Bloody Skeleton Series #1 The Monster in the neighborhood

3-Weird

Mikey got to the park last. Panting and sweating because his house was technically the furthest from the park and he'd pedalled harder and faster, so they didn't leave without him.

'Marie didn't come with you?' Jake asked, stretching his neck to check carefully behind Mikey. He had this crush on Marie that completely disgusted Mikey, but no matter what he said, it didn't seem as if that was getting to Jake.

Or the fact that Marie has less than zero interest in him.

'She did, can't you see her floating on top of my head?' Mikey parked his bike and went to the bench beside Ned.

'Haha, funny.'

Ned was petting Sugar, the brown stray cat that everybody on three streets knew. It was a bit like she was everybody's cat rather than a stray. They all petted her, fed her, and played with her in turn. She even had a random schedule for sleeping over. The vet down Higgens Street even gave vaccinated her regularly.

'She's being so mellow today,' Harry said from his bike, staring down at the cat. Her fur was soft when Mikey brushed it.

'She's always mellow, you're just built like something that could eat her,' Ned retorted.

Jake pushed his bike closer. 'So, what are we going to do today?'

'How about the creek?' Ned suggested.

Harry groaned. 'We spent all of last week there.'

'Well, it's not my fault that's the best place to go.'

'What about Pete's?'

Mikey shook his head. 'No way. We can't hang out there the whole day, we might as well just go back to school. Plus, he won't even let us stay that long unless we keep buying stuff.'

Everybody that stayed in Hidgeway [SU1] during the summer went to Pete's. It was basically going to be filled with everybody from high schoolers to middle schoolers. Exactly like school.

Even some of the teachers might be there.

'Let's go to Mikey's.' Jake suggested a second time.

'I'd rather go to Ned's. His place is bigger.' Mikey said.

'Yeah, but your place is way more fun. Your dad lets us use some of his tools.'

'But only when he's with us. Which he won't be today because of Jerry.'

'Who's Jerry?'

'Guy that moved in across the street.'

'Oh,' Ned sat up, sugar meowed a complaint but didn't get off his lap. 'I want to see. Have you been inside yet? If your dad's there, maybe he'll let us inside.'

'No, they're fixing his car. Outside!'

'Doesn't mean they won't let us in. I vote Mikey's house.'

'Yeah, me too.' Jake threw his hands up.

'You just want to see Marie!'

'Doesn't matter, I've raised my hand already.'

'Well, I vote Ned's.'

'We've technically already won though. It's two against one.'

Mikey looked around. 'Well, Harry hasn't voted though.'

Everybody looked back at Harry who was staring intently at Sugar. It was kind of sad that he really liked Sugar, but she didn't really go to him a lot.

'Harry?' Ned called. 'Aren't you coming to Mikey's?'

That was a trick question because it was obvious that Harry wasn't really paying attention, but he answered before Mikey could object to Ned's trick. 'Sure, I want to go too.'

'There! Ha.' Jake shouted, already settling on his Bike to pedal to Mikey's place. He started to cycle away.

Mikey sighed.

'Can I take her in my basket?' Harry asked Ned.

Ned nodded and started to gently raise Sugar so he could put her in Harry's basket.

'I don't know,' Mikey said to nobody in particular. 'I just feel like Jerry's a bit weird.'

'How weird?' Harry asked sticking his tongue out as he tried hard not to shale his bike.

'Dunno, just weird. Plus,' Mikey added, 'why'd you guys make me ride all the way here if you were just going to come over anyways.'

'It's not like we knew we were going to end up at your house.'

'Next time, let's just decide online.'

Jake was already there, standing on the lawn of the old house, Jerry's lawn, with Mikey's dad and Mr Nelson from the next house.

He waved them over before they managed to ride unto Mikey's lawn.

'That's my boy,' Mikey's dad said when Mikey got off his bike and started to lay it on the ground. 'Michael.'

'Michael?' Jerry's voice was deep. Like rumbling thunder deep. It made Mikey uneasy, that was not the voice he'd been expecting.

Up close, Jerry seemed even taller. Especially because he was slim. It was like he was a giant palm tree with a slouch that might have been just because he always had to stare down at people.

'Nice to meet you, Michael.' Jerry smiled.

'I'm Ned,' Ned joined in and shoved a thumb to Harry who was trying to hold sugar gently in his arms. She was sleeping. 'That's Harry and Sugar.'

Jerry gave them all the same smile. 'Which one's the cat?' he asked.