Tony was on his way to the bakery one morning when he heard a group of young people screaming. He walked into the alley, where he could see a fight in progress. Tony approached cautiously, and he spotted a girl being beaten by three other teen girls. A small group of teens had gathered around and were cheering on the out-of-control beating.
“Whoa! She’s had enough,” Tony said, in a commanding voice.
Tony squeezed his way between the three girls and the victim and took a few stray punches to his body. They felt like love taps compared to the violent fistfights he had since joining the Slayers. The most rabid of the teen girls sneered at him. Her face filled with fury, and he knew it was in his, and the victim’s, best interest to get them both out of there.
“We’re gonna leave. Whatever point ya were tryin’ to make has been made,” Tony said, lifting the beaten girl to her feet.
The teens watched Tony. They had seen him around. He was a very big kid, and word on the street was that he belonged to a gang, so they retreated, claiming victory.
Tony walked the girl out of the alley and sat her down on the curb. “Stay here; I’ll be right back.”
A few minutes later, Tony returned with two bottles of water. He opened the first one and gingerly took her chin in his hand, tilting her head to the sky. The girl was semi-coherent, her face bruised and bloodied. Tony slowly poured the bottle of water over her face, not only to revive her, but also to clean off the blood so he could assess the damage. In his time with the Slayers, he’d learned several tricks about cleaning up war scars.
The girl looked at him, and her eyelids fluttered.
Tony gazed into her eyes. They were a vibrant blue, and they looked electrified as the sun bounced off them and gave him a small glimpse into her innocent soul. Her eyes glistened with tears as she held his stare.
“What’s your name?”
“Kate,” she croaked.
Tony lifted the water bottle to her lips, and she took a sip. The water slid down her dry throat and felt as though it extinguished a fire that had confiscated her airway.
“Nice to meet ya, Kate. I’m Tony.”
“Thank you for helping me,” she said in a small, frightened voice.
“Why were those girls kickin’ your ass?”
“One of them thought I was trying to get with her boyfriend.”
“Were ya?”
Kate shook her head slowly. “I don’t even know who her boyfriend is. Before she hit me, she said her boyfriend keeps watching me. She said if I even look at him, she’ll kill me.”
“But ya don’t know who he is?”
“No.”
“Well, that girl sounds like a real psycho.”
Kate smiled at him.
“How ’bout if I walk ya home?”
Tony helped Kate to her feet and slowly walked her into Southwest Philly. It was a sketchy neighborhood, and he was on high alert.
“Those girls live around here?”
Kate shrugged. “I don’t know them. They’ve been following me around the past couple of days. I think maybe they saw me in the park earlier in the week. I went there to read, ya know, find a place where I can be quiet with my own thoughts.”
Tony looked around him. People were on their porches, drinking and listening to loud music. He understood exactly what Kate was saying, about being alone with her thoughts. He too tried to escape the noise that rang in his own head, to fight off the outside world that was covered in sound pollution.
“That’s my house there,” she said, pointing.
Tony looked up. There were ten row homes connected, each one in disrepair. Boarded-up windows and old room air conditioners hung dangerously from the rotted wooden windows. The red brick of the houses was so neglected that the exterior looked covered in black paint. Tony helped Kate up the steps to the porch, which was filled with green trash bags, piled as high as his waist.
“You live here wit’ someone?”
“Yeah, it’s me and my mom. She works a lot, so we don’t have time to clean the place up,” she said, gesturing to the trash bags overtaking the porch.
“She home now?”
“No, she doesn’t get home till ten most nights. You…you, wanna come in?”
“Sure.”
Tony followed Kate into the house. It was dark inside. Kate turned on the lamp next to the sofa. The bulb cast a dreary yellow glow over the room. He looked around him; it wasn’t much better than where he was living in North Philadelphia, but the silence of the home made it feel creepier, more depressing than his own living conditions.
Kate went into the kitchen and threw on the light switch. Tony watched as cockroaches scurried back under the refrigerator to the warmth of the motor that hummed out a grotesque tune. Kate pulled the door open and grabbed the only can of soda on the shelf.
“So you don’t mind the roaches?” Tony asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Ya didn’t even jump or scream when ya saw them running on the floor.”
Kate’s shoulders slumped. “No, I’m used to them. When I’m here by myself sometimes they make me feel like someone else is in the house.” She took a sip of the soda and handed it to Tony. “That’s pretty sick, huh?”
“No, it ain’t sick. I get it. There’s all these people in the world, and ya can be standing in the middle of ’em, but it’s still the loneliest place to be. Just like you, I didn’t grow up in the best place.”
“Where are you from?”
“South Philly,” Tony said proudly.
A prolonged silence was cast over them. Tony looked Kate over, noticing her ripped high-top sneakers and worn clothing. Not that he looked much better, but at least in the gang, there was some money he could spend on clothes now and again. Kate caught Tony looking her over and pulled her overworn sweatshirt over her chest and crossed her arms. The move wasn’t lost on him.
“Hey, look, I ain’t no kinda freak or nothin’. I just wanted to help ya out. I better get goin’.”
Tony turned and walked toward the front door. Kate rushed up behind him.
“Will you come back?”
Tony gave her a confused look. “If ya want me to, I will.”
“I do want you to,” she said, looking down at her feet. Kate took in a long breath. “I’m not used to people being nice to me. I keep to myself…I don’t really have many friends…or any even.”
“How old are ya?” he asked.
“Sixteen. You?”
“The same. Well, in a couple more months, I will be. Anyway, ya better put some ice on your lip. It’s pretty swelled up.”
“So then I’ll see ya again?” Kate asked, her voice dripping with desperation.
“Yeah, you’ll see me again.”
Kate leaned into Tony and kissed him softly on his cheek. As she did, he could smell the sweet aroma of the cola on her breath, and it reminded him of hot summer nights on the streets in South Philadelphia. “Thanks for helping me today. I’ll see ya soon.”
Tony flushed, not from embarrassment, but from a stirring in his heart. He’d never been attracted to a girl before, not like Kate. She was different, yet so much like he was.
Tony opened the front door and turned to her, “How ’bout I come by tomorra, and we can go get a slice of pizza?”
Kate smiled, cracking her lip open further. When she tasted the blood, Kate dabbed at her lip with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. “That would fun. Can ya come around four tomorrow afternoon?”
“Yeah, I can do that. See you tomorra then.”
As Tony walked back to South Philadelphia, all he could think about was Kate’s soft lips pressed against his cheek. For a moment, he felt like a wimp thinking that way, but then he let the harsh, loveless rules of the gang slip into the background, and Kate’s sweet face came into the foreground of his mind. Tony needed to know more, much more, about the girl behind the blazing blue eyes.
Chapter Sixty-One
At four o’clock the next afternoon, Tony knoc
ked on Kate’s front door. He had thought about her since they were last together. Tony felt a connection to Kate he couldn’t explain. Kate seemed pure—as though she were new to the world—yet she carried a sadness that made him want to help her.
When Kate opened the door, Tony drew in a silent breath. She was dressed in jeans and a V-neck shirt. Her breasts slightly bulged above the V, tastefully revealing the mounds of smooth flesh. He took every bit of her in. Kate was tall and slender. With her hair out of the sloppy ponytail from the day before, her silky, blond ringlets hung just below her shoulders. Her blue eyes were backlit by the hot embers glowing in her heart as she stared at him. They gazed at each other for a prolonged moment; then Kate’s plump pink lips parted to reveal a dazzling smile.
“Do you want to come in for a minute?” she asked.
“Sure.”
Tony followed her inside. He thought, She’s beautiful; I didn’t see that yesterday. How did I miss her beauty? They stopped in the living room, and Kate turned to face him.
“You’re gorgeous,” he blurted.
Kate blushed a deep velvety red. “Thanks.”
“You looked different yesterday. Other than that scab on your lip from that stupid bitch, I wouldn’t have recognized ya.”
“Well, I had on a sweatshirt with my hood up. I like to hide myself from the people in this neighborhood. My mom taught me that it’s better to look like shit so people leave ya alone. You know what I mean?”
“Your ma is smart. Do ya always do what she tells ya to do?”
Kate chuckled. “If I don’t want my butt kicked. My mom has pretty good advice, though. She ain’t much for beating around the bush. She tells it like it is.”
Tony took a step toward the door. “Should we get goin’?”
As they walked, Tony told Kate about his job at the bakery. He wanted to appear normal to her, afraid he’d scare her off. They had just gotten to the end of Kate’s block and stopped to look for cars before crossing over to the other sidewalk.
“Hey, baby, ya clean up real fuckin’ good,” a male voice called out. “Why don’t cha come over and give me some of that candy ya got goin’ on?”
Tony looked in the direction of the man’s voice. A Hispanic man smiled back at him. The guy looked to be in his mid-twenties. He was leaning over the decrepit wooden railing of his porch. Tony left Kate on the sidewalk and stomped up to where the guy was standing.
“You got a fuckin’ problem?” Tony barked.
“Nah, I ain’t got no problem. Just enjoyin’ the view,” he said, licking his lips and smiling at Kate.
Tony grabbed the man by his shirt and pulled him off of the porch, bringing the railing with him. The guy tried to fight, but Tony had two years of experience learning the art of street brawls. He’d practically killed a man who’d slashed Blast in the leg with a knife.
Tony straddled the guy. He punched him in the face only twice before he went unconscious. He stood and dusted off his pants and then walked back to Kate. She stared at him with horror in her eyes.
“Why did you do that?” she whined.
“What? Kick his ass? ’Cause he ain’t got a right to say shit to ya.”
“I get that. But I live here. What am I supposed to do when you aren’t with me? Are ya trying to make me a target? I told ya, I do my best to keep a low profile. Look at all the people staring at us.”
Tony looked around him. On either side of the street, people were watching. He hadn’t even known they were there. Now, his impact crushed into his gut.
Tony lowered his head and took Kate’s hand. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I could bring trouble to ya. It was real stupid. I swear I’ll think next time.”
Kate shrugged, but fearful thoughts of what people in the neighborhood would do to her when she was alone crowded into the corners of her brain.
Tony lifted her chin. “I’ll just have to come and get ya every day to make sure you’re safe.”
Kate gave him a lame smile. “Yeah, like that’s realistic.”
“Come on,” Tony said, taking her hand. “Let’s go get some pizza. We can talk more ’bout how we’ll need to spend more time together.” He gave her a comforting smile.
Kate was quiet during the remainder of their walk, and Tony was sorry he had lost his temper. He didn’t want her to think that he was some kind of asshole that would hit her, as he’d seen so many of the Slayers do to their girlfriends.
At the pizzeria, Tony pulled Kate’s chair out for her, and she sat down. He sat across from her and took her hand into his own.
“I’m real sorry, Kate. I know that ya don’t know me, but I ain’t an asshole. I can’t help but get mad at people who ain’t got no right making people nervous.”
“I know, Tony, but I have to live with those people. And you’re right, I don’t know ya. So ya come along and help me. Then the next day, ya beat up some guy from my own neighborhood. Then I never see ya again, and ya left me with a bad situation on my hands. My mother will kick the living shit outta me. You don’t have a right to do that. It ain’t fair.”
“How ’bout if I tell the guy I’m sorry. Would that make ya feel better?”
Kate gave him a small smile. “That would probably help. So that he doesn’t take it out on me.”
“Done. When I walk ya home, I’ll talk to ’im. Now, what kinda pizza ya want?”
Chapter Sixty-Two
Tony and Kate had just finished eating their pizza when Vincent’s voice echoed through the small restaurant.
“How are ya? What’s goin’ on?” Vincent said, plopping down in the open seat. Vincent looked Kate over, admiring her and wondering where she came from.
“I’m doin’ good since I saw ya yesterday,” Tony joked. “This is Kate.”
“Hi, nice to meet ya, Kate. I’m Vincent. I’m sure Tony told ya all about me already.”
Kate giggled and shook her head. “Nice to meet you too.”
Vincent turned to Tony. “Oh, ya didn’t tell her ’bout me? What’s wrong wit’ cha?”
“We just met yesterday. I didn’t want to scare her off,” Tony chided.
“Where’s Salvatore?” Tony asked.
“He’s meetin’ me here. We got some dates lined up for tonight,” Vincent said.
“What kinda dates?”
“The kinda date where a man takes out a girl. What the fuck kinda date do ya think I’m talkin’ ’bout?” Vincent looked from Tony over to Kate. “You two wanna join us?”
“Maybe another time. When we finish here, I gotta walk Kate back home and tell some guy that I beat the shit outta that I’m sorry.”
“Oh yeah? Ya need any help?”
Tony shook his head. “Nah, I shouldn’t have done what I did. Put Kate here,” he said, nodding toward her, “in a bad space.”
Vincent laughed. “That’s Tony. He ain’t got no tolerance for ignorance.” After a moment’s pause, he added, “Ain’t none of us got tolerance for assholes.”
Salvatore joined the group, and after a few minutes, he too extended the invitation for Tony and Kate to join them. He laughed when Vincent told the story about Tony having to tell some scumbag that he was sorry for kicking his filthy ass.
Kate sat with the three handsome teens. She felt very comfortable and safe with them. She’d wished for the kind of friends Tony had her whole life. They told Kate stories about when they were kids, trying to make her laugh. After a couple of hours, Tony stood and put his hand out to Kate.
“I better get ya home,” he said. Tony gave his friends a head nod. “I’ll see you two around. I’ll be at the bakery tomorra.”
“Is that an invitation to come over and get some free shit from that old lady?” Vincent said.
“No, it ain’t. You oughta come over and buy somethin’, ya cheap bastard.”
Vincent and Salvatore promised to stop by the next day. As Tony walked Kate back to her house, he felt excited about the prospect of being with Kate. He barely knew her, but that didn’t matter;
he felt a sense of belonging when he was with her. He hadn’t felt so good about anything in a long time, and it was a welcome change in a life that had fallen short for him.
“Your friends are great. Are they the guys you live with?” Kate asked.
“Nah, they’re my friends since I was a kid. The guys I live wit’, some are all right, and some are the biggest pricks you’ll ever meet.”
“Why do you live there if they’re pricks?”
“’Cause when I didn’t have any place to go, they let me stay there. They let me be a part of their family.”
“Are there any adults?”
“There’s older guys, but it ain’t like they’re parents or nothin’.”
Kate was thoughtful for a moment. “Is that tattoo on your arm part of living with those guys?”
Tony looked down at the Slayers’ tattoo. “Yeah.”
“Aren’t the Slayers a gang? I heard about them back around Christmastime. They were on the news ’cause one of the members killed some cashier he was trying to rob.”
Tony lowered his head. Kate’s description only verified, once again, that he had become a lowlife just like his fellow members. “Yeah, that’s us. The dude who killed the cashier was always outta control, though. He never shoulda done that.”
“He never shoulda robbed the store or killed the cashier?”
“Killed the guy.” Tony paused. “Look, Kate,” he said, feeling judged, “I ain’t never claimed to be some saint. I can’t help that the only people I got do bad shit. I do bad shit too so I can live.”
“Have ya ever killed anyone?”
“Nah. Never had to. I’m more about gettin’ even wit’ the other gangs. My members like me to be in front of the fighting, which is fine by me ’cause I’m fighting scumbags the same as us.”
“I don’t think you’re a scumbag. I never said that. I was just curious. What’s it like to be in a gang? Are people afraid of you?”
Mean Little People Page 22