Jayson peered out his window, looking for Tyson, his second cousin. He hadn’t told Jackson about him and worried because he sent Tyson to go help him.
“Hey, Jayson, Jayson can you hear me? JAYSON!!!!”
“What, oh Tyson, it’s you. Sorry, I was thinking.”
“Jeez, when you think too hard, ya can’t hear anything!”
“I said I was sorry. Did you find Jackson? Is he alright?”
“Yeah, he’s fine. He’s a bold fella. Damn fast too. I had a hard time catchin up to him.”
Jayson smiled, that was Jackson alright.
“Well, did you tell him you wanted to help?”
“Yep. He agreed, but didn’t quite trust me. Smart guy to be thinkin that. Heck, if I saw m’self, I wouldn’t trust me either.”
“Ha, that’s true! I don’t have much time and need to go soon Tyson. The matron has been making more frequent rounds on us. If she finds out that I’m communicating with you, a man they don’t even trust, I’ll get moved to a different orphanage. Then you wouldn’t be able to find me and Jack’s plan will be ruined.”
“Calm down Jayson! Jeez, there’s nothing to worry about! I’ll be gone soon. Jackson wanted me to tell you to keep doing your part and to expect a little delay.”
“Okay Tyson, tell him that there are only about thirty kids who want to leave. That should make his job a little easier.”
“Hmph, I’ll tell him, but don’t expect anythin’ back. I aint a mailman ya know. By the way, Jackson says tha’ he wants ya to keep doin your part.”
“Thanks Tyson.”
Tyson grunted and left.
Jayson sat in his room, thinking about what Tyson had said. He walked out of his room and went down the stairs. He walked outside and stood by the gates. He took a deep breath, imagining Jackson walking free out there. He heard the door open.
“Jayson! Get your little bottom in here right now!”
Jayson sighed.
“Yes Mrs. Livington.”
“There’s a good lad. Come on now, hurry up! I don’t want to stand here and watch the grass grow!”
Jayson trudged inside. He felt like he was being escorted to prison. He looked back at Mrs. Livington but she was looking ahead, with a scowl on her face. Sometimes Jayson wondered if her face had frozen that way. He walked up the stairs and went over to his friend’s room to talk to him. He was the same age as Jayson and was an expert smuggler. Jayson knocked on the door and went in.
“Hey Peter, what where you able to smuggle this time.”
“Hey Jayson. I got a whole bunch of food for us. All I had to do was pretend to work in the kitchens and smuggle things out as I went. You wouldn’t believe what they put into their food! It’s so disgusting!”
“Good job Peter. Keep up the good work.”
He left and went to his room. He picked up the maps Jackson had left him and was about to go explore when the dinner bell rang. Jayson ignored it and went to go explore. He didn’t want to eat anything they made, especially after what Peter told him. Today he decided to use the vent map and wander around in there. He went to his room, but found it all wrecked up. Jayson was worried. He had been there only five minutes ago. Who had gotten into his room? He hoped they didn’t find what they were looking for. With a sudden realization, he searched his room for the maps Jackson had given him. They weren’t there.
“Looking for these?”
Jayson swerved around to see Mrs. Livington standing there in the door way. She leaned against the door frame. She was holding Jackson’s maps.
“Shouldn’t you be eating your dinner Jayson?”
“Shouldn’t you be eating yours?”
“Don’t you dare talk back to me. What are these?”
“My doodles. Why should you care?”
“Because these ‘doodles’ are of the orphanage, inside and out. What are you up to?”
“Nothing, I like to draw. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go eat my dinner. So should you. I would hate for you to miss dinner.”
Jayson received a vicious backhand across his face.
“I told you not to talk back to me. I’ll ask you again, what are you up to?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know. See you later, Livertongue.”
Jayson was walking out of his room when Mrs. Livington grabbed his hand. She swung him around to face her. Jayson cringed; she looked more evil up close. Her breath smelled bad too.
“I’ve given you plenty of warnings Jayson. Now I want you to tell me what you are up to. If you don’t, you’ll wish you’d never been born.”
“Then I’ll make a little call. I’ll tell you the phone number, 911. Then you’ll wish you’d never been born. Uh oh, better let me go Livertongue, I hear sirens.”
“You insolent boy! I’ll count to three, if you don’t tell me what’s going on, you’ll be joining your parents in the place underneath our feet!”
“Oh no, a threat, naughty words to be saying to a kid. I better wash out your mouth.”
Jayson reached out and snatched the soap that she always had in her pocket and shoved it into her snarling mouth.
“Hope you like lavender. By the time it washes out your mouth, you’ll smell so clean, and your breath won’t smell so bad. See ya later Livertongue.”
Jayson ran down the stairs noticing the gathered crowd of kids there. They started cheering for Jayson. He felt his chest fill pride. The kids stood there and laughed while Mrs. Livington pulled the soap out of her mouth. She spat out the soapy taste and stomped off. She had a firm grip on the papers; almost crushing them in her anger. She had plans for that boy, big plans.
