Red Rain

47

After school, Samuel could see how surprised Derek was when he and Daniel showed up at his front door. The twins knew Derek’s house because it was one of the first school bus stops.

Derek had a stack of Oreos in one hand and a smear of chocolate on his front teeth. “Hey, you two weren’t on the bus,” he said, blocking the doorway.

“We walked,” Daniel said. He eyed the Oreos. “After-school snack?”

Derek nodded. “Sorry. These are the last ones.”

We didn’t come for cookies, stupid.

“Nice house,” Daniel said, peering into the front room.

It is a nice house, Samuel thought. Big, with lots of tall glass windows reflecting the afternoon sunlight, at the top of a gently sloping front lawn, surrounded by leafy old trees.

“You want to come in?” Derek couldn’t hide his surprise at seeing them. The uncertainty seemed to change his personality. As if he’d momentarily forgotten to act tough.

He led them into the front room, all chrome and white-leather furniture, big glass tables, and a zebra rug on the light wood floor. Tall paintings of beach scenes, crowds in bright bathing suits, people swimming. High cathedral ceiling with a wide skylight.

Derek swallowed the last of the Oreos. He wiped his face with the back of a pudgy hand. “Hey, thanks.” To Daniel.

The twins were gazing around the bright white sun-sparkling room. They’d never stood in such luxury.

Too bad. Too bad.

Along with the anticipation, Samuel actually felt a little trepidation.

We walk into this clean perfect sunlit house, and what do we do?

Daniel finally turned back to Derek, who stood awkwardly, leaning on the back of a low, white couch. “Thanks,” Derek said again. “You know. For what you did this morning?”

Daniel gave the big kid a blank stare. Like he didn’t remember what Derek was talking about.

“You saved my ass,” Derek said. “With Mrs. Maloney. That was totally cool.”

“Well, it was all a joke, right?” Daniel said, but he didn’t say it in a friendly way. There was no smile in his voice. “When you spit the cold, cold water on me. All a joke, right?”

“Yeah, sure.” Derek instantly saw the change in Daniel’s face.

“You just lost your head, right, boyo?” Daniel definitely menacing now.

“Huh? I lost my head? Well, yeah. I guess.”

Daniel gripped Derek’s face by the chin and turned his head from side to side. “Hey, lad, you didn’t get your school arrow.”

Derek’s cheeks turned pink. He pulled free from Daniel’s grasp.

“I. . forgot. You know. I didn’t get to the art room. Maybe I’ll go tomorrow.”

“Probably not,” Daniel said. He nodded to Samuel.

Samuel took a deep breath. Then he gritted his teeth and started to warm up his eyes.

Daniel wrapped a hand over Derek’s beefy shoulder. “Can we see your room?”