Chapter Thirteen

Terry and the other children pressed themselves up against the glass of their windows, hoping to catch a glimpse of Devon and the others that were trapped outside.

Terry snickered, “Serves them right, getting stuck out there. They were just trying to show off, and it bit them in the backside. Let the bowzers eat them.”

Link and Junior stopped peering out of their windows in unison.

“But, Terry, our brother is out there,” Junior remarked. Both boys wore a look of concerned confusion.

“Who cares, he made his choice,” Terry said with a sneer in his voice.

Link’s eyebrows furrowed. “But, Terry, Merrell, might get hurt. Are you saying you want him to get hurt?” Both Link and Junior turned toward Terry, beginning to show signs of anger.

Sensing that he had gone too far, Terry gulped. “Merrell…hurt? Of course I don’t want that.” He smiled nervously. “He is my friend, why would I want him to get hurt…it’s just that I don’t like the others. Like I said before Blake is a thief, Flim is a freak, and the urchin girl doesn’t even belong with us. She is as poor as a spaceport mouse.”

Link and Junior relaxed, soothed by Terry’s fast-talk. Junior scratched his head and paused for a moment.

“…Terry, I’ve been meaning to ask you something. You called Devon a thief. What did he steal?”

Terry shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Well, he didn’t really steal anything, but his whole family is a bunch of thieves.”

Junior shrugged. “I still don’t get it. Why?”

Terry leaned forward, putting his face close to Junior’s. “His grandfather nearly wrecked mine. My grandpapa owned United Gyros back then. We owned it for generations before that. When Devon’s grandfather invented his stupid hovercar nobody wanted gyrocopters anymore. My grandpapa lost the company, and nearly everything else. Luckily, he still owned another, smaller manufacturing company. He and my dad worked for a long time to make it successful, and it is now.” Terry paused to make sure that Link and Junior understood. “So, you see, he and his family stole almost everything we had. It just wasn’t fair.”

Link shrugged, “I guess your right, but you still got that other company. So you are still rich.”

Terry crossed his arms angrily, “Rich, yes, but not as rich as we are supposed to be…thanks to them.”

Junior nodded, seeming satisfied. “Okay, I guess you’re right. His family done you wrong, so no need to be nice to Devon.” He paused for a moment, then continued. “By the way, what does that other company your family owns make?”

Terry sat silently for a moment, jaws clenched, then growled. “Garbage Dumpsters.”