The First Three Rules by Adrienne Wilder Read Free Book Online

friend was in middle school. “Are you sure?”
    This time when Jon smiled, his eyes lit up. “I’m sure.”
    Ellis nodded. “Five o’clock okay? I usually put Rudy to bed at seven or so.”
    “Sure, five is fine.”
    “I like mushrooms, and olives, and onions, and meatballs.”
    Ellis winced. “Rudy, please—”
    “Meatballs?” Jon said.
    “Maybe that’s spaghetti? Is it spaghetti, Ellis?”
    “Yeah, that’s spaghetti. You like chicken on your pizza.”
    “I like chicken,” Rudy said.
    “Okay, got it. Chicken it is.” Jon looked at Ellis. “Five o’clock. See you then.” It wasn’t until Jon was around to the corner that Ellis realized he hadn’t asked for his address.
    Ellis hurried to the end of the aisle but Jon was gone.
    “What’s wrong?” Rudy said.
    A better question would have been what wasn’t wrong. “Nothing. C’mon, we need to go.”
    ********
    Pizza. They were going to have pizza tonight. Pizza with Jon. Rudy couldn’t quit smiling.
    Ellis took the items out of the buggy, and they traveled on the conveyor belt to the cashier. Rudy enjoyed watching things move on the conveyor belt. It was like the cereal, oatmeal, and apples had come to life, dancing their way to the bags at the other end.
    The shelves around the check out lane were always filled with an assortment of candy. Would Ellis let him have some? He couldn’t have baseball cards because he’d broken the microwave but candy wasn’t baseball cards.
    A woman pushed her buggy into the line behind them. Her blonde hair flowed over her shoulder. She’d push it back. It was so pretty and gold. Nothing like yellow. It was too shiny to be yellow.
    The urge to touch it swelled to the point of need. Like the driving force that pushed Rudy to make the oatmeal. The same kind of feeling that told him where to find Jon.
    Just a small touch. She’d never know. Ellis would never know and the itch to know what it felt like would go away.
    She turned her back to lift a box of detergent out of the cart. Rudy reached. Silken strands slid between his fingers.
    The woman moved and the lock of hair threatened to slip away. Rudy closed his grip. She met Rudy’s gaze and her eyes widened.
    “Hi,” Rudy said.
    “Get away from me, you freak.” The woman shoved Rudy in the chest and he stumbled back yanking her with him.
    She clawed at his hand and her elbow hit the carton of eggs on the counter. They hit the floor with a pop.
    Ellis grabbed Rudy’s wrist. “Let go.” Rudy tried but he couldn’t remember how to open his hand. All he could think was how mad the woman was, how tears made her fancy makeup smear, how red her face turned. She just yelled and yelled. And hit. Her nails caught Rudy in the cheek leaving a burning line.
    “He’s not going to hurt you,” Ellis said. “Just hang on. Please, please don’t yell.” But she didn’t stop. Then she hit Ellis in the face. He stumbled back and hit the display rack. Candy bars and packs of gum rained down from the shelf.
    The woman jerked away and Rudy stared in horror at the clump of pretty gold hair in his fist. Her gaze went from Rudy’s hand to his face. She touched the back of her head and promptly burst into tears.
    “I didn’t touch it.” Everyone stared. “I didn’t. I didn’t touch it.”
    Ellis got to his feet. “Please ma’am, he didn’t mean it. He—”
    She fled.
    So many angry faces and disapproving eyes made Rudy’s mind fog over. Ellis pulled him out of the line and dragged him and the buggy out the door.
    “I’m sorry,” Rudy said.
    Ellis’s cheeks were the color of cherries and shiny with tears. He wouldn’t look at Rudy and that hurt more than being yelled at.
    “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t.” Rudy tried to shake loose the hairs clinging to his skin. “I’m sorry, Ellis.” They got to the truck. “Please, I’m—”
    “Shut up, and help me get this stuff in the back.”
    They’d put the last grocery bag into the truck when a