30 Days of Fiction: 15

Friday was his 12th birthday and Joey was scurrying around the house frantically searching for his Nerf Auto-Blaster 3000. He looked under his bed, in the closet, in the living room closet, downstairs but it was no where to be found. His mother, June, was in the kitchen complaining to no one in particular that the dishes should have been done the night before and that it was Jemma's turn to do them but she was doing them anyway. Jemma was Joey's older sister and while his mother was quietly rebuking her Jemma was in her room talking to Stan Jones. All the while Jordan, Joey's stepfather was at work. He had promised Joey that he would make it to the birthday party at five but no one really thought he'd show up except Joey. Joey knew he would. Why would he say he would and then not, Joey thought.

Joey turned over another couch cushion and cursed, "Shit," when he saw no signs of Nerf activity.

"Watch your mouth Joey," his mother yelled from around the corner. "It might be your birthday but this is still my house," she said, but Joey could tell she wasn't really mad. She was always saying things like that. "Stay off the roof," she'd say, or, "Don't eat candy before dinner." But he knew she wasn't serious because even if she saw him disobey she'd just give him a look.

He sat on the couch and turned the TV on and flipped between channels but nothing looked interesting so he turned it off after about 30 clicks of the remote. What to do, he thought and then he remembered. He'd been wanting to climb the biggest tree in the neighborhood ever since Robert Claiborne had bragged about doing it last month in the cafeteria. When Joey had called him a liar, that day, Marcus Leonard backed up the story and threatened to punch Joey in the chin if he called Robert a liar again, so Joey knew it must be true. Since then, Joey thought that climbing the monster tree was not only possible but that if it could be climbed by Robert, a boy a year a year younger than he was, he had to try it.

Joey stood up from the couch and walked with purpose into his room to prepare. He changed into his climbing jeans, that were just his normal jeans but not the nice jeans he wore to church, these were the ones he wore after church. Then he put on his lucky blue belt, his green Hulk shirt and tied up his generic running shoes tightly. Then, his folding knife and two cards were put into his pockets and he was ready to go.

He opened the front door and yelled toward the kitchen, "I'm going outside to play!" His mom mumbled something about being back in time or something and he mumbled something back about doing what she'd said. When he opened the door he quickly turned his head from the bright light emanating from the sky and grabbed the pair of glasses on the stand to his left. They were his sister's but she never left her room anyway so why would she care, he thought. He put the red glasses on and marched out into the sun.

Joey was only a few feet down the road when, Peter Baker, a fifth grader with a speech impediment, rolled up next to him on his Schwinn bike and asked,"What ahwr you doing?"

Joey responded with,"I'm going to climb the tree," and puffed his chest out a little and marched forward.

"Well, that's stupid," Peter said incredulous of the claim. "You'wr gunna fall just like Wobewrt did."

"You're saying Robert's a liar," Joey asked not believing Peter for a second. What would a fifth grader know anyway, Joey thought.

"I saw it," Peter said and then added, "and Wobert only got up like five feet and slipped all the way down and cwied like a baby." Peter smiled remembering the scene.

"Bullshit, what do you know," Joey said as he continued to march down the sidewalk.

Peter said, "whatevewr," and rolled away up the street.

Joey continued his walk  until he reached the crest of the hill and at the top he stopped, pulled his sunglasses off and stared at it. The tree sat at the bottom of the hill nestled to the side of the road in an abandoned field standing in stark contrast to the otherwise desolate lot. It's lush green branches stretched up to the sky beckoning the sun and rain to nourish it's expansion and it called to Joey. To climb it's heights was to tame an ancient creature and have your name live on in infamy. Joey put his glasses back on and continued down the street.

Halfway down the hill another neighborhood child saw Joey walking down the road, in his resolute form, and became curious. Brad Pendleton was 11 and Brad liked an adventure. He rushed out of the the house and in no time was following Joey grilling him about what he was doing and why.

Brad jumped up and down along the sidewalk and asked, "Whatcha doing? Are ya goin to play in the lot? You're not goin to climb the tree are ya?" At this, Joey turned his head indicating that he was indeed going to climb the tree but he had no time to talk about it. Brad started to leap higher and higher and rubbed his hands together and said, "Oh, yeah! That's awesome. I wanna see this." Brad narrowly missed a mail box and continued, "You can do it, Joey. I know you can. Awesome."

The two boys continued down the street toward the vacant lot and as they stepped off the sidewalk and into the sandy lot they slowed to watch their steps. The lot was surrounded by chain link fences and trash was strewn about the area holding unknown dangers. One kid from school said the lot was covered in needles and broken glass but from Joey's perspective it was just kinda gross. Both boys still watched their steps and as they approached the base of the massive tree a boy and girl came from behind it with sticks and stones.

"What do you think you're doing," the boy said hitting his stick against his hand. He was Billy Conley, an eighth grader, and the girl was his younger, but meaner, sister, Brenda. She threw a rock at Brad who quickly dodged it and bounced behind Joey.

"I'm gunna climb the tree," Joey said trying his best not to look scared even though he was. The Conley's were bad people, his mom always said but he was determined to climb the tree.

"Bullshit, you are. Not without payin the toll," Brenda said stepping toward Joey and holding her hand out. She looked at Brad and spit in his direction and then reiterated, "money, dumbshit," looking at Joey.

"No," Joey said, but immediately regretted it when Brenda punched him in the gut.

"Not how it works," she said smiling.

"OK, OK," Joey said and pulled out the two cards from his pocket. He handed them to the girl who took them over to Billy. The two siblings looked at the cards, looked at Joey, looked back at the cards and then walked up to Joey together. Joey took a step back but stopped when he bumped into Brad who was standing too close.

"Where did you get these," Billy asked Joey, holding up the limited edition Mew Star Delta Series and Weezing Pokemon cards.

"None of your business," Joey responded hoping that would nullify the bullies.

"Alright, go ahead. Fall from the tree. See if we care," Brenda said and they parted ways to let the boys pass.

Joey and Brad stepped a few feet forward until they were a foot away from the tree and they both looked up.

"Doesn't look so bad," Brad said encouraging Joey, even though he knew he would certainly not attempt it himself.

Joey looked at Brad, nodded and then began his trek up the tree. He wedged his left foot into a crevice and raised himself up onto the first set of branches, pressing himself snugly to the trunk. He looked straight up and stepped up onto another branch and continued to pull himself up always looking at the next branch above. The higher he climbed the more he began the feel the tree sway back and forth causing him to take more time with each decision. Before long he was ten, fifteen and then finally he was twenty feet up the tree near the top. He stopped when the branches began so thin that moving up farther would be impossible and he looked out at the world from his perch.

Ahead he could see the expansiveness of his neighborhood and beyond were more sprawling endless neighborhoods stretching toward the haze of the city in the distance. All around the pavement continued and the houses never stopped. He could see the pools, play-sets and barbecues in the backyards. He could see people washing their cars and arguing with each other three blocks away but when he turned around he couldn't see his house. All he could see was an ever expanding landscape of hills, houses and patches of dessert.

Only when he looked down did the full weight of his actions hit him. He began to see the branches below spinning around the trunk as the tree itself began to twist and turn. With closed eyes he held tightly to the tree and when he opened them he could see a boy, on a bike, watching from up the block. It was Peter Baker looking up into the tree with awe and when he saw Joey looking his way he waved and then rode off down the street. Joey pulled out his knife and began to carve into the tree. He gingerly scraped out "JDG" on the side of the old bark and just as he was trying to fold the blade back it slipped from his hand and fell straight toward the earth.

Joey looked down and was shocked to see Brenda and Billy sitting on the lowest tree limbs right below him. He closed his eyes in terror and when he opened them he was relieved to see the knife sticking up in a tree limb just a foot above the girl's head. Then he made his way down the tree, gingerly feeling around with his foot as it dangled to find each new branch. Halfway down Brad and the others looked up to see Joey holding on with only his two hands, his feet kicking against the trunk but before he slipped they watched as Joey's foot found a branch and he was safe again. Soon enough he hung from a low branch a few feet off the ground and heaved himself off, landing on the dry dirt with what Joey could only imagine was a flourish befitting a gymnast.

On the ground he was greeted by Brad's praises and the two siblings looking at him in a way that indicated a reluctant but genuine respect. Joey walked home that day with Brad bouncing behind him and Peter following along side. They talked about how epic it all was and how he would be famous at school. Joey was filled with a sense of accomplishment and poise and had a smile as vast as the sprawling landscape he saw from atop the tree. The three parted ways one by one until Joey was at his door and when he opened the door to his house he was greeted by his mom sitting on the couch looking over at him with a concerned look.

"Jordan can't make it tonight," she said. "He has to work late and he said he's really sorry," she continued and stood up to comfort Joey. She hugged him and said, "I'm sorry Joey. I know you were looking forward to Jordan coming to your birthday but he has important work to do."

Joey pushed her away and ran to his room slamming the door as he entered. He fell on his bed and lay there for a few minutes thinking about what kind of a jerk says they will be at your party and doesn't show up. Why didn't Jordan want to come to his party, he thought. Joey wanted to tell him about the tree and how he climbed all the way to the top. He wanted to tell him about the knife, because Jordan wouldn't be mad or tell his mom about the knife and about the beautiful sight from the very top. Joey was mad but as he remembered his climb he remembered how he felt before he had walked in the door and he sat up in his bed. He was beginning to feel better and in the corner of the room he noticed the orange tip of his Nerf Auto-Blaster 3000.

Joey jumped off the bed and pulled the gun away from the mess of clothes and toys and examined it. On his dresser were a few Nerf bullets and he loaded the gun and looked around mischievously. He opened the door slowly and crouched down as he entered the hallway surveying the area for hostiles. His ears pricked up when he heard his sister talking of the phone in her room down the hall. He slowly made his way to her open doorway and looked inside. She didn't notice him until the Nerf bullet hit her in the side of the cheek.

"Oh my god," she screamed. "It's my stupid brother, just a second", she said and threw the phone on the bed. She turned and ran at Joey who turned down the hall running and calling for his mother. In the living room Jemma found Joey hiding behind his mom who was protecting him from her wrath.

"It's his birthday Jemma, leave him alone," June said sternly.

"Fine," Jemma said. "But I'll get you," she added and then smiled. Joey came around from behind his mom, with his head down, dropped the gun on the floor and gave Jemma a long hug.

Joey looked up at Jemma and asked, "Can I tell you about the tree?"

"Of course," she said.

"Oh, I wanna hear about the tree too," June said with enthusiasm.

June and Jemma sat on the couch and listened intently as Joey recounted his adventure taming the giant tree.