Boxcar Boys

Chapter Four

Author's note: I apologize for this chapter being late. I have been buried in numerous other projects.

When the sun came up, we were sitting in a McDonald's, with nothing but water cups. It was pathetic.

A teenage girl, who wore a manager's shirt and cap, came up to the table.

"You gonna order something or not? If not, get the hell out of my store."

Henry grinned and said,

"We are gonna order something, how bout a Big Ma-"

Christopher smacked Henry on the cheek. Hard.

"Shut up Henry. Let me do the talking."

He turned toward the girl. 

"Would you be so kind to get us some food? We didn't eat dinner or lunch." 

"Nobody is gonna fall for that crap." George said, "We aren't gonna get any food."

Christopher stood up and tugged George's sleeve. 

"Let's settle it in the parking lot. You and me both."

George grinned. 

"Bring it on. I don't mind. A swift punch to the nose would to the trick. Jason, you come with me. Backup, and that's fair play."

Henry tried to stick his arm between them in a futile attempt to stop the fight, but he didn't because he was cut short by the piercing glance that Christoper shot him. 

The manager soon realized that if she didn't give us some free scraps, there was going to be blood stains in the parking lot.  

"The hot meal is gonna be surplus stuff from last night...that cool?" She turned and headed toward the counter.

"Actually," Henry called back, "Can if be fres-"

"Shut up Henry." George said, "You aren't gonna get any meal if you sit there and yack."

The girl replied with a tray of cheeseburgers, some medium fries, and a stick of apple pie. She also set down a small packet of strawberry lemonade powder and told us to make it ourselves.

We ate. Nothing tasted so good, after a terrible night. After we ate our fill, we bagged up the rest, which was carton of fries, two hamburgers, the untouched strawberry lemonade, and the apple pie.

We exited McDonald's, thanking the manager on the way.

We trudged up the hill, heading for the railroad tracks. Clouds were gathering in the sky.

We had all agreed to head toward the direction of Sacramento, California. The railroad tracks would end in the little town called Ione, we would hitchhike to Sacramento using whatever means necessary. With no cash and connections, it would be difficult.

We had walked maybe three miles when I felt the rails vibrating. We had to dive behind a tree, while a small motorized rail cart passed, with a maintenance crew cussing. It was pathetic, because we could have pulled out to the side and waved.

We sat down on the bank by the railroad tracks to eat lunch. Christopher tore open the McDonald's bag and divided the hamburger and the apple pie. He added the lemonade powder into a bottle of water and passed it around for us to drink.

We sat there on the hillside munching our food.

Henry took a swig of lemonade and declared,

"Best lemonade I have tasted in my life. What is it....some brand named Country Time?"

"I am gonna Country Time you if you don't shut up." Christopher sneered. "Seriously, Henry, your grandma betrayed us. It ain't funny. And for the record, the lemonade is Mickey Ds."

"Mickey D's?" Henry said, "What is that? Some sort of rapper?"

"McDonalds." George said, "It's a internet meme. Look it up."

"I ain't got goddamn WiFi." Henry said back, "And no goddamn phone."

Christopher exploded.

"Goddamn you, Henry. Who's the dumbest in the group? You. You said that we could stay at you granny's place, and then she snitched on us. If we didn't get the hell out of Dodge, we would be making prison burritos to survive."

Henry looked dumbfounded.

"But.....but why my grandma would snitch? I thought she loves me."

"Well, apparently; she doesn't love you enough. She did it for money. They posted a reward for our capture. Think of it. It ain't fun living in a trailer park. Heck, if I had to live there, might as well live on the streets in a cardboard box."

"To hell with that." Henry said. He stood up, and walked down the tracks.

"Henry! Come back!" George called.

Henry didn't. He continued walking. He turned around a corner, following the railroad tracks, and he was gone.

George whirled around to face Christopher.

"The hell did you do!?"

"What?" Christopher said dumbly.

"Why are you saying what?" George asked, "You moron. You know what happens now? We won't see Henry ever again. He ain't gonna survive out there without our help."

George burst out in angry tears.

"Christopher, Henry's gonna die out there. Don't you understand? He doesn't have any money, or any connections in the world. Where would he sleep when the sun goes down?"

"Go on, let him go. He gonna die in a hole, and I don't care. He would be laughin' his guts out until his last few minutes on Earth."

George punched Henry in the face. Hard.

Henry staggered back, shocked. Blood was running down his nose.

George was breathing hard.

"That's what you get for putting yourself ahead of Henry."