Free Come Sit By Me by Thomas Hoobler

too early.
    I should have gone back to sleep, but I was hungry. I got out of bed and dressed. Nobody else would be up on a Saturday. So I went downstairs and made myself some scrambled eggs and toast.
    I started thinking about last night and before I knew it, I was getting another woodie. I had to stop this. I finished breakfast and decided it would be a good time to get rid of the stuff I had in the trunk of my car. I drove down to the 7/11 where North had bought the beer, because I knew there was a dumpster in the back. I tossed the bag in there.
    As I was getting back into my car, I saw a shiny black pickup truck go by. It was North’s. I even caught a glimpse of him in the driver’s seat. I wondered what he was doing up and around this early. He had more reason to be tired than I did.
    Since I really had nothing else to do, I turned and followed him. We went down the road that led south of town. He wasn’t hard to keep in sight, because there was very little traffic.
    He turned into the cemetery’s entrance. I knew I couldn’t go in after him without being spotted, so I just drove on until I found another place to turn around.
    What was he doing in there? It didn’t look like anybody else was in the truck, so he couldn’t be headed for another round with Ronda. Had he lost something last night? We hadn’t gotten out of my car, and whatever he’d used was now in the dumpster. Anyway, he would have called me if it was anything really important.
    As I drove past the cemetery on my way back, I looked over and saw his truck parked near the crypt where the Crappers were buried. But I didn’t see North.
    Back home, Susan was already up, and she wanted to know where I’d been. I should have bought something at the 7/11. I told her I needed to fill the car up with gas.
    â€œDid you go somewhere far last night to empty the tank?” she asked.
    â€œNo. Why?”
    â€œBecause Nina Reynolds texted me that you went out with Colleen Donnelly.”
    A network of 14-year-old girl spies all reporting to my sister. That’s what I had to deal with. “We just went over to North’s house and hung out,” I said.
    â€œIs she hot?”
    â€œWho? Nina?”
    â€œNo, dummdumm. Colleen.”
    â€œShe’s a cheerleader.” That should explain it.
    â€œYeah, how come you’re going out with a cheerleader?”
    â€œMaybe I’m hot too.”
    Susan laughed at the idea of that . She wanted to ask more, but I escaped to my room and shut the door.
    I tried to do some homework, but images of Colleen kept popping into my mind. Around noon, Dad knocked at my door. The mail had come, and I had a package. “Did you order something?” Dad asked as he handed it to me.
    â€œA book,” I said. “ Look Homeward, Angel .”
    â€œOh.” He remembered us talking about it. “Well, I hope you won’t find it too tough.”
    I soon found out what he meant. What was this guy Wolfe, a dictionary? I needed one before I got through the first page. Phthisis. What was that?
    And it just wasn’t that the words were unusual. It was like he was trying to take as many words as possible to say something that could have been said a lot easier. It made the book tiring to read, and the story didn’t seem to be getting anywhere in a hurry.
    Still, I was determined to keep going. This was the book that Caleb wouldn’t bring back to the library. I wanted to find out why. After about an hour, though, I was only on page 23. And there were over 500 in the book. If there was a sex scene, I had yet to find it.
    I decided it was time to call Colleen. But I sat there with the cellphone in my hand for another twenty minutes, figuring out what I was going to say.
    Thanks for removing your bra last night. I always have trouble unhooking them .
    No.
    I just wanted to tell you that your boobs were the best I ever felt .
    Hunh-uh.
    All right, so honesty