Free Rooster by Don Trembath Page A

failing, and every year at the end of June I pass.”
    â€œDid she say anything about … the other party?” Jayson asked this tentatively, not wanting to rock the boat too much.
    â€œOf course,” said Rooster with a shrug.
    â€œShe did?”
    â€œThat’s what this is all about.” Rooster held up his glass and took another sip.
    â€œDo you mind if I ask who it is?”
    Rooster shook his head. “I just finished telling Puffs. I’m done for the night.”
    Jayson sat back in his chair and shook his head. Puffs joined them at the table with a drink. He passed Jayson a can of Coke and listened in.
    â€œYou’ve heard all this already?” Jayson said to Puffs.
    Puffs nodded solemnly.
    â€œThis is wild, man. Jayson’s never heard anything like this before.” He turned back to Rooster. “Where did she get the idea to do it like this?”
    â€œMrs. Helmsley,” said Rooster. The whiskey was starting to make him feel better. “Old Big Bird from Hell had a hand in it.”
    Jayson was stunned. “Mrs. Helmsley?”
    â€œUh-huh. They came up with a plan together. They had a plan. I had a plan. Everyone had a plan. But good ole Irving set me straight. He said, ‘Rooster, for your sake, I hope your plan works. But if it doesn’t, you won’t be the first person in this kitchen to fail.’ How’s that for a confidence booster? Being compared to him.”
    â€œYou told Irving about all this?” said Jayson.
    â€œHe knew anyway. She called my mom.”
    â€œShe told your mom?”
    Rooster nodded.
    â€œWhat’d your mom say?”
    â€œShe went crazy, as expected. Told me I got what was coming to me.”
    â€œYour mom said you had this coming to you?”
    â€œUh-huh.”
    â€œWow.” Jayson sat back in his chair. “I never thought Jolene was up to anything like this.”
    â€œJolene?” said Rooster, with a frown. Given the events of the day, he had not had a chance to talk with her yet. She knew nothing about Mrs. Nixon’s plan or his involvement with the Strikers. “What does she know about any of this?”
    Jayson thought for a moment. “Good point.”
    â€œShe’s never done anything like this before in her life.”
    â€œThat explains a lot, actually.”
    â€œI bet her old man’ll be proud of me, though, for seeing something like this through,” Rooster added. Jayson frowned when he heard this. Puffs quickly covered his mouth with his hand and pretended to cough. “I can just hear him saying, ‘Rooster, a young man’s path to adulthood is often as unique as the young man himself. Just keep your balls out of the gutter and you’ll do just fine.’”
    Puffs’ eyes started to water.
    Jayson’s jaw dropped. He took another drink of his Coke, then reached for the whiskey bottle and poured a healthy amount into the can and swished it around. “That is one interesting family you hooked up with.”
    â€œIs it ever.”
    â€œKeep your balls out of the gutter. That’s the damndest bit of advice the Jaymeister’s ever heard.”
    â€œI can hear him saying it now. Or ‘Remember, don’t cross the line or your balls won’t count.’”
    Jayson took a big swig from his Coke can and shook his head. “What’s with this guy and balls?”
    â€œThat’s just the way he is,” said Rooster. “That’s how he’ll respond to this. But he’ll be proud of me. I know that for sure.”
    â€œHe sounds sick.”
    â€œI don’t know about that,” said Rooster, draining his drink. “But he sure isn’t funny.”
    The next morning, at around nine thirty, Rooster was called to Mrs. Helmsley’s office. He had arrived at school late. His head ached like he’d been kicked by a horse, and his stomach was rolling like a nasty day at sea. He was