Fire Solves All Problems Perfectly pt 31

You meet up with Jason in the alley and bringing him inside; he’s filthy from a tunnel he’s digging in his yard. The fire wives have already started to complain about the crap building up in the alley that Jason’s building home, but Rosa Van Meter says back to them that boys will be boys, and she can’t do a thing with him, and anyway it’s just a bunch of dirt, and everybody knows that boys are like dogs and if you don’t let them dig they just bring all that nonsense in the house. Your mother looks like she’s going to detonate when Jason hikes a foot up on the back steps and presses his finger to his nose to blow a snot rocket. Would you like a tissue? she asks him sarcastically and he mutters no thanks under his breath, and then something else you can’t hear.

Where are you going? she asks when you head for the door; if you were by alone you’d just tell her, but with Jason here the be-carefuls and watch-outs are too embarrassing.

None-ya, you say to her, and when she stares at you quizzically you say None-ya business, and you and Jason roar with laughter. Your mother asks if you want to get your smart mouth grounded, and tells you to be home by dinner. She disappears into the other room, the turntable volume doubling.

Women, Jason says as you roll down Quake Street to the end where Tim is doing wheelies and waiting for you. Can’t live with ‘em, can’t kill ‘em. He hawks and spits.