal. Maybe go downtown and see a play. Do things that real couples do. But that wouldn’t happen, just another night of cheap eats and sleeping in the open air under a shitty bridge. She knew what he did to get money. He even encouraged her to steal. Why did she stick around?

“I think I’m just hungry. Want to go grab something?”

“Sure.” She took off all the rings and put them back into the box. The clerk who had been hovering, probably to make sure she didn’t leave with any rings still on her fingers, walked away.

Reese motioned for her to pass, took a quick look around then deftly palmed the ring with the glass stone. He followed her, squeezed the ring in his fist before dropping it into the front pocket of his jeans and taking her hand.

After tacos and Coke, they left the mall. At the corner, they waited for the light to change and the walk signal to flash.

“Dude. Been a long time.”

Reese spun around and found himself face to face with the dark rimmed eyes of Marco, his heroin dealer.

Reese’s heart pounded, sweat broke out on his scalp and his left arm began to tingle. He fingered the remaining cash in his jeans pocket. He could afford a couple of hits. His eyes darted to August, back to Marco, and then to August again. No. Not worth it. He wasn’t sure why she hung around with him now. If he started using, she’d leave for sure.

He nodded once at Marco, turned away and focused on the don’t walk light across the street. He took August’s hand in a firm grip.

Marco poked him in the back. “Who’s the babe?”

Reese turned around slowly and glared at the dealer. “A friend. I’m not interested anymore, so back off.” Reese wanted to wipe the smug smirk off Marco’s scarred face.

Marco held up both his hands and took one step back. “Whatever, man. You been scoring somewhere else? I got some good shit. Maybe I’ll give you a deal. Bring you back home.”

Reese hesitated, then glanced at August again. He set his jaw, straightened his posture and looked the dealer in the eye. “I said no. I got clean. Trying to stay that way.”

Marco looked August up and down. “That must be some fine tail to keep you off the needle. If you got no cash, you could pay me with a piece of her ass.”

August cowered behind Reese. He clenched his fists and took a step toward Marco. “Back the fuck off.”

“Be cool, man. Catch you some other time. Because we both know,” he leaned in, “you’ll be back.”

Marco turned and strode away.

The light changed and Reese grabbed August’s hand and jogged across the street and into the park. When they got to the path he slowed to a walk.

He could see her out of the corner of his eye, watching him. She was going to ask anyway. May as well just tell her. “That was my old dealer.”

“You do drugs? With needles, like Tanya?”

“Not anymore. I quit. Been clean for a few months.”

“Is that what those other scars are on your arm?”

“Yeah. Permanent reminders.” Reminders of what he was missing. Reminders of being free and at peace, if only for a few minutes. He glanced at her. “You ever do anything like that?”

She shook her head. “God, no. My parents would kill me.”

He narrowed his eyes. “For real?”

She looked up at him, a crease pinching the perfect skin between her brows. Then she smiled. “No, silly. They’d be pissed at me. I’d be grounded for life.”

They wandered down the path in silence, her sweaty palm slick against his. He squeezed her hand. “Do you miss them?”

She didn’t answer right away, just took a few more silent steps. Then she sighed. “More than I thought I would.”

At the centre of a footbridge Reese stopped and tugged her toward him. He ran his hand across her temple and behind her ear, pushing her hair out of the way. Their eyes locked.

His stomach felt hollow, every nerve tingled.

He bent toward her, stopping short of a kiss, never taking his eyes from hers. They stared at each other for what felt like minutes, both of them breathing short huffs onto the other’s lips.

He put his other arm around her waist and lifted her until she was on her tiptoes. Then he kissed her.

She brought both hands up, one behind his neck, the other on the side of his head, pressing it into his hair.

The noises of the park disappeared. It was just his lips on hers, the pounding of his heart against her chest, and the smell of her breath and her skin and her hair.

She gave no signal that she wanted more – no open mouth, no ‘Frenching.’ It was the most perfect kiss ever.

A whistle broke his trance, followed by the faint call of “Yoo hoo! Reese-man. September.”

Reese broke their connection and looked around until he saw Guy standing under the shade of a tree, Amber and Ricki sitting on the grass, laughing.

He shook his head. “Un-fucking-believable. No privacy anywhere.”

“Especially not in the middle of a public park.”

He smiled and kissed the top of her head, then they walked toward the tree, his arm around her shoulder.

“So what did you two lovebirds do all afternoon?” Ricki sat cross legged, a Starbucks cup in front of her, breasts nearly falling out of her low cut top.

Reese pulled a cigarette from his jacket pocket and tossed the pack to Amber. “We hung out at the mall.”

“Lame.”

“Beats the shit out of what you spent your day doing.”

She glared at him. “You mean the same thing you spent your morning doing?” She took a swig of coffee.

He looked at Ricki’s face, the red eyes and dark circles, grayish skin. The line of bruises, needle scars and fresh track marks up her left arm. “I’m guessing you did a little more than me. What’d he pay you in, smack? Crank?”

“None of your fucking business.”

He noticed a small cut under her left eye, and a faint purple bruise. “Did that bastard hit you?”

“Yeah, so? You get smacked around all the time. Amber, which is he, the pot or the kettle?”

Amber threw her arms in the air. “Oh my God! Would you two just get over yourselves? You do the same shit, you are the same damn people. You know, except for the whole penis-vagina thing.”

Guy’s eyes bugged out and he put his hand over his coffee-filled mouth, but the laughter came and he spit coffee all over the grass. Reese started to laugh and soon they all followed, the tension erased.

“Look, a dog.” August pointed to a copse of bushes a few feet away. “Come here, boy.”

Reese poked her in the ribs. “He’s a stray, you should leave him be.”

She looked at him and then around the group. “I kind of like strays.”

“Hah!” Amber snorted. “Good one.”

August held her hand out and made kissing noises. The dog inched his way closer, his head near the ground, ears down and tail between his legs.

“What kind of mutt is that?” Ricki shifted back a few inches.

“He looks like a cross breed. Maybe corgi and shepherd.”

The dog sniffed August’s hand and arm, and then ducked under it and accepted the back scratch she offered. “Good boy. Aren’t you adorable?”

“He’s just a freaking dirty dog. Don’t encourage him.” Ricki scooted farther back. “And keep him away from me.”

“Don’t be afraid, he’s harmless.” The dog curled up next to August and rested his head on her leg. “I’ll call him Two Jack after my dog at home.” She patted his back and rubbed his ears. “I miss my Jack.”

Amber stared at the dog then at August. “Do you speak dog or something?”

Reese put a hand on the dog’s head and rubbed between his ears.

Ricki inched forward and put her hand out toward Two Jack. He sniffed at her and then uttered a quiet growl. She jumped back. “Harmless my ass. That fucking dog hates me.”

Reese smirked. “Maybe he’s just a good judge of character.”

Guy rolled in the grass gasping for breath between guffaws.

For days, Two Jack followed August everywhere, walking behind her and curling into her when she slept. She saved part of every meal for him and found meat scraps behind the deli for him to feast on.

On yet another hot and sunny day, she sat on the ground under a weeping cherry tree. Reese and Two Jack chased each other across the grass. Reese looked so happy, his smile radiant. He held a stick up high and Two Jack jumped and jumped to grab it. Then Reese threw it in the river and the dog bounded in after it.

Reese hadn’t had a date since the morning they’d left the shelter. She would eat out of Dumpsters forever if it meant he didn’t have to do that. They spent their waking hours wandering the park, throwing sticks for Two Jack. And kissing. On park benches, behind giant oaks, under the bridge, anywhere they could find some privacy.

When would it be more than just a simple kiss? Their future was so clear in her head. They would both get jobs. Find an apartment with a view of the whole city. He’d never have to date again. He would see what home felt like, how a real family was. They would marry and she would bake pie and fresh bread and fatten him up. And she would make love to him. All the time. It was exciting and frightening at once.

But no matter how often they kissed, he remained a gentleman. His tongue never invaded her mouth, and his hands never wandered farther than her back or shoulders. He never tried for more. Maybe it was time that she did.

Reese jogged over and flopped onto the grass beside her, lying on his back with his head in her lap. She smiled down at him and ran her fingers through his hair, staring at his beautiful eyes.

“So,” Reese said. “If you were back home, what would you be doing right now?”

“Probably helping with laundry. Maybe reading with June. I would have already fed the animals, gathered eggs. Probably mucked the stalls if they needed it.” She looked around the park. “On a beautiful day like this, I might get to go into town with my mother and sisters. Pick up some groceries and some clothes.”

“Sounds great.”

She smiled. “Slogging through pig and horse shit sounds great? You ever smelled a pig sty?”

“Nope. But you’ve smelled the garbage and human shit in the alleys. Is it better?”

She stroked his head. “Not better, no. But different. I guess it’s all what you’re used to.”

“What’s the town like?”

“Hubble Falls?” She grinned. “It’s not even as big as this park. I bet there’s no more than three hundred people live there. Most everyone in the county lives on farms or ranches.”

“So you go there for food?”

“Yeah. The stuff we don’t grow ourselves. And meat. We only slaughter chickens. We sell the pigs and calves. Hell, we probably end up buying meat from our own animals and roasting them for dinner.”

Reese sat up next to her, cross-legged. “You kill chickens?”

“I don’t. Mom does. I just hold them still.”

“Whoa. That’s badass.”

August laughed. “No, that’s gross.”

Reese stared at her. “You always smile when you talk about it.”

“What, murdering birds?”

“No. Home. Your family.”

Two Jack ran up, dropped the wet stick beside them and then shook, spraying them with cold river water.

They both jumped up, and chased the dog around the park.

Come dinner time, they headed to the Dumpster where they had the most luck. Every time she entered that alley behind the deli, the memory of being tossed out on her hands and knees came back fresh as the moment it happened. But the restaurant next door had great leftovers, and hunger trumped humiliation. Hunger trumped everything.

They rounded the corner of the building to find the alley blocked by a small crowd of people. Reese craned his neck above the onlookers.

“Something’s happened. There’s cop cars on both ends.”

August peered through shoulders and heads. The area around their favorite Dumpster was surrounded by yellow tape emblazoned with “CRIME SCENE – DO NOT CROSS.” Police were everywhere. Some with “CSU” on their shirts snapped pictures and pulled large pieces of meat out of the Dumpster. August gasped and tugged on Reese’s arm. “Oh shit, that’s a shoe. Oh my God.” Her voice caught in her throat. “That’s somebody’s leg.”

Two Jack bolted into the alley, barking and sniffing, heading right to the deli where he’d been eating the past few days.

“Two Jack! Jack, come back here.”

A cop chased him clear of the body parts and grabbed him. The cop looked around the crowd and headed straight for August.

When the cop got closer, Reese moved in front of her and guided her behind him.

“Is this your dog?”

“Not really, officer.” Reese squeezed her hand. “He’s a stray. He just follows us around.”

“Right. Keep him leashed or I’ll have to take him with me. He tried to eat part of a crime scene.” He handed Two Jack to Reese and looked at August. “Miss, do I know you?”

She peered around Reese’s arm and shook her head.

His brow furrowed and eyes squinted. “Just keep the dog out of here.”

Two Jack squirmed free of Reese’s grip and took off in the other direction.

“Damn it, Jack.” Reese watched him run away.

The officer stopped short of the yellow tape and talked to another man in a suit. The officer pointed at August. The suited man gestured strongly at the Dumpster. The officer looked back at her and spoke into his radio.

“Reese, let’s go.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him away, breaking into a jog part way down the block.

Reese slowed and tugged on her hand. “Hey, what’s the rush? That was exciting.”

She spun around and dropped his hand. “Exciting?” She slapped his arm. “We ate out of that bin.” Her voice shrill, she slapped him again. “And now there’s hacked up body parts in it.”

He held his hands up against her slaps. “Okay, okay. I guess I’m used to shit like that. It’s not the first time they’ve found bodies in the Dumpsters. It happens all the time. Just never seen one cut up like that. They’re usually in one piece.”

“Oh, God. I’m going to be sick.”

Reese pulled her to him and hugged her. She buried her face in his chest and let the tears come.

He stroked her hair and kissed her head. “Hey now. Why are you crying?” He pulled back and brushed hair from her face. Half a smile popped out and one brow arched. “Maybe it’s the deli asshole. Somebody finally had enough of his crap and chopped him up with his own butcher knife.”

She clamped her lips shut to stop from smiling, but couldn’t prevent a grunt of laughter in the back of her throat. “Or maybe some farm girl dared to pee in his bathroom and he used her organs for steak and kidney pie.”

Reese threw his head back and laughed.

She wiped tears from her cheeks. “Where’s Two Jack?”

“Who knows? He’ll find us later. He went a little ape shit at that crime scene. I guess he’s not picky about what’s in the Dumpster.”

“Yeah, well I’m not eating out of one of those any time soon.”

“I’ll go catch a quick date, then we can grab something.”

“No. Please? I don’t want you to.”

“I’ve got less than two dollars. It’s either that or the bins.”

“Maybe we could steal something?”

His brows furrowed and he shook his head. “We’ve got to get you home soon. You’re turning into one of us. Never should have let you do that stupid initiation crap.”

“But you all do it.”

“If you get caught, you’ll have a record. That follows you your whole life. You aren’t going to spend your life here, on the streets. With me.”

She hugged him. “I want to stay with you. But you deserve better than having to do that. Than letting those, those – men. Do. That.” Her shoulders shook as tears took over again.

“Why are you crying now?”

“It’s just not fair. How you have to live. And you’re taking care of me like I’m your kid or something.”

He put his arm around her. “Not like my kid. I like taking care of you. I’ve never taken care of anyone before. It’s nice, it makes me feel good. I’m not used to feeling good.”

He wiped her tears with one thumb then lifted her head and gave her a gentle kiss. “I won’t be long. Then we can eat something fresh and hot.

“All right.” She sighed. “And look for Jack?”

“And look for Jack.”