Dave lived in the kind of neighborhood that seemed nice from the outside, but was less and less appealing the longer you observed it. Empty liquor bottles lined curbsides, chewed gum baked to the sidewalk in the hot Texas heat, and it was common to hear drunken fights breaking out on the streets in the middle of the night. Sure, it was a hostile environment, but it was bearable.
He had a pretty easy life- his brother hardly pestered him about anything and supplied him with a multitude of junk food. Pretty perfect, if you ask him. And now that it was summer, he had hardly a care in the world. School was over, at least for the time being, and the break had so much excitement to offer. Plans for his best friend, John, to visit had been discussed and eventually approved by Dirk and John's father. Only a few more days, and his life would be truly flawless.
