Dropping In

Dropping In — page 1 — 1 I’m PlayStationed to death and I’m watching the street for entertainment Drizzle smears the window Shades of grey smudge into each other and run down the glass The house feels like a cage Across the street a person is framed in a watery yellow square It’s a kid looking out like me except his head is wobbling all over the place He sort of tips it back and then it nods forward on a different angle I can’t see his eyes but I know he’s watching checking out his new neighbourhood The furniture van was just leaving when I got home from school yesterday I didn’t see any people arrive so maybe he came in the night I wave but he doesn’t wave back He turns on the spot and slides out of sight That’s what it looked like sliding not walking Weird I watch for a little longer but he doesn’t come back 7

Dropping In — page 2 — Right then the phone rings It’s Ranga He wants to come around and have a game on my PlayStation PlayStation again I feel like screaming But knowing Ranga he’ll think of something crazy to do He always does and then we end up in deep trouble Righto I tell him See you soon At least I won’t be bored I go back to the window and watch Ranga running the hundred metres up the street from his house He runs (cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:85)(cid:82)(cid:88)(cid:74)(cid:75)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:71)(cid:72)(cid:72)(cid:83)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:83)(cid:88)(cid:71)(cid:71)(cid:79)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:70)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:191)(cid:81)(cid:71)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:58)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:74)(cid:72)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:3) closer I can see him grinning The idiot But he’s having (cid:68)(cid:3)(cid:69)(cid:68)(cid:79)(cid:79)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:86)(cid:83)(cid:79)(cid:82)(cid:86)(cid:75)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:74)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:79)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:74)(cid:3)(cid:90)(cid:76)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:3)(cid:75)(cid:76)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:73)(cid:72)(cid:72)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:192)(cid:92)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:74)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:88)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:86)(cid:76)(cid:71)(cid:72)(cid:90)(cid:68)(cid:92)(cid:86)(cid:17)(cid:3) Classic I’m grinning just watching him It’s been like this since I can remember since I can remember anything at all When he turns into our driveway he leans over like a speeding motorbike I can’t hear him but I bet he’s making engine noises It looks like he’s changing gear as he passes the letterbox his hair plastered all over his forehead I jump up He won’t just make wet footprints on the (cid:192)(cid:82)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:30)(cid:3)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:182)(cid:79)(cid:79)(cid:3)(cid:80)(cid:68)(cid:78)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:80)(cid:68)(cid:77)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:3)(cid:83)(cid:88)(cid:71)(cid:71)(cid:79)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:79)(cid:79)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:85)(cid:82)(cid:88)(cid:74)(cid:75)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:75)(cid:82)(cid:88)(cid:86)(cid:72)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:44)(cid:3) grab a towel from the pile of unfolded washing on the lounge and meet him at the front door 8

Dropping In — page 3 — Hey Sticks he yells like I’m kilometres away instead of just in front of him I hand him the towel Dry yourself before you come in He scrubs his head with the towel making his hair (cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:88)(cid:83)(cid:3)(cid:79)(cid:76)(cid:78)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:76)(cid:87)(cid:182)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:191)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:55)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:79)(cid:68)(cid:88)(cid:74)(cid:75)(cid:86)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:181)(cid:43)(cid:82)(cid:90)(cid:3)(cid:69)(cid:68)(cid:71)(cid:79)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:71)(cid:82)(cid:3) you want me to kick your butt He grabs the PlayStation controls and boots up a game Somehow the PlayStation is fun again I’ve totally massacred Ranga in three different games and he’s dead meat in this one when Mum walks in A frown darkens her face when she sees Ranga He has that effect on adults It takes an effort but she forces a smile Hello Warren she says pleasantly Ranga doesn’t look up He’s concentrating so hard on the game he hasn’t even heard her I kick him Lucky he sees Mum before he says anything Hi Mrs Whyte he beams at her He’s got absolutely no idea that she doesn’t like him In fact he’d be amazed if I told him that most adults don’t like him He’s got no idea at all He can be really aggravating but I know what he’s really like Yesterday he gave his lunch to a little kid who forgot to bring any to school Ranga went hungry I’d already eaten mine so he 9

Dropping In — page 4 — couldn’t share with me but he didn’t hesitate And he’d do it again tomorrow no worries Mum’s been shopping and she needs a hand to bring everything in Ranga’s out the door before I can stop him Sure enough he tries to carry too much and drops a tin of marmalade on the driveway The rim is dented Mum looks at it for a while I think she’s about to say something but her face changes when she sees the look on Ranga’s face He looks like a puppy expecting to get smacked She shrugs We can always open it at the other end Warren She smiles and I can feel Ranga’s relief radiating around the kitchen She pulls out a tin of Milo and a pack of Milk Arrowroot biscuits Dip and Gunk Excellent While Mum is making the Milo we argue over the (cid:85)(cid:88)(cid:79)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:53)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:74)(cid:68)(cid:182)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:79)(cid:90)(cid:68)(cid:92)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:85)(cid:92)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:74)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:82)(cid:3)(cid:191)(cid:74)(cid:88)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:88)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:90)(cid:68)(cid:92)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:82)(cid:3)(cid:70)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:3) but I’m onto him I rule out every suggestion for changes that he makes Then we play scissors paper rock to see (cid:90)(cid:75)(cid:82)(cid:3)(cid:74)(cid:82)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:191)(cid:85)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:53)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:74)(cid:68)(cid:3)(cid:79)(cid:82)(cid:86)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:43)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:79)(cid:90)(cid:68)(cid:92)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:71)(cid:82)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:44)(cid:3)(cid:70)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:68)(cid:71)(cid:3) him like a book (cid:43)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:75)(cid:68)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:82)(cid:3)(cid:74)(cid:82)(cid:3)(cid:191)(cid:85)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:90)(cid:75)(cid:76)(cid:79)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:75)(cid:76)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:48)(cid:76)(cid:79)(cid:82)(cid:3)(cid:76)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:79)(cid:79)(cid:3)(cid:69)(cid:82)(cid:76)(cid:79)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:74)(cid:3)(cid:75)(cid:82)(cid:87)(cid:17)(cid:3) He holds the Milk Arrowroot biscuit between his thumb (cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:71)(cid:3) (cid:73)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:191)(cid:81)(cid:74)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:15)(cid:3) (cid:79)(cid:82)(cid:82)(cid:86)(cid:72)(cid:79)(cid:92)(cid:15)(cid:3) (cid:79)(cid:72)(cid:87)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:74)(cid:3) (cid:76)(cid:87)(cid:3) (cid:86)(cid:90)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:74)(cid:3) (cid:68)(cid:3) (cid:79)(cid:76)(cid:87)(cid:87)(cid:79)(cid:72)(cid:3) (cid:82)(cid:89)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:3) (cid:75)(cid:76)(cid:86)(cid:3) steaming Milo He’s deadly serious frowning with concentration 10

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