The First Three Rules (6 page)

The shelves around the check out lane were always filled with an assortment of candy. Would Ellis let him have some? He couldn’t have baseball cards because he’d broken the microwave but candy wasn’t baseball cards.

A woman pushed her buggy into the line behind them. Her blonde hair flowed over her shoulder. She’d push it back. It was so pretty and gold. Nothing like yellow. It was too shiny to be yellow.

The urge to touch it swelled to the point of need. Like the driving force that pushed Rudy to make the oatmeal. The same kind of feeling that told him where to find Jon.

Just a small touch. She’d never know. Ellis would never know and the itch to know what it felt like would go away.

She turned her back to lift a box of detergent out of the cart. Rudy reached. Silken strands slid between his fingers.

The woman moved and the lock of hair threatened to slip away. Rudy closed his grip. She met Rudy’s gaze and her eyes widened.

“Hi,” Rudy said.

“Get away from me, you freak.” The woman shoved Rudy in the chest and he stumbled back yanking her with him.

She clawed at his hand and her elbow hit the carton of eggs on the counter. They hit the floor with a pop.

Ellis grabbed Rudy’s wrist. “Let go.” Rudy tried but he couldn’t remember how to open his hand. All he could think was how mad the woman was, how tears made her fancy makeup smear, how red her face turned. She just yelled and yelled. And hit. Her nails caught Rudy in the cheek leaving a burning line.

“He’s not going to hurt you,” Ellis said. “Just hang on. Please, please don’t yell.” But she didn’t stop. Then she hit Ellis in the face. He stumbled back and hit the display rack. Candy bars and packs of gum rained down from the shelf.

The woman jerked away and Rudy stared in horror at the clump of pretty gold hair in his fist. Her gaze went from Rudy’s hand to his face. She touched the back of her head and promptly burst into tears.

“I didn’t touch it.” Everyone stared. “I didn’t. I didn’t touch it.”

Ellis got to his feet. “Please ma’am, he didn’t mean it. He—”

She fled.

So many angry faces and disapproving eyes made Rudy’s mind fog over. Ellis pulled him out of the line and dragged him and the buggy out the door.

“I’m sorry,” Rudy said.

Ellis’s cheeks were the color of cherries and shiny with tears. He wouldn’t look at Rudy and that hurt more than being yelled at.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t.” Rudy tried to shake loose the hairs clinging to his skin. “I’m sorry, Ellis.” They got to the truck. “Please, I’m—”

“Shut up, and help me get this stuff in the back.”

They’d put the last grocery bag into the truck when a streak of blonde caught Rudy’s attention. The woman ran across the parking lot, a row of cars over.

“Rudy.”

Ellis watched her too. “Get in the truck.”

“I wasn’t doing anything.”

“Don’t argue with me. Just get in the damn truck.”

“I wasn’t touching. I’m too far away. I’m being good.”

Ellis curled his hands into fists. “Please. For once. Just do what I tell you to. Get in the truck and stay there. I have to put the buggy up.”

Rudy got in the truck. Now the woman stood next to a big gray Dually talking to a man named Lenny. Rudy knew him because he was friends with the two police officers who took him to jail once.

The woman wiped the tears from her face and pointed. Lenny’s angry expression twisted into rage.

Oh no. This was bad. This was really bad. With a big van on one side and a bigger SUV on the other Rudy couldn’t see where Ellis had gone. When Rudy looked back, there was no one at the Dually anymore.

Just as he turned around, his door flew open. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing, retard?” Lenny yanked Rudy out buy the front of his shirt.

Lenny was as tall as Jon. Maybe as big as Jon. But where Jon made Rudy feel safe, Lenny made him scared.

He slapped Rudy on the side of the head. “I’m talking to you. What the fuck do you think you’re doing going after my girl like that?”

Rudy pressed himself against the truck. “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t. I’m sorry.” He slapped Rudy again and again. Tears blurred Rudy’s vision. He tried to duck away but Lenny kept shaking him and hitting him until every thing spun.

“Do I need to teach you a lesson, retard? Do you need me to show you what happens when you go after what’s mine?”

“No, no. Please. Please, stop.” Where was Ellis? Maybe he was so mad he didn’t love him anymore. After all, Rudy had broken the third rule, the most important rule. Don’t touch.

“Hey!” Ellis ran from behind the van parked next to the truck. “Let him go.” He grabbed Lenny’s arm. He slammed his hands into Ellis’s chest. Knocking him into the car beside them.

Lenny pointed at Ellis. “Stay out of this, faggot. This is between me and the tard.”

“He didn’t mean to hurt her. She panicked. It scared him. He—” Ellis was almost to his feet when Lenny backhanded him. A streak of blood smeared across Ellis’s upper lip.

“Stay down if you know what’s good for you.”

“I’m sorry.” Rudy hoped if he said it enough, Lenny would go away.

A darkness swelled behind Lenny’s eyes. A big and terrible darkness.

Ellis needed Jon. Jon could protect him.

Lenny cocked his fist and Ellis grabbed his arm again. “Get away from him!”

The punch struck Ellis in the face. Blood poured from his nose and down his chin.

“What was that, Queer Boy?” Lenny took a step. “I didn’t quite hear you. Sounded like you was telling me to do something and I know that ain’t right.”

Ellis wiped his face with a trembling hand. “I said get away from my brother.”

A nasty grin spread across Lenny’s face. “Yeah, and if I don’t, what are you going to do about it?” Ellis didn’t move and Lenny laughed. “That’s what I thought. A big fat nothing.”

In a voice that was too calm, Ellis said, “Get in the truck, Rudy.”

Rudy opened the truck door. When Lenny tried to grab him Ellis charged, knocking him off balance. Rudy slammed the door shut and locked it.

Ellis landed a punch to Lenny’s face and he stumbled. He pressed the back of his hand to his lip. Then he stared at the spots of blood like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“That was real stupid, Queer Boy. Real stupid.” Lenny stalked Ellis to the rear of the truck.

Why didn’t anyone help Ellis? Rudy beat on the window but Lenny wouldn’t even look at him.

Ellis ran around the other side. He had his hand on the driver’s side door when Lenny grabbed him by the hair and yanked him back. He threw Ellis against the SUV. Ellis backed up until the only place left for him to go was away from the truck. If he did that, Rudy would be alone.

“Why don’t you run on and let me tend to business?”

“I will not let you hurt him.”

“I’m warning you, Queer Boy. Don’t go down this road. You have no idea who you’re fucking with. You better let me teach the retard a lesson or I’m going to make your life hell.” Lenny moved closer and Ellis didn’t back away. “One last chance, Queer Boy.”

Lenny turned toward the truck and Ellis rushed him. His shoulder caught Lenny in the side making stumble but before Ellis could get in another punch, Lenny threw out one of his long arms and shoved Ellis into the van parked beside them. His head hit the side panel and left a dent.

“Have it your way, faggot.” Lenny grabbed Ellis by the shirt and punched him in the face, the chest then the side of the head.

Rudy banged on the glass. “Stop! Stop it! Ellis, make him stop!” The only people around were near the entrance to the store. Rudy needed a way to tell them something bad was happening. Like the fire alarm that tells everyone when there’s smoke.

Rudy wanted it and then he knew exactly where to find it.

He slammed both his hands against the center of the steering wheel. The truck horn bellowed over the parking lot.

Lenny held Ellis by his throat. He had a cut near his eye and his lip was split. Bright red splotches covered one side of his face and blood matted his hair over his left ear. He kept trying to stand but couldn’t seem to get his feet under him.

An elderly man came from around the van and yelled for someone to call the police. More people stepped out from behind the cars. Lenny let Ellis go. He clung to the side view mirror.

“Keep your retard away from my girlfriend.” Lenny jabbed one of his big fingers in Ellis’s face. “Next time I will not stop.” He left.

Rudy got out. Ellis had his eyes closed and every breath he took made blood bubbles in his nose.

“Ellis?”

“It’s okay, I’m fine.”

“But you’re bleeding, Ellis. You’re bleeding all over.”

The elderly man walked over. “Just hang on, someone’s called an ambulance.”

Ellis shook his head. “No ambulance. I’m fine.”

“You’re banged up pretty bad, son.”

“I’m fine.” Ellis pushed Rudy back. “Get in. Let’s go.”

“But you’re bleeding.”

“Get in the truck, Rudy. Now.”

Rudy climbed in through the driver’s side and buckled his seat belt. It took Ellis two tries to pull himself into the seat. He took the keys out of his pocket. Dropped them. Picked them up and dropped them again.

“Can I help?” Rudy said.

“No, no. I’ve got it. I just…” He stuck the key into the ignition. The truck cranked up and for some reason it sounded louder than usual. Was the truck angry too?

Ellis wiped the blood out of his eye and backed out of the parking spot. A cop car came through the front entrance just as he rounded the building and took the exit in the back. Rudy twisted his hands in his lap. Were they coming to get him for touching the girl’s hair? They’d taken him away when he knocked over a display at the fancy grocery store. They even put handcuffs on him and made him ride in the backseat of the car. Then they put him in that place. That awful place. They laughed at him when he messed up his clothes. They laughed at him again when he cried because he was scared of the dark.

It took three forever-days before Ellis came to get him. Forever-days weren’t like regular days because they magically transformed into years. Just like the day before Christmas or his birthday.

Ellis clung to the steering wheel. He must have felt really bad. Rudy knew when his stomach hurt, he sometimes made a face.

“Ellis?”

The truck swerved, kicking up dirt from the shoulder. Ellis sat up and it straightened out.

“What, Rudy?”

“I didn’t mean to.”

“I know you didn’t.”

“Her hair was pretty. It was so pretty and I forgot.”

“It’s okay. Everything will be fine.”

“Then she screamed. Why did she scream?”

“She just didn’t understand.” Ellis slumped in his seat. The truck veered toward the shoulder again, nearly clipping a mailbox. He jerked the steering wheel.

“Am I in trouble?”

“No. No. Everything is fine.”

“You sound funny. Do you need a nap? When my words get all fuzzy you say I need a nap.”

“Yeah. That’s a good idea. When we get home I’ll take a nap.”

Painted white with tall windows flanked by dark red shutters, the house was right out of the fifties. Trees edged both sides of the property and hid it from the road.

Jon parked beside Ellis’s truck and got the pans of pizza from the back seat. The wrap around porch met him at the top of the steps. He knocked on the door.

No one answered so he knocked again.

The curtain parted and Rudy looked out.

“Hey, Rudy. I brought your pizza. Mushrooms and black olives. No anchovies.”

“We can’t have pizza. I’m sorry, Jon.” He scrubbed a hand across his cheek and sniffled. “Ellis is sick so no pizza. Maybe tomorrow.” Rudy disappeared.

Ellis was sick? “Rudy, open the door.” Jon tried the doorknob but it was locked.

“I can’t. I promised so I can’t open the door.”

“Rudy, if Ellis is sick, he might need a doctor.”

“He said he didn’t. He said he was fine. He’s taking a nap so he’ll feel better. You’ll have to come back tomorrow. He’ll feel better tomorrow then we can have pizza.”

The floorboards creaked and Rudy’s hazy shape moved behind the curtain. Jon banged on the door hard enough to make the glass rattle. “Rudy, please open the door.”

The curtain parted again. “I can’t. I want to. I do. But I promised I wouldn’t.” Rudy’s voice cracked.

“Rudy, I need you to listen to me. I’m your friend, right?”

“I still can’t let you in.”

“I’m your friend and you gave me baseball cards. How many people have you given baseball cards to?”

Rudy shrugged. “No one.”

“So that means we’re really good friends, maybe best friends. And friends help each other, right?”

He nodded.

“If Ellis is sick then he need a friend to help him.”

“But I promised.”

“I know. I know you did, buddy. But I can’t leave. I need you to open this door.”

A tear ran across a bloody gouge on Rudy’s cheek.

“What happened to your face?”

“The lady at the store. I broke rule number three. She screamed and then Lenny hurt Ellis. Now Ellis is sick. So we can’t eat pizza.”

Jon put the pizza on the swing. “I’m going to ask you one more time, Rudy. Open the door. If you don’t I’m going to have to break one of the windows and let myself in.”

“Ellis will be mad.”

“Yeah, he will. And we don’t want that, do we?”

Rudy dropped the curtain. Jon started to unbutton his shirt so he could wrap it around his fist. There was a snick and the door pulled out of the way. Rudy hid behind it.

The inside of the house was just as neat as the outside. The faint smell of burned oats and plastic hung in the air.

“Where’s Ellis?”

“In the bathroom.” Rudy pointed to the stairs.

Jon took the steps two at a time to the top. He knocked on the bathroom door.

“G-Go watch…watch…TV, Rudy. I’ll be down later. I’m…resting.”

Jon opened the door. Ellis sat on the floor next to the tub. Under the matted hair on one side of his head was an ugly cut. Blood cut a crimson trail down his cheek, soaking his shirt. Dark bruises covered most of Ellis’s face and one of his eyes was swollen shut.