Chapter Three
by A.E. Albert
What if you discovered an amazing secret, a secret that led you on an adventure to save the world and perhaps...yourself?
Chapter 3
“Robbie! Come on!”
After dinner and evening chores, Billy went upstairs to use the bathroom before the residents’ meeting. He could hear yelling coming from the upstairs hall, which was not necessarily unusual for the house on Pine Street. He stopped at the top of the stairs when he saw Aaron sitting on the floor beside the bathroom door.
“Come on, Robbie! I have to go!” This was definitely a pitfall of having only one bathroom. Everyone had to share it with Robbie.
“Oooohhh, I think the ham was bad!” Billy could hear Robbie moan. Of course, Billy didn’t believe that for a second.
“I’ve been waiting for twenty minutes!” Aaron yelled as he banged on the door.
“Really? I’m sooo sorry, Aaron. Please say good things about me if I die. Oooohhh,” Robbie continued to groan. Billy could hear sounds coming from the other side of the door that he didn’t need to hear in the whole of his life. Ever.
Aaron’s face was a mask of horror. “You’re disgusting, you know that?” he accused in a deadpan voice.
Suddenly, the door jerked open. “Ahh, I feel so much better. Take a whiff, buddy! Now that’s what I call good digestion!”
Aaron stood up and shook his head. “You have the manners of a horse!”
“Wait! I’ve got an idea! This is a great opportunity for scientific advancement! How long can a human live in a confined space with toxic waste?”
Suddenly, Robbie grabbed Aaron by the scruff of his neck and threw him into the bathroom, holding the door closed. Aaron immediately began banging on the door and yelling for Joe and Sandy.
Robbie turned to Billy. “If you even think about yelling downstairs, you’ll be next!” he threatened.
“Billy, please help me!” begged Aaron from the other side of the door. Billy felt bad, but he knew there was no getting through Robbie.
“Hey, now don’t say I never think of you, Aaron!” Robbie laughed.
Billy knew there was going to be trouble when he heard loud footsteps coming up the stairs. Joe stood in the hall with his hands on his hips and demanded, “What’s going on?”
“Joe? Robbie won’t let me out of the bathroom! And he dropped a nuclear bomb in here!” For a second there, Billy thought Aaron was going to cry.
Joe didn’t say anything for a long minute. He just wore an expression that said, ‘Must I actually deal with this?’ “Robbie, go to your room until I call you down for the meeting, please,” he commanded calmly.
As Robbie sauntered to his room, he turned around and announced, “Ahhh, I gotta tell ya, some things are just worth it.” He pointed at Aaron and smiled. “And you, Aaron? Oh, yeah!” He gave a quick wink and ran into his room, hitting the trim above his door as he went in.
Classic group home! thought Billy, as he turned around and went into his room to finish his homework. He suddenly didn’t need to use the bathroom anymore.
Later, Billy sat in the living room waiting for the house residents’ meeting to begin. He looked around the house that had been his home for the past six months.
It was a neat and tidy two-story home, with one bathroom and four bedrooms. The living room furniture was clean, but it was obvious from the scratches on the tables and the faded upholstery that they had seen better days. The carpet was a dull green, but when Billy moved the couch to vacuum, he could see that it had once been a vibrant and rich color. It was plain to see the effort put in by the staff to make the house as comfortable and homey as possible, but they could only do so much with the funds allotted them.
The house always smelled like apples and cinnamon from the fragrant candles that Sandy displayed in the living room and kitchen. The scent of homemade meals wafted through the lower rooms at around 4:00 pm each day, announcing that dinner would be ready soon.
The truth was, Billy had been in many homes like this one throughout his short existence, and he concluded that, overall, he liked this one. He smiled to himself as he watched Sandy wipe down the old wooden kitchen set, which looked as though it had been in use for one too many decades.
The house was situated in ward fourteen, Gert Town, one of the many districts of New Orleans. Pine Street was lined with many homes and included many commercial and industrial plants. It had at one time been a manufacturing district, but since the destruction that Hurricane Katrina wrought, this district had all but closed down. Billy didn’t feel that the district was very lively or exciting. However, that didn’t matter since the French Quarter was close by and the banks of the Mississippi were due south.
Although Billy had fought them, thoughts continued to find their way into his mind. Thoughts of how he had treated Jeanie that afternoon.
He kept telling himself that he had done her a favor. Eventually, he would leave this house and who knows where he would move to next. What was the point of starting a friendship that couldn’t last? Billy’s head flopped against the back of the couch, and he groaned softly. Yeah, you act like she wants to marry you or something, he thought.
Billy would rather not have any ties, even a small one that he would have to eventually give up. Besides, Billy thought, she’ll get over it. Jeanie had lots of friends. Why should she care if he didn’t want to be one of them?
As he completed this thought, all three of his housemates came running into the living room.
“Hey, Billy, heard Wilinski gave you a work over today,” said Robbie, as he dropped himself onto the couch, clutching his football.
“What’s this?” called Sandy from the kitchen. “What are you boys talking about? Who gave whom what?”
Billy glared at Robbie, then yelled, “One of the kids at school today was just being a toad, that’s all. No worries!”
“I think me and you should tag team that jerk,” uttered Robbie in a low voice, as he pounded his fist into his other hand. Robbie turned his head in the direction of the kitchen. “Hey, Sandy,” he called, “can I make an ice cream for everybody?”
Sandy poked her head out of the doorway. “Really?” she asked, genuinely perplexed as to why he would want to do so.
At seeing her face, Robbie’s expression took on a wounded cast. He put his hand on his heart and tilted his head to the side and said, “Sandy, come on, I’m that kinda of guy.” He smiled as he walked into the kitchen.
Billy appreciated Robbie’s quick departure. He didn’t really feel like discussing today’s events, especially with him. However, although Billy tended to take the brunt of Scott Wilinski’s bullying, that didn’t mean that he didn’t give some of that attention to the rest of the boys who lived on Pine Street. Scott didn’t pick on Robbie as much due to his tough exterior, but the boys were definitely not accepted by the majority of the school population. Even little Toby, who attended the nearby elementary school, was teased for his lack of parental units and where he lived.
Billy focused his attention solely on his housemates. Toby, sweet little Toby. He may have only been nine years old, but he was a little too old to still be afraid of the dark. He also sucked his thumb and carried a small baby blanket around the house with him. Sandy once discovered that he had shoved the blanket down his coat, attempting to bring it with him when they were about to go on a short trip to the supermarket.
He was short for his age. He had blond curly hair and big, bright blue eyes. It was little Toby who would always offer someone a hug when they were sad or give away his last cookie. He would ask Robbie to go for a bike ride, even if Robbie had just given him a noogie a moment before.
He was a good kid, Billy thought. Pine Street was Toby’s first group home. He had been placed with Children’s Services after an old neighbor found out that his mother was working nights and left Toby home alone. He still spent every Saturday with his mother, playing at a nearby park or going out for ice cream. Billy thought she was a nice lady. It was unfortunate that lack of money kept her and Toby from being together as a family.
Robbie was a horse of a different color. If you fell down the stairs or stubbed your toe, he was the first to start laughing and call you a bonehead. He had a quick temper and a sarcastic wit that could make someone cry.
Robbie had been in many group homes. Back when he had still lived with her, his mom had had a boyfriend who liked to hit her, and even after being warned by Children’s Services, she wouldn’t ask him to move out. It had been determined that, given the circumstances, it was in seven-year-old Robbie’s best interests that he not live with her anymore. He hadn’t seen her since.
Billy felt that he understood why Robbie acted the way he did. However, Robbie was twelve years old now, and he would still yell and bang on walls like a little kid when he was angry. He was tall, and had a strong physique and dark coloring, which made him look older than his actual age. Billy truly tried to sympathize and like him anyway. Only, Robbie made this a very difficult feat at times.
Billy turned his gaze to Aaron. He felt that Aaron was the most difficult to understand. He was also twelve years old, but short in height and reed thin. Aaron had a quick smile and found joy in almost anything, especially when he was learning or discovering something new.
He practically lived at the local library and always had his nose in a book. Once, Billy had even seen Aaron reading while walking down the street. Billy had asked him how he managed this, and Aaron’s response was, “All things can be mastered.” Billy really didn’t understand what that remark meant; he just shook his head and laughed to himself. Aaron was always talking about some new fact he’d learned, from the origin of the cosmos to when paperclips were invented.
Aaron had been living in group homes since he was five years old. He had been taken into the care of Children’s Services when his school had reported bruises on him. After a formal investigation, it was discovered that Aaron was being physically abused by his father.
There had been a few times when Billy used the bathroom in the middle of the night, and he would hear crying coming from Aaron’s room. But the next day, Billy would witness him pouring milk into his Cheerios and talking nonstop about the Theory of Relativity as if all was right in the world. Actually, his light brown hair was wild and crazy just like Albert Einstein’s. Billy had always been somewhat suspicious that this was done on purpose; of course, Aaron maintained that it was carefully cultivated bed head.
That was what amazed Billy. He’d met many abused kids through the years, but Aaron’s control and optimism made him feel a little jealous. Billy was more than a little ashamed of this. He didn’t have the same past or experience and hurt that Aaron did, yet he felt that Aaron held it together better. Sure, he heard him cry sometimes, but who doesn’t cry sometimes?
Billy had to quickly refocus since he hadn’t been paying attention to the meeting at all.
“Robbie, hurry up. You’re missing the meeting!” Sandy called into the kitchen.
Billy looked up in surprise as Robbie came out of the kitchen holding three ice-cream cones in his hand. “Don’t worry, Sandy, only one scoop. I know how you like to stretch the rations.” He even smiled at the boys as he handed out the treats.
Billy took the ice cream out of his hand and looked at it suspiciously. Quite frankly, Robbie never did anything nice for anyone. However, when Billy looked up again, everything made sense at once.
Robbie was now reentering the living room, and was walking as though he were on a tightrope, gripping a cone with literally half the carton of ice cream precariously balanced on top.
Sandy just stared at him and pursed her lips. “Really, Robbie?” she asked, as he slowly sat down on the couch. “I believe I said one scoop.”
“Actually, this is technically one portion of ice cream. I just used a knife to acquire it and not the traditional ice cream scoop.” He grinned as he attempted to eat his monstrosity of an ice-cream cone. That was when all of the boys began laughing hysterically.
Sandy gave that look that said to be silent and replied, “That is a blatant abuse of the rules around here.”
“A loophole, my dear Sandy, a loophole. Courts of law use them every day.”
“Just remember who’s the judge around here, kid,” she replied with a shake of her head as she began leafing through the meeting’s minutes book.
“You should be a lawyer when you grow up, Robbie.” Joe laughed, only to receive a stern look from Sandy.
“And just so you know, as a responsible citizen, I put the carton in the recycling bin.” Robbie gave Sandy a smile that could rival a car salesman’s, then turned his attention back to eating his melting ice cream.
“Let’s just start, please,” she replied in an exasperated voice. But even she couldn’t help but look at Robbie with a smile and a shake of her head.
“All right, boys, who wants to complain first about the pee on the toilet seats?” Joe laughed and attempted to twirl a football on his finger.
This made all of the boys of Pine Street laugh also. Especially since this had been a complaint of every boy in the room at one point or another, and all of them had done the deed themselves at some point.
“Actually, I would like to request two-ply toilet paper and not the one-ply variety,” stated Robbie in a very snobbish tone, causing Billy to roll his eyes to the ceiling.
“Yeah, Robbie, that’s a great idea, so you can clog the toilet twice as bad.” Joe grinned and tossed the football to him.
“Joe, you’re sooo funny,” Robbie answered sarcastically.
“Okay, since everyone is taking this meeting so seriously, how about you, Aaron, Billy? Any input on the running of the house?” asked Sandy, as she attempted to bring the boys into the conversation and steer it away from where it was going.
“No suggestions here, Sandy. The house is tip-top, as usual,” replied Aaron. He even saluted her afterward and then resumed reading Plato’s The Republic.
Sandy sighed, shook her head, and returned her attention to Billy. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Billy hated being the center of attention, probably due to the fact that when he was, it was usually a bad thing. “Um, no guys, it’s all good,” he said, as he quickly averted his eyes, hoping that would take the heat off him.
Sandy opened her mouth to say something to Billy, when someone spoke up. “I’d like to have some friends.” This statement came from Toby, who was sitting on Sandy’s lap at the end of the couch.
“Honey, we’re talking about things that can be improved in the house,” Sandy replied.
“But you said that house meetings are so we can improve stuff, and I’d like to have more friends. I think that would improve things a lot,” stated Toby, as he lifted his chin high to demonstrate how strongly he felt about this.
“Tobe, you know that you can invite friends from school to the house anytime you want,” she said, using that sweet tone she always adopted when she was trying to reason with him. “What about Ryan? You told me that you and he play together all the time. Why don’t you invite him over for dinner this week?”
Toby’s eye grew wide, filled with tears, and his lips began to quiver. “He can’t come over,” he replied in a low voice. “I asked him to, and he said that he’s not allowed to play in a group home. He said his mom doesn’t want him to get lice.” At this last statement, Toby began to cry in earnest. “He said that he’s not really supposed to play with me, even at school, but he does it anyway,” Toby managed to choke out, having difficulty talking at this point due to his wracking sobs.
Nobody could say anything. What was there to say? This was an old story and had happened to all of them at least once. People just didn’t get it. They thought that living in a group home means that the residents are sub-standard kids who are the cause of lice epidemics in schools and may even corrupt your children. Even Robbie didn’t tease Toby about this, probably because it happened to him too.
Billy looked up at Sandy and could see that her lips were pursed white. This meant that she was calmly waiting until she regained her temper. Finally, she took a deep breath and smiled down at Toby. “Well, Tobe, I know how you feel,” she said, as he looked at her with wide eyes. “You may not believe this, but I once had a friend who had to stop playing with me because my dad worked in the factories, and her dad was a fancy lawyer in the garden district.” Sandy lowered her head and stated mischievously, “Her mother didn’t think I was a good influence. So I ran home crying and told my mother, and you know what she said? She said, ‘Sandy, my darlin’, you’re going to have many friends in this life, but that little girl isn’t going to be one of them. It’s not about how many friends you have, anyway. If you have one true friend in this life, then you’re a lucky girl.’
“So, Toby, if this boy still wants to play with you, I think that says something about him, don’t you think? And I think his mom will come around; you need to have faith and believe that what’s right will overcome all obstacles.” She kissed Toby on the forehead, causing him to giggle, and putting a little blush in his cheeks.
That was Sandy. She may have been the strict one, but she always had a story or some kind of motherly advice to give when one of them was feeling sad or angry. Even Robbie was not impervious to her caring and nurturing ways. Billy sometimes wondered how true her stories were, but he knew that this particular one was. There was a glimmer of hurt in her eyes, even after all of these years. That’s what made Sandy real; in some small way, she knew how the kids felt.
With the residents’ meeting finally done, Billy said goodnight to everyone and went upstairs to settle for bed. He wasn’t really an early sleeper; he just enjoyed the peace and solitude of being alone in his room.
The meeting had really made Billy think. Toby was the baby, Aaron the brainiac, and Robbie the tough guy. Where did he fit in? What was his title, his role to play?
Quite frankly, Billy thought that he was a little boring. There was really nothing he was good at, nothing that made him stand out. He was way too quiet, which usually meant that he was an easy target for others.
Billy lay on his bed and looked out of his window into the night sky. He didn’t know why, but he had always had this nagging feeling that he was meant to do something. Then he would berate himself to stop thinking such ridiculous thoughts, because he knew he wasn’t that special.
That night was no different than any other. The stars twinkled the way they did every night. He could hear Sandy reading a story to Toby. Robbie was throwing a ball against his bedroom wall. Nothing ever changes, Billy thought. Get with the program, kid, and just accept the way things are and you’ll be way happier. These were Billy’s last thoughts as he drifted into a dreamless sleep.
If you are interested in the continuing story of The Time Sphere, you can find it at: Amazon
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