{Chapter One}
"Stop it! Why are you being so mean?!" An 11 year old Maria asked, her eyes wide and a watery green with her tears. The teasing had started sometime last year. The young girl had been told to ignore it all, and she had...but the words were getting so hurtful. She was tough, like Teflon, that's what her daddy said, but she didn't feel it when she had people yelling mean things at her for things she had no control over.
"It's the truth!" A boy sneered that was atleast a year or two older then her and lived down the street. Her mother and his talked alot, she knew that. "I heard my mom talking about it. Your dad doesn't love you or your mom anymore and that's why everyone on the entire block can hear them fighting all the time. Your dad doesn't love you. Who could! Look at you." He gave Maria a slight shove and before he could continue on, he was pushed back by a surprisingly strong force.
"You leave her alone!" Michael growled. He was only 11, but he stood tall for his age and was strong, especially when it came to his sister or Maria. People should know by now the wrath of the Guerin Boy if either girls were messed with. He was a mean little kid for being 11.
"Mikey's got a girlfriend!" Billy said with a laugh, not even phased by the push. "He's defending Deluca.." He called across the playground, not only bringing more focus from the other kids, but from the parents too, including Nicole and Amy who had brought Michael, Maria, and Tess out that day. "I bet he even kisses her!"
"You shut up Billy, before I pound you.." Michael threatened, his face turning a light shade of red from anger and embarrassment.
"Are you really a girl under there, Mikey? I mean all you do is hang out with Deluca and your little sister. What's wrong with you?" The boy continued on with a chuckle. "And your always around with your mom too, what are ya? A momma's boy?" He barely got that out before he and Michael were rolling around on the floor, grunting and hitting each other.
Finally, Billy hit Michael hard in the stomach and the wild haired boy groaned, rolling onto his side, coughing as the air was knocked out of him. "Looks like your the one needing protecting, Momma's boy.." Billy spat out, getting ready to flee when he saw Nicole and Amy quickly starting towards them. "Next time you should hold your tongue and let Deluca get what she's got coming to her."
He turned around, ready to leave and when he did, he was hit square in the nose, knocking him back in shock and pain. "OOWWWW!!" He wailed as his hands flew to his face, blood already coming from his injured nose. "I'm bleeding!" The older boy wailed and started to cry, making the hitter grin in satisfaction.
"MARIA DELUCA!" Maria's grin quickly faded at her mothers shout. That meant she was in trouble....uh-oh. "What do you think your doing young lady!?! He's bleeding!"
"But...But...but he hit Michael...He HURT MICHAEL!" She defended quickly and a short curly blonde popped up beside, bright blue eyes holding the same defiance as maria.
"It's true Aunt Amy, Billy said really mean things about you and uncle Brian and then he and Michael...he hurt Michael." The 8 year old Tess said in defense to her brother and almost sister. "He was really mean." She repeated, crossing her arms with a pout. "I'm glad he's hurt."
"Tessa." Nicole warned, shaking her head disappointedly at the three kids. Michael had stood up by now, still clutching his stomach in pain, but looking proud of Tess's words, and Maria's actions. She sighed as Michael pulled together himself and threw an arm over each one of the girls, grinning slightly. She tried not to smile, tried not to encourage fighting. But they looked so cute together, and she had heard some of what the other boy was saying....
"You two...are in trouble..." Amy said pointing at Maria and Michael, "And you too mister..." She turned to point at Billy, "I'm going to be talking to your mother..."
"-ut mwy nwose.." Billy pleaded behind his hands, and Amy and Nicole took pity on the boy, rushing him off to the bathrooms to clean his nose.
Tess erupted into giggles, dancing around Michael and Maria, much to their amusement. "Oh wow Ria, You could be stronger than Michael.." She froze in mid step and looked at the two with wide eyes. "What if you *ARE* stronger then him?!" She started to giggle again, "Did you see how she hit him Michael? He was bleeding?!"
"Well that's hurricane Deluca to the rescue." Maria said with a grin, "it only seemed fair considering Michael got hurt because of me..." She looked shyly at Michael who was smirking with his arms crossed.
"No one can be mean to you but me...it's a rule." Michael said and scowled as he watched his mom and Amy fussing over Billy.
"I wonder if you broke his nose.." Tess whispered in a hushed fascination before taking off towards her mom and Amy.
Michael and Maria stood in silence for a few minutes. Michael's free hands now nursing his still hurting stomach and Maria nursing her hand. "I could have taken care of it.." The 11 year old girl grumbled, feeling shy again.
"Deluca..." Michael said, making Maria look at him, "Gotta remind me to never get you mad, cheesehead."
"Dorkbutt..." Maria muttered, the subject being forgotten, shoved back for in the future. "Tag! Your it!" She shouted as she touched his arm and quickly ran off.
"You cheated!" Michael declared, but was off running after, grinning as she dodged around him, knowing he had better enjoy this..because once their dad's found out what they had done...they'd be in trouble.
To Be Continued
"Stop it! Why are you being so mean?!" An 11 year old Maria asked, her eyes wide and a watery green with her tears. The teasing had started sometime last year. The young girl had been told to ignore it all, and she had...but the words were getting so hurtful. She was tough, like Teflon, that's what her daddy said, but she didn't feel it when she had people yelling mean things at her for things she had no control over.
"It's the truth!" A boy sneered that was atleast a year or two older then her and lived down the street. Her mother and his talked alot, she knew that. "I heard my mom talking about it. Your dad doesn't love you or your mom anymore and that's why everyone on the entire block can hear them fighting all the time. Your dad doesn't love you. Who could! Look at you." He gave Maria a slight shove and before he could continue on, he was pushed back by a surprisingly strong force.
"You leave her alone!" Michael growled. He was only 11, but he stood tall for his age and was strong, especially when it came to his sister or Maria. People should know by now the wrath of the Guerin Boy if either girls were messed with. He was a mean little kid for being 11.
"Mikey's got a girlfriend!" Billy said with a laugh, not even phased by the push. "He's defending Deluca.." He called across the playground, not only bringing more focus from the other kids, but from the parents too, including Nicole and Amy who had brought Michael, Maria, and Tess out that day. "I bet he even kisses her!"
"You shut up Billy, before I pound you.." Michael threatened, his face turning a light shade of red from anger and embarrassment.
"Are you really a girl under there, Mikey? I mean all you do is hang out with Deluca and your little sister. What's wrong with you?" The boy continued on with a chuckle. "And your always around with your mom too, what are ya? A momma's boy?" He barely got that out before he and Michael were rolling around on the floor, grunting and hitting each other.
Finally, Billy hit Michael hard in the stomach and the wild haired boy groaned, rolling onto his side, coughing as the air was knocked out of him. "Looks like your the one needing protecting, Momma's boy.." Billy spat out, getting ready to flee when he saw Nicole and Amy quickly starting towards them. "Next time you should hold your tongue and let Deluca get what she's got coming to her."
He turned around, ready to leave and when he did, he was hit square in the nose, knocking him back in shock and pain. "OOWWWW!!" He wailed as his hands flew to his face, blood already coming from his injured nose. "I'm bleeding!" The older boy wailed and started to cry, making the hitter grin in satisfaction.
"MARIA DELUCA!" Maria's grin quickly faded at her mothers shout. That meant she was in trouble....uh-oh. "What do you think your doing young lady!?! He's bleeding!"
"But...But...but he hit Michael...He HURT MICHAEL!" She defended quickly and a short curly blonde popped up beside, bright blue eyes holding the same defiance as maria.
"It's true Aunt Amy, Billy said really mean things about you and uncle Brian and then he and Michael...he hurt Michael." The 8 year old Tess said in defense to her brother and almost sister. "He was really mean." She repeated, crossing her arms with a pout. "I'm glad he's hurt."
"Tessa." Nicole warned, shaking her head disappointedly at the three kids. Michael had stood up by now, still clutching his stomach in pain, but looking proud of Tess's words, and Maria's actions. She sighed as Michael pulled together himself and threw an arm over each one of the girls, grinning slightly. She tried not to smile, tried not to encourage fighting. But they looked so cute together, and she had heard some of what the other boy was saying....
"You two...are in trouble..." Amy said pointing at Maria and Michael, "And you too mister..." She turned to point at Billy, "I'm going to be talking to your mother..."
"-ut mwy nwose.." Billy pleaded behind his hands, and Amy and Nicole took pity on the boy, rushing him off to the bathrooms to clean his nose.
Tess erupted into giggles, dancing around Michael and Maria, much to their amusement. "Oh wow Ria, You could be stronger than Michael.." She froze in mid step and looked at the two with wide eyes. "What if you *ARE* stronger then him?!" She started to giggle again, "Did you see how she hit him Michael? He was bleeding?!"
"Well that's hurricane Deluca to the rescue." Maria said with a grin, "it only seemed fair considering Michael got hurt because of me..." She looked shyly at Michael who was smirking with his arms crossed.
"No one can be mean to you but me...it's a rule." Michael said and scowled as he watched his mom and Amy fussing over Billy.
"I wonder if you broke his nose.." Tess whispered in a hushed fascination before taking off towards her mom and Amy.
Michael and Maria stood in silence for a few minutes. Michael's free hands now nursing his still hurting stomach and Maria nursing her hand. "I could have taken care of it.." The 11 year old girl grumbled, feeling shy again.
"Deluca..." Michael said, making Maria look at him, "Gotta remind me to never get you mad, cheesehead."
"Dorkbutt..." Maria muttered, the subject being forgotten, shoved back for in the future. "Tag! Your it!" She shouted as she touched his arm and quickly ran off.
"You cheated!" Michael declared, but was off running after, grinning as she dodged around him, knowing he had better enjoy this..because once their dad's found out what they had done...they'd be in trouble.
To Be Continued