"Thomas E. Sniegoski - The Fallen" - читать интересную книгу автора (Sniegoski Thomas E)

HeтАЩd been studying for Mr. ArslanianтАЩs history exam last night, and his head was so crammed with
minutiae about the Civil War that he must have forgotten to set the alarm. He had less than a half hour to
get toKennethCurtisHigh School before first bell.
Aaron lunged for his dresser and yanked clean underwear and socks from the second drawer. In the
mirror above, he could see Gabriel curiously staring at him from the bed.

тАЬManтАЩs best friend, my butt,тАЭ he said to the dog on his way into the bathroom. тАЬHow could you let me
oversleep?тАЭ

Gabriel just fell to his side among the tousled bedclothes and sighed heavily.

Aaron managed to shower, brush his teeth, and get dressed in a little more than seventeen minutes.

I might be able to pull this off yet,he thought as he bounded down the stairs, loaded bookbag slung over
his shoulder. If he got out the door right at this moment and managed to make all the lights heading down
North Common, he could probably pull into the parking lot just as the last bell rang.

It would be close, but it was the only option he had.

In the hallway he grabbed his jacket from the coatrack and was about to open the door when he felt
GabrielтАЩs eyes upon him.

The dog stood behind him, watching him intensely, head cocked at a quizzical angle that said, тАЬHavenтАЩt
you forgotten something?тАЭ

Aaron sighed. The dog needed to be fed and taken out to do his morning business. Normally he would
have had more than enough time to see to his best friendтАЩs needs, but today was another story.

тАЬI canтАЩt, Gabe,тАЭ he said as he turned the doorknob. тАЬLori will give you breakfast and take you out.тАЭ

And then it hit him. HeтАЩd been in such a hurry to get out of the house that he hadnтАЩt noticed his foster
motherтАЩs absence.

тАЬLori?тАЭ he called as he stepped away from the door and quickly made his way down the hall to the
kitchen. Gabriel followed close at his heels.

This is odd,he thought. Lori was usually the first to rise in theStanley household. She would get up
around fiveA .M., get the coffee brewing, and make her husband, Tom, a bag lunch so he could be out
of the house and to the General Electric plant where he was a foreman, by seven sharp.

The kitchen was empty, and with a hungry Gabriel by his side, Aaron made his way through the dining
room to the living room.

The room was dark, the shades on the four windows still drawn. The television was on, but had gone to
static. His seven-year-old foster brother, Stevie, sat before the twenty-two-inch screen, staring as if
watching the most amazing television program ever produced.

Across the room, below a wall of family photos that had jokingly become known as the wall of shame,
his foster mom was asleep in a leather recliner. Aaron was disturbed at how old she looked, slumped in
the chair, wrapped in a worn, navy blue terry cloth robe. It was the first time he ever really thought about