Categotry Archives: Suzie’s House
Suzie’s House 173: Pobresito
“Pobresito,” Maria muttered under her breath as she took Drew’s hand. Had it not been for her and Todd, this fine man would not now be addicted to some strange new designer drug. He could have been back in that place he’d come out from, wherever it was, doing simple internet investigations. “What?” Toby moved closer, making Maria tense, and release Drew’s hand. “Poor man, I said.” “Is that all?”
Suzie’s House 172: Deep Blue Sea
Drew rolled over. The ceiling tiles were white with holes. Part of his mind knew they were supposed to be a steady, industrial white with regular, randomly spaced holes. The holes weren’t supposed to expand and contract with his heartbeat, and the white of the tiles wasn’t supposed to glisten with rainbows half-seen and half felt. Maria’s face hove into view, whisps of hair falling from her bun to spear toward him like sharp words.
Suzie’s House 171: And Then What?
“Huh. That Tracy.” Ben said as he and Gene walked home. He couldn’t believe she had kissed both Gene and himself right there in Lisa’s living room with Lisa watching and everything.” She’s really something,” “Yeah. She is.” Gene grinned like he knew something more.
Suzie’s House 170: Sniper Cousin
Ohgodohgodohgod! Lisa knew Tracy was going to do something crazy to Ben or Gene, but she couldn’t imagine what, and had to stand there helpless, watching what ever it was just like when they were little kids. For several minutes Lisa and Tracy stood behind the couch watching the TV over Ben and Gene’s heads. Then a commercial came on, and Tracy made her move.
Suzie’s House 169: A Tricky Quartet
Tracy hadn’t really looked at either of the guys while she was hanging upside down. She’d learned a long time ago it was better to pretend everything was normal when it was anything but. She might not even get grounded, since Mom was a few hundred miles away and Aunt Stephanie seemed to think these things weren’t her fault. For sure she’d get away with it if Lisa didn’t say anything. And Lisa wouldn’t if she got busy with something […]
Suzie’s House 168: A Rare Bird
She looked like a parrot with her hair streaked four different colors on top of blonde, including hot pink. It fluffed out all over the place because she was hanging upside down. Her foot had to be hurting from the rope tied around it. No wait. Was that a rope? Or a garden hose? The scary part was the way she didn’t seem to notice how bad she had it, just hung there with her arms folded across her chest […]
Suzie’s House 167: How to Catch a Bird
“Tracy, bring in the bird feeder will you? It must be about out by now.” Like most of the calamities in Tracy’s life, it started out that simply. When her aunt asked a favor, Tracy didn’t grumble. She simply rolled off the couch onto the floor then inched her way to her feet. It wasn’t like she really needed to see yet another re-run of Ed, Edd, n Eddy “TV is the bane of my existence. It’s the opacate of […]
Suzie’s House 166: Reaching Out Across the Grass
Owen watch Gene cross the grass in the park with a sense of pride and frustration. His boy was getting big. In a few more years, he’d be taller than his old man. He walked with too much confidence, though. That was all right. Once he got the boy home where he belonged, he’d make that confidence go back under ground where it belonged. Still several feet from the park bench where Owen sat, Gene stopped stock still. His head […]
Suzie’s House 165: How I Look To You
Rats, she was coming, and Ben was right behind her, too. Gene swung the backpack into his room where it could hide by being on the floor against the wall. If Mrs. Hammacker would read him the riot act about it, Lisa would be much worse. “Gene! Hey, Gene, do you know my cousin, Tracy?” “Tracy?” Gene shook his head. He didn’t know anyone named that. He didn’t really want Lisa introducing him to some guy either, cousin or no.
Suzie’s House 164: Thinking About It
“That was random.” Ben watched his mother walk down the hall toward the staircase, and muttered to himself. “What?” Lisa came up behind him. The whole time he’d been talking to his mother, Lisa had been leaning over his desk, reading the story he wrote. Now she leaned around him and looked down the hall. “Nothing,” Ben glanced at her. “Just something my mother said. Um, Lisa, I need to ask you a favor.”
Suzie’s House 163 : Friends, Plus a Little
As heartbreaking as her problems with Gene might be, her problems with Ben frightened her more. She hurried down the hall to Ben’s room. Sure enough, his door was closed. If she’d heard the tinkle of laughter, she would have felt better. But no. Not a sound. Suzie raised a hand to knock, then let it fall, then raised again, then let it drop again. She’d always respected Ben’s privacy. Even when he was quit young, she’d shown the courtesy […]
Suzie’s House 162: A Suggestion
Suzie marched upstairs, telling herself to stay calm. It wasn’t such a big deal. So far as she knew, neither boy had done anything yet. With any luck, it would stay that way for years, possibly even forever. And birds never had to land. She hurried. Her phone conversation with Drew hadn’t seemed long, but to her amazement the boys could get into trouble even faster.
Suzie’s House 161: Fine. Really. Totally Fine.
“Quiet!” Suzie snapped at the boys, one hand covering the receiver on the phone. “It’s Drew.” Gene, Ben, and Lisa stopped arguing over the last slice of pizza and looked to the corner of the kitchen where Suzie had the house line mounted to the wall. She put her back to them and hunched over the phone. “Where are you? Who is that woman talking in the background?”
Suzie’s House 160: Old Times
Drew took the joint from Dave. “This isn’t going to mess me up like crack, is it?” “No. No, man. I’ve been doing it for weeks now, and I’m fine.” Dave spread his arms in a look-me-over-for-yourself gesture. Drew made an effort to ignore the trash and grime on the floor of the van all around the man, the stench, and all the little signs of paranoia that crept into Dave’s comments in the chatroom for RamirezRules.
Suzie’s House 159: The Snitch
“You The Man?” the snitch asked seconds after he and Drew met in the back of the WalliMart parking lot. “No! No, I’m not The Man,” Drew said with a spoof of the very real panic he felt. Among these people “The Man” meant law enforcement, especially under cover cops. “I don’t men The Man, the man. I mean are you Cool Dude from RamirezRules?” “Oh. That man. Yeah, that’s me.” Drew tried a sappy smile, and guessed he pulled […]
