Young World: Book Two – Friends ‘Til the End

By Frederick Rycroft

Book Two of Young World - Friends till the end concludes the story of three young teenage boys as
they continue their friendship with more humorous and heartfelt events as they make their way toward their high school graduation. The sequel to Book One, Young World the Beginning, follows the boys through their daily adventures and relationship in a small northern town in New York State. Their remarkable and exciting experiences will keep the reader spellbound, at times laughing and other times crying at their teenage adventures, as their bond continues to strengthen.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 25, 2012
• ISBN: 9781479713127

Frederick Rycroft

FREDERICK RYCROFT retired from the State University of New York at Canton, where he was employed for thirty-five years, last holding the position of Director of Facilities. He and his wife still reside in Canton, New York where they have both spent there entire lives. He enjoys the company of his three children and ten grandchildren. This is his first work of fiction, inspired by the need to share the uniqueness of life in a small rural town in the northern part of New York State. He is currently working on his third novel.

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Copyright © 2012 by Frederick Rycroft.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Contents

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 19

CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 21

CHAPTER 22

CHAPTER 23

CHAPTER 24

CHAPTER 25

CHAPTER 26

CHAPTER 27

EPILOGUE

Dedicated to my loving and caring wife, Deb,

without her continuous encouragement, support,

and countless hours of assistance, this project would not have come to fruition. Love you babe.

"When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry,

show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile."

Unknown

CHAPTER 1

Mrs. Murphy had just let the boys off in front of the main entrance to the high school. It was early April and spring was hopefully just around the corner. Doug Murphy, Johnny Russo, and Peter James were pulling school supplies and text books out of their locker, when Mr. Magoo, Artie Allen, sauntered over to the boys.

As Artie said hello to the three friends, he slid his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose, stuck his chest out like a proud peacock, grabbed the crotch of his chinos, and said, Hey you guys are about as smart as they come. Artie paused, cleared his throat, and caught his glasses as they slid down the bridge of his nose yet again. Well, maybe you’re smart, but not as smart as Nola Joy Rich. Artie paused again, this time to laugh at his own attempt at humor, which Doug, Johnny, and Peter didn’t think was funny.

In an attempt to get back at Artie, Johnny said, What’s with the puffed out chest Magoo?

Oh, just feeling fit as a fiddle, knowing that spring is just around the corner, answered Artie.

Oh, I thought that maybe the puffy chest was caused from a good fart backing up on you, replied Johnny. All four boys laughed at Johnny’s remark. Doug, Johnny, and Peter never could figure out Artie Allen. He always laughed at any of the three boys’ remarks. The boys didn’t know if Artie was afraid to offend them, by not laughing at what they said, or if Artie just plain didn’t understand what was said.

No matter, Artie got back to his original thought. No I realize you boys are pretty smart. So if one of you could just give me the answer to this question, I’d appreciate it very much.

The three boys gave a quick glance at each other, smiled, and played along with Artie. Peter asked, Well what is it that you need to know the answer to so badly, Artie?

Well Doc I got out of bed this morning thinking, announced Artie.

Thinking is always a good thing, declared Doug, Especially, the first thing out of bed.

That’s right, added Johnny. One never knows what problems they could get into, if they weren’t thinking the first thing out of bed.

Well anyway Doc, continued Artie. I was wondering if you could help me out with this. It has been bugging me all last night and all day today, since I woke up.

Go ahead, Artie, coached Peter. Tell me what’s bugging you and maybe I can help you out.

Artie pushed his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose and pondered over the three boys, like a frog deciding whether to risk crossing the road on a rainy night, in fear of being run over. Why is it Doc that if a #2 pencil is the most popular, why is it still #2?

Doug, Johnny, and Peter looked at each other and never broke a smile. It was what the boys had expected, another piece of Artie Allen nonsense. As fast as a flea jumping off of a hot griddle, Peter responded. Well, Artie it’s sort of like light travelling faster than sound. Peter really had Artie’s full attention. Even though Artie knew that he had asked, what he thought in his mind to be a difficult question, he looked intensely at Peter. Peter realized that Artie was waiting for the rest of his response and continued. Light travels faster than sound. That’s why, Artie, some people appear bright, until you hear them speak.

Artie thought about Peter’s response for a second, before Doug, Johnny, and Peter laughed vigorously. Once the three boys broke out in laughter, Artie laughed, slapped a hand to his thigh and grabbed his crotch, like a baseball batter stepping into the batter’s box. The boys headed to their homeroom, leaving Artie in the middle of the corridor laughing to himself, not even realizing that the boys had departed.

Spring sports started the first of April and the three freshmen decided to try out for the track team. Mr. Hosley was the boys’ Earth Science teacher, their junior varsity football coach and the track coach. The first week of practice went fairly well, considering the boys felt somewhat out of place with the team consisting of grades 9-12. However, with that difference aside the boys became more relaxed, thanks to Mr. Hosley.

The highlight of the first week of practice came on the last practice of the week. Dwayne Boggs a senior and Tom Smith a junior got into a shouting match the day before. Smith had the nerve to tell Dwayne that he might run faster if he wasn’t yanking his crank all the time. Boggs took offense to Smith’s derogatory remark and the two boys started hollering and shoving each other. The confrontation ended abruptly when Mr. Hosley walked into the locker room and everyone around thought that was the end of it. However, without a word being said or witnessed by any team member, Dwayne Boggs evened the score.

As the team members got dressed for practice on that Friday of the first week, no one noticed Dwayne Boggs in Tom Smith’s locker, when Tom went to the bathroom. Boggs’ locker was across the aisle and one bay down from Smith’s. When Smith came back to his locker he continued to get dressed for practice. Not paying much attention, Smith removed his school clothes and hung them in his locker. He laid out his tee shirt, shorts, and track shoes on a dressing bench in front of his locker. As he spoke to another track member getting dressed next to him, he grabbed from his locker his athletic supporter. Still carrying on a conversation with the other member, he pulled his jock on and reached for his athletic shorts. Tom Smith’s hand had no sooner grasped his shorts, when he let out a piercing agonizing half-groan, half-moan.

The groan-moan instantly got louder. Without any hesitation, Tom Smith dropped the shorts from his hand and yanked his jock strap off, quicker than green grass through a goose. As quickly as the athletic supporter hit the floor, Tom Smith was sprinting towards the shower. The next thing everyone heard, after the shower water came on, was more intense hollering and swearing. The intense hollering came from the analgesic salve that Dwayne Boggs had place in Smith’s athletic supporter. As the name of the salve read Atomic Balm, the product lived up to its name. The salve instantly heated the sensitive private area of Tom Smith. To make matters worse, when Smith ran to the shower and sprayed himself with water, in an effort to cool things down, the water caused the salve to run down the inside of his thighs, causing intense heat and pain in that area. The loud swearing coming from Tom Smith was a warning to the person that had pulled this stunt on him and he had better get prepared for a thrashing.

Well as it turned out Smith was in no condition to give anybody a thrashing. The Atomic Balm all but incapacitated the junior boy. He had removed all of the salve that he could and as he was getting his street clothes on, he told the boy next to him to tell coach Hosley that he wouldn’t be at practice tonight, because of another prior appointment. Smith had trouble putting his pants on, as his testicles had become extremely raw and red from the salve. As he gingerly pulled his pants up, Dwayne Boggs walked by Smith’s locker and said mischievously, Hi, Hot Nuts! I guess you won’t be burping the worm tonight. The hard feelings between Boggs and Smith were soon forgotten, but the nick name, Hot Nuts, stuck with Tom Smith the rest of his high school days and later.

As the second weekend of April got closer, the three boys’ curiosity started to get the best of them. Ever since the Court Street fire, the boys had some unexplainable urge to visit the site and the burned shell of a building that was once the Co-Op Grocery Store and Clark’s Meat Market. The Warren Beauty Shop was a complete loss, but the owners of neither site had yet started to clean up or demolish what had not been consumed by the fire. That Friday during school, Doug, Johnny, and Peter succumbed to their intense urge and started to make plans to explore the burned out shell of the former Co-Op Store and Clark’s Meat Market.

The boys were laying out their strategy as Porky Conant happened to walk past the boys as they conversed in front of their lockers.

As the three friends and Porky Conant talked, the subject of what everyone had planned for the weekend came up. Porky was planning on going to a pancake breakfast on Saturday morning at the local VFW. In the late afternoon, the Morley Fire Department was having a bullhead dinner that he planned on attending with his parents and then maybe a movie at the American Theater.

Is that all you ever do? Your life always has something to do with food or eating, commented Johnny.

Porky patted his ample stomach and swung his tongue from one side of his mouth to the other. Can you think of anything better than food and eating? asked Porky.

What’s wrong with girls and some real excitement? inquired Peter.

Porky thought about Peter’s question briefly and replied, Well girls make me nervous. As Porky said the word nervous, he involuntarily put his hands together and squeezed them as if wringing out a wet dish rag. And you guys know, when I get nervous, I have to eat. Anyway there will be lots of girls in the movie tonight. I mean really hot chicks. Porky formed a sizeable smile that seemed to surround his face.

What movie’s playing that has all these hot chicks? inquired Doug, as he made quotation marks with the first and second fingers of his hands, at the mention of the word hot.

I can’t believe three studs like you guys, don’t know what movie is playing this weekend, commented Porky. "It’s Gidget starring the-e-e-e hot Sandra Dee and James Darren. Sandra Dee is Gidget and Darren plays the part of Moondoggie.

Hey, Porky, proclaimed Johnny. When there are studs like you and me around, I can let you keep me informed. Johnny paused for effect and then added, But I’m not so sure about you, Porky. I included you just to be kind.

Doug stepped forward and pointed a finger and jabbed it at Porky. Listen, Porky. You said a while back that Johnny, Peter, and I always seem to be around the action. At that time you were a little jealous of us. I’ll tell you what. Doug stepped closer towards Porky and whispered, "We’ve got some real action planned for Saturday night and we just might let you in on it.

The look on Porky Conant’s face was one of incredulity. Porky was so enthused and pleased to be asked to be a part of whatever the three boys’ plan was that he was beside himself. Jeez, guys! I’d give up eating deserts for a day to be able to be a part of your plan, spluttered Porky You name it and I’m in. No questions asked.

After the three boys had shared their plan with Porky and had set up the time and meeting place, they all headed home to change out of their school clothes and into something more appropriate. Doug, Johnny, and Peter’s persistent yearning to check out the burned out buildings of the Canton Co-Op and Clark’s Meat Market was about to become a reality.

As planned earlier in the day, all four boys met at Zaza’s Pizza Parlor at around 6 p.m. As the boys sat down at a table and waited to order, Porky’s exhilaration over being asked to go with the three boys was very evident. Porky shared with the boys his pancake breakfast experience at the VFW. Porky revealed to the three boys, that because of his excitement of being able to participate in this evening’s plan, his stomach was a little off at the breakfast. Even his parent’s asked Porky if he was feeling okay, when he only ate six pancakes, four breakfast sausages, and three glasses of milk. Not only did that surprise Doug, Johnny, and Peter, but just the idea of Porky missing the Morley Fire Department Bullhead Dinner, in exchange for pizza at Zaza’s made the boys realize that Porky was flipped over this evening’s plan.

The boy’s decided what they wanted on their pizza and ordered a large size. As the waitress wrote down the order, Doug noticed that Porky Conant had lowered his head, as if something was bothering him. Doug was worried that maybe Porky was having a change of heart about the planned adventure and asked the boy why he had such a long face.

Well… , stammered Porky. I was just thinking. With everything we have planned for the evening, don’t you think that we’re going to need a lot of energy?

The three boys looked at Porky in a questioning manner and Doug answered, Well it might take a little, but it shouldn’t be too taxing. Doug didn’t want the plan to appear to Porky that it would be too demanding, in fear that the sizeable boy might back out.

Well even if you think that it will not be too demanding. I think that we should play it safe and make sure that we have enough energy to get us through. Porky halted briefly and licked his lips, as if he had just savored something delicious. I sure would hate to run out of gas right in the middle of our adventure. I think it might be wise if we ordered a medium to go along with our large, just to be safe.

Again not wanting to give Porky any reason for not going through with the plan, Doug, Johnny, and Peter all agreed that a medium pizza along with the large that they had ordered, was a good idea. The boys’ pizzas came and the three friends had to eat faster than they were accustomed. It was either that or let Porky devour them. The boys paid their bill and pushed away from the table, when Porky Conant executed a perfect double gasser. The Porkster started to rise up from his chair, put a hand to his mouth, and burped. At exactly the same time, Porky farted, accomplishing the double gasser. It was judged by Doug, Johnny, and Peter, after they got outside of the pizza parlor, to be better than a perfect double gasser. The three friends’ reasoning was that not only had the release of the flatulence from both ends been simultaneously released, but that from the lower portion of the anatomy was the most repugnant smell that any of the boys had ever smelled. Even Porky Conant commented that he had never smelt anything as gross as that. Even the waitress who had picked up the table and was collecting the boys’ money for the bill, was so overwhelmed by the gaseous release of Porky, that she staggered, gagged, set the tray with the dirty dishes and silver on the table, and almost ran to the kitchen area to get away from what she would call toxic gas, after the boys had left.

The boys all drew in deep gulps of fresh air as they exited the restaurant. After their lungs had flushed out the rancid smell of Porky’s gas, Johnny exclaimed, How could anything that tastes so good when you’re eating it, smell so rotten?

Yeah, Porky! protested Peter. I swear that you burned the hair right out of my nose with that gasser of yours.

I just hope that this isn’t the stench of impending doom, from our venture tonight, stated Doug. If it is, we’ll be arrested and never released from jail.

The boys all had a friendly laugh and made their way next door to the Grammar School. The boys walked quietly around to the back of the school and about midway from the south end, they stopped. Peter descended down three or four exterior steps that led to the basement of the school. In a couple of seconds he reappeared out of the darkness carrying a brown paper bag. He shoved his arm inside the bag and pulled out a flashlight. Peter made three more dives into the bag and produced three more flashlights. Each boy now possessed a light and as they turned to leave, Peter wadded the bag up and tossed it down the concrete steps leading to the school basement.

The boys made their way back around to the front of the school, went down the school sidewalk, and back onto Court Street. The boys concealed the flashlights in their jacket pockets and as they walked past the Hotel R, they quickly looked behind them. Not seeing anyone they ran into the alley that separated the completely burned Warren Beauty Shop and the smoke and watered damaged Canton Co-Op.

The boys reached the rear of the Co-Op with Porky bringing up the rear. Quietly, over the heavy panting of Porky Conant, Peter whispered, Are you guys ready? Not hearing any objections, Peter gave out directions. The back door to the Co-Op was boarded and well secured, but earlier in the week Doug had noticed a rear door leading down into the store’s basement that was ajar. Surveying the area to make sure that no one was in the immediate area, the boys saw that the coast was clear. Peter gave a downward gesture with his arm and hand, indicating that it was time to pry open the cellar door. Both Peter and Doug pulled with some effort and the water-logged and smoky door swung partially open. Doug, Peter, and Johnny slipped between the door and casing and into the darkness of the damp and smoky smelling basement. As Porky attempted to go between the door and casing, his much larger body mass, became wedged. From inside the basement, Johnny and Peter pulled on one of Porky’s arms in an effort to get him inside. It seemed that the harder the two boys pulled, the harder Porky became lodged. Doug joined in the effort by pushing the door outward, as Johnny and Peter pulled on the Porkster. After what seemed like a long time and energy consuming session, the door pulled away from its hinges.

The freed door crashed to the ground, as Porky Conant disappeared into the building’s basement. Just as the door struck the ground outside, the Porkster bounced off of a steel column in the basement and with a loud "harrumph" fell onto a pile of water-soaked boxes. Afraid that a passerby might hear the noise coming from the Co-Op basement, Doug, Johnny, and Peter, snapped their flashlights off, froze in place, and remained completely quiet, while Porky Conant attempted to upright himself from the mound of saturated cardboard.

Porky not having much success getting to his feet, kept trying to get up but repeatedly fell back onto the cardboard heap. Be quiet, numb nuts, whispered Peter in an angry tone. Do you want the whole village to know we’re in here?

Porky stayed where he was, on his back in a pile of super-moist cardboard, until after a minute or so, Doug gave the all clear. The three friends switched on the flashlights they were holding and shone them in Porky’s direction. The three beams revealed the Porkster, lying on his back, the bill of his cap pointing out over his right ear, and a big smile on his face. Johnny held a hand out to Porky and helped the boy to his feet.

Once in an upright position, Porky brushed the debris from the seat of his pants, smiled, and asked the boys in an excited voice, What do we do now? Huh? Huh?

The three boys calmed their bulky friend down. After Porky relaxed somewhat, Doug told the group to form a single file behind him and to leave their flashlights off. The three boys followed behind Doug and his flashlight beam, each with a hand on the friend in front of them. They made their way down an aisle that was formed by ruined boxes of food stuffs, ranging from canned vegetables, dry cereals, and household cleaners. Slowly and carefully, the four boys moved down the aisle, squishing water as they stepped, until they reached an open space. Doug swiveled his flashlight from left to right and back again. Without saying a word, he finally held the flashlight aimed in a single spot. It was the stairs leading out of the basement to the main floor.

The boys made their way over to the foot of the stairs and stopped. Doug told the boys that he was going to turn the flashlight off and to be very careful as they made their way up. The journey upward started off fine as Doug, Johnny, and Peter made their way up. However, the first step encountered by Porky proved to be challenging. As Porky put his right foot on the lowest stair tread and attempted to follow with his left, that foot slipped and went through the open space between the first and second step. As Porky’s left foot went between the first and second step, the boy fell butt down on the water covered cellar floor.

As Porky’s butt splashed down, he cried out, Oh, shit! I’m ass-deep in water. From higher up on the stairs, Doug, Johnny, and Peter turned as Doug shone his flashlight on Porky. He was sitting upright on the cellar floor in water up over his thighs. His left foot and half of his lower left leg had slipped between the first and second step. As Doug held the light on him, Porky pushed himself out away from the stairway, which allowed his left leg to be removed and he stood up. As Doug’s light shone on Porky, it revealed a stream of water running down the boy’s pants, which made a trickling noise as it dropped from the boy’s pants back onto the pooled water on the basement floor.

Doug quietly said with a hint of amusement in his voice, Porky, it looks and sounds like you pissed your knickers. Johnny and Peter muffled a laugh, while Porky frowned.

I don’t know what it looks or sounds like, Prez. But one thing I do know is that it sure sucks. There’s nothing like sitting your ass in cold smelly water.

There is one thing I know, Porky, replied Doug. I know how excited you are to be a part of our little excursion tonight. But you’re turning it into a clusterfuck. If you don’t get your act together, you’re going to either sit here in the basement by yourself, or go back outside and wait for us. Without any further words, Doug turned his flashlight off and continued up the stairs with the other three boys following him.

The four boys got to the top of the stairs without further incident. Doug turned on his flashlight and shined it around the main floor of the grocery store. The other three boys followed the beam as it circled the area. The two large front display windows had been boarded up, as well as the front entrance door to the store. Just about everything else in the store’s interior remained where it had been before the fire. Although there had been no fire damage suffered by the store, the interior had been badly damaged by smoke and water. What products had been on the store shelving or displayed, still remained in its place only in less than perfect condition. The only goods that had been removed by the proprietors were the perishables, such as the fresh meats and vegetables, and the baked goods and frozen foods.

The boys were about to follow Doug down one of the store aisles, when a voice from outside the store, said, Do I see a light on in the Co-Op, or is it just a reflection from one of the street lights?

The four boys instantly froze in their steps, as Doug turned and faced the group with a finger held vertical over his lips, telling the boys to be quiet. Doug instantly turned the flashlight off that he was holding, as the four boys huddled together.

The voice from outside appeared to be closer as it spoke the second time. It came from behind one of the boarded up front display windows. I could have sworn that I saw a light come from inside the store.

A second voice, that of a woman sounded from the same location. Well it sure appears dark to me. I think that you just saw a reflection.

The boys could feel their hearts pounding, as if they might explode. The next sound they heard was that of the couple pivoting on the sandy sidewalk and walking away, after they had decided that no light was coming from inside the building. As the four boys relaxed somewhat, another noise sounded inside the boarded up store. Doug, Johnny, and Peter strained their hearing abilities to the maximum, in an effort to make out what and where the sound was coming from.

After laboring hard over the sound for five or six seconds, it ceased just as quickly as it had started. Johnny could be heard sniffing the stale air, as a bloodhound might smell the air for a scent. Then Doug and Peter got a whiff of the same odor that had caused Johnny’s noise to twitch. In a loud controlled whisper, Johnny exclaimed, Who peed? It smells just like someone peed in here or there’s a broken sewer line in the area.

Doug, Johnny, and Peter all agreed that they certainly could smell urine. As they discussed the possibilities of what it was and where it was coming from, they noticed that Porky hadn’t entered the discussion. Doug snapped on the flashlight he was holding and aimed it at Porky. As the light focused on Porky’s face, the other three boys were greeted with a huge grin, very similar to the one the cat had on his face after eating the proverbial canary. As the shaft of light dropped slowly from Porky’s face and down the front of the boy, it halted when it got to the front of his pants. It had become evident that Porky had wet his pants from shear anxiety and fear, when the two people had stopped out in front of the store.

Porky was the first to speak as the flashlight beam held its position on the crotch of his trousers. I’m sorry guys, he said in a quivering voice. I just couldn’t help myself. I got so nervous that I couldn’t hold it. Jeez what a mess I’m going to be when I get home. My pants are completely ruined. I hope my mother and father are in the living room when I get home. That way I might be able to go in the kitchen and up the back stairs to my room before they get a look at me.

What do you think about us, whined Peter. You’re worried about your mother or father seeing you. We’ve just begun our little excursion, and now we’re going to have to smell you the rest of the night. Heck Porky, if I wanted to smell wet pants all night, I could have stayed home with my own nine little brothers. I’m sure that one of them would have wet his pants before the night was over.

After Doug, Johnny, and Peter had made Porky feel guilty and ashamed of his foul action, the Porkster apologized and was almost in tears. Porky really felt badly because he had messed up the evening. He had felt honored to have been invited by the boys and didn’t want to ruin their plans. He also didn’t want to mess up his chances of being asked to do something with the three boys in the future. He really wanted to be a part of the action and excitement that the three boys always seemed to be in the middle of. In his mind Porky felt that if he had had as much experience as the boys had in these types of doings, he most likely would have faired better this evening.

The four boys explored the damaged store’s interior, still not knowing what possessed them to do so. For the next forty-five minutes or so, the boys covered just about every square inch of the smoke and water-damaged main floor. The boys reminded one of a house cat getting the scent of catnip and pursuing it for no other reason than some imperceptible emotion persuaded or drove them to do so. As the boys came back around to the area where they had started, something caught the eye of Porky. As he stopped, the other three boys also stopped. They wanted to make sure that Porky wasn’t about to create another disturbance, or more importantly that he hadn’t seen or found something important that they may have overlooked. Just as Doug swung the beam of his flashlight in Porky’s direction, their portly friend reached up towards something on a wall shelf.

Porky Conant extended his right arm out and upwards in the direction of a wall shelf that had been considerably water-damaged. With great effort, Porky grabbed a tin container off of the self, and let out a complaining sigh, as he retracted the object. He examined the metal object in the dimly lighted store interior and as the light beam from Doug’s battery-generated light moved from the object up to Porky’s face, an enormous smile blossomed on Porky’s face.

As Porky was about to speak, he detached something from the container and manipulated the object so as to refasten it back on the container. Guys, I can’t believe what I’ve just found. This has to be one of the luckiest nights of my life. Porky Conant held up the metal container for all to see, as Doug moved the light beam on the object in Porky’s hand.

Porky began twisting something on the container and as he did a subdued swish sounded from the object. Porky continued twisting his hand until he finally pulled the top off of the container and reached into the can. As he pulled the contents from the metal container, he held it up in such a manner, as if displaying a prize possession. One of my favorites, stated Porky. "There’s nothing better than a snack of good old Armors Luncheon Meat.

Just as the boy was about to shove a huge chunk of the canned meat into his opened mouth, Peter remarked, You aren’t going to eat that are you? Do you realize what that can of meat has been through?

Porky stopped his hand mid-way from his open mouth, blinked his eyes, and licked his lips unknowingly. It’s okay, Doc., The boy looked at the meat in his hand, held it in the flashlight’s beam, and turned it so as to better see all sides of it, Heck this stuff was in a well-sealed can. Nothing could have hurt this stuff.

Listen to me Porky, stated Peter. That chunk of meat has probably been heated, frozen, and who knows what else. If it were me I wouldn’t eat it.

Yeah! exclaimed Johnny. You eat that and who knows what might happen to you. You could contract anything from food poisoning, to diarrhea, to who knows what.

Porky dropped his hand and its contents to his side. He looked down at his hand, frowned, and dropped the chunk of meat on the wet floor. What a waste, claimed the boy. Here we have tons of what appears to me, to be good food and you guys are telling me not to eat it. Porky nodded his head from one side and then to the other, smacked his lips and continued, I bet if we were from some other poor world country, we’d be eating it, and we’d think nothing of it. It would be like a night out at the Ritz. Porky let the metal can drop from his hands and as it hit the floor and bounced once, he moaned, I can’t believe that my best friends just talked me out of this.

The curiosity of the boys had been satisfied and Porky’s pleasure of being a part of the boys’ adventure fulfilled. The four boys carefully made their way down the stairs to the cellar. Doug lead the way with the light and the other boys followed, Porky bringing up the rear. As the boys got to the basement, Porky not wanting to be left behind slammed into the group in his haste. This set off a chain reaction, sending Peter into Johnny, and Johnny bumping Doug, causing him to drop the flashlight. The light crashed to the cellar floor, making a plopping sound as it landed in the water.

Now look what you’ve done, ranted Doug. Doug reached down and picked up the drenched light, slid the switch on and off a couple of times, having no success in bringing the flashlight back to life. Peter fished around in his jacket pocket and pulled out his flashlight and turned it on.

Good old Doc to the rescue, voiced Peter, as he shone the light at the dead flash light that Doug held in his hand.

Doug was becoming very upset with the way things were going. I’ll be glad when we’re out of this skeleton of a building. If we had much longer to go, I don’t believe any of us would get out of here. Doug looked over at Porky who was wearing a hangdog expression on his face, as he said, What do you think dingleberry? Can you make it another few minutes without messing up?

Porky frowned and replied, I’m sorry, Prez. I’m such a klutz when it comes to something like this. Maybe that’s why I’m never around any excitement, like you guys. I’m just a cube and you guys are the hippest.

Doug and Peter exchanged flashlights and then Doug continued to lead the group back through the cellar towards the back door. About half way to the exit door, something fell from above Doug’s head and landed on his shoulder. The soft damp object bounced off his shoulder and landed at his feet. The object took Doug by total surprise and he jumped backwards. Doug’s reaction set off another chain reaction, as the three boys who were following Doug closely, all crunched into each other. This time the shear bulk of Porky and the roused energy of the situation sent all three of the boys in front of him, ricocheting into a large stack of damp cardboard boxes full of canned goods. Doug, Johnny, and Peter slammed into the piled boxes, sending the containers tumbling in every direction. To the boys the sound of the overturned boxes rivaled that of a mountainside avalanche. As the last container crashed to the wet basement floor, the boys remained petrified, not a sign of the slightest quiver came from them.

After a few seconds, Doug shone the flashlight down at his feet to see what had struck him on the shoulder and had frightened the daylights out of him. Lying at his feet was a soggy roll of toilet tissue. As Doug turned slightly he noticed a stacked pile of toilet tissue boxes, the side of the top box had been torn open allowing a roll to fall out. The boys were somewhat relieved when they saw the cause of Doug’s alarm.

Just as Doug was about to turn and continue towards the back door, something caught his eye. He tilted the flashlight up towards the basement ceiling slowly and held it pointed in that direction. The other three boys looked at Doug and could see an unbelievable expression on his face. Slowly, Johnny, Peter, and Porky turned slightly and peered in the direction of Doug’s flashlight beam.

The boys’ heads swiveled and angled up in the direction of the basement ceiling. Peering back at the boys from out of the blinding beam of light were two glowing red eyes. If the eyes had been spaced further apart the boys would definitely thought that the devil was looking down on them. All four felt a cold shiver go down their spine and felt the hair on the back of their neck bristle. The four boys appeared to be mesmerized by the piercing red glows. However, the spell was unexpectedly interrupted when from the perch above their heads; two red glowing dots came soaring at them.

Doug was the first to react. As the glowing dots were about to strike him in the face, he hurriedly dropped to his knees. Reacting instinctively, Johnny and Peter upon seeing Doug drop to his knees, they also dropped to the basement floor. Porky not being quite as quick and agile as his friends was left standing, facing the fast approaching red specks. As the knees of the boys pants began soaking up water from the basement floor, Porky was bombarded head on. The two narrowly spaced red dots collided with Porky’s forehead. The act happened so quickly that Porky had no time to duck down, move to either side, or holler. The only sound for the first couple of seconds was those of the thing that possessed the glowing red eyes. As the thing hit Porky in the forehead, the collision must have knocked the air from its lungs. There was a faint huff, followed by a muffled screech. Then the red-eyed aviator bounced off of Porky’s head, caromed into a soggy cardboard box and splashed into the water on the basement floor.

From his kneeling position on the basement floor, Doug swung his flashlight at the object on the floor beside Porky. As all four of the boys followed the shaft of light produced by the flashlight, they saw a fairly large brown rat scurry away underneath a wooden pallet. Once he realized what had just struck him in the forehead, Porky staggered, squealed, emptied his bowels, and stuttered, "Ho—hol—holy shit, A RAT!"

Johnny quickly jumped up from his kneeling position and clamped a hand over Porky’s wide-open mouth. Quiet, Porky! exclaimed Johnny in a loud whisper. Do you want someone to hear us in here?

As Doug and Peter got up from the floor they were both about to chew on Porky about his uproar, when they stopped dead in their tracks with their noses in full-alert mode. Just as quickly as Johnny had placed his hand over Porky’s mouth to quiet the boy, he removed it twice as fast, reacting as if Porky might have chomped down on his hand. Doug, Johnny, and Peter took two or three hurried steps back away from the boy. Once the boys were what they considered a safe distance from Porky, Peter looked at the boy and murmured, You dipshit, you! By any chance did you shit your knickers? Peter grasped his nose with his thumb and index finger and made a disgusting face, as Doug and Johnny started coughing and gagging uncontrollably.

Once Doug and Johnny regained control of themselves, the embarrassment of the situation caused Porky to look down at his feet, unable to look into his friends’ faces. Porky shifted his body weight from one foot to the other nervously, finally looked up in the direction of his three friends, placed his hands over his eyes, and in a humiliated tone of voice whimpered, I’m sorry guys. Feeling and seeing that rat bounce off of me freaked me out. Slowly Porky’s hands slipped away from his eyes. "I just could not control myself. Tears started to skate down both of the boy’s cheeks. I’ve sure made a mess of myself and probably have ruined your night."

Doug, Johnny, and Peter immediately felt sorry for the boy. Not only had they humiliated Porky, but seeing what they could of the boy in the dimly lighted basement, they were remorseful for the disarray the boy had brought on himself. Without wanting to cause anymore discomfort to the boy than what he was already feeling, Doug turned and shone the flashlight in the direction of the back cellar door Let’s get out of here before anything else can go wrong, voiced Doug, as he started walking.

The four boys made their way out of the store’s cellar. Porky was the last to emerge from the basement opening, and as the four boys looked around to make sure that the coast was clear, the evening spring air reeked of smoky water, urine, and most disgustedly of all, human excrement. The boys decided that before they went home that they should evaluate their personal conditions and decided to make their way to the back of the nearby Grammar School.

The four boys made their way the short distance from the Co-Op Store to the backside of the school building, as stealthily as they could. Once behind the school, they found a spot underneath a security light that shone from the brick soffit. All four boys looked like they had just finished a trek through some swamp. All had water sodden sneakers and socks. The water in the basement of the store, unbeknownst at the time they were walking in it, was darkly colored from the ash of the fire. The combination of the ash and water had turned their black PF Flyer canvas sneakers to a light gray color and their white cotton socks looked like Brillo pads, as the boys wrung the excess water from them. Other than dirty wet sneakers and socks, Doug, Johnny, and Peter looked pretty much unscathed.

Porky Conant, on the other hand, was a very different story. As Porky stood under the school’s soffit light, he resembled a person that had fallen through the hole in the seat of an outhouse, and had been pulled back up through the hole. The Porkster’s pants were completely soiled from cuff to belt loops. They were a super combination of murky water, ash, urine, and feces. His face looked like a Plain’s Indian ready for battle. His checks were streaked with black-gray lines from his tears, resembling war paint. His forehead was dirty from where he had wiped it with his grimy hands. His sneakers and trousers were a complete disaster from the combination of ashy water, urine, and his loss of bowel control. Without mentioning it to Porky, Doug, Johnny, and Peter were all thinking to themselves that it would be best for him if his parents were not at home or were in bed, when he got home. He truly looked like a Creature from a cesspool, and not only that, he smelled like one also.

Doug, Johnny, and Peter said their goodbyes and good luck to Porky. Porky thanked the three boys again for allowing him to be a part of their great adventure and he hoped that what had transpired tonight would not prevent the boys from asking him to participate again.

As the three friends walked down Chapel Street, on their way home, they discussed what had transpired this evening. Every once in a while, a squishing noise could be heard emanating from one of the boys wet sneakers. As the three boys headed down the Chapel Street hill towards Riverside drive, Doug said, Well we did what we had set off to do. We checked out the inside of the Co-Op Store and found nothing more than we thought we might. In between strides, Doug shook his head and continued speaking. I can’t for the life of me figure out whatever possessed us to do it.

You’re right, Prez. It seemed like an exciting and neat thing to do, but now having done it… , declared Peter, It wasn’t that exciting.

I can’t believe you two guys, input Johnny. Our one and only chance, maybe in our entire lives, to do something like this and you two squares are wondering why we did it. Johnny stopped and looked at his two friends. You guys have a little smog in your noggin’. I can’t believe how quickly you two forget. All week long you guys couldn’t wait to do this and now you’re both acting like a couple of wet rags.

Hang on, Plato! exclaimed Doug. The boy hooked a thumb in Peter’s direction and then tapped himself on the chest. Hey, we like to have just as much fun as you or anyone else. But I mean fun is fun and doing what we did tonight was just so, so.

Yeah, think about it, Plato. We could have been caught rummaging around in that old store’s basement. Then there would have been hell to pay, reasoned Peter. I mean it was kind of fun, but I don’t know if it was worth the chance we took.

Think about it this way, debated Doug. The three of us are all for fun. But we have to look at things in a business sense. With those words Doug got both Johnny and Peter’s attention, as the two boys gaped at their friend. I mean, continued Doug, that maybe from now on when we do things… , that maybe we should be certain that the reward or thrill is worth the chance or consequences.

The three friends discussed Doug’s theory all the way from the bottom of Chapel Street to the corner of Gouverneur and West Main. They all agreed that Doug’s thought was good and made sense. All three vowed that before they put any of their ideas or thoughts into action that they would always weigh the reward or pleasure, against the consequences.

The three friends stopped at their familiar spot at the corner of Gouverneur and West Main. Without even having to think about what they were doing, all three raised their right arm above their heads. With a closed fist the three boys tapped knuckles in the air above their heads and vowed, Friends to the end.

CHAPTER 2

The next morning Mrs. Murphy gathered up the three boys in the Murphy’s Buick station wagon. The boys were on their way to Payson Hall on the Canton Agricultural and Technical Institute on outer Park Street. This was the day that Peter was to pick up the one day old chicks that were to be his upcoming 4-H project. Peter had taken on the challenge of raising 50, day old chicks to maturity. Peter’s grandfather, who lived on a farm at the intersection of County Road 101, Plains Road, and Aldous Road, had agreed that Peter could raise the chickens there.

Mrs. Murphy pulled up to the north door of Payson Hall and let the boys out. While the boys went in to get the chicks, Mrs. Murphy was going to go to the Post Office and then would come back and pick up the boys and chicks.

The three boys walked up a set of granite steps to the first floor exterior door. Peter pulled the door open and the boys entered onto the first floor corridor, then made a left hand turn and went up a set of worn wooden stairs to the second floor. Once the boys got to the top of the second floor stairs, they could see a fairly long line of 4-H members assembled in the corridor. Peter made his way toward the line with Doug and Johnny following. The gathered 4-H members were from all over St. Lawrence County and as Peter got in line behind a young girl that he had never seen before, Doug and Johnny dropped in behind him.

As the three boys stood in line, Doug and Johnny bumped and shoved Peter gently, causing him to keep brushing up against the girl in front of him. Every once in a while the girl would turn ever so slightly and look at Peter.

The young girl looked to be about the same age as the boys, but as the boys were thinking to themselves, she was nothing to rave about. The girl had carrot orange hair, a face full of matching freckles, green-tinted eyes, and her lips appeared to be way over-sized for her face. Johnny whispered to Doug that he thought that they were wax lips that you could buy for a penny at any candy store. Other than the hair color, the first thing that drew your attention to her was the composition of her hair. The tresses looked like a tangle of orange-red wire, the texture of which looked like a frayed Brillo pad. One look at the girl and you might think that she had not run a hair brush or comb through it in over a month. A quick look at her hands informed a person that she was used to hard manual labor. The girl’s hands were larger and most likely as strong as any of the three boys’ hands.

About the third or fourth time that Peter got pushed up against the back of the girl, you could have heard a pin drop, as the girl calmly turned and faced Peter. With her candy-wax lips only inches from Peter’s face, the girl affirmed, If you do that one more time, you’ll be sorry.

Peter was so embarrassed that he could not respond to the girl. He turned away from her and looked at both Doug and Johnny with fire sparking from his eyes. All Peter got in return from the boys were big grins and humorous snickers. Doug and Johnny found it extremely amusing that this imitation of Raggedy Ann had put Peter in his place.

As the line advanced, Johnny whispered to Peter, I guess she put you in your place, Doc. In a tone of voice that was meant to challenge his friend, Johnny added, If I were you I wouldn’t mess with her.

Peter looked at his friend and smirked. He wasn’t going to be put down by a girl, especially in front of his two closest friends and a whole line of strangers. Peter turned back towards the girl. No sooner had he turned when Doug gave Peter the slightest hint of a shove. The insignificant push caught Peter by surprise, sending him against the girl. Without even a look in Peter’s direction or a second thought, the girl’s right elbow shot back and took Peter in the solar plexus. The sharp quick blow immediately took the air from Peter’s lungs and sent him into a spasm, gasping in tortured huffs to get air into his deflated lungs.

Everyone in close proximity to Peter turned to see what was causing the wailing wheezes. One boy in line even asked Peter if he was having an asthma attack. As Peter struggled to catch his breath, Doug and Johnny each grabbed an arm of Peter’s and pulled him from the line. A couple of rooms back from where the boys stood in line was a bathroom. Doug and Johnny quickly helped Peter into the room and as the door closed behind them, Peter finally was able to breathe in some air.

After two or three minutes, Peter was finally breathing normally. In an effort to defend himself Peter declared, I can’t believe she hit me without looking. She never gave me fair warning. Isn’t that just like a girl?

Ah, forget it Doc, replied Doug. She got you good and you know it. You’re lucky that she was taller than you, or she may have landed an elbow to the family jewels. This sent Doug and Johnny into a raucous laugh.

After Doug and Johnny had a good laugh at Peter’s expense, Johnny said in a consoling tone of voice, You’re right, Doc. The minger took advantage of you. She’d have never got the better of you if you realized what she was up to.

Peter shook his head in agreement. You’re so right Plato. She is a real minger.

If a minger is a person that fell out of an ugly tree, added Doug. She is the minger of all mingers. She fell out of the ugly tree at birth and hit every branch on the way down.

The boys collected themselves and they stepped back out into the corridor from the boy’s bathroom. Either the line was moving rather fast or the three boys had been in the bathroom longer than they realized. As they stepped into the corridor the last person in the line was just entering the assigned distribution room. The carrot-topped girl was nowhere in sight and as the boys peered down the corridor; the last person in line about to enter the room was a boy who looked to be about ten years old.

After another ten minutes the boys finally entered the room and as they looked around, they saw carrot-top leaving the large room through a second door. In another five minutes the boys made it up to a desk that was managed by a middle-aged man. The sign on the man’s desk told the boys that this was Mr. Dana, the man that Peter was required to see about his chicks.

Mr. Dana had a brush-cut and his short upright hair was well greased to keep it at attention. He wore rimless eyeglasses and his most remembering feature was a long, fat, and dark-colored cigar that appeared to be glued to his lower lip. As the man spoke, the black cigar bounced up and down on his lower lip, but never once even approached falling off. The Canton Agricultural and Technical Institute professor was tall and thin and spoke in a tranquil tone of voice.

Peter eventually got to the desk and the professor addressed him pleasantly. After Mr. Dana found Peter’s name on the list before him, the professor had Peter sign for the chicks and crossed his name off. Peter was then told to go into the back room and the second pen on the right held the day old chicks. The boys could take a cardboard transport box and put the fifty chicks that Peter had ordered into it. Before the boys entered the back room, Mr. Dana asked if the boys could manage, while he excused himself to go to the bathroom. Peter answered that they could manage just fine and as the boys headed to the back room, Mr. Dana headed for the bathroom.

The boys opened the door to the back room and stepped in. They were met with the crowing of roosters, the clucking of hens, the peeps of chicks, and the over-powering sting to their eyes and nose of ammonia. They looked down the long stretch of room and there appeared to be hundreds of wired pens and what sounded like thousands of chickens. The boys turned right and as they walked towards the wired pen, second on the right, they noticed that each pen in the room was label with a cardboard poster. Each poster listed the name of the breed and the color of the egg laid by that breed. From what little the boys saw there were Barnevelder, Delaware, White Leghorn, New Hampshire Red and Rhode Island Breeds. As if Mr. Dana had every wired pen memorized, as to breed and location, the Barred Plymouth Rock chicks that Peter had ordered, were located in the second pen on the right.

The three boys made their way down the narrow aisles of pens. There were at least four aisles per width of the room and as the boys walked cautiously down the aisle, the pens that had adult chickens in them ran at the wire cage sides, pecking and squawking. On the floor of the aisle next to the pen of Barred Plymouth Rocks were a stack of transportation boxes.

Peter told Doug to get a box while he went into the pen with the chicks to catch them. Peter carefully unlatched the door to the pen holding the chicks, while Doug bent over to get a transportation box, and Johnny stood guard at the pen door. As Doug bent over in the narrow aisle, his butt extended out behind him, a large rooster in the cage behind him plunged his beak through the chicken wire and hammered Doug in the rump. The sudden jab not only startled Doug, but it hurt. Just for a second he thought that maybe Johnny had jabbed him with some sharp object, until the rooster unloaded on his behind again. This time Doug realized that the source of the prick was not from Johnny but from the rooster behind him.

Doug dropped the cardboard box and immediately stood erect, removing his buttocks from the bombarding beak of the rooster. I thought that was you, Plato! exclaimed Doug. Doug turned and looked behind him and saw the feisty rooster standing at the side of the wire cage, waiting for another opportunity at Doug.

I didn’t realize that chickens could be so aggressive, remarked Johnny. I do believe that this feathered fighter wants a piece of you Prez.

Well I can tell you that for a bird, the kinky feathered fowl sure has a potent pecker. If I hadn’t of had denim jeans on, I’m sure he’d of taken a chunk out of my ass.

Johnny and Peter laughed, but Doug didn’t think that it was funny. Go ahead and laugh, guys. But I’m sure you would feel differently if the rooster’s beak was latched onto the check of your butt.

Doug bent over and picked the cardboard box up, this time making sure that his behind was not anywhere near the rooster’s beak. As Doug held the box and Johnny guarded the door, Peter quickly and without much trouble caught his fifty day- old chicks and got them into the box Doug was holding. Peter slipped backed out of the pen door and Johnny latched it.

Doug holding the box of peeping chicks bent over and set the box in the aisle. The boy had forgotten about the rooster behind him and as he bent over, the bird tack hammered his behind; this time clutching the denim of Doug’s back jeans pocket tightly in his