Sky High Danger

Sample Chapter from Book One in the El Paso Summer Series:

1

El Paso

Tyler sat on the wicker bench on the front porch of his uncle Ryan’s house in El Paso. Beside him were his backpack, a red duffle bag, and a black Jedi Star Wars roller suitcase. He was angry, embarrassed, and frustrated.


Angry because his mom’s boyfriend, Doug, was sitting behind the wheel of the white Audi A6, which up until this past January had been his dad’s. He’d been with his dad the day he picked it out. He didn’t care what his mom said about their divorce settlement; Doug shouldn’t be driving Dad’s Audi like it was his. Doug was a jerk. 

Embarrassed because no thirteen-year-old wants to be caught dead hauling his clothes around in a Star Wars plastic suitcase. He’d been proud of it when he got it for his eighth birthday. That’s when his dad announced they were going to Disney World and he’d need a suitcase for the trip. But he wasn’t in the third grade anymore and it was stupid to be stuck with a little kid’s suitcase when you’ve just finished the eighth grade. 

But his mom was too cheap to buy him a new one. What did she care if he was embarrassed? He missed his old mom. The one who would have bought him a new suitcase. Of course, the old mom wouldn’t have hauled him to El Paso either.

Frustrated because he knew that while he sat out here on the porch with his embarrassing roller bag, and while Doug sat in the Audi listening to his Pearl Jam, his mom was inside dumping him off on his aunt Becky and uncle Ryan. Who needs a thirteen-year-old kid in the way when you’ve got a new boyfriend?

He’d have been happy to move in with his dad but that wasn’t going to happen. He was on a two-year overseas assignment and now lived in Singapore.

His cousin Mackenzie came out, closed the front door behind her, and sat down on the porch step. “Wouldn’t want to be you,” she said, not mincing words. 

“How’s it going in there?” he asked despondently.


“Well, sounds like you’re impossible to handle, a real juvie. Your mom and Doug are on their way to Vegas to get married and then go on a honeymoon in Oregon. Your dad’s not available and she’s finished trying to convince you and Doug to get along,” she summarized. “I think you’re getting thrown under the bus.”

 “I’m not a juvenile delinquent!” Tyler said, defending himself. Seemed like somebody had to speak up for him, even if it was only himself. 

“She says you tried to burn down the house.” 

“I was warming up mac and cheese because she was working late and Doug was drunk. Punched in 60 minutes instead of 60 seconds. Honest mistake! Okay?” he shook his head. 

“The dog?”

“Doug left the back door open and Maggie ran away. He blamed me. He’s such a jerk.” 

“Hmm,” she muttered, nodding in agreement. “Got in a fight and got suspended?”

“Eddie Malcavek said my dad ran off with his secretary and emptied my mom’s bank account. Said he stole all her money. It was a lie so I told him to take it back. He told me to make him.“ A smile crossed Tyler’s face for a moment. “So I did! Little twit. He told Mrs. Morgan I hauled off and punched him for no reason. Liar.”

Mackenzie didn’t have any other charges to cross-check, and she finally noticed the Star Wars suitcase. “Nice roller bag,” she said. 

“Get over it, Mac.” 

“I take it Aunt Rachel’s too cheap to buy you something less embarrassing?” 

“That’s pretty much it. What she doesn’t spend on herself she spends on Doug-the-jerk. I’m either a total nuisance or invisible just depending on how her day’s going.” 

“Like I said: Wouldn’t want to be you.” 

“So what do you think? Your mom and dad going to put me up for a couple of weeks?” 

“More like a couple of years if I had to bet. But yeah. Aunt Rachel’s saying four weeks or so. Until she and Dougie are back from their honeymoon and ready to start over with you.” 

Tyler shook his head and looked out again at Doug whose head was bobbing to the music in the front seat of the Audi. He was surprised Doug wasn’t playing his air guitar as well. 

“Kind of crazy how fast everything came undone with my mom and dad,” he said. 

“Yeah?” Mackenzie replied.


“They used to argue a lot but it totally blew me away the day when Dad was leaving for Singapore and Mom told him not to come back. Totally not cool,” Tyler told her, remembering the morning his dad had left. 

“Mom was late for work,” he continued. “Dad was late for his plane. She yelled she hated him because he didn’t love her anymore. He said that wasn’t true. She screamed she wanted a divorce and that she didn’t want him to ever step foot in the house again.” Tyler paused. “And that was it. Two weeks later she came home with a stack of moving boxes from Lowe’s and piled all of Dad’s stuff in them. Taped the boxes shut, took them to the UPS store, and sent them to Singapore. And that was it.” 

Mackenzie shook her head. “Suspect Mom will give you Kyle’s room since he just joined the navy.” 

“What?” Tyler asked, spinning to look at Mackenzie - wondering why he didn’t know his cousin had decided to join the navy instead of playing basketball at Tech. 

“I thought he got some big basketball scholarship to play at Texas Tech.” 

“He did, but they took it back after he broke his arm on the motorcycle this spring. After his arm healed, the scout said he’d lost his three-pointer. Hacked him off big time. So, he came home one afternoon and told Mom and Dad that he’d decided to join the navy—and that was that.” 

“Bet your mom wasn’t too happy.” 

“Dunno. Yes and no. I think they were counting on the scholarship for him to go to college,” she said, glancing over to watch Doug. “Without the basketball I think Kyle was going to have to go to community college and he was probably too embarrassed. Anyway, I think that’s probably why he decided to join the navy.” 

“Bummer,” Tyler said, shaking his head. 

“Yeah,” she agreed, “but when he gets out, the navy will pay for his college. So, same difference I guess.” 

“I suppose,” Tyler said, staring at the Audi again. 

Just then the front door opened and out came his mother, followed by Aunt Becky and Uncle Ryan. Aunt Becky had a look of compassion on her face, Uncle Ryan a smile, kind of like his dad’s smile. The smile he remembered from back before he and his mom started fighting. And his mother—well, she simply looked triumphant.

“Okay, Tyler. Uncle Ryan and Aunt Becky have agreed to let you stay with them for June and maybe July while Doug and I get settled. Okay? I promised them you wouldn’t give them any grief and that you’d stay out of trouble. Got that? I need your word that you’re going to behave and do what they tell you to do. Promise?” his mom asked. 

“Sure. Whatever,” he replied, looking down at his Nikes. Then he looked up at his uncle and said, “Thanks, Uncle Ryan. Thanks, Aunt Becky.” 

“Okay. Now, give me a hug,” his mom said, as if this was a perfect family moment. It wasn’t. But he gave her a slight hug so she’d go ahead and leave and get this over with. Anything to get inside and get the Star Wars suitcase emptied and hidden. Maybe it would disappear and never be found again. 

Doug, impatient, honked the horn and his mom told her brother and sister-in-law goodbye and headed down the sidewalk. She climbed into Tyler’s dad’s Audi, and moments later they were gone. 

And with that, it was time to start over. 

At least he liked his aunt and uncle and always had fun with his cousin Mac. But who knew what it would be like living with them? 

He thought for just a minute about how weird this was. He was glad to be finished with the fighting. Glad to be rid of Doug-the-jerk. But he also had the odd feeling that he was missing his mom now that she was officially gone. Well, at least he missed his old mom. The one who used to like his dad. 

Maybe she’d figure out for herself that Doug was a jerk and come back and he and his mom could start over. Maybe they’d see his dad every now and then. Not likely, he thought. He picked up his backpack and duffle bag.

“Dude, let me get that awesome Star Wars roller for you,” Mac said, teasing him and grabbing the handle before he could stop her. 

This just might work, he told himself with a hint of a smile. 

Did you enjoy this Sample? If so, check out the entire book: Sky High Danger by Dave Owen on Amazon.com by clicking here!