The Space Between

Chapter 2

Titsch-Titsch-Titsch, David awoke to the rhythmic sounds of the neighbor's sprinkler. The sun crept in low through his open window. His eyes still closed, he reached and swatted around for his radio on the nightstand. He found the button and switched it on. "on your drive to work, keep it right here on KHJ- Boss Radio" the d.j.'s voice rambled on, "here's a new hit single from The Archie's! Sugar Oh, honey, honey," the song started playing. David rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath. He remembered flashes and bits from a dream he was having, a streak of light, a face maybe, a voice, a girl's voice. For some reason, it reminded him of his camping trip. He rubbed his face and fell back in the bed. Since school had ended, he reveled in the opportunity to sleep in. Next year he would be a freshman, something he was actually looking forward to. Now he just wanted to lie there and not think about anything while a cool morning breeze drifted in. He listened for his mother, but he knew she had probably left for work already. The clock said 7:41. She was usually gone by 7:30. She had started working at a drugstore couple of years ago and was also a seamstress on the side. He wished he could help her more. He already mowed lawns and did odd jobs in the neighborhood. He paid for groceries and was able to help out with bills sometimes. He knew he needed to try and find something more lucrative, at least for the summer.

David finally pulled himself out of bed, showered, dressed, and made a bowl of cereal. The radio played as he read over the list of chores his mom had left for him on the kitchen table. It wasn't much- laundry, dishes, the usual. David kept up with the house so much that there was never much to do. He put his bowl in the sink when something on the street caught his eye.

"Davey!" a voice called out. He ran over and looked through the front window for a better view. It was Benny Melton. "Dave!" the brown-haired, portly boy skidded up on a bicycle, jumping off and dumping it on the lawn. David opened the screen door.

"Geez, keep it down, Benny. What are you yelling about?" he scolded, looking over at his elderly neighbor's front porch. Sure enough, old Mr. Tippet was sitting there holding the morning newspaper, drinking his coffee, and glaring over his horn-rimmed glasses.

"Davey," he huffed," did you see the moving truck?" Benny was red-faced and sweating.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He led Benny inside and poured him a lemonade from the refrigerator. They sat down at the table.

"The Peterson's old house, there's a moving truck out front. I saw the movers carrying in a couple of bikes and stuff. It looks like the new owners probably have kids, " he explained as he gulped down the lemonade.

David thought about the news. Kenneth Peterson had been his friend since the first grade. He was part of their gang and was the one who had been there for him when his dad had his accident. "I guess that's good." It was all he could muster, considering how much he missed his friend. "Hey, help me clean up so we can get out of here. I want to go to the post office and check the board for jobs." Benny consented, and they finished quickly.

The boys hopped on their bikes and made their way across midtown toward the post office. David pedaled at a leisurely pace so Benny could keep up easily. They navigated the quiet streets, waving to kids playing in a yard and an older lady tending to a rose bush. After a few blocks, Benny piped up.

"After the post office, you wanna go by and watch the movers?"

"Sure, that sounds good." He didn't have another answer. He didn't really want to, but he didn't have anything else to do.

"We can watch them from my house. I hope the kids are our age and not squares. I wonder where they are moving from. You think they are foreigners? That'd be so cool if they have accents or something." Benny went on impersonating accents and phrases from different countries. David drifted off thinking about that dream this morning. He could almost see her face.