"I fixed it up really cool, wanna see?" "I do," Jenny volunteered popping out of her room. "It's not for girls Jenny." "What isn't?" "Never mind." "I'm gonna tell mom." "Tell mom what?" "Whatever you did." "To what?" "To your room!" "So go tell her big mouth." "Just let me see what you did." "No." "Why not?  I bet it's bad." "Don't be so stupid Jenny." "Don't call me stupid!" "I didn't, I said don't BE stupid." Jenny walked toward Chris's doorway, and Chris quickly pulled his door shut. "MA-UM!" Jenny shouted. "What?!" Joanne shouted back. "Chris did something to his room!" "What do you mean Chris did something to his room.  What did he do?!" "I don't know!" "Jenny, don't be such a tattle-tale," Roy told her coming up the stairs. "But--" "Why don't you go find something to play with." "I wanna play with Coty." "Have you tried asking him?" "No." Roy gave her a sigh, trying to will into himself a little more patience. "Coty let's go play Barbie's." "I don't think that was a question Jenny." "Coty, do you WANT to go play Barbie's" With three sets of eyes on him, he was again the center of attention.  Instead of answering, the small boy hid his face in his knees. "Honey, I think maybe Barbie's is getting a little old." "Huh?" "Maybe he's tired of Barbies." "But he hasn't played with them in weeks!  Unless he has them at home!  Do you have your own Barbies." Chris snorted at his sister and she rolled her eyes in return. "Just cause YOU don't like 'em doesn't mean HE doesn't.  JOHNNY plays Barbies!" "JOHNNY is WEIRD!" "No, he just knows how to play nicely with a little girl, now let's SEE what you did up here," Roy said taking Chris by the shoulder and guiding him toward his room. "Dad, I didn't--" "Let me just see it," he told him opening the door.  Chris had tied a rope across the middle of his room from his bunkbed to the doorknob of his closet.  Over this he had thrown a blanket to erect a makeshift tent.  Laid out underneath was both his and Coty's sleeping bags along with a number of snacks that Chris must have been hiding for some time. "I THOUGHT your mom bought a bag a Cheetos!  I accused her of eating the whole thing last week." "I uh..." "Granola bars too?  Where did THEY come from?" Chris shrugged and stared at the floor. "You know you got a problem here don't you...Coty's not allowed to eat all that stuff.  He can have the granola bars, but maybe you should go downstairs and see if your mom has anything a little less sweet he might want to snack on as well." Chris's mouth dropped open in surprise.  "Like what?!" "I don't know.  Maybe we should just offer to run to the grocery store quick.  We'll get mom to make a list, then get anything else we need." "Can I go too?" Jenny asked hopefully. "How 'out just the guys go this time Jenny, it'll give you some time to spend alone with your mom.  Maybe you could even bake some cookies." "I'd rather go with you." "You can go with me another time, just you and me...okay?" Jenny pouted into her room. "Let me get this straight," Joanne asked a few moments later, "you are VOLUNTEERING to go to the grocery?" Roy shrugged at the floor. "Can I ask why?" "Well from what I saw, we're about out of everything and I was just thinking maybe Coty would like to pick a few things out." "Uh huh...and what is it YOU wanted to buy?" "I don't know, just...whatever suits my fancy when I see it." "Uh huh...well...don't let TOO many things suit your fancy.  Where're on a budget, remember?" "I know all about the budget Joanne." "Just make sure you get everything on the list BEFORE you spend any of the rest of it on junk food." "Come on Joanne, it's not like I'm gonna hit the cookie isle and start throwing every thing I see into the cart.  I'm not a little kid you know." "Uh huh.  No more than two gallons of ice cream.  I don't care what flavor you get, but any more than two won't even fit in the freezer...AND THAT DOES NOT MEAN BUY A THIRD GALLON AND EAT IT IN THE CAR!" "HEY, we only did that ONCE!" "It took me three washings to get Jenny's shirt clean again, and yours was no picnic either.  I WILL know if you do." "I just promised I wouldn't!  Now are you going to give me the grocery money or not?!" Joanne handed the cash over with a small smile.  "Behave yourself." "Yeah yeah yeah, Coty..Chris..come on!" "Wait a minute, you're taking Coty?" "Yeah...why?" "I just...I don't know.  Does he wanna go?" "What kid doesn't want to go to the grocery store?" "I don't know.  Just make sure you keep an eye on him." "I've taken kids to the grocery store before you know." "I know, just...watch him." As Roy pulled into the parking lot, Joanne's words rang in his ears.  A very uneasy feeling rolled up his neck, causing the hair to stand on end.  'Don't be silly,' he told himself, 'what could happen in a grocery store?' "Come on dad!" Chris urged wondering at what was taking him so long to get out of the car. Roy got out and opened Coty's door, waiting for him to get out before he closed it again.  If Coty knew where they were going, he didn't seem overly happy about it. "Dad, can we get some Peanutbutter Captain Crunch for breakfast tomorrow?" Chris asked as soon as they were in the door. "List first, then we'll see." That was the same answer his mother always gave him but this time was a little different; he knew his father liked the cereal too.  Going down the snack isle, Roy put a can of salted peanuts in the cart. "Was that on the list?" Chris grinned. "You're starting to sound like Johnny every time we shop for the station." Chris laughed and grabbed another bag of Cheetos, raising his eyebrows as he held it above the cart.  Roy shook his head and grinned. "Go ahead," he said as if he'd been badgered for over an hour to let him have it.  "If you see anything you want Coty just point it out."  Coty lagged behind them up and down the isles.  Nothing seemed to interest him.  Roy looked at him and as he passed the Ovaltine, he nearly grabbed a can before remembering they had a nearly full one at home already. "Is there anything beside this stuff that you like," Roy asked trying to prompt him into finding anything. Seeing the boy glance at some seedless grapes, Roy hurried over and picked up a bunch.  "These?" he asked.  Coty didn't answer, but he put the grapes in the cart anyway.  Even if he'd read the boy wrong, he liked grapes as well.  "What else," he asked doing his best to encourage the boy.  No more quick looks were forthcoming.  Thinking back, he grabbed a large brick of sharp cheddar cheese and a loaf of bread for grilled cheese sandwiches, something else Joanne had gotten him to eat during the days she'd watched him before the unfortunate fire.  "Tomato soup or Potato soup," Roy questioned the kid, trying hard to remember.  When Coty didn't answer, he placed several cans of both into the cart as well.  "Okay," he muttered to himself looking again at the list, "laundry soap." Roy continued to the last isle, discovering he must have passed it somewhere along the way.  "Chris, do you know where the laundry soap is?" "No." "Don't you come here with your mother?" "Yeah." "But you have no idea where the soap is." "No." Roy sighed and headed back toward the other end of the large store.  One isle, two isles, seven isles later he found what he was looking for.  "Finally," he said to himself grabbing two large bottles and a box of fabric softener. "Can we get the cereal now dad?" Chris begged while his father added up how much money was already in the cart. "I guess," he said looking up, "where...where's Coty?" "Huh?" "Coty, where is he?" Chris turned around as if expecting to see him there. "I...I don't know!" "Coty!" Roy called pushing his cart back out of the isle and into the long sideways lane.  From store end to store end, he couldn't see him.  'Must have gone down one of the other isle's.' Roy thought.  Not knowing which way to head, he started to push his cart back where they'd come from.  "Coty?" he called again. Reaching the last isle and seeing nothing, he started back the other way.  "Coty?" he called over and over.  After reaching the other end, he began to feel sick.  He quickly pushed his cart down the last isle to the opposite sideways lane, still he saw nothing.  "Wait here," Roy ordered Chris after pushing the cart up to a checkout and handing him the money.  Up and down he ran, checking each isle two and three times each.  By the time he returned, Chris was standing with the bagged groceries on the other side of the checkout.  "Grab a Carry Out boy and put the groceries in the car," Roy ordered, "I'm calling the Police." A couple of minutes later, Vince Howard pulled up to the front of the store where Roy was waiting. "Now WHO'S missing," Vince asked. "Johnny's boy Coty." "Again?" "I...he was just here.  He's got to be here somewhere.  I just can't find him." "Where's Johnny." "Dad?" Chris called walking up. "Just a minute Chris.  He's uh...he's in the hospital.  I'm just watching him for--" "Anyway we can get him here?" "Dad?" "I said just a minute.  Um, no not really." "You realize this is the third time the Police have been called over this kid." "No...no I didn't.  I--" "But dad," Chris tried again as his father shushed him. "Twice it was the school, now you." "Yeah but I--" "You know the school found him under the cupboard in his classroom, another time they found him just sitting under a tree looking at some chipmunks." "It was some birds and Mike Stoker was the one that--" "My point is he's never gone far.  You couldn't find him in the store?" "No.  I looked everywhere." "Well not everywhere.  You didn't look where he was now didja?" Roy blushed deep red and rubbed at his face.  "Chris, why don't you go--" "He's in the car." "What?" "Coty's in the car." "He's in the...Vince I...I'm really sorry." Vince raised him hand to stop him.  "It's not a problem Roy, just make sure he really is gone before you call us again, okay?  Would you mind if I see him before I go?" "Um, no I--" "I just want to see him with my own eyes before I have to write my report...just in case." "In case of what?" "Nothing personal Roy.  Well hello there Coty," he continued talking a little louder at the boy.  "Did you get bored with the grocery store?" Coty looked back at the man, unsure why he was talking so funny and wondering if he was deaf. "Man that kid is spooky," Vince commented turning his back toward the car.  "It's like Johnny had a twin brother that never grew." "Well...lot's of kids look like their parents." Roy offered. "Not like THAT they don't.  Have a good night Roy." "Uh yeah...you to...Vince," Roy sputtered out after the man had pretty much gone.  "Get in the car," Roy ordered his son growing angry.  He fumbled with the keys until they fell to the floor.  Stopping for a second, he slapped the steering wheel.  "You know Coty, you could have told me you were going outside.  I'm not a horrible monster you know.  All you had to do was...point or something.  At least let me KNOW you wanted to LEAVE!" A silence filled the air that felt even louder that the words had been.  The look on Coty's face let him know he'd made a huge mistake. "Look, I'm sorry I yelled.  I--" "I want my dad," Coty whispered in the backseat. "Coty, I--" "I WANT MY DAD!" "I'm sorry!  Your dad is sick, you know that.  I'll take you to see him tomorrow." "They said he could come HOME tomorrow." "Well maybe he can...I...let's just go home and go to bed okay?  The sooner you do, the sooner tomorrow will be here." The car grew silent again for another several minutes.  Not even Chris moved to ransack the grocery bags as he'd usually do. "I'm sorry," Coty whispered ever so quietly. "What?" "I'm sorry." Roy felt no more than two feet tall.  "It's okay Coty.  It was just a misunderstanding.  No hard feelings, okay?" Coty tried to hide the tired tears rolling down his face by turning toward the window, but Roy could see them clearly in the side mirror.  'God Johnny, I'm sorry,' he thought, feeling even worse.  This was not a kid who needed to be yelled at.  The smallest comment could crush him, and here he'd just taken his head off for being tired and deciding to wait in the car. Back at the house, Roy wracked his brains for a way to make it up to him as he unloaded the groceries.  Coming across the grapes, Roy set the entire bag down in Coty's lap. Coty wiped at his eyes with his sleeve and tried to hide his face again. "Tell you what," Roy said forcing an up beat tone of voice, "I don't pretend to be able to make them as good as Johnny can, but how bout I make some pecan pancakes for breakfast tomorrow?  I'm sure the recipe's around here somewhere." "Yeah," Chris grinned happily.  Coty didn't move. "Well come on Chris, let's uh...let's get the rest of the groceries in." After bringing in the last bag, Roy stood by Coty's open door, waiting for him to get out.  Wondering what was taking so long, Joanne followed him out to the garage.  "What happened?" she asked seeing Coty's face. "Nothing Joanne, just go back inside." "Dad yelled at him," Chris offered. "Chris," Roy sighed. Hearing his father's tone, Chris went back inside the house by himself. "What did you do that for?" "I didn't...I didn't mean ta...I don't know.  Look, it doesn't really matter.  Can you see if you can help me get him to bed?  Maybe it's just because he's tired." "Coty hon, come on," Joanne directed pushing Roy out of the way.  "Come on Sweetie, let's get you ready for bed." Coty shot a wary look at Roy and got out of the car. "Are you hungry ?" she asked once they were in the kitchen.  "Do you want a little something to eat first?" "Joanne, he just had spaghetti a couple of hours ago." "Any YOU never snack," she asked opening the grocery bags and beginning to put the food away.  "Did you buy him something besides grapes to eat?" "Yes!  I got...well I got cheese and bread for sandwiches." "There you go hon, how 'bout cheese and crackers for a quick snack?" Coty sighed at the floor wishing he could find a way of getting away from these people for a while. "How 'bout your Ovaltine then, would you like a glass of your Ovaltine?" Realizing he was thirsty and a little hungry, Coty nodded; after all, it was his own food.  Joanne smiled and poured him a glass.  Coty pulled out a chair, and sat down at the table. "Can I have some too mom?" Chris asked pulling out a second chair. "Of course you can, but let's make you some quick, okay?"  Joanne grabbed the milk, the powder, and a Mason jar.  Chris, forgetting where Coty's chocolate milk had come from, frowned when she set his glass down in front of him. "I thought you said you wanted some?" Joanne asked. Roy crept up close behind her and whispered, "he meant chocolate milk," in her ear. "Ovaltine IS chocolate milk.  Just try it Chris.  If you don't like it, I'll make you some Bunny milk." Chris sipped skeptically at his glass with a sour look on his face. "Well," Joanne asked expectantly. "It's all right," Chris admitted making himself more comfortable on his chair. Joanne rolled her eyes and smiled.  "Men," she laughed to herself. Coty finished him milk and rested his head on table, something her own children were forbidden to do.  Had it been Chris or Jenny that had decided to use the table for a pillow, she would have told them to sit up straight or go to bed.  Instead Joanne smiled again.  The boy was just too cute and didn't really need to be taught proper table matters that night.  That would be Johnny's job, not hers. "Coty?" she asked, "you ready for bed?...Come on." "Oh wait," Chris interrupted, "he forgot pajamas." "No he didn't." "Yes he...oh...yeah." "Did you take his stuff upstairs?" Chris's eyes widened remembering the shape his room was in.  "Uh...yeah." "Good.  Come on Coty." "Mom?" "Yeah." "I uh...Dad said...I mean he saw it already but..." "What?" "He can just sleep on the floor, right?" "Well I'd like to TRY to see if he'll sleep in the bed in the spare room but I don't know--" "THE SPARE ROOM?" "Yeah...where did you THINK he was going to sleep?" Chris shrugged looking down at the table. "You got your bag Coty?...Chris, did you take his knapsack up too?" "Yeah," Chris answered sadly. "Well where did you set his stuff down so I don't have to hunt for it." "In my...I'll get it," Chris volunteered remembering the bag of Cheetos and the other junkfood he'd dug out sitting in his make-shift tent with the other stuff.  Pushing his way ahead of Coty and his mother, he ran up the stairs. "Chris!  Next time say excuse me." "Sorry," he shouted back. Chris spun in circles around in his tent looking for the food to hide it and finding it was all now missing.  He looked under the pillows, under the sleeping bags, under the bed, but still found nothing.  "Looking for this?" Jenny grinned waving the bright orange bag back and forth in front of her in the doorway. "Give it back Jen!" "Make me." "Jenny, Dad KNOWS I have that, now give it back." "Can I sleep in your tent tonight?" "No." "Ma-uh," she called quietly as a warning. "What?" Joanne asked making the little girl jump into the air. "Oh Jenny, I'm sorry...what did you want?" "Um..." "What's that?" Joanne asked pointing at the bag. "Um..." "I got it Joanne," Roy offered having followed them up the stairs to see what he could do about Coty's sleeping arrangements.  "Why don't you just do Coty." "Chris...his knapsack?" Chris looked around in the tent until he could find it. "Thank you...did ah...did you tell him he could do that," she added looking at her husband and nodding at the tent. "Uh...sort of." "Sort of...all right well Coty?  How 'bout we get your teeth brushed?" Roy held his hand out for the bag of Cheetos and Jenny guiltily handed them over.  "There's chips and junk in the pantry now," he told her, "but you better ask your mother first since it's getting close to bed time." "Yes sir," Jenny answered happy to be able to make an escape to her bedroom without getting a scolding. Roy tossed the Cheetos back to Chris with a wink, and closed the door. Chris giggled in disbelief and stuffed them safely away under his bed. "Where you putting him?" Roy asked as Joanne stood outside the bathroom waiting for the sound of the stool moving back away from the other side of the door. "Spare room, where do you think?" "What about Chris' room?" "What about it?" "Well I just thought--" "I'm not putting him in there with Chris, not now.  Do you really think Coty'd be able to sleep in there...after everything that happened?" "I...I don't know.  Chris seems to have cooled it a lot today.  He even apologized to him at Johnny's." "For what?" "Well...for knocking him down, but then again for everything." "He knocked him down?" "By accident." "You sure?" "YES I'm sure, I was standing right there." "Roy, you KNOW what those boys have been doing.  Every chance they get, they've been punching him and tripping him...and these are Chris' friends.  Chris is one of them.  At least he was.  Nope...he is.  Johnny said that Eddie what's his face is one of them...and he was one of the boys on our grass this afternoon.  I'm not putting him in there with Chris." "Joanne--" "NO!  I'm not risking it.  He doesn't even LIKE Coty." "What do you think that tent is all about?" "I don't know and I don't care.  I didn't ask for this third chance with Johnny's son, but by God I'm not gonna blow it.  He sleeps in the spare room." "Why don't you let COTY decide where he wants to sleep." Joanne shot him a look of exasperation.  Still as the stool screeched and the door opened, she walked back toward Chris' room.  "Okay, now do you want to sleep in here...or in there?" she asked pointing at each in turn. Coty tilted his head, trying to see into the tent.  In door camping...he never would have thought of such a thing. "It's completely up to you Coty.  If you'd rather sleep in the other room, we'll just move your stuff in there...and you don't have to sleep on the floor in here if you don't want to either.  The bottom bunk is still all yours.  Where ever you'd rather be." Chris stared at him hopefully while Coty didn't move. "Coty...do you know where you want to sleep?" The small boy shrugged and shot Chris a distrustful look.  A moment later he took a step back as if waiting to be lead to the other room. "Okay," Joanne said soothingly, "spare room it is.  Roy, could you bring his stuff?" she asked heading down the short hallway to the bedroom across from theirs. At Chris' sad face, Coty ducked his head and followed her. "Sorry kiddo," Roy said bending down into the tent to grab the sleeping bag and ruffling Chris's hair. "He hates me." "Well...you did what you did Chris.  You can't just expect him to forget about it." "But I haven't done a thing in a long time!" Roy shrugged back, tucking the other boy's pillow under his arm. "This sucks!" "I know...but...try to be him for a moment.  Really think about it.  Would YOU want to sleep in here?"  Roy pulled the door part of the way closed behind to give Chris some privacy from his little sister across the hall Chris DID think about it, and the more he did so, the lousier he felt.  Bored and not yet sleepy, he decided to go down stairs.  Down the hall the spare bedroom door stood open a crack.  From the sounds coming from below him, he could tell the other members of his family were all in the living room.  Chris tiptoed toward the door listening for any sounds within, then found himself wishing he hadn't.  Unmistakable sounds of someone crying quietly drifted to him from inside.  For several minutes he stood there debating over whether he should just go back to his own room, or go get his mom.  After a while, he returned to his room for a moment, then tapped on the spare room door. "Can I come in?" he asked pushing it open a little further. Coty wiped at his face, trying to hide the tears. "Guess what I got!  Dad let me have a whole bag of Cheetos!  You want some?" he asked pulling the bag open and sitting on the edge of the bed. The smaller boy ignored him and rested his head against his damp pillow. Undeterred, Chris grabbed a handful himself and started munching away.  "You sure you don't want some?  They're good...have you ever had a Cheeto?" Coty sighed and sat up straighter on the bed. "If you're worried about Johnny finding out...dad won't tell him about it.  Sometimes Johnny gives US stuff without mom or dad knowing and he never tells them...that's how it works." Still Coty declined the offer of the snack food.  Chris frowned deeply into the bag, growing tired of them himself. "You want some grapes?" he asked.  "I'll be right back." Downstairs, Roy hugged Jennifer close to him as she sang along with Mary Poppins on the Television. "Dad?" Chris asked hitting the bottom step, "where didja put the grapes?" "In the fridge, why?" Chris disappeared into the kitchen before hearing the question. "He's ASKING for grapes?" Joanne mouthed at him.  Roy shrugged back.  A moment later, Chris was on his way back up stairs. "Hey!" Roy shouted after him. "What?" he asked coming back down. "What are you doing?" Chris shrugged, "nothing." "If you're finished with the Cheeto's, maybe you should let your sister have some." "Okay, Jenny, come get 'em." Roy pulled the little girl back down on his lap as she started to jump up to oblige. "Noooo, Jenny is watching a movie.  You bring them down." "Okay," Chris agreed without a hint of a whine. Roy stuck a finger in his ear and twisted it around, shaking his head as he did so. "What?" Joanne laughed. "Nothin, I'm just afraid I'm loosing my hearing.  There's no way I could have heard him right...right?" "Knock it off.  Never look a gifthorse in the mouth, remember?" "I'm not...but I think I have to mark it on the calendar." "Cut it out before he hears you and you embarrass--" "Here you go Jenny," Chris said handing her the bag and bolting back up the stairs. Surprised silence filled the room between the two adults as a commercial ended and the movie started again. "Now I'm getting nervous," Joanne half joked. "Shh mommy," Jenny warned. "Yeah shh mommy, the movies back on." "Da-die!" Roy laughed and kissed his little girls hair. "Well hon," Roy asked ten minutes later as the credits started to roll, "you staying up for the news or hitting the hay." "I don't know, what are YOU doing," Joanne asked. "I'm hitting the hay." "Fine by me.  I'll put Jenny to bed while you lock up." "I'm not tired," Jenny offered in hopes of watching some more TV. "Oh you're not are you...and did I ASK if you were tired?" "Noooo." "It's two hours past your bed time.  We let you stay up to watch the movie, but that's IT.  What did you promise me?" "That I'd go right to bed as soon as it was over." "Aaaaaaannnnnd." "I'll go brush my teeth," she sighed. "Well at least SHE sounds normal tonight," Roy laughed. "Yeah...but we still need to find out what Chris has been up to." Joanne followed her daughter up the stairs and peeked into her son's room, not finding him in his tent, she checked the top bunk and found it empty as well. "Jenny?" Joanne asked tapping on the bathroom door, "is Chris in there too?" "NO!  I'm going to the BATHROOM!" Joanne shook her head at her daughter indignant tone.  She hadn't expected a positive answer anyway.  Instinct guided her to the spare bedroom's door where she listened quietly. "...only spanked me a couple of times...once was when I got caught trying to smoke a cigarette in the backyard.  I couldn't even the light the thing and he spanked me.  Well...I think I got the spanking because I stole the cigarettes from the store.  I remember he made me take them back.  Then the other time was when I called my mom a bad name...a really bad name right in front of him.  I called her a...an Effin B...you know what that means?  Only I really said it.  BOY was he mad.  I never did THAT again.  You want some more?" Joanne laughed and started to feel guilty for eavesdropping.  "Chris," she asked tapping on the door and pushing it open, "time for bed." Coty dropped two grapes back into the bag and looked liked he expected to be yelled at, if not worse. "We were just--" "That's fine Chris, so long as you weren't bothering him.  But now it's time for bed." "Okay," Chris whined, leaving the grapes and sulking off to his room, right past his father. "I see he's back to normal," Roy teased into his wife's ear.  "What's going on?" "Hold on a minute.  Coty?  You can eat those grapes if you want...they're all yours.  In fact, any food in this whole house you want, you can just help yourself to, okay?  Are you thirsty?  Would you like some water?  I know grapes make ME thirsty." Coty shrugged, still too uneasy to ask for anything, even after it had just been offered. "Well, when you're finished with the grapes, make sure you put them in the fridge so they won't go bad...okay?" Coty jumped off the bed and headed downstairs, grapes in tow. "Oh boy, I didn't say he couldn't HAVE anymore...I just didn't want--" "Honey!  Don't worry about it.  I sure he's fine.  I don't think Johnny spoils him like this," Roy giggled. "What do you mean?  What are you laughing about?" "Nothing.  I was just picturing Johnny's face when he gets his kid back, and he makes twenty trips to the fridge in the middle of the night...especially after the hard time he gave ME about snacking.  He'll never let us have Coty again!" "Oh come on now.  Are you telling me Mr. Metabolism doesn't raid the fridge at night?" "Nope, he sleeps like a rock straight through...drives me nuts!" "Huh...and now we're teaching Coty--" "..some really bad habits." Joanne giggled as well.  "Serves him right for buying that kid a motor bike.  I'll make him get rid of that thing if it's the last thing I do." "How you gonna do that if you're not talking to him?" "Who said I wasn't talking to him?" Joanne asked heading off for bed. Downstairs Coty peaked around the corner toward the stairwell.  All the lights were off downstairs, but the inside of the refrigerator provided an illuminating glow.  Once sure the coast was clear, Coty grabbed his carton of milk and gulped to his content.  With a swipe of his hand across his mouth, and a drying drag of the hand across his jeans, he replaced the carton into the fridge and walked more self-confidently toward the stairs.  Satisfied things up there were finally quieting down again, he crept up into the light.  The hall was now deserted and he made his way to the spare room. "Do you have to use the bathroom?" Joanne asked peeking out into the hall while she pulled closed her robe. "No," Coty squeaked dropping his hand from the door knob to his room. "Coty, what's the--" Joanne asked stepping out into the hall. "No," the boy repeated backing up toward the stairs. "Coty?" "NO!" The wide eyed and pale child raced down the stairs and began to fumble with the front door lock. "Roy?" Joanne called, "Roy he's running again." "Coty!" Roy called firmly stepping out into the hall and coming down the stairs. "NoooOOOO!" Coty cried wrestling the lock open and falling though the door.  By the time Roy got outside, he was no where to be seen. "Coty!  COTY!  Just tell us what's the matter!  Coty?!" Only the sounds of a few dogs barking and leaves blowing in the breeze could be heard. "I don't believe this," Roy muttered to himself as he came back inside and walked back up to his bedroom. "Did you find him?" "No!" "Well what are you doing back in here?!" "What do you want me to do?!  Run all over the neighborhood thrashing around peoples' bushes in my pajamas?  What did you DO anyway?" "NOTHING!" "Well you sure did something!  You don't terrify a kid that bad over nothing!" "I just asked him if he had to use the bathroom!" onto part 11