Wonders

A hidden time

The next day at school Dogkeeper and Rat were at each other's throats as much as possible. It started like the day before, as soon as Shion and Rat set foot on campus. Dogkeeper was holding up traffic on the steps, making it impossible for people to pass without her knowledge. Then came her ex leader. Rat had demanded Shion and Safu stay with him today. The night before he had walked Dogkeeper to the door alone. It had taken him fifteen minutes to return.
“Look who it is, our fearless little Rat.” Dogkeeper growled upon seeing the striking dark-haired boy. “Are you building a new nest with these dweebs?” she mocked. Goose and Squirrel girl twittered. Rat's cold emotionless eyes slowly roved over them.
“Don't forget who put Gorilla in the ER. Something none of you could do.” Rat taunted. Gorilla hadn’t really been a part of the pact. He just looked out for his brother Moose. He had told Rat when Moose joined up with him, just what he would do with the cynical kid if his brother ever got hurt.   Gorilla was at school, but remained apart from them. He had lost both his power and face to a pale white haired nerd. His brother Mouse was home from the hospital but not cleared to return to school for another week.
Goose and Squirrel girl sobered at Rat's taunt. Dogkeeper sputtered. “Gonna hide behind your nursemaids apron?” she hissed. Rat just walked through them without another word. Shion and Safu followed, until Goose cut the pale boy off.
“You only fight is if your angry enough. As long as we leave Rat's background out of it, you’re a puffball.” He sneered in the scared face.
“That’s when I step in. And I don’t have that handicap.” Goose flinched at Rat's deadly tone. They allowed the three inside.
Safu had little problems during the day as long as she left the boys at arm’s length. If she was with them then the others targeted her as well. Just before lunch, as planned she let it slip about Dogkeeper's debt.
“Well we will see what Karen has to say.” She returned to Dogkeeper’s jibe at her fashion sense and lack of money. “After all it’s going there or going to jail, right?” she breezed past at the snarl from the mutt pack leader. Shion gave her a thumbs up. Rat hid the high five. He winked at Dogkeeper as he headed into the lunch room.
He overheard Dogkeeper telling the others about her “court order". The funny thing was, when Ms. Cavers had stopped by the night before to inform them that Rat was officially placed as Karen's foster son, they had told her of Dogkeeper’s willingness to work off the debt.
Ms. Cavers had given Karen her first check, money to help maintain Rat, and told her she would talk to Dogkeeper’s case worker to get it all official. They thanked her for her help. She left with a call of good luck over her shoulder, a soft smile and gentle wave. Saying she would be back the following week.
Now the teens were just setting up the bait. Once Monkey boy took it the next day, they would be able to play him the fool. Rat was still working out everything in his head. He knew Dogkeeper had her own ideas as well. He was biding his time.
After school, Grace was there to pick up Sally. She called to Rat saying she had to meet with her case worker then, Grace would make sure Sally would show up for work. Rat just smirked waving sweetly to the sister. When she turned her head to see if it was ok to pull out, he glowered at Dogkeeper. She did the same as Goose and Squirrel girl looked on from the top of the stairs.
Rat dragged Shion and Safu away toward home. Dogkeeper had let it slip to the others that Rat was living with the pale teen now. It was something else they had discussed the night before. It wasn’t until they were well out of range of school, Rat let himself relax. “That went about as well as expected.” he said. Safu agreed.
“One more step closer to resolve.” She grinned at Shion. He smiled back.
Back home the three went upstairs to do their homework. They finished by the time Dogkeeper got there. This wasn’t to be her day for working but Rat wanted to show her where everything was.
“Consider it orientation.” He told her. He took her on a tour of the bakery and kitchen. Shion gave her a crash course on running the register. They had time sheets that the court appointed person dropped off. Dogkeeper had to fill them out and send in each week to prove she was working a minimum of twenty hours a week.
The orientation took two hours. Then they went up to the attic. Safu was leaning against the desk. “We were talking.” She indicated Shion who sat with his head hanging as Rat scowled.
“About?” he asked.
“How can you be sure she is on our side?” Shion's voice was soft. He hid no malice in the question. Rat looked at Dogkeeper.
“Want me to tell them?” he asked. She sat as far away from them as she could. She folded her arms around herself.
“Rat saved my life.” She said. “I was on the streets having run away from my foster home. Rat had done the same. He found me in a crack den.”
“Actually I was flowing a mark there to steal their money when I heard her screaming.” He filled in for her. She nodded.
“Basically I was there for the same thing, but I didn’t have Rat's skill set.” Her dark eyes looked up to meet the grey ones.
“What? You weren't a killer then?” Safu asked.
“No.” Dogkeeper said. Rat looked away from Shion.
“But you were.” His soft voice whispered. It wasn’t a question. Rat nodded his head once.
“Oh Rat!” Shion was hugging him. “I’m sorry.” For the first time the dark boy pulled away from him. His tone was icy as he said.
“I told you, I did things to survive.” He stormed from the room.
“Rat taught me to fight, not just to use my dogs to survive.” Dogkeeper said. She was watching the window where the other boy had gone. Surprisingly it was Safu who went after him. Shion sat back down.
“I told you, he's a demon. Don’t put too much faith in him.” Dogkeeper warned. “Unless you want to wined up dead. That's all he's good for.” She stood. “Guess we will wing it tomorrow. He's not coming back.” She started for the door.
“What where they doing to you that he killed them for?” Shion asked. Her back stiffened.
“I never said he killed for me.” She snarled. He gave her an evil grin.
“Not in those words, but he did. They were what? Rapping you,  beating you? Just what was his line that he crossed for your worthless hide?” he asked.
“They were trying to drug me, with plans of rapping me or turning me into a prostitute.” The pain in her tone was real. “He came in firing a gun. Killed the first two before I ever saw his face.” She was starring sightless at the wall. “You would think it was their faces that haunt my nightmares.” She paused to turn to look back at Shion. “Its his. The dead look in his eyes. The demon in him is terrifying.” She walked away before Shion could say anything.
Demon, dead eyes, killed in cold blood. The chills shook the pale boys body. He didn’t want to think of his friend like that. Not just a friend. Shion touched his fingers to his lips. Rat had never been that way around him. Not even at school. Shion had seen the pain in those grey eyes even when the boy struck him. Could no one tell just what he was going through? How each decision he made killed a part of him? She didn’t see it. Dogkeeper could only see Rat through her own haze. Maybe Shion was doing the same.
He walked to the window, looking down he saw Rat looking up at him. His shoulders back, arms crossed, anquish buried in his eyes as Safu stood before him. She was leaning into the boy yelling and shaking a finger at him. The look in Rat's eyes was a cry for help. Why didn’t they see it? Shion wondered as he made a face at the boy. It was enough to get them both laughing.
Safu stomped her foot. She then followed his line of site. Shion ducked behind the curtain. She pursed her lips glaring at the window. Dogkeeper came out at that point. Rat sobered at seeing her.
“Good luck tomorrow, fill me in on the plan later. If you can trust me.”. She grouched. He watched her as she walked past.
“Its not that I don’t trust you, it’s more that I know you are still afraid of me. Just remember what I can do, Sally.” He cooed in a dark tone. Safu drew away from him. Her eyes went to the window. Was Shion hearing this? She thought.
Shion wasn’t in the attic room when the pair returned. Rat looked in his room as Safu looked in some of the boys favorite hiding places. He wasn’t there. Safu went downstairs to ask Karen where he had gone, but she thought he had been upstairs with them.
“Dogkeeper!” she stopped when the voice called out.
“This isn’t smart.” She turned.
“His different. You've seen it.” He paused. She glared.
“He's different with you. I don’t know what it is, but yes.” She agreed. “As long as your safe he can be what he needs to be. That said, Monkey boy will be going after you. You’re his weakness.” She turned to walk away again.
Shion let her go. He was thinking about tomorrow. How to keep Rat safe. There were ways he could jam the door to his room so he couldn’t get out. Would Dogkeeper still help them without the threat of Rat? He wasn’t sure.
There was the fact He could stay home. The worry would gnaw at him. His mind reeled as he walked. He hadn’t gone more than a block or two from home to talk to Dogkeeper, yet his head was preoccupied now.
“Shion!” the scream sounded pained, terrified even. The pale head lifted. He looked around. “Shion, where are you?” the cry came again.
Shion cupped his hands to either side of his mouth. “Over here!” he yelled. There was a pause.
“Keep yelling, I will find you.” Relief was etched into every word. Shion didn’t know what to say so he sang the periodic table song as loud as he could.
“You really are a nerd.” Rat laughed as he came around the corner to see. Shion holding onto the light pole singing. Shion gave him a huge grin. “How else where you to know it was me?” With a chuckle Rat took his hand.
“Come on, let’s get you home.” Shion followed obediently.