These are short stories that I have finished or are in the process of being finished.....let me know what you think....steventymon@gmail.com

Jail

The door slammed shut. Iron bars, just like the ones you see in the movies, were the only thing that Billy could grab onto and to keep from passing out from anxiety. As a young man Billy had done many things but none had risen to the point where it would involve incarceration. He heard somebody in the next cell mumble something about "welcome to the club". If this was a club Billy wanted no part of it. Everything had happened so fast. His head was still spinning.

The day started as most Fridays of the last few years had. He was up early heading to the family store for another long day behind the counter. His mother made him lunch, peanut and jelly on Wonder Bread, his favorite. Billy wasn't going to drive today instead he would take his favorite mode of transportation, his bike. Sammy, the family dog, would come along for a run. Billy like to ride. It cleared his head. The sun on his face, the wind in his hair, Sammy panting as he tried to keep up running at his side.

.When he got to the store and put the key in the lock Billy's mode changed. He would be here for at least another 12 hours, probably more like 14 because liquor stores were allowed to stay open longer on some days more than others. This was the family business. A small store between a luncheonette/ bookie joint and hair salon. A place that the family had decided to buy after dads retirement as another source of income or a place to spend sunny Fridays when other people where going to the beach, off to real jobs or just living their lives instead of being trapped in small business hell. There were five other competitors withing 2 miles. All of them were bigger and most could buy their beer cheaper than Billy could sell it. But Billy wasn't thinking about the competition or the fact that they were low on Boones Farm Apple, a staple of the store especially today, instead he was thinking about tomorrow a special day and wondering if he would get some time off for good behavior.

Daydreaming was a way that Billy would survive the long tedious hours between the salesman and their "deals of the week" {He had one salesman who "helped" him get rid of some junk on the store shelves, left there by the previous owner. He would rid us of the rubbish cluttering up valuable sales space with, old dusty.ornate, decanters of various liquors, for displays of the latest wine cooler that his company was pushing. Billy would later find out that he had given a way thousands of dollars of collectibles for a few bottles of Ripple.

Today there would be no salesmen only customers. Billys first customer was the same person every day, Frank. In fact he was usually there before him sitting near the door, sometimes asleep, but always there for his usual, two cans of the worst, most foul tasting beer that they sold. Billy knew that from first hand experience since had tasted everything in the store at least once including a breakfast that once consisted of expired Beef Jerky and Tango Tequila Sunrise Mix. "How was your day?" asked Billy. " Ahh...same as the all the others..." sighed Frank. Frank worked the overnight shift at the local pig rendering plant down the street. Now when they bought the place the old owner who before he took all of the old expensive bottles of whiskey with him, told them not to let Frank into the store because his job tended to leave him more than just tired at the end of the day. He did, to be kind, smell like the inside of a pigs butt, which by coincidence was what he was knee deep in all day long. Billy did let him in the first day that he worked in his alcohol selling prison. Whew!! ..the smell was over powering. Well it took another two days before another customer came in because of the odor. Billy would greet customers at the the door or even in their car as the drove up, ask what they wanted and deliver it to them with their change without them ever entering the store.

Fridays were the busiest day of the week most of the time. It was time to replenish the open cooler in the middle of the store with the biggest seller ...Budweiser 12oz. cans....they were the blood in the body of this store barely alive in the ICU of retail, on life support begging for a Doctor Kevorkian style mercy killing. Today was the day that the kids who hung out down the street in the local playground to try and get their share of the American dream, party night. A time to forget the week, the boss, the bad job that takes you away from a summer day with your friends at the beach.

Billy had his regulars. Young men and women who would come by on Friday night and try to beat the "system" and by "system" I mean buy beer while being underage. "You got an ID" Billy asked. The young man with the faded jean jacket, shoulder length hair and Buffalo Springfield tee shirt,( remember this is 1972), rummaged threw his ripped jeans to get his documents. "I'll have a draft" the kid said pointing to the cooler behind Billy. He was pointing to the cooler filled with tonight's most popular elixar, Shilitz Draft in 32 ounce non-returnable bottles. It was the drink of choice for those of a certain age. Easy to drink and share with others and most important to beer coniseouor of this age, it was cheap. "Ahhh this says your 24" said Billy knowing all the time that this kid wasnt a day over 19 because he had played basketball against him when he was in high school. Tomny was his name and was Billy's nemis. Tommy was the star freshman guard on a soon to be chanmpion team and Billy was just another kid with five fouls coming off the bench so that the coach could use him to beat up the other teams best player. Now they would play at the nearby park in pickup games. Billy had grown a little bigger and was now able to stay with the superstar often besting him in there on the court duels. It didnt hurt that the games were played with street justice and not a referee in sight so Billy could use a lot nudging tugging that would get him his five fouls if they were playing a real game with referees. But today in front of him was that kid that he thought had things come to him to easy, spoiled, to talented for his own good. Billy had him on his hip in the post and was gonna dunk on him. " I think that this ID is fake" Billy said.

"Ah come on" said Tommy looking a bit dumfounded. "Its just a beer".

(Ending...didnt you play basketball against my son....the dad who is a police captian at the station as Billy gets out of jail)

Swish

It was so hot that the court seemed to melting under the feet of young men and there canvas Converse high tops. A lot of pushing, shoving, swearing and sweating. This was how the big boys played on the court behind the school on a lazy late summer afternoon. Billy stood on the sidelines with his friends watching the older boys grunt and groan there way up and down the court. They had to wait there turn. It was the law of .the courts. When the big boys wanted to play you got out of the way. Swish!!!!.....there is no better sound to a basketball player than the sound that the ball makes as it goes through the hoop hitting nothing but net....swish. Once you get that feeling it goes into your bones and your hooked. Swish!!!....the game had ended and the big boys were taking a break. It was Billy and his friends turn to get in a few shots before the next game started. Billy hit a few shots from his usual place in the corner when he heard a voice over his shoulder, " Heh you ...you wanna play? Billy turned to see one of the big boys rubbing his ankle sitting on the sidelines. Billy thought..." they want me?...

They Stole My Car

The weather outside was beautiful. Billy was day dreaming. It was college but not like the ones you see in the brochures with ivy covered walls and grassy quads with kids playing Frisbee and sleeping off hangovers. This was the fourth floor of and old factory in the middle of a hot city. A junior college started as way of helping those of us who graduated high school but not good enough for a "real college" No air conditioning, no library, no gym , no cafeteria, just dark hallways and classrooms with paint peeling from the ceilings. Billy was bored as he looked out the window watching a couple of guys walking on the street near were his car was parked. They stopped.... right next to his car. Heh! One of them was opening the door. Billy stood up ....They are stealing my car!! he yelled. Mr Clausen ....the teacher shouted..." Please sit down" " Billy was at the window now yelling at the thieves. "That's my car" The thieves waved as if acknowledging that there wasn't much Billy or anybody could do as they went about there business. "Please sit down" the teacher shouted. "But the taking my car" Billy explained. One more wave from the thieves and they were gone as was Billy out of classroom and down the hallway after them.