Deception Creek by Terry Persun Read Free Book Online Page B

how to ruin some fun.”
    â€œDon’t you?” Billy persisted.
    â€œNo. Not really. Heard a little.”
    â€œWhat? What’d you hear?”
    â€œSomethin’ to do with your mom and dad. That’s all.”
    â€œI figured that much,” Billy said.
    â€œI’m not from Shannon. Don’t know their secrets.” Mel scratched his forehead.
    â€œWhat secrets?” Billy said.
    â€œEvery town has secrets.”
    Billy grabbed his own mortar and trowel.
    â€œMy advice,” Mel said, “is to leave well enough alone. At your age you got more important things to worry about.”
    â€œLike?”
    â€œWho you’re going to date this Friday. What you’re going to do with that engineering degree. Is the truck goin’ to last the summer without a breakdown?”
    â€œAll right. Enough. I see your point.”
    Billy worked hard all afternoon. By quitting time, he felt tired and hungry. On the way home, he contemplated stopping byLondon’s to say hello to Vicki, but changed his mind at the last minute.
    As he pulled to a stop in his driveway, the odor of grilled chicken came from the house. His hunger pangs increased, so he quickly said hello to Alice and cleaned up for dinner. Fifteen minutes later he sat down to eat. “Your plan worked,” he said to her, not wanting her to think she had gotten away with anything behind his back.
    She stared at him for a moment. “Oh?”
    â€œYeah,” Billy said, while putting food into his mouth. “Harry must have threatened Jack, because now he won’t get near me.”
    â€œThat’s no loss,” Alice snorted.
    Billy swallowed and gave Alice a hard look. “It’s my life now, Mom. You have no right to interfere.”
    â€œHe’s not the type—” she began.
    â€œStop.” Billy held up his hand. “I don’t care. You’ve gone behind my back. Your plan worked. Fine. I’m just telling you to stay out of my business the next time.”
    Alice pursed her lips. Billy watched her face as she rolled something around in her head, holding back words.
    â€œI don’t care if you want to keep something from me, Mom, just don’t lie and go behind my back. Your worries are for you to keep, not me.”
    Alice listened, looking more relieved as Billy talked on. She patted his hand at one point. “You’re absolutely right. You have your own life to live.”
    That evening they watched television together. Billy retired early, hoping to fall asleep and not wake until morning. But at two-thirty, he woke from a dream involving himself, William, and Jack, who was just about to say something.
    Billy sat up and rubbed his face. He shivered even though he felt hot. He tried to remember what Jack had begun to say, but couldn’t come up with any of the words. Sitting on the edge of the bed with his feet touching the floor, Billy waited until he stopped shivering. His mouth felt dry. Grabbing a T-shirt, he walked, in his boxers, out to the kitchen for a drink of water. He tried to remember more details of the dream. All that happened was the dream became lessvivid. The dream wasn’t real, after all. Probably a mere review process that his mind went through, perhaps testing his body’s reactions, like the self-test mechanisms on some electronics equipment. So the question wasn’t so much what the dream was about as it was how well his body reacted.
    Billy sat on the couch and stared into the darkness while holding a glass of water next to his thigh. An owl hooted outside. The hollow sound indicated the presence of a low fog. Billy got up and walked to the front door. Cracking the door slightly, cold air rushed over him. If he hadn’t been fully awake before that moment, he surely was then. He stepped outside and, sure enough, a fog hung just above the treetops. The owl hooted once again. Billy wanted to get dressed and take a drive, but had