Part three
The moon has a habit of making things look monochrome. The leaves looked a pale white as they ran through the trees. Every footstep sounded like banging pots and pans to their ears, each step acting as a step closer to committing to the plan. I can’t believe I’m doing this. Dave thought.
He really couldn’t. This wasn’t him. Sure, he had done a shady thing here or there, but he had never shoplifted or knocked over a mailbox or any of the things Mike had done. But here he was, in the middle of the night, getting closer and closer. As he and the others crept closer, he could only think of every worst case scenario for getting caught. He couldn’t even enjoy his company nor could he even begin to entertain the possibility that they might be successful.
The car lights lit up the yard and the three hit the ground. It sped by the property and Dave breathed a sigh of relief. Okay, not now, not yet. He hadn’t even thought of a story to tell the cops. Or his parents. Or…well, these people.
They made it to the wall and he got on Dave’s shoulders. He pulled himself up and then grabbed Kat as Dave lifted her up. Then they both grabbed Dave and the three were off again. Dave could see the shed and he even began to see the outline to the rest of it.
Now it was about to get interesting.
Now I’m really in it. No turning back. He stared at Kat as she gazed out at the task at hand. How in the world is she so calm? And him, seriously, what the hell? He shook his head to himself and the three walked in deeper.
In the far distance, he saw the stadium lights.
~
He was younger then, when he picked up the trash after the game. He was in his blue Cub Scout uniform and on that day he actually wanted to wear it. He grabbed empty cup after empty cup, hot dog wrapper after hot dog wrapper, and threw it in the bag. He did entire rows, he made it a game. All across the stadium kids were picking it all up, the whole Pack was out there.
Then he saw it.
He grabbed it and put it in his backpack. Now this was not meant to be thrown away. It wasn’t made to be left behind, either, obviously. But it was, and he found it, so now it was his.
They drove home after the pickup was over, and he waited to get to his room to pull it out of his backpack. Here it was, in all of its glory. The Game Boy. He crawled behind his bed and starting playing the gray brick. All his dreams and hopes were realized, he could now play anywhere.
He became immersed in it, like some kind of trance. Level after level, never stopping. This is so cool. He thought to himself.
“Is that yours!?”
Dad. Oh no.
“Um…I found it. So, it’s mine!”
“That’s not how it works, you know that.”
“But Dad I always wanted one!”
“Dave, where did you find that?”
“Um, today.”
“Dave, where did you find that?”
“At the stadium.”
“Did you take it from someone?”
“No, I found it during the cleanup.”
“Where did you find it in the stadium?”
I could say anywhere but the place I found it and I could get away with this. I can say I found it by the gate. I could just make up a new story. He’ll never know. Just like he never found out about copying on the spelling test.
“That section I was cleaning up. The third row.”
Why did I just do that?
“Good. You’re a good guy for being so honest.”
Two days later, Dave handed the Game Boy to the little boy. The boy never looked happier, he looked like a kid experiencing Christmas and his birthday at Disney World bathed in chocolate. It then finally hit him. I made this kid happy. I really did…I really want a Game Boy, but still. Honesty.
~
The adrenaline was pumping and Dave tried to keep from breathing rapidly. The other two were keeping their cool, so he figured he had to. Everything was right where he told them it was. The path to the door was clear and he knew that past that door, there was no telling what was going to happen. The mystery beckoned.
Everything was still. The neighbors slept silently in their house. The incident from the night before was lost on anyone who could have prevented the trio’s current attempt. They had come a long way already, and they hadn’t even done a thing yet. They looked at each other.
Then they walked down the path.
—-
The aura of the Waffle House engulfed his senses. Nothing but good memories filled his head as he made his way inside. He grabbed a seat next to the window and ordered his coke and hashbrowns. A few more months, he thought. And then this chapter of my life will be done forever. And what have I learned? Who will I be in touch with? Will any of this matter? Why do I have more questions now than before?
Across the establishment sat five younger people, yelling and laughing. They all looked about four years younger and ate everything off the plates that covered the table.
The chef threw the iced hashbrowns on the grill as the waitresses complained about who had to work the weekend.
A cop car raced down the main street.
