on the three and then he stiffened.
For a long time, he didn’t move. He even forgot about his cigar, until the ash fell and struck his pant leg. Without a sound, Brian quickly swept the hot remnants off his leg, took the cigar out of his mouth and spat on the ground.
He knew one of the dead. And how couldn’t he?
Charlie , Brian thought. My God, it’s Charlie.
Chapter 31: Charlie Roy and The Maltese Falcon , 1989
Charlie Roy twisted in his seat, looked back at Annie Cochrane, and winked. She blushed slightly, shook her head and then nodded to the front of the room.
Charlie turned and saw Mr. Ricard. The teacher smiled at Charlie and asked, “Charlie, if you’re done attempting to woo Ms. Cochrane, would you care to tell me what the significance of President Roosevelt’s New Deal was?”
“I would love to, Mr. Ricard,” Charlie said, grinning. “Unfortunately, I can’t.”
“Did you forget to read the chapter?” Mr. Ricard asked. A hint of steel had entered his voice.
Charlie hesitated, ready to give a smart-aleck reply, but decided against it. “No, I didn’t forget. I left my book here at school.”
Mr. Ricard nodded. “Make sure you read it tonight, Charlie. And give me either a two-hundred-and-fifty-word essay on the New Deal’s significance or one on why you should have a Saturday detention.”
Charlie cleared his throat, nodded and said, “Yeah, I’ll have one on the New Deal tonight, Mr. Ricard.”
Mr. Ricard answered with a sincere smile. “Excellent, Charlie. I look forward to reading it.”
A moment later, the bell rang, and Mr. Ricard assigned them the next chapter that was to be read. Charlie made certain to grab an extra history book off the shelf.
Annie was waiting for him in the hall when he exited the room.
“You’re going to dig yourself into a hole one of these days,” she said, grinning. She looped her arm through his and hugged him tightly.
“Probably,” he agreed. They maneuvered through the press of other students, the younger kids moving aside for them. They were seniors, the undisputed kings, and queens of 1989. They ruled Northfield Free Academy.
Charlie and Annie walked into the stairwell and managed to get down to the first floor with relative ease. In a moment, they were out in the warm May air, the crowd dispersing. Charlie and Annie slowed down to a leisurely stroll as they followed the asphalt path to Adrienne Hall. She had her French class, and Charlie had “Books in Film,” his English elective.
“So,” she said as they climbed the granite steps into the building, “did you actually do the homework for this class?”
“Yeah,” Charlie answered, grinning. “We’re finishing up Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon . It’s pretty damn good. Tomorrow, we’re supposed to watch the film with Humphrey Bogart in it, then do the whole ‘compare and contrast’ stuff.”
They entered Adrienne Hall and started up the stairs, making their way to the third floor, where Annie’s class was.
“Have you decided where you’re going to apply for college?” Annie asked hesitantly.
“No,” Charlie said, clearing his throat.
“Charlie, you need to go to college,” she said, pulling him off to a corner as people passed by. She looked at him earnestly, concern in her green eyes. “My father doesn’t like you anyway. If you don’t go to college, he’s going to dislike you even more.”
Charlie bristled at the mention of Annie’s dad. The man made life difficult for them. Roger Cochrane had gone to school with Charlie’s father, and those two hadn’t liked each other at all.
“Yeah,” Charlie finally said. “I know. My dad’s giving me a hard time about it, too. I’m not sure if I’m going to go to the Community College, or join the Army.”
Annie’s face became hard, anger flashing across it. “I don’t want you in the Army, Charles.”
He winced as she said his name.
“I don’t want you hurt,” she continued, “and I
For a long time, he didn’t move. He even forgot about his cigar, until the ash fell and struck his pant leg. Without a sound, Brian quickly swept the hot remnants off his leg, took the cigar out of his mouth and spat on the ground.
He knew one of the dead. And how couldn’t he?
Charlie , Brian thought. My God, it’s Charlie.
Chapter 31: Charlie Roy and The Maltese Falcon , 1989
Charlie Roy twisted in his seat, looked back at Annie Cochrane, and winked. She blushed slightly, shook her head and then nodded to the front of the room.
Charlie turned and saw Mr. Ricard. The teacher smiled at Charlie and asked, “Charlie, if you’re done attempting to woo Ms. Cochrane, would you care to tell me what the significance of President Roosevelt’s New Deal was?”
“I would love to, Mr. Ricard,” Charlie said, grinning. “Unfortunately, I can’t.”
“Did you forget to read the chapter?” Mr. Ricard asked. A hint of steel had entered his voice.
Charlie hesitated, ready to give a smart-aleck reply, but decided against it. “No, I didn’t forget. I left my book here at school.”
Mr. Ricard nodded. “Make sure you read it tonight, Charlie. And give me either a two-hundred-and-fifty-word essay on the New Deal’s significance or one on why you should have a Saturday detention.”
Charlie cleared his throat, nodded and said, “Yeah, I’ll have one on the New Deal tonight, Mr. Ricard.”
Mr. Ricard answered with a sincere smile. “Excellent, Charlie. I look forward to reading it.”
A moment later, the bell rang, and Mr. Ricard assigned them the next chapter that was to be read. Charlie made certain to grab an extra history book off the shelf.
Annie was waiting for him in the hall when he exited the room.
“You’re going to dig yourself into a hole one of these days,” she said, grinning. She looped her arm through his and hugged him tightly.
“Probably,” he agreed. They maneuvered through the press of other students, the younger kids moving aside for them. They were seniors, the undisputed kings, and queens of 1989. They ruled Northfield Free Academy.
Charlie and Annie walked into the stairwell and managed to get down to the first floor with relative ease. In a moment, they were out in the warm May air, the crowd dispersing. Charlie and Annie slowed down to a leisurely stroll as they followed the asphalt path to Adrienne Hall. She had her French class, and Charlie had “Books in Film,” his English elective.
“So,” she said as they climbed the granite steps into the building, “did you actually do the homework for this class?”
“Yeah,” Charlie answered, grinning. “We’re finishing up Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon . It’s pretty damn good. Tomorrow, we’re supposed to watch the film with Humphrey Bogart in it, then do the whole ‘compare and contrast’ stuff.”
They entered Adrienne Hall and started up the stairs, making their way to the third floor, where Annie’s class was.
“Have you decided where you’re going to apply for college?” Annie asked hesitantly.
“No,” Charlie said, clearing his throat.
“Charlie, you need to go to college,” she said, pulling him off to a corner as people passed by. She looked at him earnestly, concern in her green eyes. “My father doesn’t like you anyway. If you don’t go to college, he’s going to dislike you even more.”
Charlie bristled at the mention of Annie’s dad. The man made life difficult for them. Roger Cochrane had gone to school with Charlie’s father, and those two hadn’t liked each other at all.
“Yeah,” Charlie finally said. “I know. My dad’s giving me a hard time about it, too. I’m not sure if I’m going to go to the Community College, or join the Army.”
Annie’s face became hard, anger flashing across it. “I don’t want you in the Army, Charles.”
He winced as she said his name.
“I don’t want you hurt,” she continued, “and I
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