Ace was beginning to lower himself back down onto Sadie when they heard someone crunching the gravel in between the railroad ties. "Ace! Sadie! Come on, let's go. We're leavin. Where are you guys?"
Ace leaped up and zipped his pants. "Fuck!" He whispered harshly in frustration. Sadie began to button up her blouse with trembling fingers. A small laugh of relief escaped her lips. "It's Billy. Billy came looking for us. Oh thank God, Billy." She mumbled to herself.
They were both standing up now, trying to look casual. Ace's white shirt had spots of blood down the front of it from his nose. His nose itself was still smeared with dried blood. Sadie's hair was wildly escaping the ribbon she had tied it into this morning. The back of her blouse and skirt were smeared with dirt. She tried to brush it off but it accomplished nothing more than making the palms of her hands dirty too.
Billy walked far enough down the tracks to spot them. "Hey, we're ready to go…Jesus Christ what happened to you, Ace? You're bleedin'"
"Yeah, no shit, Billy." He swiped at his nose again. "I..ran into a tree branch. Sadie heard me hollerin' and came runnin' to see what was wrong. Slipped and fell down the hill, there. Got her pretty little self all dirty."
Sadie looked wide eyed at Billy. Then back at Ace. She nodded at Billy. "Yeah. I need to go home, Billy. Please take me home."
Sadie could see Billy's mind working behind his brown eyes. Something about the story didn't sit right with him. But he wasn't smart enough to figure out what had really happened. Even if he did, he'd never believe that his buddy would do that to his sister. While he was right there, no less. "Yeah. Ok. We're leavin' now. C'mon." He turned up the embankment and walked to the tracks and waited for them.
Sadie turned to follow her big brother. Ace grabbed her arm, "This isn't over, you know? I'm not going to let you get away like that. This is my town. I'll have you before the summer is over. When it's all said and done though, you'll thank me. Be beggin' for more. All you broads are the same."
Sadie pulled her arm away from him in disgust and anger and started up the slope to the tracks. She slipped suddenly, and Ace caught her. "Watch your step, baby." He helped her up the rest of the way and Sadie's skin crawled. When they reached the top, he patted her bottom. She stared at him in disbelief. He smiled at her smugly as he poked yet another cigarette in between his lips. She saw in his eyes that he was enjoying this. It was a game to him, one that he was sure he would win.
As the three weary teenagers made it back to the fire, Charlie Hogan was finally joining the world of awake. Richie looked on the verge of sleep himself as Sadie approached him. She threw her arms around him, relieved to be in the safety of his embrace.
He looked startled for a moment and then pulled away, "Jesus, babe, you're covered in shit."
"Oh..I fell down." She said while looking away, unable to meet his eyes.
"Well watch where you're going next time. Christ. You got dirt all over you." At this time he saw Ace. "And what the fuck happened to you? Where the hell were you guys?"
"Ran into a tree branch." Ace said and then opened the car door. "Let's go, boys."
The car was silent on the way home, for the most part. Ace pulled up to the Tessio house to drop off Billy and Sadie. As Billy ran up the stairs and onto the porch, Richie wrapped his arms around Sadie to say goodbye. She gave him a quick peck and then turned away to leave.
"Hey, hey wait a minute, Sadie." He pulled her back to him and kissed her more passionately. He began to feel his way up her shirt when Sadie slapped his hand and pulled away. "No!" She blurted out.
"What the hell's your problem, actin' like that? I'm just tryin' to have a little fun. What're you so pissed off for anyway?" Eyeball asked.
"I don't know. I'm sorry…I just want to go home is all. I'm tired." She answered wearily.
"Alright, I guess. Christ. Goodnight. See you tomorrow?" Eyeball ran his hand through his greased hair, confused.
"Um…yeah. Ok." Sadie answered. She gave him another peck and then followed her brother into the house.
Eyeball got back into the car. It was just he and Ace left now. Charlie Hogan had already been dropped off. "What's her problem?" Ace asked his friend.
"Dunno. All broads are crazy. You know how it is. One minute she's fine, and the next she hates me. I don't know. She'll get over it, whatever it is. Always does." He answered. "She's a good girl. She's a little too smart though. I don't want her to graduate. My old man says you let 'em wise up and they'll start to walk all over you. I'm gonna ask her to marry me next year, so she'll drop out." Eyeball took a swig of his beer he had brought along.
"You think she'll say yes?" Ace asked as he put the car into gear and backed out onto the road.
Eyeball looked at the blacktop in front of them as if he hadn't really considered any other answer from her, "Yeah…I guess so. Why wouldn't she? We've been together two years, since she was only fourteen. She doesn't know anything else. I don't know much else, either. I guess I might even love her." He looked over at Ace to see what reaction his words would bring.
"Hm." Ace grunted and gnawed a toothpick.
"I mean, maybe I don't. I don't know. She's the best I'll ever get though. I do know that." Eyeball said, covering his tracks. He didn't know what he was thinking talking to Ace so freely like that. Mentioning something like being in love with a girl was not cool.
"She's ok." Ace said bitterly, and no more was said on the subject of Sadie Tessio that night.
When Ace finally made it to his own home, he turned on the shower and shed his clothes. He stood, looking at himself in the mirror for a moment. The bitch had really done a number on his nose. Dried blood clung to his nostrils and septum and smeared down to his upper lip. He touched his fingertips to the bridge of it and pain shot into his sinuses. He grimaced and ran a hand through his perfectly styled blonde hair. Even though it hurt, it made him want her even more. What had started out as an infatuation had grown into obsession.
Sadie's good looks were not the only thing that attracted Ace to her. The fact that she was Eyeball's bothered him. It caused him to toss and turn at night. Ace was the leader. Everyone wanted to be him. He shouldn't want what someone else had. They should want what he had. And if Sadie were his girl, they would. The fact that she had turned him down had been even worse. All the girls in Castle Rock wanted Ace Merrill. Even those that would never dare be seen with him for fear of the gossip that would spread secretly wanted him. They giggled over him at slumber parties and wondered what it would be like to ride in his fast car. On more than one occasion, a rich girl from up on Castle View had fooled around with him. Her idea of slumming. It gave her some kind of rush that Ace didn't understand. Or care to understand. He got what he wanted, and that was what mattered.
Ace stepped into the shower and began to wash the blood off of his face. The water felt good on his skin, refreshing. He always did his best thinking in the shower. What he needed to think of, was how to get Sadie alone again. It would be harder this time since she would have her guard up. Sadie was not a stupid girl. Fresh rage came back when he thought of how Billy had ruined his chance. It had been perfect, everything was going right. He had finally subdued her and was just about to begin, when that pussy had come and ruined everything. He curled his hand into a fist and struck the bathroom wall.
Ace rinsed the soap off of his body. He'd just have to be a little more forceful next time, that's all. He had given her a chance to cooperate and she refused. That was her fault. Next time, he'd just get right down to business. He wouldn't hurt her. Not really. He just wanted to have a little fun with her. Eyeball was getting his fun. Why shouldn't Ace be able to? But where? He thought maybe he could get away with it in her own home. Her old man was always working out at the mill. He'd just wait until her mother was out shopping and Billy and the younger one were out of the house.
"Yeah.." He smiled to himself. "I'll just walk up to the porch, and 'knock, knock, knock , is Billy home? No?" And then he'd just shove himself in the doorway. Easy peasy. He turned the water off and dryed himself off and put on a clean pair of underpants. He felt better now. This way might even be better. It could be strangely satisfying taking advantage of Little Miss Perfect in her own house. He lay down on his narrow bed and closed his eyes. His nose still smarted, but that was ok. He'd make it right soon enough.