No Way Out by Fern Michaels (great books for teens .TXT) 📗

“You keep saying that. How long do you think you’ll be figuring things out before you figure them out?” Jackson was a smart kid, but sometimes the grown-up stuff was more than he could understand.

“I know.” She let out a big sigh. “Are you going over to Billy’s?

“Yep. If it’s still all right.”

“Sure thing. You know the rules.”

“Yes. Walk my bike on Clifton Avenue until I get to Billy’s street.”

“And be home before dark.”

“Right-o.” Jackson walked over to the side of the house, where he kept his bike under the carport. He wheeled it out onto the street and hopped on. “See ya later, alligator!”

“After a while, crocodile.” She waved him off and marched back into the house.

She was unnerved at the idea of a new family with a bad kid moving across the street. Jackson already had enough to deal with, let alone someone who could be a bad influence on him. She really needed someone to talk to.

Colleen picked up her landline and dialed the number that was on the original card Ellie had sent over inviting Jackson to play in the yard.

The phone rang five times before Ellie picked up.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Ellie. It’s Colleen. I am sorry to bother you, but I need someone I can talk to.”

Ellie was surprised to hear what sounded like distress coming from Colleen.

“Sure. What’s up?” Ellie didn’t mind lending an ear.

“I don’t know if you noticed, but the house that’s been up for sale has just been sold. I just saw the real-estate agent today.”

“What happened?” Ellie thought selling a house in the neighborhood couldn’t be such a bad thing.

“They have two kids. A twelve-year-old boy and a seven-year-old daughter.”

“That might be good for Jackson, no?”

“No. The kid was in trouble with the law.”

“Oh, that could be a big problem.” Ellie now understood Colleen’s concern. “What kind of trouble?”

“He stole a motorcycle. Can you believe that? A twelve-year old stealing a bike, as in the motor type.” Colleen was pacing in her kitchen. “And they only charged him with shoplifting! Amazing.”

“I assume that’s because he’s a minor and they didn’t want him to have a serious record.”

“Sounds that way. Ellie, I don’t know if I can handle any more trouble right now.”

“I totally understand.”

“They put him through that scared straight program. You know, when they’re supervised but exposed to all the horrible things that can happen to you in jail.”

“Yes. There was a movie about it a number of years ago. I didn’t know it was something they did here.”

“Our state has some issues with drug abuse. Unfortunately, it seems to start in junior high school. Kids overdosing on opioids.”

“That appears to be a national problem among adults as well.” Ellie sighed.

“Yes, apparently kids steal their parents’ prescriptions, but what’s worse is that someone is making bootlegged pills, so who knows what they’re taking.”

“Colleen, please try to calm down,” Ellie urged. “You don’t know what the circumstances were. Maybe he was just going for a joyride. Kids do that. Not that I know a whole lot about kids, but . . .”

“I guess I’m just frazzled,” Colleen confessed. “All the legal stuff with Mitchel and worrying about Jackson. Now I have a juvenile delinquent moving across the street.”

“I know this has been a very upsetting time for you, but try not to jump to any conclusions.” Ellie could hear the panic in Colleen’s voice.

“You’re right.” Colleen’s anxiety seemed to have eased somewhat. “I guess we’ll find out sooner or later.”

“And you may be pleasantly surprised,” Ellie said, offering more encouragement.

“Thanks, Ellie. You’ve been a real help.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“You listened,” Colleen said. “I don’t have a whole lot of people I can talk to. My mother is on one of her ‘I told you so’ kicks. I can’t speak to Mitchel about any of this, and my mother-in-law, well, who knows what kind of mood she might be in.”

“She’s pretty tough, eh?” Ellie knew little or nothing about Vivian Haywood except that she was a widow and lived on a farm.

“You have no idea. She blames the world for all her suffering.”

“Many people do.” Ellie knew all too well what that was like. Not that she blamed anyone for what had happened to her except herself, but she had dealt with enough people to understand that blaming someone else is often much easier than taking responsibility. It was a national epidemic, along with stupidity and partisanship.

“Although Jackson told me that Vivian was in a great mood yesterday. She was smiling and singing. I don’t think I ever heard that woman sing a note. Never mind smiling.” She gave a little chuckle.

“People can change.” That was something she had hoped would happen with Rick when his father pretty much threw him out on his ass. “But they have to want to change. And even then, wanting doesn’t mean doing. People have to do the work.”

“You are so right, Ellie.”

“Maybe she’s had an epiphany of some sort,” Ellie joked.

“I cannot imagine what that could have been. But Jackson was simply delighted about her new attitude.”

“So he had a good day?” Ellie asked, trying not to pry.

“He did. He told me he got a little weepy when his grandmother dropped Mitchel off at his brother’s, but he was excited to tell me all about the burgers, movie, ice cream, and bowling.”

“Sounds exhausting.” Ellie laughed lightly.

“It must have been. I didn’t have to coax him to go to bed. But he woke up in the middle of the night with a nightmare.”

“Well, that’s not good.”

“That’s probably why he conked out on the swing,” Colleen added. “By the way, your yard is absolutely stunning.”

“Thank you. Hector has done an incredible job.” Ellie wished she could go out and enjoy it, but for now she had to be satisfied with looking at it from the windows.

“Seriously. He’s got a lot of talent,” Colleen said.

“Yes, he’s quite the computer whiz, too. But you probably know that. He’s won a few science awards.”

“Very smart kid. And a particularly