Undergrounders (3 page)

“One hot dog,” I ordered in a loud voice.

The man eyed me suspiciously. “Hot dogs ain’t free,” he said.

“No kidding,” I shot back, holding out one of my five-dollar bills.

He squinted at me, making his face lopsided before cooking me up the dog.

“I see you here with the other boys. You ever go to school?” he asked me.

“Every day, sir. I’m in university.”

“Another wise guy. All you kids are wise guys.” He gave me my dog. “You want something to drink?”

The dog smelled so good I couldn’t resist. “Give me a Coke,” I said.

I loaded up on toppings until I could barely get my mouth around the hot dog. The heat from the hot dog warmed my mouth and my throat as I swallowed. It felt so good. If only this day could last forever. I ate as slowly as I could, wandering along the street past the railway station and around the back.

I tossed the hot dog wrapping and the pop can into the bushes and clambered down the steep hill past the old, rusting railway tracks. Only a loser brought food to the Underground, unless you were Rigger or Lewis or another big kid. I learned that the hard way when two kids jumped me for some bread and gave me two black eyes. Lewis called me raccoon-face until the dark circles went away.

Footprints in the snow dotted the way. A Reggie wouldn’t notice the grey metal door in a million years. We called it the drawbridge, because drawbridges protect the only way in and out of a castle, and so did this. The Underground was our castle, and it protected us against the outside world, the weather, the cops, the Reggies, and most of all, Streeters.

I knocked the code as quietly as possible. Rigger would pound you if you made too much noise: two
knocks — wait a second; two more — wait two seconds; three more knocks. The door opened a few centimetres.

“It’s Mouse.”

The door opened the rest of the way.

I was in.

Brachy was guarding tonight. His name was a joke because it was short for Brachiosaurus, which was the biggest dinosaur ever, and Brachy was barely bigger than me and he was seventeen years old. I knew better than to talk to an older Undergrounder. I went to the elevator shaft and climbed down the rope ladder. The first rule of the Underground was pay Rigger, so I lined up behind a few others to pay the rent. Creeper was in front of me.

“Can you loan me tonight?” Creeper asked me.

Creeper was the biggest mooch in the Underground. I’d lent him three dollars over the past couple of months. Kiss that money goodbye, Lewis said to me when he heard, and he was right. Whenever I asked for it he always said he was broke.

“Can’t do it,” I said. “You saw me. I had to go to the parking lot.”

I turned around to end the conversation. Soon it was my turn. Rigger was sitting in his armchair outside his store like he always was when it was rent time. I handed him a toonie, which was the change from the hot dog vendor.

Rigger reached into a bowl for my change. He rarely spoke to junior Undergrounders, and I just took my
money and headed for my store. A few of the older kids were hanging out in the Executive Suites, which is what we called the row of stores leading from Rigger’s. All the older kids took those. The Executive Suites were the biggest and also the warmest. Mine was way in the back. It was cold, and sometimes water got in. At least winter was dry.

We stayed together in one store to keep warm — Will, Rose, J.J. and me, that is. It’s not that they were my friends, really, not like Lewis, and most of the time Will and Rose treated me pretty bad. Will and Rose were twins, although they didn’t look alike. They were fourteen, but acted like they were five years older than me. J.J. was twelve like me, and he was a total whiner and practically the only Undergrounder I could pound, so he didn’t give me a hard time. Of course, since me and Lewis were buds I didn’t have much trouble with anyone.

“It’s getting cold in here,” I said, as I got into my sleeping bag. I didn’t want Will to think I was afraid to talk.

“Thanks for the weather report,” Will snapped. He was already in his sleeping bag.

I noticed a big bruise on his cheek. “What happened to—?” I never finished the question because Rose jumped in.

“Will got his butt kicked by some Streeter today,” she said, as if it was funny.

“Shut up,” he growled, pulling his sleeping bag under his chin. His right eye was also puffy and he had
a cut on his chin.

“Who was it?” I asked.

“None of your business,” Will said.

But I knew Rose would tell. “We were at the subway station hawking the rush-hour crowd when some Streeters told us to move. Will said we were there first, and this guy in an army jacket pounded Will something awful.”

“Was he also wearing a green hat, with an American flag on the side?” I asked.

Rose nodded.

“That’s W5. I wouldn’t mess with him. He’s a serious dude.”

I delivered packages from Lewis to W5 about two or three times a week and I knew all about him.

“Hey, Mouse. Come on over for a sec.”

That was Lewis calling for me. I hopped out of my sleeping bag double quick. I was dying to tell him about my day, anyway.

“It’s cute the way the little doggy runs after his master,” Rose said.

Sometimes she bugged me so much, and she had this way of talking slowly and real sarcastic about everything. Will was way bigger than me, so I couldn’t do anything about him. Rose was tough too, and to be honest, although I’d never admit it, I was kind of scared of her.

So I just ignored her diss and raced over to Lewis’s store, which was about five down from Rigger’s. He was stretched out on his couch, as usual. He’d somehow been able to score a couch and lower it down. Only he
and Rigger had something to sit on other than a milk box or cardboard. Sometimes Lewis let me sleep on his couch when he was out on business, which was a lot, especially lately.

He spotted me right off, as always.

“Yo, Mouse. What shakes in your world tonight?”

“Will got pounded by W5 at the subway.”

His face darkened. “You were there?” he asked me.

“No. Rose told me about it. I didn’t see nothin’.”

Lewis laughed and patted the couch. “Sit down and relax. Was that a cold day, or what?”

There was nothing better than his couch. It was so soft. I told Lewis about my day, and every once in a while he’d whistle real low and his eyes would get wider. “You nicked that stuff all by yourself, for real?” he said, when I’d finished.

“Sure did. I admit I was a little scared at first.”

He winked at me and put his arm around my shoulders. “I think you’re ready for something more than just delivering packages. Give me a few days and I’ll have something for you. You can help me out, and I can give you some money for it. Does that sound good?”

I nodded.

He stood up and held up his hands like a boxer, moving slowly to his left. This was my favourite game. I began to bob and weave, jabbing with my left like Lewis taught me, waiting for an opening. I knew I had no chance against Lewis, who was four years older and totally ripped, but it was fun to try.

I swung my right fist hard at his stomach, but he was too quick with his block and followed it up with a flurry of jabs. I covered up best I could until he wrapped me up in his arms and tossed me on the couch. That was his signal for game over. I scrambled to my feet ready to go back to my store. I learned the hard way about messing with Lewis. He was my best friend, but he had a wicked temper. Once I kept trying to box and he hit me for real on the side of the head. I got a huge lump and had a bad headache for a couple of days, but I deserved it for not listening.

“Don’t get up,” he said, pushing me onto the couch. “I gotta go out, and probably won’t be back until morning. Got some business to deal with. Stay here and watch my stuff.”

I couldn’t believe my luck today. “Sure thing,” I said, trying not to sound goofy. “I’ll get my sleeping bag and be right back. Thanks, Lewis.”

“No worries, Mouse. I may need you to take a package for me in the morning, so be ready. I’ll catch you on the flip side of life.”

Lewis grabbed his knapsack and left. I ran to get my bag.

“Where are you going?” Rose asked me.

“Lewis wants me to watch his stuff while he’s out,” I said.

“Out where?” she said.

“He’s got business.”

She had a laugh like a witch, real creepy, and she gave me an extra long one this time. She was so weird.

I wanted to diss her real bad. What was so funny about Lewis going out? I kept quiet, though, since Will was in such a bad mood, even for him. He could be real mean to his sister, but he’d protect her if anyone else tried. Besides, I had a couch to sleep on, while these losers were going to sleep on a cold floor.

My legs felt tired as I lay out on the couch, and my eyes got heavy real fast. Usually, I had trouble sleeping. I wasn’t going to have much trouble tonight. The blisters on my feet bugged me a bit. Otherwise, it was like sleeping on a cloud or a bed of feathers.

I wouldn’t ever forget this day — the best day of my life.

Lewis must have had a lot of business because he wasn’t back when Rigger rang the wakeup bell. I waited in line for the toilet. Rigger was strict about that: no doing your business except in the washroom. That rule I agreed with. Some guys were total pigs and they’d be peeing all over the place if they could. I never minded waiting. It was worth it to have a real toilet at least once a day.

“Hurry up,” Fitzy said, banging on the door.

“Don’t rush me. It’s a masterpiece,” Happy D replied.

He was a bizarre guy, always talking about gross stuff like poo and vomit, like a four-year-old. Lewis thought Fitzy hung with Happy D because he was a good fighter.

“We need to do our own masterpieces!” Fitzy yelled back.

I knew he was only pretending to be mad.

“I’m telling Rigger you’re hogging the can,” Creeper said. “If I end up having to stay past nine and pay extra I’m gonna go ballistic.”

“I’d like to see you try,” Happy D called out in a cheerful voice.

“You’re such a puke,” Creeper said.

Puke was our favourite dissing word.

J.J. joined the line behind me. “Where’re you going today?” I asked. We usually went hawking together, and
I wanted to know the plan for this afternoon, after I went skating at the rink.

“I’m gonna try the Theatre,” he replied glumly.

“I wasted a day there not too long ago,” I offered.

“So what.”

That wasn’t too friendly. I changed the subject. “You hear about Will?”

J.J. scrunched his eyes and crinkled his nose. “I heard he got in a fight or something,” he said, as if he wasn’t interested.

I knew he was. Will was his hero. “He got pounded by W5. You know him? Wears an army jacket. Will got a big black eye and is in serious pain. Didn’t he tell you?” I figured it would bug J.J. to know I knew something about Will that he didn’t.

J.J. stared at me. “He wasn’t the only one.”

“W5 pounded you too?”

“No, spaz. These puke streeters stole my money when I was coming here last night, which is why I was late. I took two of them out, only there were five and they got me down on the ground.”

He didn’t look too beat up to me. J.J. exaggerated — a lot. He’d freak if you called him on it, and besides, I didn’t care. “Are you okay?” I assumed that was the right thing to ask.

“I toughed it out. I’m gonna get mine back. You wait and see. Those pukes are toast.”

The door opened, and Creeper went in. I bet J.J. just threw the money on the ground and wet his pants. He’d never fight.

Creeper took a long time, and I figured out why when it was my turn. He always stunk the place up. I did my business as fast as I could and got out.

Normally, I’d go out with J.J., or Rose and Will, or one of the other junior Undergrounders, and we’d hit the streets together. It felt awesome to be on my own today. I had twelve dollars in my pocket, and I could play hockey all day if I wanted. I even knew a place where I could sharpen my skates. It would cost four bucks, but I had the money; and besides, I had to.

I went to Lewis’s store first. He’d said last night he needed me to help him with a package, so I sat back on the couch and waited. I must have drifted off to sleep for a minute because I woke up and heard voices from outside the store.

“Don’t be such a turd. I’ve been planning this for a week.”

That sounded like Fitzy.

“I don’t feel like it.”

That was definitely Happy D.

“I’m gonna hang by the television station,” Happy D said.

“You’re going to throw away a chance to make two hundred bucks this morning!” Fitzy hissed.

Happy D yawned and looked at Fitzy with a big grin. Fitzy stepped forward. “I need your help, dude. I can’t do this myself. We planned it out. It’s now or never. Come on.”

“Do it yourself.”

“Let’s get going, you lazy puke.”

That’s when Fitzy turned and saw me, and his face went all white as if all the blood was drained out, and his eyes were wide open. I didn’t bother waiting. I tried to bolt out down the hall to the ladder, only Fitzy was too fast and caught me.

“A little mouse is stickin’ his noise into my business,” Fitzy raged.

My heart was beating so bad I swear I could hear it.

“You say a word to anyone and I’ll smash that mouse head of yours, I swear,” Fitzy said into my ear.

“I didn’t hear nothin’,” I stammered. “I just heard voices and Happy D said he was tired.”

“You’re lying,” Fitzy said, “and I’m gonna pound you until the truth comes out.”

“Why so hostile, Fitzy, my friend and bosom pal?”

Fitzy let my collar go and stepped away. Lewis laughed at me and flopped down on the couch. I backed up into the store to get closer to Lewis. No way Fitzy would take Lewis on.

“This snooping little puke was listening to me and Happy D having a private conversation,” Fitzy accused.

Before Lewis could ask me I said, “I didn’t hear a word. I was waiting for you on the couch, like you told me to. Fitzy said he wanted Happy D to come with him, and Happy D didn’t wanna. That’s it. I swear.”