to death.
CHAPTER 6
Mama understood. He should have known she would. He did everything she needed him to do, set up the tables and strung bunting and lights from the high ceiling of the gym, folded the bleachers back and out of the way, and helped put cloths on all the tables. Donny Ray Caldwell helped, too, and he and Chantry went out back to drink a Coke after they were done.
Donny Ray pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and shook one out, then looked up at Chantry. “Want one?”
He’d never smoked a cigarette, except for one time when he was little and Beau had left one burning and he’d picked it up. He’d choked so badly he hadn’t wanted to try it again. Now he shook his head. “No thanks.”
Donny Ray lit it, the smell of burning tobacco curling into the crisp afternoon air between them. “You comin’ back for the dance?” he asked, and Chantry nodded.
“Yeah. Are you?”
“Thought about it. My mother likes for me to participate in school activities. I’d rather be somewhere else. Anywhere else.”
Donny Ray had gotten into a different crowd this year, boys with a lot of free time on their hands and just enough money to spend on things like cigarettes and hanging out at the Hamburger Shack. A rougher crowd hung out there, too, and sometimes there was trouble between them. Not often enough the sheriff had to get involved, but from what Chantry heard, often enough that it had a reputation as being a place to go if you wanted to find trouble. Even Chris and his gang hadn’t shown up there. Maybe because they knew they’d probably get their butts kicked.
“Got a date?” Donny Ray asked, and he didn’t want to answer so just shrugged.
“Girls are too much trouble and too expensive,” Donny Ray said then, and took a deep drag off his cigarette. He was almost Chantry’s height, with brown hair and eyes and a pretty good build. He’d run track the year before and been pretty fast, Chantry recalled. “My dad said I could have the car tonight if you want to go somewhere after we get done here. Feel like it?”
“I, uh, am s’posed to meet somebody,” he said after a minute, and because he wasn’t even sure Cinda would really show up like she’d said, felt stupid for saying that much. “Maybe. If it works out.”
Donny Ray grinned. “Yeah? Did Cinda finally ask you?”
Chantry stared at him. “What are you talking about?”
“I heard them in the cafeteria a couple of days ago. Mariah said Cinda should ask you to go with her to the festival. She said you were pretty hot just ‘cause you beat up Chris Quinton, and that it’d show everyone if Cinda went with you to the dance. I don’t know what it’s supposed to show everyone except she’s got bad taste in guys, but girls never make much sense.”
Donny Ray ducked sideways as if expecting a blow, still grinning, but Chantry was too surprised to play. They were talking about him? It felt weird to know Cinda had been talking about him to her friends.
“I didn’t beat up Chris,” he said finally. “They kicked my ass.”
“Not the way I heard it.” Donny dropped his cigarette to the gravel lot and ground it out with his foot. “You’re some kinda superhero for takin’ on three guys.”
“Like I had a choice.”
“Whatever, dude. At least now the girls think you’re hot. For whatever that’s worth.”
Yeah. For whatever that was worth. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to be Cinda’s date just to make her cousin mad. It didn’t sound like a very good idea. It sounded more like trouble.
Mama had bought him new Levi’s and some long-sleeved tee shirts with pretty cool screen prints of dragons on the front. Since he’d been giving her half his paycheck every week, she had more to spend on his clothes, though she still watched every penny. They’d gone to the Kmart over in Clarksdale to buy clothes, taking Rainey’s truck that he’d got for trading Belle.
He wore the black tee shirt with a red dragon
CHAPTER 6
Mama understood. He should have known she would. He did everything she needed him to do, set up the tables and strung bunting and lights from the high ceiling of the gym, folded the bleachers back and out of the way, and helped put cloths on all the tables. Donny Ray Caldwell helped, too, and he and Chantry went out back to drink a Coke after they were done.
Donny Ray pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and shook one out, then looked up at Chantry. “Want one?”
He’d never smoked a cigarette, except for one time when he was little and Beau had left one burning and he’d picked it up. He’d choked so badly he hadn’t wanted to try it again. Now he shook his head. “No thanks.”
Donny Ray lit it, the smell of burning tobacco curling into the crisp afternoon air between them. “You comin’ back for the dance?” he asked, and Chantry nodded.
“Yeah. Are you?”
“Thought about it. My mother likes for me to participate in school activities. I’d rather be somewhere else. Anywhere else.”
Donny Ray had gotten into a different crowd this year, boys with a lot of free time on their hands and just enough money to spend on things like cigarettes and hanging out at the Hamburger Shack. A rougher crowd hung out there, too, and sometimes there was trouble between them. Not often enough the sheriff had to get involved, but from what Chantry heard, often enough that it had a reputation as being a place to go if you wanted to find trouble. Even Chris and his gang hadn’t shown up there. Maybe because they knew they’d probably get their butts kicked.
“Got a date?” Donny Ray asked, and he didn’t want to answer so just shrugged.
“Girls are too much trouble and too expensive,” Donny Ray said then, and took a deep drag off his cigarette. He was almost Chantry’s height, with brown hair and eyes and a pretty good build. He’d run track the year before and been pretty fast, Chantry recalled. “My dad said I could have the car tonight if you want to go somewhere after we get done here. Feel like it?”
“I, uh, am s’posed to meet somebody,” he said after a minute, and because he wasn’t even sure Cinda would really show up like she’d said, felt stupid for saying that much. “Maybe. If it works out.”
Donny Ray grinned. “Yeah? Did Cinda finally ask you?”
Chantry stared at him. “What are you talking about?”
“I heard them in the cafeteria a couple of days ago. Mariah said Cinda should ask you to go with her to the festival. She said you were pretty hot just ‘cause you beat up Chris Quinton, and that it’d show everyone if Cinda went with you to the dance. I don’t know what it’s supposed to show everyone except she’s got bad taste in guys, but girls never make much sense.”
Donny Ray ducked sideways as if expecting a blow, still grinning, but Chantry was too surprised to play. They were talking about him? It felt weird to know Cinda had been talking about him to her friends.
“I didn’t beat up Chris,” he said finally. “They kicked my ass.”
“Not the way I heard it.” Donny dropped his cigarette to the gravel lot and ground it out with his foot. “You’re some kinda superhero for takin’ on three guys.”
“Like I had a choice.”
“Whatever, dude. At least now the girls think you’re hot. For whatever that’s worth.”
Yeah. For whatever that was worth. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to be Cinda’s date just to make her cousin mad. It didn’t sound like a very good idea. It sounded more like trouble.
Mama had bought him new Levi’s and some long-sleeved tee shirts with pretty cool screen prints of dragons on the front. Since he’d been giving her half his paycheck every week, she had more to spend on his clothes, though she still watched every penny. They’d gone to the Kmart over in Clarksdale to buy clothes, taking Rainey’s truck that he’d got for trading Belle.
He wore the black tee shirt with a red dragon
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