nothing.
Eddie Krackenier laughed louder at his joke than anyone else. Eddie, a very fit fifteen-year-old, was from a nearby neighborhood that fed into the Saint Walter’s parish and school. In Omaha, parishes were like little puddles all over the city, with the little tiny Catholic fish that in time would jump into the bigger ponds of Catholic high schools, connecting all those little puddles.
“This pool sucks!” Eddie said to no one and everyone as he moved his bike up to the fence and looked around the deck of the pool. The crowd that had gathered was silent.
“Then why are you here?” Anthony Mangiamelli, a good year older and a foot taller than Eddie, had been silent until now. He wasn’t afraid of the bully from Saint Walter’s.
“Well, you see, I was just on my way to the housing development under construction out north of here, a place where me and my older buddies like to go when the workers aren’t around. Anyway, on my way, I see what appears to be a group around a fire or tragic accident or something. Turns out to be some stupid story about a roller coaster and a murder. Ahhhhh!” Eddie screamed in a high pitch so loud that I thought the lifeguards would come by.
Eddie was a bad seed. That’s what Mrs. Webber had told the kids after her tree had been TP-ed one time. Eddie called himself Chief and asked that others do the same in his presence. Kids in Maple Crest heard that Eddie had seen R-rated movies before he was ten. He also had a big birthmark on the back of his neck that was allegedly in the shape of a star. From where I stood, it looked more like a drunk amoeba that hoped to be a starfish someday. He didn’t have a dad, and his mother was never home, either working or whatever. The freedom he had meant that he had more connections with his older buddies finding all sorts of interesting things to do. Evidently at construction sites.
“You’re all welcome to come with the Chief to the construction site. Hell of lot more fun than this place.” He spoke to the group with an evil grin.
We were no idiots to the reputation of Eddie Krackenier. Eddie lore trickled from his puddle to ours, and we all felt as if the devil himself hadjust invited us all to hell. I wouldn’t allow some self-proclaimed chief to ruin my perfect day. I wanted Eddie Krackenier to go back to his puddle.
“I’ll go.” Will’s voice sounded strange. Now the group of wide eyes looked at him. What was he thinking? We all looked to the Mangiamellis’ oldest brother, Anthony. Was he going to stop Will or what?
Eddie’s grin grew into a creepy shape. “OK, Mangiamelli, the Chief says you may follow.”
I really do believe Will would have gone with Eddie that hot Saturday. Something in the way he looked at Eddie said that he was serious. The interview with the devil was interrupted by Faith Webber, who forced her way through the group up to the fence, panting and catching her breath. She had run the three blocks to Brookhill pool. Breathless and anxious, Faith still looked incredible.
“Lovey, is Hope with you?” Faith leaned against the fence and tried to catch her breath.
“You should see how red your face is, Faith.” Lovey laughed and looked at me.
“Lovey, is Hope with you?” Faith repeated with panic in her throat.
“No, she didn’t want to swim. I asked her. I really did…”
“We can’t find her anywhere. If she’s not with you, she’s been gone for a while. Hope never goes off by herself. The last thing I remember was that she was going over to the Mangiamelli house to visit Grandma. We know where Grandma is, but we can’t find…”
Faith had already turned around and was running back to the house. The group started moving with her. Lovey made her way back to the pool front desk and around the fence, and ran barefoot toward Faith in her swimsuit. The rest of us on bikes moved quickly. The others ran behind: Lucy, Will, Theresa, Stinky, Anthony. Everyone but Eddie.
“Hey, who’s this
Eddie Krackenier laughed louder at his joke than anyone else. Eddie, a very fit fifteen-year-old, was from a nearby neighborhood that fed into the Saint Walter’s parish and school. In Omaha, parishes were like little puddles all over the city, with the little tiny Catholic fish that in time would jump into the bigger ponds of Catholic high schools, connecting all those little puddles.
“This pool sucks!” Eddie said to no one and everyone as he moved his bike up to the fence and looked around the deck of the pool. The crowd that had gathered was silent.
“Then why are you here?” Anthony Mangiamelli, a good year older and a foot taller than Eddie, had been silent until now. He wasn’t afraid of the bully from Saint Walter’s.
“Well, you see, I was just on my way to the housing development under construction out north of here, a place where me and my older buddies like to go when the workers aren’t around. Anyway, on my way, I see what appears to be a group around a fire or tragic accident or something. Turns out to be some stupid story about a roller coaster and a murder. Ahhhhh!” Eddie screamed in a high pitch so loud that I thought the lifeguards would come by.
Eddie was a bad seed. That’s what Mrs. Webber had told the kids after her tree had been TP-ed one time. Eddie called himself Chief and asked that others do the same in his presence. Kids in Maple Crest heard that Eddie had seen R-rated movies before he was ten. He also had a big birthmark on the back of his neck that was allegedly in the shape of a star. From where I stood, it looked more like a drunk amoeba that hoped to be a starfish someday. He didn’t have a dad, and his mother was never home, either working or whatever. The freedom he had meant that he had more connections with his older buddies finding all sorts of interesting things to do. Evidently at construction sites.
“You’re all welcome to come with the Chief to the construction site. Hell of lot more fun than this place.” He spoke to the group with an evil grin.
We were no idiots to the reputation of Eddie Krackenier. Eddie lore trickled from his puddle to ours, and we all felt as if the devil himself hadjust invited us all to hell. I wouldn’t allow some self-proclaimed chief to ruin my perfect day. I wanted Eddie Krackenier to go back to his puddle.
“I’ll go.” Will’s voice sounded strange. Now the group of wide eyes looked at him. What was he thinking? We all looked to the Mangiamellis’ oldest brother, Anthony. Was he going to stop Will or what?
Eddie’s grin grew into a creepy shape. “OK, Mangiamelli, the Chief says you may follow.”
I really do believe Will would have gone with Eddie that hot Saturday. Something in the way he looked at Eddie said that he was serious. The interview with the devil was interrupted by Faith Webber, who forced her way through the group up to the fence, panting and catching her breath. She had run the three blocks to Brookhill pool. Breathless and anxious, Faith still looked incredible.
“Lovey, is Hope with you?” Faith leaned against the fence and tried to catch her breath.
“You should see how red your face is, Faith.” Lovey laughed and looked at me.
“Lovey, is Hope with you?” Faith repeated with panic in her throat.
“No, she didn’t want to swim. I asked her. I really did…”
“We can’t find her anywhere. If she’s not with you, she’s been gone for a while. Hope never goes off by herself. The last thing I remember was that she was going over to the Mangiamelli house to visit Grandma. We know where Grandma is, but we can’t find…”
Faith had already turned around and was running back to the house. The group started moving with her. Lovey made her way back to the pool front desk and around the fence, and ran barefoot toward Faith in her swimsuit. The rest of us on bikes moved quickly. The others ran behind: Lucy, Will, Theresa, Stinky, Anthony. Everyone but Eddie.
“Hey, who’s this
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