Among the Outsiders

Chapter 3

Johnny, Dallas, and I wandered around the backstreets. Dallas and Johnny seemed to know the whole town like the back of their hands, but I couldn't find my way home if my life depended on it. Which, it kinda did. "Nothin' legal." Dallas had replied when I asked him what we were doing.

"You mean break the law?" I asked concerned.

"Kid, you and me break the law just by breathin'. Might as well have a little fun." 

At one point, Dallas went inside the side door of a building and told Johnny and I to stay there. 

While we were waiting, a police officer came up to us. "Show me your ID's boys." 

Luckily, that was when Dallas came back out. Johnny handed the officer his ID. Then the man looked at me. "Your ID please." 

"Ummm...." My mouth hangs open.

"Hey, Hal." Dallas says, holding out a plastic card to me. "You left your card in there. Wouldn't wanna lose it!" 

"Hal Markham. Are you Jesse's brother?" The officer said.

"Heck naw. He's my cousin." Dallas said. "He just moved from outta town!" 

"Wait." I say. "How'd you know his name? He didn't even show you his ID." 

The officer laughed. "Every officer in town knows the name Jesse Markham! He's got a record a mile long. They've got a file on him down at the courthouse. Heck, the only way he could be more of a criminal is if he were a third child!" 

"Oh." I said, not reacting. 

"Well, you boys have fun." The man says, returning our ID's to us and walking away.

"Wow!" I turned to Dallas. "You fooled the Population Police!"

"The Population Police?" He laughed. "Heck no! That's just the local fuzz! If he was a Population Police officer, we'd be dead right now!" 

"Oh." I look at the plastic ID in my hand. It had my picture on it, even though I've never actually been in a picture. "You still saved my butt. How'd you get a picture of me on here?"

"These days, you can change a picture to look like just about anyone else with a computer. That's what I did. I changed a picture of someone else into a picture of you. Now let's go!" Dallas is already several feet down the sidewalk from us.  

We stick to the alleyways mostly. I think I'm getting a mental map of the town. I keep looking at my fake ID so I don't forget the name I'm going by. 

"Hey Hal." Dallas called from behind me. It took me a second to realize he meant me.

"Yeah Da-er-Jesse?" I reply.

"I hope ya don' mind me asking, but you're way younger than the Population Law. How'd that happen?"

I shrug. "I dunno. I think I remember Darry saying something about my mom and dad wanting three kids and they weren't about to let the law get in the way or something. But I'm pretty sure they meant to have me, if that's what you meant." 

"That kinda sounds like how my dad is." Dallas said. "He wanted a boy. It's all he wanted. Heck, if it were up to him, my folks would've done that whole gender selection thing and London'd be a boy and they wouldn't have thought of having a second, let alone a third. But my mom just wanted to do it the old fashioned way, and she's pretty much the boss around the house."

"Oh." I nod. "What about you?" I said to Johnny.

"I have one older brother. But he's all grown and out of the house."  Johnny answered me as we slipped into the drive in. 

Johnny and I sag up front, and I have no idea where Dallas went. 

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Love ya!

CC