Note: This chapter has been re-written and hopefully made better. There's a lot that's the same I just changed things that I wanted to elaborate more on or I felt needed changing. The first chapter was re-written three times before I submitted it, so it's not unusual for me to do this. Here is the newly revised second chapter!
Dark Stranger
It was hot. Unbearably hot. The heat seemed to roll off our tongues making us pant like dogs. The stray across the street was laying on his paws, tongue touching the burning sidewalk, waves of heat pulsing out of its nose. A cat meandered out of the side alley, a loping sluggish stride. The dog noticed it immediately, ears perking up with a growl, but he did not move. The heat was too much. The cat continued its painful saunter across the street. It almost looked as though it were melting into the midnight tar. The ground should have been steaming like that of a hot spring. The cat disappeared behind the Delabruno house and the dog relaxed once again onto his paws.
From my seat on the stoop against the scratchy crumbling brick I stared at the rusting silver Honda accord and could only see a blurring fuzzy line of drizzle. The air was burning like the fires of hell. The rays of the sun poured down on us mercilessly, the beams ricocheting off glass windows like bullets shooting into our skin.
Jack squinted his eyes, one eye squeezing entirely shut as if in dire pain. He turned his face away from the iron rail of the porch. The outside of my apartment building wasn't exactly appealing to the eye, but hell, it was home. The rust-colored bricks were crumbling down off the face of the house which seemed to be in a constant dreary frown. The door had paint chipping and rolling down its surface. There was always some new disrepair to my building. The wrought iron railing that circled the tiny four stepped stoop also had tidbits of paint snapping away and it was rusting through to the bone. I could hear the pigeons cooing overhead, a constant cacophony of noise that filtered down from the eighth floor. It was a faithful nagging, the one thing that never changed.
"I swear to God if I don't get some fuckin' water I'm gonna kill somebody wit' my bare hands." Jack growled to himself and lifted his hands in a tense strained pose, ready to strangle. The veins in his fingers pulsed rapidly, like a rushing river. I raised a brow at my friend and then lit a cigarette. I chuckled, the white stick wagging in my mouth like a puppy's tail. I snatched the "smoke" from my mouth after taking a drag and cupped it into my palm. I inhaled with a sharp hiss and looked to Jack.
"Ya know who you sound like?" I smirked, my face transformed into a sly Cheshire cat's.
"Who?" Jack pursed his lips together and widened his eyes so he resembled an olive skinned owl.
"Blink." As soon as that haunting named passed my lips I regretted it. My mouth tightened fiercely and I ground my teeth deep into the inside of my lips. My face tensing up at the thought of my friend. Blink's memory drifted over us like a rain cloud ready to let loose and downpour. In March, Blink had been killed on the docks of pier 13. He was gutted like a fish by some no good designer boy. One of those no good bastards who thought they were better then everyone else, dressed in expensive clothes and looked down on people who had nothing and earned every cent. I hated them for their Armani Exchange T-shirts, the pristine sneakers and expensive jeans. Blink's memory plagued us like a disease, festering as the months plowed on. The grotesque image of his body contorted in death, laying like a broken pigeon on the splintered wood, his blood dripping out of him like a red water fountain, left me with nightmares.
I looked at my brother Ben when I heard him give a wheezing sigh as he casually tossed his canvas baseball into the air and caught it with a whump. He leaned his head back against the brick wall, his brow shrouded with sweat. The salty beads trickling down the sides of his face, which he stubbornly ignored. He tossed the baseball once more and caught it with exact precision. He held that baseball with a reverent gentle grace, cupping it like he would the curve of a baby's head.
My brother had these outrageous dreams of becoming a star player for the New York Yankees. He wanted desperately to be out there on the baseball field, the smell of grass and dirt all around him. Everyone but Ben knew that it was impossible. My brother suffered from severe asthma and general smallness for a kid his age. He rarely went a month without being sick. He rested his outstretched heels onto the scratched wood of my old skateboard. It wasn't like I was gonna be riding it anytime soon. A skater obsession I had in seventh grade forced me to walk about a thousand yipping dogs to buy that thing. Anyway, Ben rocked it back and forth with his heels, the wheels gliding over the concrete like sandpaper on wood.
"I'm dyin'!" Jack blurted, throwing his hands up in the air with defeat. "Since when is Brooklyn supposed to get this hot? Never! It ain't supposed to be this hot!"
"Jack relax. You can't do nothing about the heat." I rolled my eyes and Ben grinned, catching his baseball, moving the skateboard back and forth while he sweated.
"Yeah, I can. I'm gonna put in a complaint to God and say 'Hey God, yeah you, lower the fuckin' heat.' He'll be so shocked by my use of vulgar language that he'll listen. Then I'll thank him." Jack began to smile. Ben laughed outright and so did I.
"Yeah like the big guy is really gonna listen to you, or any of us for that matter." I squinted my eyes against the blazing sun and looked to the sky. Was he really up there? Some all powerful guy who determined the rest of our lives? I could only wonder. Instead I saw a blank pane of blue. A sheer blanket of nothing that rolled over the houses and apartment buildings of Brooklyn. There were no clouds swimming across the bright sky today. No clouds that would form into Abraham Lincoln, pigs, cows, a ford mustang, or even a playboy pin-up. The cotton candy clouds had dissipated leaving us with a blank canvas.
"Couldn't hurt to try?" Jack shrugged.
"Yeah, I mean why not try? The worst that could happen is he don't listen or strike you down with lightening." Ben whispered with a small smile. He shrugged his shoulders, blew on his baseball and rubbed it against his shirt, shining it like an apple.
"When did this kid turn into a philosopher?" Jack said, thrusting his thumb in Ben's direction.
"How the hell am I supposed to know?" I asked with shock. Ben was my little brother that didn't mean that I knew everything about him.
"Well find out. I wanna sound that smart when I talk."
"You'll never sound that smart when you talk." I remarked with a grin.
"At least I don't wanna stay stupid for the rest of my life." Jack countered and then smirked at me.
"Why don'tcha ask him how he got that smart?"
"I would but . . . "
"Just ask him." I said with exasperation.
"Hey! I'm right here guys!" Ben shouted as loud as he could and waved his arms above his head. Then he coughed, deep throaty coughs. He fished about on the sidewalk for his inhaler, found it and then shoved it into his mouth at once. He pressed down on the metal circle with his index finger, which contained his life saving medicine, and then sucked it all into his lungs with one breath.
"You shouldn't really leave that thing layin around on the floor." I said to Ben, taking another drag of my cigarette.
"Yeah, now ya got germs rolling around all over that thing making germ babies." I looked at Jack with a raised brow, not believing what I was hearing. It took a lot of willpower not to laugh.
"He puts the thing in his mouth, its got germs all over it anyways."
"I took it out of my pocket and forgot to put it back," Ben shrugged with a wheeze. "Hey, Race?"
"What?" I asked, the heat beginning to get to me, making me irritable. I pulled the sticky cotton T-shirt from my chest and began to pulse it in and out, like a heartbeat, trying to fan away the rivers of sweat pouring down my chest. It wasn't working.
"Can we get some ice-cream?" He asked with a hopeful smile.
"That sounds good. Lemon Ice King? Uncle Louie G's? Oh man we could get some everywhere. Let's chase down Mr. Softie." Jack was practically drooling. I chuckled to myself and wiped my brow with the back of my hand. Then I sighed heavily and fished in my pocket. I was completely out of cash. I mean it wasn't like I was used to having rolls of dollar bills in my pocket, but this week I was absolutely broke. I didn't even have a Blinkel.
"So, who's payin'?" I remarked sarcastically and received a knowing look from Jack. He knew that I was broke. I hated when my friends knew how desperate I was for money. It was about time I started looking for a third job.
"Ya know what Ben? I don't need no ice cream. You go get some for yourself, all right?" Jack said with a smile, he leaned over the edge of the stoop and pressed a five-dollar bill into Ben's hand. "Bring me back my change though."
"Thanks Jack!" Ben scrambled up from the floor tossing me the baseball at the same time. I caught it with my left hand. Ben planted his foot onto the skateboard and began to soar down the block.
"Don't go that fast! You got asthma! If you gotta go to the hospital one more time this summer Ma will tear my face off!" I screamed after him, but Ben was already turning the corner. He was probably headed to Mama's Deli. God, ice-cream sounded so good right about now.
"So where'd your cash go?" Jack asked, lighting up a cigarette of his own.
"My cell phone broke and I had to buy a new one. I still owe seventy-five bucks." I raked my fingers through my hair. "I fucking dropped it running for the train."
"Hey, shit happens." Jack glanced at me warily. "Why don'tcha come work for my dad? He'll pay ya fifty dollars a day."
"Still ain't enough. Do you realize that I pay for everythin' in that shit apartment? Even the rent. Fifty dollars a day ain't nowhere near enough."
"Well it'll help wouldn't it?"
"What would help is if my mother got off her sorry ass and got a fucking job!"
"I was just trying to help." Jack held his hands up in defense, palms flat to my face.
"I know. It just don't help." I hung my head for a minute. "I wanted to get outta here. I wanted to go to school. I wanted my own life and instead I'm still stuck in this fucking shit hole without a damn dime." Jack was silent. He knew what I was thinking now. He knew I was thinking we were all gonna end up like Blink. That we were all gonna end up in a sea of our own blood. If it was gonna happen, I wanted it to happen now.
The U-haul came up the block. The bright orange stripe clearly distinct amongst the dark red colored buildings and run down siding laden houses. It came up the street with a loud rumbling of its engine followed by a green minivan which seemed entirely empty. Me and Jack stared at the unusual occurrence. No one moved into this neighborhood, if they did they were never going to leave or they prayed they'd be out in a week. Everyone was looking to get out of here, not come in. It was full of guys who thought they were thugs, mobsters and junkies. These people didn't look like any of that and yet they were moving into our run down area of Brooklyn.
The minivan stopped just behind the U-Haul. Out stepped a woman with brightly blonde streaked hair and a round waist. An older man also appeared, a beard speckled with gray and a Marlboro T-shirt. The drivers side door to the U-haul opened and out stepped a guy around my age. He walked around to the back of the U-haul where I could see him clearly. His mouth was down turned into an angry frown and eyes were rimmed in black. He had a bruise the color of violets along his cheek. He surveyed the area with a dark look in his eyes, squinting as he looked straight at me, crossing his arms. He dared me to fight him, battling me with that one look. I looked right back, jutting my chin upward and then raised a corner of my mouth in a cocky come and get me grin. His expression never changed as he rustled his black hair. He unlocked the back of the truck with ease and then yanked open the metal door with one swift movement. The door rattled and rumbled as he pulled it open. He had arrived and wanted to make damn sure everybody knew it. He lit a cigarette and stuck it in his mouth, biting down on the filter with a sneer.
"What did I tell you about smoking in front of me, Tug?" The woman snapped at him, frowning. He took the cigarette from his lips and smirked.
"You said not to smoke in front of you." He said in a tauntingly clear voice. He put the cigarette back in his mouth and took a drag. He then proceeded to blow a series of perfectly round smoke rings.
The woman then glared at the older man saying, "he's your son!" before storming into the apartment complex with a creek of the decaying wooden door.
"Yeah, I'm your son." He replied in a cocky over confident voice. He began to unload his belongings from the truck and head into the building.
Well, things around here would certainly never be the same.
"That kid's got one serious attitude problem." Jack said to me with a cocked brow.
"Ain't we all got an attitude problem?"
"Yeah, but it ain't nothing like that, Race."
"Yeah, you're right."
"As long as he don't try to take over our block I really don't give a shit." Jack said with finality. I couldn't deny thinking the same thing. I could already feel the tension rising in my chest. This was our block, our own little world that we controlled through years of dedication and busted lips. I knew then that if this new kid tried to treat the block as his own there would be some serious territorial problems and Jack wouldn't think twice about busting his face in.
My day had seemed nearly endless, just like all summer days. I had busted my ass at Lundy's. I probably served close to a hundred tables that night, maybe more, and was coming home with a nice big fat wad of tips. I was in a good mood. A really good mood. Summer days never seemed to end in Brooklyn. Even when the dusk began to settle in, the sky was still bright. It still glowed. It was riveting, a royal blue glowing against the streetlights. It could be four a.m. and no one would realize it. No one would notice until that one bleak crack of sunlight splayed across the velvet ocean had turned it purple. I shoved my hands in my pockets as I turned the corner to my block.
Out of the corner of my eye I couldn't help but notice her, standing there near the mouth of the alley. She was one of Casey's friends, I knew that much but we didn't see her often. When we did, she had a loud mouth and didn't give a shit what she said. I liked her. She knew how to put anybody in their place and wasn't afraid to do it. God was she gorgeous though. I couldn't help but stare at her, nobody could help staring at her. She had these deep brown eyes that reminded me of Godiva chocolates and her hair was the color of burning chestnuts. There she was, standing on a street corner, her hip jutted out to the side and her hair tossed back, lips pursed in an inviting seduction. Her clothes clung to her like a second skin, so tight that I felt she couldn't breathe. She saw me watching her as I walked and she flashed me a perfectly white toothy grin. I smiled back with a nod of my head. She made her money by haunting street corners at twilight and sleeping with men in cheap roach infested motels. Sometimes I'd see her in the mornings with her high heels off as she walked home, the straps held in her left hand, her right holding a cigarette. Her mascara would be drifting down her cheeks in a black curtain, her hair a sex tossed mess. Her godiva eyes would be blank, empty except for the haze of tears. She was a beautiful disaster. I tore my eyes away from her and began to search the street for the faint silhouette of Casey. She said she would meet me down the block when I called and told her I was on my way home.
I continued onward, the sky fading to a dark blue when I saw Casey coming toward me carry a McDonald's bag. Yes, chicken nuggets. Score!
"Well, look who it is? Is this my missing girlfriend?" I smirked at her. She ran the last three steps and wrapped her arms around my waist, kissing me softly. I smiled with my mouth pressed to hers. "Oh it most definitely is." I pinched her ass and she slapped my chest.
"Hey, it ain't my fault I haven't seen you. You're the one who had to take on extra shifts cause you dropped your phone."
"Don't make me feel like an asshole."
"But you are an asshole." She said ever so sweetly, her eyes alight with pleasure.
"Ha." I rolled my eyes and the two of us turned to walk up my block. I noticed something going on at the top. The new kid was standing in the middle of the street glaring at a broad chested guy and was encircled by the rest of his group as well. They looked familiar. The five guys surrounding him looked awfully familiar. I grabbed Casey by the hand and began to pull her up the street.
"Slow down, Race. Christ!" I ignored her, which I knew I'd get yelled at for later. Once there I knew immediately who they were, Gino's boys.
"Fuck." I muttered to myself. They usually didn't come into this part of the neighborhood, not after the trouble they started with Blink. Now it seemed they had some trouble with the new kid, some sort of trouble that needed to be sorted out. Gino would be back terrorizing our block, trying to sell off his opulent drug stores. I saw Ben standing on the stoop, his hands grasping the railing tightly, knuckles a milky white. He wheezed loudly, chest heaving in his nervousness.
"Casey stay by Ben."
"But . . . "
"Case." I glanced at her and she knew immediately that I was going to intervene. What else is new?
"If you get beat up today I ain't taking care of your wounds."
"That's good to know." I winked at her and she responded by rolling her eyes. She jogged up the steps and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Your brother is something else, huh?" She whispered to him, ruffling his hair. Ben smiled and smoothed back down his cowlicks.
"Yeah, course he is. Otherwise, I woulda gotten beat up a thousand times." Casey chuckled and pulled Ben closer. Ben shoved his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.
I meandered over to the group which was closing in on the new guy. I took my time, sizing them up. I hadn't fought with Gino in years. Well, truthfully, the only time was in elementary school when he stole a brownie from me. You don't fuck with a kids chocolate. That fight was different. That ain't like the fights we all get into now.
"Hey Gino, I missed seeing that ugly face on my block." I grinned at him and he turned to see who had insulted him so.
""ey! Race, where ya been?" I just then noticed the bridge of his nose was cut in a thin slice and scabbing over rather nicely. There was still some swelling around that area and looked like it hurt pretty bad when it happened.
"Around, busting my ass." We shook hands. Good, we were on friendly terms then.
"Yeah I had to disappear for a while. Things kinda got a little hot."
"Oh yeah? Sorry to hear that. So, what's the problem?" I asked with a raised brow, trying to keep it casual.
"Ain't no problem. Right, Tug?" Gino sneered and then licked his lips.
"Yeah, for now there ain't no problem, Gino. Just stay away from her." Tug cracked his knuckles and glared. He looked like a bull catching its first glimpse of red. He was ready to charge. Gino nodded and whistled through his teeth, a signal that it was time to go. The cronies followed him down the street and off my block. Me and Tug stood silent, watching them go.
"I didn't need no help." He muttered.
"Yeah? If I hadn't shown up your face woulda hit the pavement." I glanced at him and held out my hand. "Race."
"Tug." We shook and he grinned. "My problems with that mother fucker ain't got nothing to do with you."
"Yeah? It seems that everyone has problems with that mother fucker." We both grinned. "Casey," I pointed at my girlfriend still cuddling my little brother. "is making chicken nuggets tonight. Alright, well she bought 'em, but there's a hell of a lot of 'em."
"Sounds good." Tug nodded and we headed toward my building, hands in our pockets.
"So do you like to fight or something?" I asked, pointing at the gorgeous bruise on his cheek. He laughed.
"Yeah something like that."
"Ya know sometimes I just wanna strangle my father, really I do. I mean why is it my job to make sure that everything goes so fucking perfect? It's his job too ya know? Fuck that! I mean it wasn't my fault that the lock didn't fit right and the keys were useless! Then he starts screamin' at me and telling me that I gotta stay overtime to fix it while he goes home! He also told me that I gotta stop fucking around and do my job! That piece of shit! I just wanna take the fucking keys and shove 'em up his ass!" Jack's voice came through the phone loud and clear. I pulled the device away from my ear and grimaced. I was tempted to throw the silver phone over the edge of the rooftop, but thought against it. It did cost me a hundred and fifty bucks and I knew I would still be able to hear him eight stories down. Me and Tug had been up on the roof for the past hour talking about nothing and everything, getting acquainted further. Jack had met him the day before and deemed him "Worthy enough to get into trouble with." Quite a compliment.
The roof still had sunlight streaming across its pale white floor. The shadows hadn't crept in yet and so the whole scene was quite serene and peaceful. I had already told Tug about Blink, how we'd abandoned this hang out for quite sometime and had only just recently began returning. It was different though. The roof was solemn and even the pigeons seemed to lower their cooing out of respect. I was seated on the roof's ledge, dangling my feet casually when Jack had started screaming. Tug was sitting on our crate table, sipping a beer, trying to listen in but only getting static.
"So, you're not coming to Frankie's?"
"Are you kidding? I'll be there and I'll be there on time! That mother fucker can take all his stupid locks and eat 'em for all I care! It's a Friday! I don't work after five on Friday and I don't care if my father is my boss! He could eat shit!" Click. Jack definitely just hung up on me.
"Hello?" I asked tentatively. A monotonous buzzing greeted me warmly. "Right . . . "
"So we're going to Frankie B's tonight and Jack will most definitely be there and on time. Just having some work issues." I said with a roll of my eyes. Tug gripped the neck of his beer and swirled the yellow liquid in a circle.
"Didn't sound like no normal work issues."
"Eh . . . he works for his dad. What do you expect?" I shrugged.
"I tried that once and I was so pissed by the end of the week I quit." Tug smirked. "It didn't exactly end well. So, now I work in construction. When I get pissed I just smash something and it's alright cause that's what I get paid to do." I laughed at Tug's explanation for working in construction. I'd never thought of it that way before. "I feel bad for Jack, though."
"Yeah, so do I." I paused for a while, drumming my fingers on the edge. I wanted to know what was really going on between Tug and Gino. I had to know. I had to know if I was on the right side. "So . . . why don't you get along with Gino? The real reason."
Tug sighed heavily and raked his fingers through his hair, tugging a bit on its end. He gulped back some more beer, taking his time. His adams apple rolling up and down with each gulp. He stared at the empty beer bottle, reading the label with squinted eyes before peeling it off and crumpling it into a little ball.
"He fucked with my kid." He lifted a shoulder in a one-sided shrug and then lit a cigarette. He cradled the mouth of the lighter's flame carefully, blocking out all wind, his face wrinkled in concentration until he finally had smoke billowing out of his mouth. He looked like a dark dragon. I went to say something but he cut me off. "My kid's mother, my ex you could say, we're not gonna get into that story, well she loaned something from him and promised she'd pay him back later. Anyway, she couldn't pay him back and so he threatened my kid. That bastard broke into Amy's house, grabbed Mikey and told her that if she didn't get the money he'd throw him out the window. When I heard about that I lost it. That's my kid, ya know? I'd lay down in front of train tracks for Mikey." Tug lowered his head and ran a finger down his nose in contemplation. I could still sense there was something in this story that Tug wasn't telling. At least I had him talking about it though.
"When she told me about it, I looked for him and when I found him I broke his nose. I told him if he ever went near my kid again I'd crack him in half. He's the one who gave me the bruise." Tug looked back over at me. "That's the story. Instead of bothering my kid, he's out for my blood." I nodded, crossing my arms, feeling the weight of them against my chest.
"So that's where he got that bad break from."
"Yeah. I pounded him." Tug said with a proud puffed out chest.
"Don't worry. Now it ain't just you. We've got your back."
"Who's we?"
"Jack and me. Jack is one bad ass when he's pissed so you got no problem." Tug scoffed and then smiled. "How olds your kid?"
"One." Tug smiled. It was the first time I'd seem him smile a real smile. A face brightening smile that broke through the coldness of his eyes. I guess everyone has something that can break them from the dreariness of their world. Something that removes them from the bleak streets and bloody fights. For Tug it was his son. "You'll probably meet him soon."
Frankie B's was one of those bars that looked like total shit on the outside and on the inside was pretty decent. There was one of those old fashioned swinging signs with Frankie B's written in cursive writing on the outside. The awning was torn in random places, the flaps blowing with the slight breeze. The brick wall was full of graffiti. People writing love notes such as J hearts P, and other things like Adam was here. At one point or another we'd all written on that wall and I could clearly see Blink ROCKS in black permanent marker by the doorframe. I couldn't help but smile sadly, our friend had left a permanent piece of himself behind. The three of us walking down the block to the bar, all of us dressed in jeans and a cheap button down shirt. That's how we got dressed up, none of us ever wore anything to nice. We walked down the block like we were tied at the hip, all three of us in one straight line. Hands in our pockets, smoke coming out of lips and our hair messy from the wind. We were sorta like the Three Stooges, but better dressed.
"So we gonna meet any girls worthwhile in this place?" Tug remarked casually, waving his hand slightly.
"Depends on what you deem worthwhile." I countered with a shrug as we neared the bar.
"Well ya know, hot and fuckable."
"Oh you mean easy? Yeah of course." Jack replied with a laugh. "Casey's friends are gonna be there tonight. All of 'em." Jack wiggled his eyebrows and slapped me on the back.
"Are Casey's friends easy?" Tug asked with a smirk.
"No they ain't." I countered and shoved Jack forward. He was still smirking though, he nodded his head as he glanced at me.
"No way. Not happening." My look was pure exasperation.
"I have no idea what you'se are talking about." Tug looked annoyed.
"Alright well Casey's got this one friend who's gotta be some goddess. I mean this girl is drop dead fucking gorgeous. She should be a model. She's got these hips that you just . . . mmm." He bit down on his lip and put his hands out as if grabbing her hips in his hands. Tug began to smile.
"So you want her right?" Tug glanced at him right eyebrow lifting in question.
"No way! She ain't my sorta girl. I was thinkin' that if you just wanted an easy fuck that she'd be right up your alley, though she'll cost ya. She's a whore. Sort of a legend actually, the best screw this side of the river." Jack rubbed his fingers together in front of Tug's face.
"Get the fuck outta here. I don't pay for ass." Tug waved him off with a psht sound.
"Your loss. Just wait till you see her. " Jack disregarded Tug with a shrug and pushed on the golden rod to the door. As soon as it cracked open blaring music pumped into my ears. I saw the girls right away, bunched up in a wooden booth in the corner. Casey was laughing, her eyes twinkling in the dim light. She was my goddess. Fuck, I was starting to get cheesy now. Jack coughed and then cleared his throat, pulling on the collar of his shirt. He squeaked and we both regarded him with confusion.
"Sage's there..." He whispered, cheeks growing red. Tug snorted and gripped Jack's shoulder tightly.
"Just don't throw up or nothing, some girls take that as a real turn off." I laughed and pushed my way through the growing crowd. Sliding past drunken sweaty bodies in order to get to Casey. I collapsed into the booth next to her and slung an arm across her shoulder.
"Gino was in here." She whispered into my ear. "What happened?" I waved her off acting like it was no big deal but shared a glance with Tug who was now scooting closer to the goddess we had spoken of earlier. He gave me an inquiring look and I glanced at the door. He knew something was definitely up. Jack crammed himself into the booth in front of me which meant I'd be staring at his face all night long. Thank God Sage was bunched up in the corner. She'd probably end up smacking Jack if she wasn't.
"Did Gino say he'd be back?" I whispered into her ear.
"No, but he wouldn't leave us alone for awhile. Vest told him to take a hike." I nodded and picked up Casey's beer. I took a sip. I swirled it in my mouth and then gulped it down.
"Alright ladies, let's get started."
"We're already two beers in, Jack. You're a little late." Sage said with a smile and finished off what little was left of her beer.
"Well the next round is on me."
"I'm in!" I jumped at the chance. Poor Jack, he was gonna get shot down again. Tug laughed, and from the corner of his eye glanced at the girl. She ran her finger along the top of her bottle, licked her red painted lips and glanced back at him, throwing her hair over her shoulder.
"What's ya name?" He whispered against her neck.
"I don't give my name out to strangers." She gave him a one second look over and her lips started to form into a tentative smile, the slight hint soon faded. "And even if I really knew who you were, I still don't think I'd give you my name." She smiled then, chocolate eyes glowing like amber. "You look like trouble waiting to happen." Casey looked at me and raised a brow.
"He don't know who she is." Jack remarked.
"Casey relax, we told him all about her. He just don't know which girl is which." Jack laughed. Our conversation was interrupted by Vest heading over to our table with enough bottles of beer to last us at least a half hour. That's most likely an understatement.
"You know if you were a girl you'd be the love of my life, Vest." I said to him, resting a hand over my heart. "Seriously now."
"Shut up, Race. These are on the house." He winked at us. "Don't say nothing though." He put his finger over his lips and grinned. When I started sneaking into Frankie B's when I was sixteen Vest was an old guy, now he was an ancient legend. No one knew how old the guy was. He let me drink though so I never had nothing against him. Vest must have owned about a million vests. Every time we came in here he always had a different one on and tonight the vest was orange with blue trim and buttons. Flashy yet not outrageously flamboyant. Vest reminded me of that crazy uncle that everyone has when they're kids. The one who spoils the living shit out of you. We thanked him, as he walked away, by shouting at him at the top of our lungs and cheering as we clanked beers.
"Alright, since you won't tell me your name one of these ladies will." Tug said confidently. She laughed and rolled her eyes.
"Try it."
"It's Raven." Sage said with a smug grin. Raven's face turned into a scowl and she threw a napkin at her friend who laughed as she blocked her face.
"Raven, huh?"
"Yeah and who are you?"
"Tug." He actually leaned in and kissed her cheek getting an exaggerated eye rolled in response as she pulled her head away from him. Me and Jack bent our heads to muffle our laughter, Jack getting a slap on the arm from Sage. Well I guess reaching all the way across the table to slap Jack is actually worth it, who knew?
"I didn't know you felt that way, Sage." Jack looked at her with wide hopeful eyes.
"Oh dear god." She muttered and took another sip of beer, avoiding his pathetic doe eyes. I glanced at Casey who was trying hard not to giggle.
"You should be Casanova." Rayturned her body towards Tug in the booth and leaned back against the wall. She licked her lips slowly, making sure her tongue reached every part of the soft skin.
"Is he always like this?" Casey asked me, resting her elbow on the table and pointing her thumb at Tug.
"Well...I wouldn't really know." I replied innocently. She eyed me suspiciously and then narrowed her eyes. I saw Tug nudge Jack on the shoulder and whisper into his ear, Jack nodded. I knew what Jack was telling Tug. After it was said Tug's face curled into a sly smirk before turning his attention back to Raven.
"He ain't gonna hurt her or nothing alright?" Casey still glared at me. "Oh come on..." I shook her shoulder a little. "Case."
"Whatever." I lifted my beer bottle to my face and drank the frothy goodness, sipping it slowly, savoring the bitter crisp taste. I loved the aftertaste of beer, that tart spice in the back of my throat. I saw Tug clasp Raven's hand and slide out of the booth, he stood there holding her hand for a moment while he finished his full beer. He slammed the bottle down on the table and wiped his mouth with the back of his wrist. She stepped in front of him, weaving through the crowd like a lithe thread through cloth, to the back door. They disappeared in the midst of laughing drunken souls.
Time became something unconscious. Things began to slide in and out of focus, the world blurring around me in a hazy cloud. I was smiling and laughing with my friends. Drinking down every last drop of the cheap beer Vest had brought us. Jack shamelessly flirting with the unwilling Sage while Casey ordered another pitcher. It seemed like it was devoured in minutes by our collective thirst. The crowd began to thin out but not so that the bar was entirely empty. The heavy door opened suddenly and I saw Gino as clear as day enter, his three boys following behind him. My eyes immediately going right back into focus. They all looked like dangerous mirror images and none of them were smiling. They wore black hoodies and torn jeans, eyes creased with anger. I stopped laughing and turned my head to look, to stare at them as though they were foreign.
"Race are you," Jack trailed off when he saw who had just arrived and consequently lost his grip on his beer, sending the bottle toppling. It collapsed onto its side the foaming liquid slithering across the table wormlike and pouring over the side in a piss-like waterfall.
"Well look who's here. My favorite two boys." Gino said, pressing his palms flat against the table, careful to avoid the spill. He leaned down. "And Casey, don't you look stunning tonight."
"Bite me." She snapped and moved toward the corner of the booth.
"What do you want, Gino?" I looked right up into his eyes, wanting a one word answer, or maybe one that I could react to and then he'd leave. That would really be for the best.
"Just looking for your new little friend that's all. I figured you'd be here tonight and was looking forward to running into him that's all."
"He ain't here."
"No? Are ya sure, Race? Be real sure."
"I'm sure."
"Don't start lyin' to me now. It ain't good for your health." I licked my lips and started to stand, muttering "Let's go" as I did. Gino curled his fingers over my shoulder and shoved me back down into the booth. Gino reminded me of some sort of stray dog who liked to pee on everyone's stoops. Yeah, he pissed on everybody when he had the chance.
"I don't think so. Where the fuck is he?"
"I told you he ain't here." And just as I spoke the words Jack's eyes widened. He reached his arm all the way across the wide table to tap me on the shoulder, which didn't make Tug's appearance any less discreet. Jack then decided to get up from the booth, shooting into a standing position like a rocket. One of Gino's hooded thugs shoved Jack not so nicely back into his seat. Tug watched the whole scene with unfeeling eyes from over Gino's shoulder. If I would have been standing there I know I would have been making funny faces and giving Gino bunny years. Let's just say it would have been payback for the brownie.
"Why you movin' so fast, huh?" Raystepped up behind Tug, gripping the crook of his elbow with her slender hand, hiding her body with his massive chest. Tug could have been a rhinoceros in the wild. I hear those things are really fucking mean and Tug can be really fucking mean. I watched as she carefully rose up onto her toes to whisper something into Tug's ear. I could see the fire in his eyes and the hate filled glare that he stared at Gino with. It was like he wished to set Gino's hair on fire. It was only a matter of seconds before the awkwardness hit an ultimate high and Gino discovered Tug behind him.
"Leave 'em alone. This ain't their problem." He hissed in a taunting whisper. The sound of Tug's voice made Gino turn around to him with an evil grin splayed across his face. Raytook an instinctual step back, wanting to get away from Gino. The hell of her shoe made a sharp clicking sound on the floor.
We had all gone silent, everything still while the rest of the bar revolved with life. Music played at its highest volume, beers clanked together in toasts and the shouts of many were heard. The smell of sour beer floating across the air like a cloud.
Gino curled his fingers, sharp like claws, around Raven's arm, yanking her toward him. His fingers digging into her delicate skin most likely leaving painful bruises. She stumbled, her face caught in an inaudible gasp. Gino thrust her up against his chest, pressing his hips forcefully up against her ass. He looped an arm around her waist so tight that her shirt began to curl up her stomach and the skin there turned red. With his free hand Gino let his fingertips play with her ear and then just for kicks he bit her earlobe. Rayshut her eyes and swallowed hard, not moving a muscle.
"Pretty little whore ain't she? I'm wonderin' though, did you have enough to pay for her? She always makes me pay." Gino rasped, his lips brushing against Raven's cheek like a sting. She jerked her head away turned her head as if he lips were diseased, her body rigid at his touch. Her jaw began to tighten and her hand was stretched out fully, each finger long and ready to snap. Gino made the mistake of loosening his grip on her waist. Rayturned in his arms, struck her hand out, digging her fingernails into his face. Thin red lines of blood bubbling up from his skin. Tug's large hand pushed Rayaway from Gino, and she went stumbling into our table, knocking beer bottles and glasses to the floor. Tug flexed his fingers and then curled them into a painfully tight fist and before anyone had a chance to move he had lunged forward, and curled his left hand around Gino's neck. Tug thrust Gino backward into the wall, his fingers tight around his neck, literally strangling him. I watched stunned as Gino clawed at Tug's fingers with bug eyes and his tongue hanging out of his mouth like a dog's.
When Gino's thugs went to yank us all out of the booth that's when we all jumped up, me rocking myself out of the booth like a gymnast. My hands curling around the hard wood to swing myself out. Jack slid out of the booth and ran for the nearest guy, sending an forearm right up into his throat. I rushed for Gino's other friend wrapping my arms around his waist and running as fast as I could, shoving his back roughly into the wood of the bar. I heard the glasses all around me shatter, the dripping of spilt beer falling to the floor. There was screaming and everyone began to clear a space so the fight could continue.
I reeled my arm back and sent a fist flying up into my opponents chin with a snapping sound, his teeth clinking together. He turned his head to spit before surprising me with a punch to the left side of my face. It throbbed and I thought I felt my cheekbone crack. I ducked his neck punch and sent a nice one up into his gut which made him double over and cough. I thrust my fist upward right into his jaw and his head flew backward at an almost unnatural angle. He looked like a wolf howling at the moon, but painfully. Once his head snapped back into it's right position he grabbed me by the shoulders, turning me over and crashing my back into the wooden bar. I growled in pain, my body beginning to throb horribly from the punches and slams. I send a jab right into his nose and my knuckles collided with bone, grinding deep into the centre of it until his nasal area snapped and blood came gushing forth in a river. His hands encircled my neck and I my air supply was immediately cut off, breathing had ceased to exist for me. My hand searched for something to hit him with, anything to let go so air could come rushing back into my lungs. I grasped the neck of something slender and cold. It was a beer bottle. I brought it up over my head and send it crashing down on top of his, the bottle snapping in half, yellow water splashing down over the both of us. He immediately let go of neck and in a sudden movement grabbed the top of my hair and slammed the back of my head down onto the bar with rattling force. Stars glistened and floating in front of my eyes and suddenly there wasn't one thug, there was three. Three assholes attacking me at once, how rude. I couldn't find a grip and as I fell to the floor he came at me again, stumbling. Jack rushed up behind him and grabbed him by the back of his shirt, yanking him away from me before kicking him into the far wall.
My sight began to tunnel in, everything moving into a tight circle, my eyes focused on Jack slamming his fist angrily over and over into my former opponents face. Everything was blurring now, my eyes clouding over with mist. A rolling fog over my porcelain eyes. My head bobbed forward and I forced it upward. Things were starting to die down and I felt someone loop an arm around my waist to hoist me up from the floor. I couldn't tell you who it was. Sirens. Whoop. Whoop. Whoop. Red flashing lights that I couldn't tell if they were behind my eyes or actually there.
"Out the back!" I heard a girl shout. The fast paced running, clicking of heels, thumping of feet. The loud creek of the back door, a brick wall. Everything went black.
"Shut up you big baby!" I groaned as Rayshouted.
"I ain't a baby you're fucking hurtin' me. Leave me alone, I'm fine."
"No you're not! You're bleedin' from your head!" I stifled a groan as I came too. I knew Casey was there sitting by my bed, but I wouldn't let her know I was alright yet.
"Stop flinchin and let me look at it! Stop acting like a little bitch." Rayagain. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
"Are you ok?" I heard Sage from the corner of my room.
"No." Jack was most definitely faking that.
"Where does it hurt?"
"Here." Was he really trying to pull that? I knew he was pointing at his lips I could sense it. When would that boy ever learn. Ow, my head was really killing me.
"Oh fuck off!" Sage snapped playfully and I heard a grunt. She'd definitely hit him somewhere.
"Shut up." I croaked out as I opened my eyes and rested a hand on my forehead. I turned to look at the far corner of the room and knew where all the commotion was coming from and instead saw Jack sitting up on the window ledge, Sage close by. Raven and Tug had taken residence on Ben's bed and he was staring at them with wide eyes. I don't think my baby brother had ever seen blood that close up before or for that matter heard that much cursing either. It's not like I'm saying me and Jack were angels but Ray had some mouth.
"Are you alright?"
"No." I grumbled, pushing myself into a sitting position. Casey leaned over and kissed me. "That helps a little."
"Did you beat 'em, Race?" Ben piped up from his bed. He was wearing my old ninja turtle pajamas which were huge on him, he looked adorably ridiculous.
"Course we did, kid." Tug muttered and glanced at him with one eye and then yelped as Raydug her q-tip into his cut.
"Jesus fucking christ, girl!" She rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue at Ben. He laughed.
"Yeah, Ben, you had to see what the other guys looked like when we was done with em. None of them could ever walk." Jack piped in with a grin.
"Stop making it look like fighting is a good thing. Benny will grow up thinking fighting is what he should be doing." Sage snapped at Jack with her hands on her hips.
"I can't fight anyways, I got asthma." Tug coughed and then chuckled before reached a hand out and ruffling his hair.
"Now that we're all awake boys." Casey said sternly, stopping the joyous tone in the room. I moaned, my head seemed to ache more now. It was lecture time.
"I'm not awake, just pretend I'm still passed out and that you're feeling sorry for me."
"Cut the shit. Seriously, can we please go at least six months without a fight?" I started to smirk, glancing at my friends. We all looked at each other and started to smile.
"Don't think it's possible Case." Jack said grinning.
"Maybe a month?" I asked.
"Nah, I give it two weeks." Tug answered.
"I guess we could handle two weeks, but don't come crying to me when one of you'se gets really hurt." Casey said, pointing her finger, or fingers, in my face. I couldn't tell if there was one of two. I guess that wasn't a really good sign now was it? Oh well. I shut me eyes for a second.
"Are you'se staying over?" Ben looked around the room and asked. There was really no point in anybody going home, it was already late and we were all beat up to the point where not one of us wanted to move and we'd definitely be sore in the morning.
"Yeah, they'se staying over. Ben why don't ya go and call Domino's or somethin?"
"Thank god! I always get so god damn hungry after a fight!" Jack cheered and pumped his fist with a grin.
"You would." Sage said and couldn't help but grinning herself.
"Yes, pizza!" Ben exclaimed at darted out of the room, shutting the door carefully behind him so as not to wake my mother who was probably passed out on the couch.
"So what'd you do to Gino?" I asked Tug.
"Beat the living shit out of him." Tug grinned and poked his head out from over Raven's shoulder. "And kicked him so hard in the balls that he'll never be able to reproduce." We all laughed at that as Tug smirked and raised his brows. I grabbed my head, god did it hurt, but I couldn't stop laughing.