Mickey's Friends by Giselle Johnson (latest books to read .txt) 📖

underwear strolled all across the floor, magazines laid out, his hamster’s pen filled with stink. Hannah held her stomach wanting to throw up.
“Benjamin…” she whispered. “I’ll get him when we get back.”


Ch.4
“I love me some fireworks.” Ben said. He looked at his mom, who said nothing. She had a mean look on her face. Ben knew he had done something wrong.
“I want you all to be back by 10. No later.” Hannah said, staring at the kids.
They looked at her with serious faces.
“Hannah…I don’t think this is a good idea.” Kim said, standing behind her.
“Kim, nothing is going to happen. You heard what Officer Nathan said. Buddy System. It works.”
“Yeah…but…not when it comes to kids. At nighttime. On a holiday. I’m from a small town in Texas and I even know the danger in that.” Kim pleaded with her country accent.
““You guys heard me?” Hannah continued.
Ben, Jason, and Susie looked at her and nodded their heads quickly.
“Take pictures.”
Susie put the camera in the air.
“Everyone has cell phones?” Hannah continued her check.
“Yes, mom. We need to go the show is going to start any minute.”
“Fine. Go on.” She shooed them off.
The kids took off running. Ben in front with Jason and Susie following behind.
“Slow down! Imma have a dang heart attack.” Susie shouted, stopping, her heart beating fast and out of breathe
“Go ahead. Have one.” Jason said, stopping. But, obviously out of breathe as well.
“Glad to have you back.” Ben said, putting his arm around his best friend.
“But, Ben. I love em’ too. All the colors in the sky. Pop…pop…pop.” Susie said, throwing he hands in the air and looking out into the distance, her hands on her head.
“Pop…pop!” Jason and Ben mocked her.
“Ugh…I liked the depressed you better.” Susie said, hastily walking off.
“You better stay with us.” Ben said jokingly. “Wouldn’t want you to be kidnapped.” He teased.
“Whatever.” She continued to walk off.
“I hope something takes her.” Ben whispered.
Suddenly, a noise was heard in an alley and all 3 of them stopped. Susie started screaming and ran back to the boys.
“What in Sam heck was that noise?” she asked.
The boys didn’t reply. Jason looked around quickly while Ben looked straight ahead.
“Come on.” He said, beginning to walk again.
Jason followed him as Susie grabbed onto his shirt. She shut her eyes and breathed heavily.
“Ya’ll see somethin’?” she said still holding on.
“Quiet.” Ben said, continuing to look.
They stopped again, but this time at the alley where the noise came from.
“Ben.” Jason quickly said.
Ben waved his hand in the air as a signal for him to be quiet. Jason quickly did as was told and looked down at Susie who was still glued to him. He smiled and liked the fact of having a pretty girl like Susie hold onto him for safety. Then, he shook his head and tried to erase the fact of thinking Susie was actually pretty. There was no way he was going to like a country bumpkin who he hated.
But, his thoughts were interrupted as he saw Ben walking into the alley.
“Ben! Are you crazy?” He shouted.
As soon as he shouted the crashing noise came again. It was louder than ever and the three kids took off running. Susie screamed loudly as she ran, which made Ben and Jason even more horrified. Jason ran faster than Susie and passed her up, leaving her behind. She continued to scream. Ben closed his eyes as he ran for his life.
They continued to run until they reached a corner where they turned. They then stopped running as soon as they saw a huge crowd of people all lining up to get into the park where the show was going to be. They were all out of breath, huffing and puffing. They put their hands on their knees and continued to gasp for air.
“What was that?!” Jason exclaimed, finally having enough breath to talk.
“I don’t know.” Ben said, lifting himself up and walking on.
The kids finally reached the line where they were happier than ever to be around other people.
“That was horrible.” Susie said, still looking around her. She shivered, not from the weather but from fright.
“That happens all the time.” Ben said trying to play it off.
“Man, I’m all about trying to scare Susie…but…no that doesn’t happen all the time. I have never experienced that before. Someone was out there.”
“Yeah. Probably some cat.” Ben said, trying to ignore facts.
“No, Ben. I saw a shadow of a human being when the last crash came. They were leaping for you. I saw with my own eyes.”
“Man, you’re overexaggerating.”
“No, I am not.”
“I don’t want to hear anymore.” Ben said.
The two began to fight as Susie looked back and forth between both of them. “STOP!” she shouted.
The two looked at each other and then looked at her.
“This isn’t a time to be fighting.” She said.
“Exactly. It’s a time to be smart.” Jason said.
“Well, how exactly are we supposed to be smart in a situation like this?” Ben said, looking at Jason.
Jason looked down, defeated.
“Isn’t there another way to go back home? I mean back in Texas there’s 15 different ways to get home.”
“This isn’t Texas, Susie!” Ben exclaimed.
Susie looked at him and felt tears come to the corner of her eyes. Reality just struck her. She wasn’t in Texas anymore. She was in Detroit, where hole in the wall places was all they had and snow came every month.
“Let’s just enjoy the fireworks please. We’ll worry when we hear the sound again.” Ben made his point and turned around.
Jason shook his head and looked at Susie who was looking at him, scared out of her mind.
“By then…it’ll be too late.”


Ch.5
Susie heard exactly what she had acted out. POP! POP! POP! Every second, the sound came and everyone got their camera out ready for the next firework. Red, blue, yellow, pink, green, every color you could think of lit the sky. Children oohhed and awed and Ben, Jason, and Susie took in every moment of it. Everyone sat on the grass of the park and laid down, taking in the spectacular event.
“This is wonderful.” Susie said.
Jason looked over at her and smiled. Susie didn’t notice and continued to look up at the sky and take pictures.
Quickly, one after another, the fireworks came closer together and everyone cheered and clapped. The show was ending and for the grand finale, multiple fireworks were fired in the air at once, giving an eclectic array of color.
“Yay!” Susie shouted acting like a 5- year-old. Jason loved hearing it. He then realized…was it possible…? Was he actually starting to like Susie?
The final firework went off in the air and people whistled and loudly cheered. Then, the rush came. Everyone stood up and quickly walked out of the park, wanting to avoid traffic, however, only making it. The three shuffled back and forth between other people, but constantly made sure they were still close to each other.
Finally, they were out of the park and Jason smiled at what he saw. His dad was standing in the corner next to the entrance watching out for crime. He could walk them across the alley.
“Dad!” he shouted.
“Jason.” Susie shouted after him as he ran.
“Guys, I have an idea.”
Susie and Ben looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders, and ran behind him.
“Dad!” Jason continued to shout.
He ran up to him and began pulling on his shirt.
“Enjoy the show?” Nathan said, not smiling and looking out into the crowd.
“Sure. Umm…we were wondering if you could takes us home.” Jason hesistated.
“We?” Nathan asked, then looked behind Jason where he saw Susie and Ben. “Why?”
“There were some noises…” Susie said.
“Well..what do you expect total quiet?” Nathan said.
Susie put her head down. She thought Nathan was mean and she didn’t like him at all.
“Dad…these weren’t normal noises. Then, we saw a human shadow. It was trying to attack Ben.” Jason continued trying to explain.
Nathan wasn’t budging.
“Mr. Nathan…we’re serious. We’re scared.” Ben stepped in.
“I am on duty. I can’t leave. Go on. Everything will be fine. See you tomorrow.”
Jason looked at him with eyes of fury. Then, he became furious and began to beat him stomach with his hands. “I hate you!” he repeated over and over.
People looked at them as they left the park. Nathan did nothing and stood, hard as stone.
“Jason!” Susie shouted, trying to pull him back.
“Come on.” Jason said, finally stopping, tears filling his eyes. “I will never forgive you.” With that, Jason walked away with Ben and Susie following.
Susie looked back at Nathan to see if he showed any emotions, but he didn’t. He just looked out into the horizon. But then, just for a moment, Susie thought she saw tears piling up in his eyes.


Ch.5
They were back in the alley as soon as they turned the corner. The three of them close together, with Susie in the middle. Jason stood next to the alley opening this time. They all assumed the person wouldn’t jump out if they didn’t see Ben, since they were obviously after him.
“You hear anythin’ yet?” Susie whispered.
“Not yet. But, who knows, something may have happened while you talked. Be quiet!” Ben replied back.
Susie closed her eyes and caught onto their hands. Jason felt his stomach drop and looked over to her. Ben caught onto his facial expressions. Ben waved his loose hand to get his attention.
“You’re blushing.” He mouthed so Susie couldn’t hear and rubbed his cheeks.
Jason, quickly took his eyes away from Ben and concentrated back on the path.
CRASH! The sound came again and all three of them jumped. Susie screamed.
Suddenly, voices were heard. People were laughing.
Susie kept her eyes closed. As much as Jason and Ben wanted to do the same, they kept their eyes open and looked around themselves.
It was pitch dark. Nothing was seen, except for a few lights back from the park’s area. Jason stopped walking, abruptly stopping them.
“What are you doing?” Ben exclaimed.
“I hear something.”
“I know. Let’s go. This is creeping me out, man!” Ben replied.
They began walking again.
It was silent. Nothing heard. Susie, thinking it was safe, slowly opened her eyes, and looked back. She screamed as soon as she saw.
“They’re following us!” she exclaimed.
Ben and Jason turned around to see shadows. Black shadows following them in the dark.
“RUN!” Ben shouted.
They didn’t take one step before they all fell on the ground.
“We’re getting good at this.” A voice said.
Susie lifted herself to see a speed bump placed on the concrete sidewalk. She realized it wasn’t there before and screamed all over again.
“Don’t you hate the screamers?” Another voice said.
Susie began to breathe heavily and Jason put his hand over her mouth.
“Who are you?” he asked, moving his eyes back and forth, not really seeing anything.
The shadows had disappeared and the light that was once guiding them home was turned off. He could barely even see Ben or Susie and by luck was able to find Susie’s mouth to quiet her.
“Why are you following us?” Ben said. Jason let out a sigh, relieved his friend was still there.
Whistling was then heard and suddenly 3 different flash lights were turned on.
“I was dreamin’?” Susie said, turning around. “I see light.” She opened her eyes only to see 3 people