Black-Eyed Kids

ONE

“Are you going to the game tonight, Brit?” Rachael asked, stuffing an algebra book into her backpack.

Britney slammed her locker shut. “No, I told the Pecks I’d babysit Tyler tonight.”

“Bummer,” Rachael said, slamming her locker shut to mimic Britney’s frustration. “Why’d you say you’d work homecoming? What got into you?”

“Stupidity, I suppose,” Britney said, slinging her pack over a shoulder. “I totally forgot it was homecoming when I told them I’d babysit. But, to give myself a little credit, it is my usual night to watch Tyler, and Tyler isn’t that bad of a kid. He entertains himself, most of the time while I watch movies on their huge TV with surround sound.”

The girls walked out of the high school toward the student parking lot. Even though Halloween was the next day, it was warm and sunny.

“Please don’t tell me you’re working tomorrow,” Rachael said. “I’ll never forgive you if you miss my Halloween party. My parents will be gone and I have lots of fun stuff planned.”

Britney looked at Rachael and smiled. “Rach, just how stupid do you think I am? I would never miss one of your Halloween parties. Besides, it’s our senior year and we’ll be going separate directions when we graduate.”

“Don’t sound so depressing,” Rachael said, frowning. “We’re not going to be that far apart.”

They slowed their pace when they saw Nicholas running up to them.

“Hey, Britney,” Nicholas said, giving her a hug. “Will I see you at the game tonight?”

“No, I have to babysit,” Britney said, with a glum face.

“Tell them you can’t babysit that brat,” he said, smiling. “Tell them you have more important things to do.”

“First of all, Tyler isn’t a brat. Second of all, I messed up my babysitting days, and they’re counting on me.”

“She’ll be at my Halloween party tomorrow night,” Rachael said, chomping her gum. “You’re invited, Nick, if you want to come.”

“I’ll be there,” Nick said, without hesitation. He kissed Britney’s cheek. “I have to go; see you tomorrow.”

Britney nodded and grinned as her face flushed from the unexpected attention.

“He likes you, you know,” Rachael said. “Why are you playing so hard to get with him?”

Britney shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m afraid that if I get too close to him, I won’t go to U of M and end up staying around here while he works at his dad’s construction company.”

“Yeah, so,” Rachael said, giving her a sideways glance.

They continued walking toward the student lot. When Britney reached her car, she looked at her watch. “I have to pick up Tyler from the elementary school, and I’m late.” She unlocked her car. “I’ll see you tomorrow; have fun tonight.”

“Oh, I will,” Rachael said, walking to her car, further down the line of beat-up clunkers. “Don’t you worry about me.”

Britney got into her rusty sedan and drove to the elementary school where Tyler was waiting outside with his teacher.

“Hi, Mrs. Miller,” Britney said, getting out of the car. “I’m sure Mrs. Peck told you I was picking Tyler up today.”

“Yes she did,” Mrs. Miller said, walking Tyler to the backseat. “Drive safely.”

Britney nodded to the teacher while she buckled eight-year-old Tyler into a booster seat. Then she drove to a small gas station and parked at an island of pumps. “I’ll be right back, Tyler. Don’t get out of the car.”

“I won’t, Brit,” Tyler said, swinging his feet back and forth.

Britney waited in line to pay for gas, glancing periodically out the glass door, making sure Tyler was still safe in the car. The line moved ahead, she paid for the gas, and then walked back to the pump. When she was finished, she got back into the car, pulled the seatbelt over her shoulder, and glanced back at Tyler through the rear view mirror.

She screamed, like someone surprised by a mouse on a countertop, when she saw another child in the seat beside Tyler. She had not noticed the boy when she was outside filling the car.

“Who are you?” Britney said. She turned in the seat to face him. She got the feeling that there was something not right about the boy, and it made her feel uneasy. He was facing the floor and appeared to be a couple years older than Tyler was.

“He asked if he could get into the car,” Tyler said, without a worry. “I said he could, and that we would give him a ride to his house.”

The kid did not say anything; he kept staring at the floor.

“What is your name?” Britney asked. She loved kids, but this kid was different.

“I need a ride,” the boy said, with a voice that sounded more like an adult’s than a child’s voice.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t give strangers rides,” Britney said, feeling sad she was making a kid get out of her car, but there was no way she was giving this kid a ride. She trusted her gut. “Where are your parents?”

The boy did not answer.

“I’ll take you inside the store and we’ll find your parents,” Britney said, unbuckling her seatbelt. When she turned back around, the boy was getting out of the car.

“Why’d you do that?” Tyler asked, upset with her decision.

“My job is to take care of you,” Britney said, watching the boy walk toward another car.

“He needed a ride,” Tyler said, still angry.

Britney watched as the boy walked up to a middle-aged man in overalls, pumping gas. The boy kept his head bowed, but she could see him speaking. The man hung up the pump handle, nodded, and then helped the boy into the passenger seat of his pickup. Britney almost lost her breath when she saw the boy look at her and smile. There was something so strange about him, but she could not put her finger on it. All she knew was that the kid was not normal and was probably up to no good.

“Let’s get you home,” Britney said, turning the ignition.

As the she drove out of the gas station, she watched the pickup truck go the opposite direction. She had the strangest feeling the man was in danger.