To a Squirrel at Kyle-na-no

CHAPTER 9

I figure you all pretty much know the gist of it by now.

So please, read on, enjoy.

All the usual disclaimers apply.


Sid was sick. Apparently anyway, he wasn't at school.

Manfred couldn't say if this was a good thing or a bad thing, sure, the break from Sid's constant, bumbling chatter was nice, and the severe lack of another shadow was as well, only…Manfred was left at school with Diego.

Diego fucking Pride.

And Jesus Christ, that kid made him uncomfortable.


"Mr. Pride, are you paying attention?" The raspy voice of Mrs. Mahon penetrated whatever lack of concentration he'd been successfully holding up. "Mr. Pride?"

Diego shot the woman a smarmy little grin, flashing fanged canines, "Of course, Mrs. Mahon, why the mere sound of your voice brings me to attention,"

A hushed giggle wavered throughout the room, but Mrs. Mahon (part deaf, you know) didn't seem to notice, instead, she pointed resignedly to the blackboard.

"So, class, can anyone tell me the year Shakespeare wrote Hamlet?"

The dark-haired girl, not two rows in front of him, shot her hand into the air as if her arm was on fire. Shaking her long fingers, waving her tanned arm, bouncing anxiously in her seat.

This was Siara Delbrozzi, Diego's distant cousin, Soto's fuck-toy. For such a brainy little shit, she sure was randy…pretty too.

She was average height, 5'6 tops, slim and darkly tanned skin. Huge green eyes hidden behind thick-rimmed glasses, dark, curly hair falling half-way down her back as her uniform hung unflatteringly off her slim frame.

Soto had taken an interest in her back in the day, before Diego had even met him. Told him later she wasn't like the other girls, she had spunk. Diego wasn't so sure, all he knew was that as far as Soto was concerned, she played an essential part in the drug heist.

"Hamlet was written around 1601-1602…it's hard to be sure of the exact date." Siara said, fingers curling her dark hair back behind her ears.

Mrs. Mahon nodded eagerly, "Right as always, Miss. Delbrozzi."

Siara's round face lights up, as it always does when she gets a question correct. A spark in her green eyes.

She really is quite naïve, innocent, and it's times like this, Diego wonders if she has any idea what she's gotten herself into.


"Soto, you are just as much a member of this group as me and Manny, you can't just not show up! I mean, what are we supposed to tell Ms. Whittle? Honestly, Soto, do you think we're going to give you credit for an assignment that you've had absolutely no participation in?"

Ellie was fuming, and Manfred could say quite truthfully that he was very glad that he wasn't on the receiving end of this. Her red hair was darker somehow, and her green eyes were positively glowing with some form of static electricity.

The other boy mustn't have known what he was getting himself into.

Soto shook his hands, the commonplace gesture of false innocence, "Ellie, Ellie, Ellie, I simply had a prior commitment that had slipped my mind. It took importance."

This didn't seem to help matters, and Ellie went the colour of a cherry tomato, "Jesus, Soto, I'm sorry if your social life takes priority to your school career." Sarcasm dripped from her tongue…it was kinda hot.

Soto leered again, elbows propped on the table, "Who said it had anything to do with my social life, Elizabeth?"

Ellie flushed again, and Manfred had to grab her wrist to keep her from decking him.

"Look, just calm down, both of you." Manfred said, why did he always have to be the adult? "Ellie, chill out, and Soto, for Christ's sake, start rocking up for our sessions."

"You make it sound important." Soto said, chin supported by his long, gangly fingers.

Ellie fumed in Manfred's grasp, her anger close to unrestrainable.

Soto rolled his eyes and sighed, reaching into his bag.

"How about we exchange numbers, that way, I can at least contact you if something comes up again."

Nodding, Ellie seemed to calm down, pulling a piece of scrap paper from her own exercise book. "Ok."

Glancing around, Soto smirked, and Manfred couldn't help but think that maybe there were hidden motives about this whole thing.

He didn't say anything though, just wrote his number down for Ellie and Soto.


Lunch had been painfully awkward and had involved no talking whatsoever.

Needless to say then, Manfred had been exceptionally surprised to find Diego waiting for him at the gate after school. Messenger bag slung over his thin shoulder, cigarette dangling from his full lips.

They walked together though, slow and steady down the various twisting roads to their homes.

After 10 minutes, the silence started to get to Manfred, and he turned his head slightly to look at Diego. Shit, Sid must be rubbing off on him.

"Why are you even sitting with us?"

Diego shrugs, and maybe he doesn't even know.

"I've never hung around people like you, never wanted to hang around people like Sid."

Manfred nods, that much he gets.

"My family doesn't give a shit what I do, they've always let me do whatever I want, when I fuck up my dad doesn't yell, my mum doesn't cry…neither pay bail to get me out of jail, neither even ask why."

This Manfred feels he shouldn't understand, but maybe a little part of him does. He understands not having a group of people you can trust, people that'll help you along the way and get pissed when you screw up. He understands not having a real family, because with him, it's just his grandma, and she's old and frail and can never muster the energy to care.

"When people get angry," Diego continues, "They give a shit about what happens to you, about what you do."

The younger boy pulls a cigarette from his pocket, "I have never had that."

They walk in silence for a bit, and Manfred kind of feels like he should say something, because this kid has just poured his fucking heart out.

"I guess," He starts, "That that's the way things go."

Diego shoots him a subtle smirk, a swift roll of the eyes, "Guess so, Manny." And with that he waves a quick goodbye, and heads off down a narrow side street.

Manfred could've kicked himself, what a ridiculous thing to say…but still, it was probably the most honest thing he'd said in a while.

He thought back for a second, wondered how the hell that conversation had occurred. A small frown played at his lips, Diego didn't make him any less uncomfortable, but maybe, just maybe, Manfred sort of understood him a little better.


Manfred arrives home at 5, having taken a detour around the park. His grandma calls from the other room, a curious, croaky voice.

"Where've you been?"

"Walking, gramma."

He heads into his small, immaculately clean bedroom, and pulls out the hand-piece of the phone.

The piece of paper was burning a hole in his pocket, hot and tense and just there. Ellie's number.

Ellie.

Subconsciously, he dials it, not all there when it rings, not entirely awake as Ellie's calm alto answers the other end.

He hangs up.

Just like that.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. This has been a day of moronic assumptions, of idiotic actions and stupid words.

This whole thing has just been so fucking ridiculous.

The phone rings. Blares even, sharp tones ringing angrily in his ears.

He picks up (stupid.)

"Hello?"

"Ellie?" He says, surprised.

"Manny?" For some reason, she sounds equally surprised.

"Uh, wha-why'd you call?"

"I used the caller-redial-thing, so maybe I should be asking you that question…"

Manfred choked, and once again he felt like a moron (stupid). He hears her sigh over the line.

"Look, Manny, if you want we could both just hang up and pretend this never happened."

"Doyouwanttogotothedancewithme?" Stupid.

"I'd love to." She says, and her voice hitches, and Manny wonders if she's excited.

"Really?"

"Yea! Pick me up here at six?"

"Uh-"

"Great, I'll see you then, and, y'know, tomorrow at school – anyway! Bye, Manny!"

And he couldn't quite figure out how to respond to that.


TBC