House at the End of the Street

By Brenda Reavis

Luke Davis has it made. He has best friends. He has great parents. He has just turned twelve. He lives in a gated community.

Luke's father lets a bomb off when he tells Luke and his older sister that they are moving to

• Language: English
• Publisher: URLink Print & Media, LLC
• Release date: Jul 6, 2022
• ISBN: 9781684861927

Brenda Reavis

One of Brenda Reavis' favorite hobbies is reading. Through the book of Ozman Grape and his courage, she hopes to send the message that each of us carry a spark of the divine within. "We all have qualities that make us unique in all the world". She hopes by reading Ozman Grape, we will be encouraged to find our own "spark".

Book preview

Title Page

The House at the End of the Street

Copyright © 2022 by Brenda Reavis. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author except as provided by USA copyright law.

The opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of URLink Print and Media.

1603 Capitol Ave., Suite 310 Cheyenne, Wyoming USA 82001

1-888-980-6523 | [e-mail]

URLink Print and Media is committed to excellence in the publishing industry.

Book design copyright © 2022 by URLink Print and Media. All rights reserved.

Published in the United States of America

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022910103

ISBN 978-1-68486-190-3 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-68486-191-0 (Hardback)

ISBN 978-1-68486-192-7 (Digital)

24.01.22

CONTENTS

Chapter 1: Great Expectations

Chapter 2: Moving Day

Chapter 3: Welcome Home

Chapter 4: The Room

Chapter 5: The Twin Peaks Trio

Chapter 6: Exploration

Chapter 7: Gone Fishin’

Chapter 8: Swimming Lessons

Chapter 9: Those Summer Days…

Chapter 10: Storm’s a Coming

Chapter 11: No Way Out

Chapter 12: Sweet Redemption

CHAPTER ONE

Great Expectations

It was the summer of 1970, and I had just turned twelve. The last day of school came quicker than I expected. I couldn’t stop smiling. I was going on to seventh grade. And I’d made honor roll— again.

I had the two best buds in the world, Josh and Louis. It was crucial that all of us passed on to seventh grade, together. I was nervous for Louis.

Josh had made the grades. Louis was sweating bullets. Josh and I were worried about Louis, too.

We all stood together outside the school on the blacktop. We held our breath as Louis pulled his report card out of its paper sleeve. He was silent too long. Josh and I were just standing around wringing our hands and spitting on the sidewalk.

Well? Did you make it, or not! demanded Josh.

Hell, yeah! Louis yelled, drawing attention this way. Josh and I ran toward him and clapped him on the back. Our summer was officially made!

Milkshakes are on me! Louis shouted at the top of his lungs.

There goes his lawn mowing money, I muttered under my breath. However, this was a special place in time, and it deserved to be noted.

I’ve got the foot longs! I yelled as we jumped on our 10-speed bikes and flew toward the Dairy Queen. I was flying high. Everything was going my way. This would be the best summer ever. I could just feel it!

We all rode home together because we all lived at the Twin Towers Community. My sister, the demon child, said we were a bunch of goofballs. Perfect for one another. She said we twerps were laughable. Well, when did I ever listened to her…like NEVER!

See you guys tomorrow! I called as I turned at my driveway. Down the street they continued together. I straddled my bike, standing at the top of the driveway, just watching them and thinking… we were going to have the most radical summer yet! The thought made me smile, big.

I met Josh and Louis at a science exhibit in the Twin Towers Middle School gym. We were all in the fifth grade, but I’d never met either of them. There were three different elementary schools with exhibits, so the gym was packed. I asked Mother to stand beside my exhibit; Matter: Liquid, Gas, and Solid, while I walked around and looked at the exhibits.

I’ll be back in ten minutes, I promised.

I looked at a lot of exhibits before I stopped by Josh’s. He was doing Electricity. He had a tiny light bulb flash by creating a closed circuit. Then he would show the exact same set up, but the circuit would be open. Of course, the tiny light just sat there.

He leaned over and said some dumb joke to Louis. I was standing close enough to hear it. Well, Louis started laughing too loud, which made Josh and me start giggling. It was contagious.

The funniest thing about it… we couldn’t stop. While everyone else was walking around all serious, thinking about SCIENCE, we were bent over laughing. We could not look at each other. People were starting to stare, so we shut it down.

Turned out, Louis did not even have an exhibit. He was just tagging along with Josh. I liked them immediately. I lucked out that night. It’s been the three of us ever since.

We would be going to the same building this year, since we had all made it to seventh grade. Belinda, my older sister, keeps telling me the classes would be a lot tougher. The teachers would expect more. She was just trying to throw me off my game. I didn’t usually believe anything that came out of her mouth.

We’ll just wait and see, I always responded. It was her attempt to shake my confidence. She had never been on the honor roll. I do not know when I had become the enemy, but since she started going to high school, she always, without fail, acknowledges me with contempt.

It turned out the guys usually hung out at my house. There was a valid reason for this. At Louis’, his mom drank a lot and would always nag, or cry. It was a real drag, and Louis did not mind saying so. We avoided his house.

Josh’s parents always fought right in front of us. I mean, what do his parents have to fight about anyway? They were wealthy. At least, it appeared that way. We always tried to avoid his house, as well. And so, there was my house.

Jose’ was waiting for me at the backdoor. He’s my super dog. I got him at the rescue shelter a year ago. When I got Jose’, it was the beginning of last summer, so I had the time it took to train him really well. If I wasn’t with the guys, Jose’ and I spent every minute together. He was twenty pounds of dynamite. He was so smart, and I was always amazed at the things he did. Jose’ was everything I ever wanted in a dog, and he never left my side.

CHAPTER TWO

Moving Day

As I was parking my bike, I asked, What’re you doing outside, Jose’? He jumped up and down like a pogo stick. He was glad to see me. Even though we have a nice fence, I didn’t like him to be outside when I wasn’t home.

We went inside, and my mother ambushed me in the hallway. She told me to start packing my things ASAP.

Huh? Why am I packing? Are you sending me away for the summer? I joked.

"I’m sorry, Kiddo. We are moving, now. I need you to grab some of those boxes and head upstairs, pack your room, and label your boxes."

What the…? I started.

Watch the mouth! Mother snapped. "I’m so not in the mood!"

My sister was carrying a box marked, BELINDA’S BEDROOM in bold, black marker.

Jose’ was whining, and I said, Whoa! Let’s slow this train down! Why was Jose’ left outside in the yard? You know I don’t like him out there alone when I’m not here, I called to no one in particular.

Luke, he was getting in the way. I had to put him out there. I thought you’d be home and hour ago. Mother was a whirlwind. She was everywhere at once.

I tried to talk to Belinda, but she just grunted and pushed me out of her way. That was her way with everything. She was a bully, plain and simple.

Come on, Belinda, I hated groveling, especially to her. Why are we moving? Are we broke? Did Dad lose his job?

Well, if you’d shut your mouth! And make that dog stop barking! she yelled in my face. Her breath was heinous. "Dad says we’re moving because we have to downsize."

Downsize? I don’t even know what that means. Why so fast?