Tony's Arc

Chapter 2 of 9

Tony held the postcard tight and stared down the block. Pondview was past the edge of the neighborhood. He was one small boy with short legs and no bus fare. He could not walk that far, and he could not fly. He needed a ride. So he went looking for someone who moved big things for a living. He found a busy store with paw prints painted on the glass. Inside, a curly-haired young man in a blue vest balanced a parrot on his shoulder and knelt beside a crate of squeaking puppies. This was Oliver, the pet specialist. Tony had asked him a hundred questions about turtles and fish. Oliver always answered every one, gently, like each question mattered. "Oliver," Tony said, "my mom is at Pondview. It's too far to walk. Can you drive me?" Oliver's face fell. He set the parrot on its perch. "I want to, Tony. But I don't have a car. I take the bus here myself." He rubbed his neck. "You need someone who moves cargo. Someone with a plan." He snapped his fingers. "Percy. Try Percy." He walked Tony to the warehouse store next door. A round man in a red cap stood at the front, waving carts into three neat lines. This was Percy, the man who ran the shopping floor like a general. Nothing crossed that entrance without his say-so. "Halt," Percy called, holding up one hand. He looked Tony over. "State your mission, soldier." "My mom went to Pondview," Tony said. "I have to reach her. It's too far to walk." Percy's grin faded. He crouched to Tony's height. "Pondview. That's a long haul. Beyond my supply lines." He tapped his chin. "But every good commander knows the right vehicle for the mission." He pointed his thumb out the wide front doors, toward the lot. A blue pickup truck sat gleaming near the loading zone. Its engine ticked in the sun. Tony had heard the neighborhood kids talk about that truck. They called him Bev. "Bev runs long routes," Percy said. "Big tank. Steady wheels. Bev could get you there." He stood and squared his shoulders. "But Bev doesn't take passengers for nothing. You'll have to convince him. And I'll warn you, that truck is picky about who rides." Oliver squeezed Tony's shoulder. "We can't drive you. But we found you the one who can." Tony looked at the truck across the lot. His stomach fluttered. The wall between him and Pondview had a door now. He just had to open it. He thanked Oliver and Percy and walked toward the blue truck. The distance he could not cross alone had a name, and the name was Bev. Now Tony had to make a stubborn truck say yes.