Free Catboy by Eric Walters Page A

eyes burned. He didn’t look happy.
    The raccoon approached the garbage can where Hunter had been. It stretched up, standing on its back legs. It was gigantic, as tall as the can and nearly as wide!
    It pushed against the can, gripping the top with its hands and wobbling the can back and forth until it finally tumbled over, hitting the pavement with a tremendous crash.
    I’d thought the lid would pop open, but it didn’t. The raccoon fumbled with the lid, and the can rocked and rolled back and forth on the pavement. It looked like it was sealed too tightly for the raccoon’s small hands to open, but then it popped off. A pile of garbage poured onto the pavement. The raccoon sat on its haunches and began to pick through the garbage.
    Hunter stood up. He walked along the ledge, looking down at the raccoon. Was he going to pounce on it? It wasn’t a mouse or a rat. It was an animal almost as large as a small bear.
    I tried to remember what I knew about raccoons. They were clever and had hands like monkeys. They liked to wash their food before they ate it. But unless there was a bottle of water in the garbage can, that wasn’t going to happen. What I couldn’t remember was if they ate plants or meat or both. And if they ate meat, was cat part of their regular diet?
    Hunter jumped down from the ledge onto one of the cans. If he’d made any sound, I couldn’t hear it over the exhaust fan. Could the raccoon hear him? It seemed too busy with its dinner to notice anything.
    Hunter moved stealthily, low, ears back, tail flat. He was stalking the raccoon. He was going to attack it, even though the raccoon was three times as big as him!
    The raccoon looked up, and the two animals locked eyes. The raccoon opened its mouth and let out a cry. For a second I saw a set of shiny, sharp teeth.
    Hunter jumped to the ground and crept forward until the two animals were no more than a few feet apart. He crouched down and looked like he was about to pounce. They were now so close, Hunter was partially hidden from my view by the bulk of the raccoon. This was crazy. He could be hurt or even killed!
    The raccoon leaned into the garbage can, pulled something out and tossed it to Hunter. Hunter smelled it, sat down and started to eat. I was stunned. What had just happened?
    The raccoon began eating again. The two of them weren’t going to fight. They were having dinner together!
    I chuckled and the two of them turned in my direction. I felt as if I’d been caught doing something wrong. I expected them to run away, but they just sat there, staring. They looked at each other, then at me, and then back at each other. I got the feeling they were having a conversation about what to do about me. I wouldn’t have been surprised if the raccoon reached into the garbage and threw a tidbit my way.
    â€œIt’s okay,” I said. “I’m just going to leave now.”
    The raccoon tilted its head to one side as if it understood what I was saying but was trying to figure out why I would leave. Then the two of them turned back to their meal.
    I wanted to watch, but it was getting late. I took off, hoping to get home before both the darkness and my mother.

Thirteen
    â€œI feel like I’m doing something I shouldn’t,” my mother said.
    â€œIt does have that feeling,” I agreed as I pulled the chain-link fence back to widen the hole.
    â€œI thought you usually went in through the front gate.”
    â€œI do when Mr. Singh is working,” I said.
    â€œSo he’s not working today?”
    â€œIt’s Sunday. No weekends, no evenings.”
    My mother stepped through and chuckled.
    â€œWhat’s so funny?”
    â€œI was just thinking of the headlines. ‘Newly promoted assistant bank manager and son arrested for break and entry at junkyard. Film at eleven.’”
    â€œJust remember the camera adds ten pounds,” I said.
    â€œGreat, I’ll be a felon who