Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4 That next week was so hot, horses were fainting up and down Main Street. By Thursday, the temperature inside the diner was 102 degrees. But Chet didn't mind the heat. Something amazing had happened that day: The guys had invited Chet to go swimming with them at the creek. All week they'd been coming into the diner earlier and earlier, and then sticking around even

after they'd wolfed down their doughnuts. "You ever seen the Pacific Ocean?" Sid had asked one day. "Sure," Chet said. "What's it look like?" Monty asked. Chet took a minute to picture it. He didn't want to disappoint the guys. "A little bluer than the Atlantic. Waves a little bigger maybe. But otherwise just lots of water and waves." They all seemed satisfied. "How about the Mississippi River?" Dewey had asked the next day. "You seen that too?" Chet told them it was wide and muddy. "I was on a steamboat that got stuck in the mud," Chet said. "We had to stay there for a whole day and night." That impressed them all. "You're the luckiest kid I know," Sid pronounced. "Me?" Chet said. "Sure!" Monty said. "To see all those places!" "I don't know," Chet said. "I hate moving around so much."

Hearing those words startled Chet. He felt that way, but he'd never said it out loud. Not even to Uncle Jerry. He hoped the guys didn't think he was bellyaching. "Hey, why don't you ever come down to the creek?" Sid said. "We're always looking for you there," Monty said. Chet tried to hide his surprise. "It's not the Pacific Ocean," Dewey said. "But it's pretty nice." "I hear it's better than the Pacific," Chet said. The guys all laughed. "Why don't you come today?" Sid said, and of course Chet said he would meet them after work. Uncle Jerry drew Chet a little map so he wouldn't get lost — a dotted line to the end of Main Street, and then behind the tile factory. Down a steep hill and across a path. Chet made it to the bottom of the hill, and for a second he thought he was lost. He couldn't see the creek, just tall golden grass. But then he could hear shouts and splashing. He walked through the grass and into a clearing. The guys' dusty trousers and shirts were laid across some

low branches. Three pairs of scuffed-up boots were tumbled across the dirt. And just beyond, there was the creek. The guys were right: It wasn't much — maybe twenty feet across. He couldn't tell if it was deep enough to dive. But it was nice and shady, and at that moment there was no place on earth that Chet would rather be. "Hurry up!" Dewey shouted. "The water's perfect." Chet threw his clothes off and climbed up onto the broken-down dock. "Jump!" Sid said. With a running leap, Chet launched himself into the air. Whoosh! The cool water rose up around him. All of his worries washed away. The guys gathered around him. Dewey threw a pink rubber ball high into the air. "Chet! Catch!" he said. Chet squinted up into the sun and, miraculously, caught the ball. "Here!" Sid yelled, jumping up and waving his hands. Chet threw the ball, straight enough, like

Uncle Jerry had taught him. Sid made a clean catch. They played ball, then they took turns jumping off the dock and chasing each other back and forth across the creek. When they got tired of swimming, they sat on the bank under a big elm tree. Dewey's mother had packed him three big molasses cookies, and the guys fought over who could share with Chet. "So?" Sid said. "You like it here okay?" "The creek's nice," said Chet with a mouth full of cookie. "No, Elm Hills," Monty said. "You think you'll be staying a while?" said Dewey. Chet swallowed hard. Just the day before, he'd gotten a letter from Mama. "We have a nice apartment with a room just for you," she wrote. "I think Papa is going to have some good luck this time." "I hope," he said. The guys all nodded. "Minnie Marston's sweet on you," Dewey said. "Really?" Chet squeaked.

"Sure," Monty said, sounding a little jealous. "She told my sister." They sat there a while, talking about Minnie, and Uncle Jerry's no-hitter in the high school finals of 1908. Then Sid stood up and dove back into the water. They all followed him. Sid went swimming down the creek, and Chet played ball with Dewey and Monty. He and Monty tossed the ball back and forth a few times. "Dewey!" Chet called, ready to throw the ball. But Dewey didn't look at him. He was looking at something downstream. He had a strange look on his face. And then Chet saw it too: a gray triangle sticking up through the water, heading right for Dewey. What was that? It looked like the fin of a giant fish. Was it… He shook his head. His eyes were playing tricks on him. A shark in the creek was impossible. He even tried to laugh. His mind must be messed up because of the Captain's story. But the fin was getting closer to Dewey. Faster, faster, closer, closer.