The Tracks by Sally Royer-Derr (little readers TXT) 📕

I explored again, this time paying careful attention to every stretch. Then I pressed down. And I knew I’d found what I was looking for in there.

***

The metal on the bottom was loose. Not noticeably so, if you just looked at it. But I pushed hard on it, rocking it back and forth. It was still attached, but I sensed there was a way to release it. I twisted it, like a loose tooth you knew was soon going to break free.

“What are you doing?” a raspy-voice person asked. “You shouldn’t be in here.”

Oh, great. I turned to see an old white-haired man in dirty jeans and a baggy T-shirt standing behind me. He took another step closer to me, the mass of shiny silver keys hanging on his belt jingling in the process. I stood.

“Oh, sorry,” I said, smiling sweetly at him. “Nobody was at the front entrance when I came in. I forgot that I left something in my locker on the last day of school. Something very important to me.”

“Humph,” the man said. “Must not have been too important. Anyway, the lockers are all cleaned out. Anything they found would be in the lost and found box. Go to the office to check it.”

“Well, I kind of had a secret hiding place in my locker.” I grinned. “You know, sort of a Nancy Drew thing.”

He shook his head. “Whatever. Go on and finish looking. Just hurry up. You can’t be wandering around the halls all day.”

“Thank you!” My face hurt from the fake smile still plastered on it. “It’ll just take a few minutes more.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered, slowly moving down the hall.

That was close. I bent down and continued to press on the loosening locker bottom. Finally, it broke free. I lifted it. I didn’t know what I expected to see underneath. A brown paper lunch bag clung to a small object lying in the open space I’d uncovered.

I quickly slipped the package into my shorts pocket and replaced the metal piece of the locker. Slamming the door shut, I raced down the hall. I didn’t want to run into the key-jingling man. I slid my fingers over the wrapped object hidden in my pocket. Whatever it was, I knew it would give me a clue as to why Tommy was still here. I felt that certainty in my heart.

Chapter Sixteen

I resisted the urge to open the package at the school. Instead, I hopped on my bike and rode home. I kept a watchful hand on my shorts pocket that held the prize. I barely noticed the rest of the town as I whizzed down the street. Pedaling as fast as I could, I reached our trailer in record time.

I ran inside and raced back to my bedroom. I slammed my door and slid down on the floor. I didn’t want to be interrupted. Mom and Sam would both be home from work soon. It was time. I pulled the brown paper bag from my pocket and unwrapped it. A tarnished gold pocket watch lay in my lap. Not exactly what I’d expected. Who knew what I’d expected.

I picked up the watch and studied it. The front had a design of an old-fashioned train moving along the tracks. Puffs of smoke poured from the top. I turned it over. There was writing on the back, but it was hard to read. I walked over and flicked on my lamp. I held it under the light and read the words.

Happy 12th Birthday, Joe!

Love, Mom and Dad.

I read it again. I didn’t see any type of clue in the watch, or the inscription. Who was Joe? Why did Tommy feel the need to hide this in his school locker? I sighed, defeated. At the beginning of the day, I had a best friend. The only best friend I’d ever had in my life. Now I’d found out my friend was not even alive. I went on this wild goose chase for a stupid old pocket watch. And I still knew nothing. Not one single thing about why this was all happening to me. The only one who could tell me was Tommy. Hesitation filled by body. But I knew I had to talk to him again. And I knew he was waiting for me at the tracks.

***

A partially melted ice cube clinked against the glass as I sipped the last of my ice tea. I took a French fry and sopped up the remaining ketchup on the plate. The remnant of my cheeseburger lay beside it, uneaten. A little too well done for me.

This was Mom’s early day. She didn’t work at the steakhouse tonight. I itched to get to the tracks. I had to see Tommy. Had to talk to him. Make some sense of everything that was going on. But it wouldn’t be easy. Sam was home, too. And he was watching me like a hawk. True to his word, though, he hadn’t told Mom about earlier today.

Mom gathered the dishes and put them in the sink. She opened the drawer beside it and got a clean dish towel out. She turned to us. “Oh, I want you two to stay home tonight. Nick is going to bring some dessert over. I thought it’d be nice if you met him.”

Nice for who? Certainly not nice for me. I glanced at Sam. He avoided my stare. Instead, he got up and placed his plate in the sink.

He smiled at her. “Sure, Mom. I’d like to meet him.”

Since when did he start acting so grown up? I was sure he didn’t want to meet the mysterious Nick any more than I did. Who in their right mind wanted to meet their Mom’s boyfriend? The whole idea was just gross. I wanted no part of it. Besides, I had something else to do.