Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 58874 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 294(@200wpm)___ 235(@250wpm)___ 196(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58874 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 294(@200wpm)___ 235(@250wpm)___ 196(@300wpm)
***
“I know you’re excited to go to school with Torrence Dunworthy, but nobody can realize that the two of you already know each other.” They were beside the car in the Washington Elementary parking lot, and his father was hunched down in front of him. “Do you understand?”
He nodded quickly. He wanted to go inside. “Will I be in Tori’s class?”
“I don’t know, but you’re in the same grade so I’m sure you’ll see him around the school.”
“I want to be in his class.”
“I know, Julian, but that’s not up to us. Listen, if you want to spend time with him, you need to behave. If they kick you out of this school too, we won’t have a reason to go to his house, but if you’re here, we can come up with something. Maybe an after-school sport or a club.”
“I don’t want to join a club. I want to play with Tori. He isn’t in a club.”
“I’m saying that can be a reason for the two of you to play at his house. I’ll take you there and we can say we’re doing things for a school club.” He arched his eyebrows. “Do you understand what I mean?”
He nodded.
Satisfied, his father straightened and walked to the school office, Julian beside him. He’d behave and then he wouldn’t get in trouble, and he’d be able to be with Tori.
Chapter 2 – Age 13
Jule hopped off his bicycle and wheeled it around the side of Tor’s house and into his backyard. Despite their parents being in an off stage of their lifetime on-and-off relationship, seven years after they met, Jule and Tor remained best friends. Jule was old enough to ride his bike over to the Dunworthy house, so nobody was in their way.
Jule’s mom was always working, like usual, and his father was busy with his job and his plan to run for attorney general and probably some mistress. Tor’s mother Vickie had fallen hard into her drug use again and nobody had heard from her in almost a year. Tor’s father John Jones had never lived there, and he only came by occasionally and always when Vickie was around. Nobody said much about him, but they made it clear that he was bad news and it was better not to cross his path, so much so that, if he was visiting, Tor’s brothers disappeared and Jule was told to stay far away. Thankfully, those times were rare.
He and Tor were inseparable. They hung out every day after school. They got their homework done, which always went quickly with Tor because he read faster than anyone Jule knew, remembered every word, and was great at teaching Jule things he didn’t understand. When their work was done, they’d find something fun to do until Jule had to leave so he’d beat his mother home from work.
That evening, she had rushed in, packed a bag, and rushed out, explaining that there was an emergency at her firm’s Tucson office, and because she was now the managing partner, she had to deal with it. She’d be gone for days so Jule stuffed some things into his backpack and rode back to Tor’s house. There were even more cars there than earlier that afternoon. Travis and Titan had started a business flipping them. They stole them, stripped some for parts and updated others, and then sold them. Usually, things moved quickly but either they’d found a way to grab extra inventory, or they were having trouble unloading them. He hoped it was the first one, because if the cars weren’t selling, they’d have to come up with another way to make money. The last time things had been desperate, they’d gotten sloppy. Tyson was still locked up because of it, but hopefully he’d be out soon.
“Tor!” he shouted as he dropped his bike by the back door. “Tori!” He walked inside expecting to find Tor on the couch, but Titan was there instead. “Hey, Tan,” he said. “Tor in the bedroom?” He started toward the hallway.
“Nah, he’s out.”
He frowned. “Out where?” Tor didn’t go out without him.
“He’s at that dude’s house.” Titan picked up a paper and sprinkled some weed on it. “He never takes long so he’ll be back soon.” He spread the weed across it and then pressed the ends of the paper together, rolled it, and licked the edge.
“What dude?” Jule walked to the living room and took off his backpack.
“You know the one who moved into that yellow house down the street.” He lit the joint and inhaled. “Billy or Cody or something,” he said on an exhale.
Neither name was familiar. “Who? Does he go to our school?”
“Nah, man. He’s older than me. His wife went to school with Ty, I think. Short guy. Brown hair. Cody.” He took another drag and nodded. “That’s his name. Pretty sure.”