Delia pinned her paper hat to her hair. “How do I look?”
Socko shrugged. Her orange and brown smock and slacks were as clean—and as ugly—as they were at the start of any workday.
“Did you notice? New lipstick for my last day!”
Considering all that might happen today, he couldn’t believe she was hung up on lipstick. He’d showed her the spider on her car door. She’d covered it with a blast of spray paint of her own and gone right on saying she’d make sure Junebug dumped Rapp.
“Mom, about—”
“Last orders?” she called to the General as he rolled out of the bathroom. “How about a Crispy Fried Salad?” she teased.
“I wouldn’t serve that barf to a dog! But I’ll take a few of those pies. They go good with the dishwater-weak coffee you serve around here.”
“And what can I get for you, young man?” she asked Socko.
“Whatever.” It was like he was the only one who knew a planet-destroying meteor was headed for earth. “I’m going with you,” he said, following her to the car.
She sighed as she lowered herself into the driver’s seat. “It’s just a day at work, Socko.”
“Mom. About Junebug and Rapp, leave it alone! I’m beggin’!”
“I’ve worked too hard for that girl and she’s worked too hard for herself. She wants to dump him, but she needs a little help and that’s where I come in.” She jammed the key in the ignition. “I’ll take care of it before I come home.”
“You actually think Rapp will just let her dump him?” She had never watched Rapp dangle somebody off the roof of the Kludge. “Seriously, I gotta go with you!”
His mother looked past him and smiled. “Good morning, Luke.”
“Morning, Delia.” Luke strolled over and rested his palms on the edge of the open window. “It’s your last day, right? They throwing you a party or anything?”
“Yeah, all the burgers I can eat.”
“Sounds good to me.” Luke walked to the company truck parked in his driveway next door.
“Hey!” Livvy sprinted across the street from her house. “I’ll ride with you guys to the clubhouse.” She walked up to Manuel’s old car. “Be careful today, Ms. Starr.” She turned away fast and climbed into the back of the truck, squeezing in behind the tarp-covered bushes Luke and Socko would be planting around the pool.
Delia raised her penciled eyebrows. “You been talking to Livvy about today?”
“Yeah.” Socko jerked on the handle of the car’s back door—he’d forgotten it had been permanently locked by a sideswiping collision. “At least she listens.”
His mother put the car in reverse and backed out.
“Hey, wait!” He jogged along beside her.
“You worry too much. It’ll be fine,” she called. The car sped away.
Luke stuck his head out the truck window. “Ya coming, Socko?”
Socko stared after his mother until she made the turn and the car disappeared behind a house.
“Come on, man! It’s only gonna get hotter.”
Socko knew he should be sitting in Manuel’s old bomber beside his mother. Instead, he climbed into the back of the truck with Livvy. They sat facing each other, sharing the narrow space between the tailgate and the blue tarp.
“Worried about your mom?” Livvy asked.
“Yeah.”
They rode in silence for a minute. “Did I tell you my parents are throwing a big open house for real estate agents next week? They’re even filling the pool. So, no more private skate park.”
“It’s too hot for skating anyway.” Socko appreciated the fact that she was trying to distract him, but it wasn’t working. Something was going to go down today in the old neighborhood, something bad.
And when it did, he’d be planting bushes around a swimming pool.
Livvy gave Socko a last concerned look before disappearing into the clubhouse. Today she was helping her mother set up the new headquarters of Holmes Homes. Livvy’s parents had decided to locate their smaller office within the subdivision, and the office had to be ready for the open house.
“Sure would be better to plant these when the weather is cool,” said Luke, tossing back the tarp. “But according to Mrs. H. the area around the clubhouse has got to look good by next Sunday.” They hauled bushes out of the truck and set them down at the edge of the pool. Soaked with sweat, Socko wrestled the last bush out, then stopped to raise the tailgate. He turned and rested his back against the truck—by now his mom was pulling into the parking lot at the Phat.
Staring at the empty pool, he tried to imagine past this day. He was in the water swimming … his mom was on her new job … today had gone off without a hitch.
They just had to get from now to then.
“This is gonna be a neat trick,” said Luke as they dug closely spaced holes around the pool. It had been Socko’s idea to plant a hedge just past the concrete deck that edged the pool. With the hedge in place, a swimmer would see greenery, not the vast wasteland of scraped earth and piled tree trunks.
They planted the first row of bushes in silence.
Luke lifted his ball cap and wiped his forehead with the shoulder of his T-shirt. “Earth to Socko. You okay?”
Socko realized he was just standing there. “Yeah, I’m fine I guess.”
“Take a break. In this heat, you gotta pace yourself.” Luke snagged a bottle of water out of the cooler in the truck, then jumped into the shallow end of the empty pool and walked down the incline. He squatted in the shade of the wall at the deep end. Socko followed him and sat down, his back against the wall.
Luke took a swig out of the bottle and passed it to him.
As the icy water jolted down his throat, Socko tried to think of a way to bring up the situation with his mom. He needed to talk about it or bust. If Luke said to forget it, he’d relax a little. Maybe he did worry too much.
Taking the water bottle back, Luke gave him a sidelong glance. “Now, tell me what’s bugging you.”
Socko heaved a sigh of relief and told Luke about Rapp and Junebug and what might go down because it was his mother’s last day at the Phat. “She thinks she’s gonna bust up Rapp and Junebug and everything will be okay!”
Although he barely commented, Luke was definitely listening. When Socko finished, Luke looked worried too. It didn’t fix things, but Socko appreciated the company.
After the break, even though the temperature was climbing, Luke picked up the pace. At noon they wolfed the lunch Ceelie had packed, then went right back to work.
“What time does your mom get off?” Luke asked, tamping the last bush into the ground with the sole of his boot.
“Three.”
“Guess that cuts out the possibility of showers.”
Socko did a double take. “Are we going back to the neighborhood?”
“Yup. Soon as we rehydrate.” They’d chugged down all the water in the cooler, but Luke led Socko over to the hose that snaked from the wall of the clubhouse and twisted the tap. Water bubbled out the metal end of the hose as Luke passed it to him. Although it was warm and hose-flavored, it was the best water Socko had ever tasted. He was actually going to do something, and Luke was going to help.
“Chances are, everything’ll be fine.” Luke took the hose, the water splatting on the ground at his feet. “But we’ll be there if your mom needs backup.”
“You gonna get in trouble for using the truck?”
Luke swallowed half a dozen big gulps. “Nope. Mrs. H. has some stuff that needs to be dropped off in town.” He handed the hose to Socko and headed for the clubhouse. Luke held the door for Livvy, who was coming out.
As she walked toward him, Socko noticed the blue shirt Livvy was wearing. It made her eyes look bluer. “Hi, Socko,” she said.
“Hi.”
She held her hair back and drank out of the running hose in Socko’s hand. “You guys done for the day?”
“Pretty much.” Socko twisted the tap shut.
“Good. I’ll catch a ride.”
“Uh … we’re not going home,” he said.
She stared into his eyes until he looked away. “You’re going back to the old neighborhood again, aren’t you?”
He nodded once.
“I have to come with you!”
“I don’t think Luke’ll go for bringing the boss’s daughter along.”
“Then we won’t ask him.” She scrambled up onto the truck bed.
“Come on, Livvy. I don’t want to get him in trouble for helping me out.”
“He can’t get in trouble for something he doesn’t know about!” She covered herself with a tarp.
Sometimes it’s better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission, Socko thought.
The tarp had barely stopped moving when Luke came out of the clubhouse, looking over the address on the envelope in his hand. He tossed a bunch of garden tools into the back of the truck. Socko hoped Luke would figure out she was under there, but even though a shovel handle hit the tarp, Livvy kept still.
Socko knew he should tell. Luke was doing him a huge favor.
But he still hadn’t said anything when they passed Uncle Eddie’s guard booth, and by then it was too late.