Hey, brah,†Quinn said.
“What is going on, do you know?†Sam asked.
“It’s a club.†Quinn grinned. “Man, you must be working too hard. Everyone knows about it.â€
Sam stared at him. “It’s a what?â€
“McClub, brah. All you need is some batteries or some toilet paper.â€
This announcement left Sam baffled. He considered asking Quinn for clarification, but then Albert appeared, formally dressed, like he thought it was graduation or something. He actually had on a dark sports coat and slacks in a lighter shade. His shirt was pale blue, collared, and ironed. Spotting Sam, he extended his hand.
Sam ignored the hand. “Albert, what is going on here?â€
“Dancing, mostly,†Albert said.
“Excuse me?â€
“Kids are dancing.â€
Quinn caught up then and stepped in front of Sam to shake Albert’s still-extended hand. “Hey, dude. I have batteries.â€
“Good to see you, Quinn. The price is four D cells, or eight double As, or ten triple As, or a dozen Cs. If you have a mix, I can work it out.â€
Quinn dug in his pocket and produced four triple A batteries and three D cells. He handed them to Albert, who agreed to the price and dropped the batteries into a plastic bag at his feet.
“Okay, the rules are no food, no alcohol, no attitude, no fights, and when I call ‘time,’ there’s no arguing about it. Do you agree to these rules?â€
“Dude, if I had any food, would I be here? I’d be home eating it.†Quinn put his hand over his heart like he was pledging allegiance to the flag and said, “I do.†He jerked a thumb back at Sam. “Don’t bother with him: Sam doesn’t dance.â€
“Have a good time, Quinn.
— Michael Grant
albertbatteriesclub