6: Trouble

Joey walked to school the next morning, feeling the effects of the previous night's adventures. His ankle, while still a little sore, was a million times better than the day before. He had checked it in the mirror and thought the swelling had gone down, but Ms. Kwan had been unconvinced. Despite that, his mood was better than usual.

School meant a break from kitchen and bathroom duty.

He had stopped by Andrew's room before leaving Mauna Vista, but the older boy was already gone. Joey figured Andrew went to the high school up the hill, just beyond the elementary school. He wondered how his first day there was going to go. Knowing Andrew, he'd probably have half the school under his spell by lunchtime.

Joey moved slower than usual, mostly out of exhaustion, but also because he was in no rush to get back to the home later. No matter how much fun he had sneaking around, punishment always found a way to catch up with him.

For a brief moment, Joey considered running away. Leaving Mauna Vista, never looking back. But the idea quickly lost its appeal—he'd had those thoughts before, and they never amounted to anything but frustration. He had nowhere to go, and deep down, he knew it.

As Joey reached the small playground shortcut that Mauna Vista residents used to get to school, he slowed his pace. It was a well-worn path—a shortcut through the trees that opened into a small lot of swings, slides, and monkey bars.

Most of the other kids from Mauna Vista were already cutting through when Joey arrived. Then he saw her.

Julie Malanka.

She lounged on top of the monkey bars, swinging her feet, her usual smug grin plastered across her face.

Joey came to a dead stop.

The thing about the playground shortcut was that it wasn't easily visible from the school. And when things needed to be settled without teachers interfering, this was the place.

Joey's gut twisted.

Julie's grin widened.

Before he could turn around or react, Joey suddenly felt his backpack jerked violently backward. His feet flew out from under him, and before he could even process what was happening—

WHAM.

The dirt met him hard.

Joey's back slammed against the ground, his head smacking the dirt with a dull, nauseating thud. Stars exploded across his vision. The sky spun above him. For a second, he didn't even know which way was up.

By the time he managed to blink away the dizziness, two figures loomed over him.

Cole.

Danny.

Cole sneered, cracking his knuckles, his wiry frame tense with anticipation. His buzzed hair made his sharp, mean features look even sharper. His T-shirt was just a little too tight, like he was trying to look bigger than he was.

Danny, taller, lankier, stood slightly behind him, hands shoved in his hoodie pockets. Where Cole looked like he was ready to pounce, Danny just looked bored. But Joey knew better. Danny didn't get involved unless he wanted to.

Cole crouched down, resting his elbows on his knees. His grin was all teeth.

"Hey, Joey," he said, voice low and mocking. "You got something of mine."

Joey clenched his jaw. Oh. Right.

The Switch.

Cole's Nintendo Switch.

The one Joey had taken from his bag a few nights ago, after catching him bragging about his new games and his perfect little collection.

The one Joey had been so proud of swiping.

The one he'd left at Adam's house.

His stomach plummeted.

Cole must've seen the flicker of panic on Joey's face, because his smirk deepened.

"Forgot about it, huh?" he murmured.

Joey tried to force his expression back into something neutral, but the damage was done. They knew.

Julie cackled from her perch on the monkey bars, clearly loving every second of this.

Danny exhaled loudly, shaking his head. "Man, I told you he wouldn't have it on him."

Cole nodded, then suddenly grabbed Joey by the collar and yanked him up.

"We waited for you on Friday," Cole said, his tone mocking and sharp. "After school. Right here. Thought you were too scared to show up."

Joey narrowed his was the night he and Adam had set off the fireworks. The night he'd been chased through the forest. The night he'd ended up in a cop car.

Once he didn't see them on the school yard, Cole and Danny didn't cross his mind again.

Cole smirked. "Guess we're making up for lost time."

Then, just like that, he shoved Joey back down into the dirt.

Joey hit the ground hard. Pain shot through his ankle, but he ignored it.

Cole laughed. Like it was already over.

Like Joey was just supposed to take it.

Like hell he was.

Joey moved fast.

The moment Cole turned away, Joey shot forward, aiming low. He tackled Cole's legs, driving his shoulder into the back of Cole's knee. Cole yelped as he went down hard.

Joey scrambled on top, throwing the first punch.

It landed. Square against Cole's cheek.

The satisfaction barely had time to register before Danny grabbed the back of Joey's shirt and yanked him off.

Joey twisted as he fell, landing an elbow into Danny's ribs.

Danny grunted but didn't let go.

Joey tried to wrench free, but then—

WHAM.

Cole's fist smashed into Joey's ribs.

Joey gasped, the wind knocked out of him.

Danny let go just as Cole grabbed Joey by the front of his shirt and slammed him against the dirt.

Joey saw the next punch coming, but his ankle throbbed too much to dodge.

Crack.

Pain exploded across his jaw.

Joey's head snapped to the side. For a moment, everything blurred.

Cole raised his fist again, but Danny grabbed his wrist, stopping him mid-swing.

"Dude, chill," Danny muttered. "We made our point."

Cole scowled, breathing hard. His knuckles were already red. He held Joey's shirt for a second longer before shoving him back down into the dirt.

Joey coughed, tasting blood. He barely managed to push himself up onto his elbows before Cole leaned down close, voice low and full of warning.

"This isn't over."

Then, just like that, Cole stood up, dusted himself off, and turned away. Danny followed, hands still in his hoodie pockets, expression unreadable. Julie hopped down from the monkey bars, grinning ear to ear as she fell in step behind them.

Cole didn't look back as they disappeared down the path, laughing like they had just won something.

Joey stayed where he was for a few seconds, staring at the dirt, his breath coming in ragged bursts. His jaw ached. His ribs throbbed. His ankle screamed.

Slowly, he rolled onto his back, blinking up at the sky.

He could already hear the bell ringing in the distance.

Great. First a beating, now he was going to be late.

But for some reason, he was laughing.

Joey sat in his bed with the zoned-out gaze he got when sitting still for too long. His jaw ached. His ribs ached. Even though his ankle felt stiff, it was nowhere near as bad as it had been.

Across the room, Ms. Kwan paced back and forth, quietly cursing the school's poor security. "How does something like this happen near school property?" she muttered. "Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable."

Joey had somehow managed to finish the school day without running into Cole or Danny again. Julie, though? She had tormented him all day, throwing sly comments his way, nudging him in the hallways, whispering things just loud enough for him to hear. Normally, Joey would have fired back, but today, he just kept his head down. He didn't even have the energy to care.

When he arrived at Mauna Vista, he barely made it five steps inside before the other residents swarmed him.

"Damn, Joey, they worked you over!" one kid laughed.

"You look awful, bro."

"Did you at least get some hits in?"

A hazy giggle rose from Joey's chest as he stood there, grinning like an idiot. He had no idea why he found all of this funny, but he did. Maybe it was the absurdity of it all. Maybe it was just exhaustion.

Either way, his reaction got him some weird looks.

"Dude... you good?" someone asked.

Before Joey could respond, Ms. Kwan appeared, cutting through the crowd like a knife. She grabbed Joey's arm, pulling him toward his room without a word. He let himself be dragged along, still giggling under his breath.

Now, she finally stopped pacing, rubbing her temples before turning to face him. "Joey. Explain. Now."

He grinned. "Okay, so get this—" He giggled his way through the story, waving his hands for emphasis as he talked. Ms. Kwan listened, arms crossed, her face unreadable. But the more Joey laughed, the more concerned she looked.

By the time he finished, she exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Joey. You stole from someone?" She let out a short, exasperated laugh. "Out of all the things to do, what possessed you to do that?"

Joey shrugged, his grin faltering slightly. "I mean, he was bragging about it. And he deserved it."

Ms. Kwan sighed, rubbing her temples. "Joey, that kid is twice your size and apparently has no problem using his fists to settle things. Did you really think this was going to end any other way?"

Joey shrugged again. "I figured I'd already be long gone by the time he noticed."

Ms. Kwan stared at him for a long moment before shaking her head. "I swear, one of these days, you're going to give me a heart attack."

Then, softer, "Did you hit your head?" she asked, her voice losing some of its frustration.

Joey blinked. "Uh. Maybe?"

She sighed, running a hand down her face. "Just—stay put. I'll be back."

As soon as she left, there was a knock at the door.

Joey already knew it couldn't be Marks. If it was Marks, he wouldn't have knocked.

The door opened, and Andrew stepped in, smirking.

"Quite the delinquent, aren't you?"

Joey snorted. "Yeah, yeah. Heard you started high school today. How was it?"

Andrew waved him off. "More importantly, who the hell are Cole and Danny?" He leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "News travels fast around here."

Joey shrugged. "Couple of older kids. No big deal."

Andrew raised an eyebrow. "No big deal? You look like you got hit by a truck."

Joey rolled his shoulders, wincing slightly. "If it was one-on-one, I would've done better."

Andrew snorted. "Right. Sure. You and your ninety-pound frame would've taken 'em both down, huh?"

Joey scoffed, sitting up straighter. "Hey, I outran them when I stole Cole's Switch."

Andrew's smirk faltered. He pulled his vape from his pocket, took a slow pull, and exhaled. "Where is the Switch now?"

Joey blinked. "Oh. Uh… still at Adam's house, I think."

Andrew nodded slowly, tapping his fingers against the vape. Then, after a moment, he said, "I'll go get it and you give it back to them."

Joey frowned. "I can handle it myself."

Andrew cut him off with a flat look. "You haven't done a good job so far."

"I'll figure it out."

"And get your ass kicked in the process?"

"It's more fun that way," Joey said with a shrug.

Andrew couldn't help but laugh. "You're not right up top."

The worst part of getting jumped wasn't the bruises—it was the fact that Joey still had to do chores afterward.

He was on his knees, scrubbing the grout between the bathroom tiles, when the voices outside caught his attention. The steady rhythm of his scrubbing slowed, but he didn't stop. Not until a shadow crossed over him.

"Joey," one of the older teens, Eric, said, standing in the doorway with a couple of the other older boys from the home. "Go. Someone's here for you."

Joey frowned, looking up. Eric and his crew never volunteered to cover someone else's punishment. Not unless they had a reason.

"Who?" Joey asked, his voice dull, his face still half-numb from the ice pack he'd been pressing against it earlier.

Eric didn't answer. Just tilted his head toward the hall.

Joey wiped his hands on his already-ruined shirt, pushing himself up stiffly. His ribs ached from the fight, his jaw throbbed, and his ankle still wasn't one hundred percent, but at least standing was easier today. He shuffled toward the door, pushing past the teens as they took over his spot in the bathroom.

As soon as he stepped into the hallway, he understood why Eric had let him off the hook.

Officer Kealoha stood at the front entrance of Mauna Vista, hands resting casually on his belt, looking around the room like he'd been here a hundred times before. Which, to be fair, he had.

Ms. Kwan stood nearby, arms folded, watching the officer warily. Mr. Marks stood beside her, his usual mask of indifference in place, but Joey could tell he was on edge. Kealoha hadn't called ahead. This was an unannounced visit, and Marks didn't like surprises.

Kealoha's gaze landed on Joey, and something flickered across his face—something subtle, but sharp. He noticed the bruises immediately. The way Joey moved slower than usual. The way he didn't have his usual smug look.

"Rough couple of days, huh?" Kealoha said.

Joey didn't answer. Just gave a slow shrug, his gaze dropping to the floor.

Kealoha sighed and glanced at Ms. Kwan. "Mind if I borrow him for a second?"

Ms. Kwan hesitated, then nodded. Marks didn't say anything, but Joey caught the slight twitch of his jaw. He was probably loving this.

Kealoha gestured for Joey to follow him to the sitting area near the front entrance. Joey moved without a word, lowering himself into one of the stiff, worn-out chairs. Kealoha took the seat across from him, leaning forward slightly, elbows resting on his knees. He didn't say anything right away. Just studied Joey for a long moment.

Joey kept his eyes down.

Finally, Kealoha spoke. "You wanna tell me what happened?"

Joey shook his head. Not really.

Kealoha sighed. "Alright. Then I'll tell you what I know." He settled back in his chair. "Couple kids jumped you near the school. That right?"

Joey nodded once.

Kealoha's gaze flickered toward the ice pack sitting on Joey's lap. "You fight back?"

Another nod.

Kealoha exhaled through his nose. "And why'd they come after you?"

Joey hesitated.

Ms. Kwan and Marks were both standing nearby, watching. Joey could feel Marks' eyes on him, waiting. Enjoying this. He swallowed, his hands gripping the fabric of his pants.

Kealoha was patient. He didn't rush him. When Joey still didn't answer, Kealoha sighed again, like he already knew.

"I heard it was over a Nintendo Switch," he said. "One that didn't belong to you."

Joey didn't move.

Kealoha tilted his head. "That true?"

After a long pause, Joey gave the smallest nod.

Kealoha ran a hand down his face. "Joey." His voice wasn't angry. Just tired. "You know that's theft, right?"

Joey's hands clenched slightly. He didn't nod this time. But he didn't shake his head either.

Kealoha watched him for a moment longer, then leaned forward again, his voice quieter. "Here's the deal. Cole and Danny? They're in trouble for what they did to you. But if Cole pushes the issue—if his parents get involved—you could be looking at charges, too."

Joey flinched. Not a lot. But enough for Kealoha to notice.

Ms. Kwan shifted slightly, concern flashing across her face. Marks, meanwhile, was unreadable. But Joey could feel the weight of his stare.

He forced himself to keep still.

Kealoha studied him a little longer, then exhaled. "Look, kid. I don't think you're a bad person. But you keep pulling stunts like this, and one day, you're gonna dig yourself into a hole you can't climb out of."

Something in Joey's stomach twisted. He didn't know why. Maybe it was because Kealoha wasn't yelling. Wasn't threatening him. Was just... tired.

Like he expected Joey to do better.

Joey finally lifted his gaze, meeting Kealoha's eyes for the first time since he sat down.

Kealoha's expression softened, just a little. "Give the Switch back," he said. "And let me deal with the rest."

Joey swallowed hard. He nodded.

Kealoha held his gaze for a moment longer before pushing himself up from the chair. He turned to Ms. Kwan. "I'll check in later."

Ms. Kwan gave a short nod. "Thanks, Officer Kealoha."

Kealoha glanced at Marks. "Marks."

Marks didn't reply. Just gave a stiff nod, arms still crossed.

Joey stayed seated as Kealoha walked to the door, stepping out into the evening air. He still felt like he was sinking. The smirk playing on Mr. Marks' face wasn't helping.

Was he a bad person?

He didn't know. And for the first time in a long time, he wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer.