What's Eating Gertrude Grape (A What's Eating Gilbert Grape Fanfic)

Match In The Gas Tank, Boom Boom

Me and Arnie walked to Lamson's store, we didn't see Gilbert.

"Mr. Lamson, good afternoon," I said.

"Afternoon Trudy! Gilbert just left to deliver to the Carvers. Hi Arnie."

Arnie waved at him.

"Arnie, go look around, don't touch anything and don't leave the store."

"Ok Trudy."

He started to walk around.

"Mrs. Carver, she is such a skank, I hear she's having an affair with a younger man."

"Now Trudy-"

"I'm just the messenger here."

"Hmm. So, how's everybody, the family?"

"The same, Gilbert's overly responsible, Mama still can't leave the house, Amy just started a new job teaching, Ellen's becoming more of a brat everyday, etc, etc, and so on and so forth."

He smiled. A woman about my age walked in with a little boy in her arms. She was very pretty, she had short red hair, green eyes. Her son looked like her but his hair was curly.

"Hi," I greeted her.

"Hi, do you have any ground chuck?"

"Yes we do, a pound?"

"That'll do it."

He went to the back.

"I never seen you here before."

"We just moved here, I'm Fay and this is my son Fredrick."

"Hi, welcome to Endora."

"Thank you."

"Arnie?"

I called for him, no answer.

"Arnie-"

"Looking for Arnie?" 

Mr. Lamson walked back with a package of chuck.

"Oh no, please don't tell me he walked out."

"I don't see em."

I sighed.

"Excuse me Fay, I'm sorry, we'll meet again."

I ran out. I saw people surrounding the water tower, damn it Arnie! Gilbert was in his truck coming toward the store.

"Gilbert, Arnie's up the water tower again, come quick."

He got out of the truck and we headed toward the tower.

"We were in the store looking for you, I told Arnie to look around, not touch anything, and not leave the store while I talk to Lamson about TMI."

"You shouldn't have done that, he needs to be watched at all times!" He scolded me.

"Sorry Gilbert."

We stopped by a police car.

"Arnie, come on down!" A cop said in a megaphone.

"Give me the thing, I got this," I said.

He gave it to me.

"It's my fault anyway. Arnie, it's me Trudy, Gilberts back. Wanna come down and eat some lunch with us, we can have a picnic?"

Arnie didn't respond.

"Arnie, come on down bud, you'll get hurt. You don't wanna fall and get hurt do you?...Arnie!-"

"Trud, don't yell, give it to me, let me try?"

I handed the megaphone to Gilbert.

"Arnie, buddy, please come down...Arnie?"

"Gilbert I'm flying!" Arnie shouted laughing.

"Buddy?"

Then, he started to sing.

"I know a boy whose name is Arnie... he's, uh, about to turn 18 and have a big party. I know a boy whose name is Arnie."

"Gilbert," I cringed at his bad singing.

"Come on down buddy."

After a few seconds, he sung again.

"Match in the gas tank, boom boom."

Arnie started to mumble the little diddy.

"Match in the gas tank, boom boom," he sang again.

"Match in the gas tank, boom boom," Arnie said.

Finally, Arnie was down.

"We're so sorry officer," Gilbert said.

"We promise it won't happen again," I said.

"It better not, next time we won't go so easy on em."

The cops left, me, Gilbert, and Arnie started walking.

"Don't leave him like that again."

"I said I was sorry Gilbert."

"Not good enough."

"You just take better care of him than me."

"We're a family, we're supposed to help each other."

"Well let me help you out, you should sing more, you have a lovely voice...not," I said sarcastically.

He smiled and gave me a playful smack on the side. We went to lunch together.