I’ll throw a fucking brick through your window and come get you.
Peg Leg Mikey is at the top of the half pipe with a crooked cigarette between his lips. He makes his own cigarettes because he thinks everything retro and vintage is cool.
It’s not.
He got his name because of the limp he got as he shattered his leg top to bottom when he tried to pull off some crazy skateboarding trick that involved him jumping off the roof of a garage. There were certain chemical substances involved in that decision.
Point being, he now walks with a forever limp.
He sticks his hand out and I make a fist and punch it away.
He grins.
“Fucking right, man,” he says with his cigarette bouncing.
“Stimmy around here?” I ask.
“Over near the bikes,” he says. “Trying to offer up some shit. He’s a dead man.”
“Amen,” I say.
I breeze by Peg Leg Mikey and continue my journey to the one I’m going to have fall in love with me.
She’s going to get hurt in a million ways, but each one worth it because of what I’m capable of on the other side of the bullshit in life.
Or maybe I’m just a little full of myself because it’s my birthday.
The two of them haven’t moved an inch since I whistled.
I’m close enough to touch both.
As much as I dig the two for one deal in life, my eyes are set on just one for one at the moment.
Her eyes are light brown. Too much of a light brown. An unfair light brown. The kind of light brown that makes me wonder why she isn’t in some third world country teaching kids how to read and write.
It almost pisses me off.
We just stare at each other.
That’s all I need.
I can feel it.
I know she can feel it too.
“She’s Jolie,” the other one says. “I’m Violet. Want to know my favorite color?”
“No,” I say to Violet. “You’re probably going to say something stupid and flirty like your favorite color is black. Just to be funny and cool. But it’s not funny or cool at all.” My eyes don’t move from Jolie though. Jolie. “Ain’t that right, sweetie?”
Jolie swallows hard.
Welcome to falling in love, Jolie.
I reach for her and she slinks back out of my reach.
I don’t move closer though.
I give her some space.
Now it’s getting a little bit awkward but I can swim in those waters without an issue.
I look at Violet. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be right now?”
“Excuse me?” she asks. “Do you really think I’m going to ditch my best friend right now? Do you think I don’t know who you are?”
“Who am I?” I ask.
“Look at this place. It’s pretty obvious.”
“Hey, Mac, we have to get moving,” Les says as he decides to join the fucking conversation.
He looks at Violet and lifts an eyebrow. His eyes go down to his favorite part of the female anatomy. Can’t blame him though. Violet doesn’t seem to mind showing off what the universe gave to her.
“You got it,” I say. My eyes move back to Jolie. “Wait here for me, sweetie. I have to go talk to someone. Don’t watch if you can’t handle a little violence.”
“Violence?” Violet asks.
“Nobody fucks with me,” I say. “And nobody fucks with anyone I care about.”
Jolie looks at Violet.
Violet’s eyes go really big and she’s screaming in her mind that they need to go.
And it’s funny because Jolie seems to be the type to make that decision. I can totally see Violet as the one wanting to stay. The one wanting to have a little sip of something and show off her body to see how far things could go without going too far.
But that’s not the case right now.
Violet senses who I really am and she wants to protect her friend.
It’s adorable.
But it won’t work.
It’s already too late for Jolie.
“Shit, man, did you see-”
“How can you not see?” I ask Les. I pat his back. “Calm down though. Can’t have you losing focus.”
“Me? I don’t ever lose focus. You’re the one who hurried over there. What the fuck was that about?”
“Saw something that interested me,” I say.
“You heard Hanky, right? Uppers.”
“She can make me an upper,” I say.
Les laughs.
Taz, Raf, and Aric are already down with the bikes.
It’s pretty badass some of the shit they can do. They’re their own little crew and I’m cool with it. As long as respect goes both ways, nothing bad will ever happen.
Taz looks at me and points down.
Stimmy is down in the half pipe, dealing out his garbage.
I rub my jaw and think about all the ways this can go.
I look out to the ocean and see the surfers.
That’s another crew I have to deal with too.
They keep to themselves.
Unless the weather is shitty.
Then they all lose their minds and drive me fucking crazy for distractions.
When I get to the edge of the half pipe, I look down.
Stimmy is crouched down with a little bag that almost looks like a fucking woman’s purse. He’s digging through it, dealing out his bullshit pills to a bunch of the bike bombers.
“What now?” Les whispers to me.
It’s amazing how fucking stupid Stimmy is.
He has no idea we’re all here.
Staring down at him.
I plop down on my ass and slide down the half pipe in a non-dramatic fashion.
I slide right into Stimmy and kick his bag out of the way.
He looks at me and kicks his feet at me.
“Motherfucker,” he says.
“You’re done,” I say.
He looks around and realizes what’s happening.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck,” he says. He looks at the bike bombers. “You fucking losers. I told you I was giving you a deal. All you had to do was fucking keep your mouths shut. You fucking losers. Posers. Riding fucking bikes. Like fucking kids.”
I grab for Stimmy and get the collar of his shirt.
I pull him toward me. “I should kill you right now. But I’ve got some shit on my mind. And it’s my birthday.”
“Happy birthday, Mac,” Stimmy says.
I look up to Taz. “Get his shit and meet me on the other side in a minute.”
I stand up and take Stimmy with me.
“Mac, can we talk this out?” he asks.
“Sure,” I say.
We exit the half pipe and climb up to the top of the platform.
I let him go.
“Don’t try anything funny,” I say.
“I won’t. Look, I was just fulfilling a need. That’s it.”
“A need? This is all mine.”
“Come on, Mac… there’s plenty to go around. I don’t need that much either. Just a little. Just a taste of it.”
“You want a taste?” I ask. “That’s what this is?”
“Yeah, man,” Stimmy says.
His eyes are beady and his nose hooked and pointed.
Everything about him makes me hate him.
He was rich and did this shit to be a rebel. To be ultra-cool because in high school he couldn’t even get a girl to pay attention to him.
And now…
“A taste,” I say again. “Okay. Here’s a taste…”
I move fast, grabbing the back of Stimmy’s head.
He screams, which is a really bad idea.
I slam his face off the railing, just once, and that’s actually all I need.
Stimmy curls up in a pool of blood and tears, crying that I killed him.
Obviously he’s not dead since he’s whining like a baby.
I turn around and reach for a cigarette.
My eyes go right back to Jolie.
And guess what?
She hasn’t moved an inch.
I walk up to Jolie and smoke my cigarette as I devour her with my eyes.
She looks in the direction of Stimmy and then slowly back to me.
I can feel the tension with Violet building by the second.
She hates me.
She hates that I’m interested in her best friend.
I love it.
“Why?” Jolie whispers to me.
“You do talk, sweetie,” I say.
“Only when I feel like it,” she says.
“And that’s how you want to start this thing?” I ask. “Wondering about some guy like Stimmy.”
“Stimmy?” Jolie asks.
“Yeah. The guy on the ground. You know what he was doing?”
Jolie shakes her head.
I move next to her and jump up on the railing.
I look over to Violet. “Don’t you have somewhere to be, sweetie?”
Her faces drops with anger. “You know what… Mac… you’re a…”
“Careful,” I say. “Have you ever been to the zoo?”
“The zoo?” both Jolie and Violet ask at the same time.
“Yeah. The zoo. I’m sure you’ve been to a zoo before. And you go into the reptile part, right? And you look at all these venomous snakes. But there’s glass protecting you. You stare at a rattlesnake or a cobra… but you’re not afraid…”
Jolie sighs. “Seriously?”
“What?” I ask.
“You’re going to do that? You’re going to compare yourself to a snake? And the zoo? Really?”
“Oh, look at you now, sweetie,” I say. “You’re talking even more. I must have pissed you off a little.”
“Good,” Violet says. “Let’s get out of here.”
She grabs for Jolie’s hand.
But Jolie doesn’t move right away.
She just keeps looking at me.
I stand up on the railing and toss my cigarette behind me.
Then I jump down right in front of Jolie.
Inches from her.
“The snake? Or snakes? Those are my guys over there. All around. Handling things for me. Okay?”
Jolie swallows hard. “And what are you then?”
“I’m the glass,” I say. “The most powerful and protective part of it all. I can keep the snakes from attacking. Or I can let them all out.”
“Jolie, we have to go,” Violet says. “I don’t know about this up here. I’m sorry I convinced you to do this.”
“Wait a second,” I say. “You didn’t want to be here, sweetie?”
“No,” Jolie says.
“Why not?” I ask.
“Because I’ve heard about this place,” Jolie says.
“Aw, that’s sweet. The rich, good girl hears about the bad boys and wants to come see?” I ask.
“Asshole,” Jolie says.
“Are you allowed to say those bad words?” I ask.
“Fuck you,” Jolie says.
I put my hands up. “Whoa, sweetie. Let’s get to know each other first. Then again… it is my birthday…”
“No it’s not,” Violet says.
“Yes, it is,” I say. “Today’s my birthday.”
“Seriously?” Jolie asks.
“Yeah,” I say. “And all I wanted was a kiss from you.”
Jolie laughs and her cheeks turn red. “You’re insane.”
“Crazy about you? Yeah. Can’t help it.”
Jolie shakes her head. “I’m not… I mean…”
“I’m not asking you to get on your knees, Jolie,” I say. “It’s just a birthday kiss.”
“Hey,” Violet calls out to Les.
I hadn’t realized Les and Taz had come back.
Aric and Raf are still lingering around Stimmy.
“Is it his birthday?” Violet asks Les.
“Take that top off and I’ll tell you,” Les says.
“Agreed,” Taz says.
“Show a little respect,” I say to Les and Taz.
Violet’s face is bright red.
“Respect?” Jolie asks me.
I lean down toward her ear. “I mean, if that’s what they want, at least act like you’re interested, right?”
Jolie lets out a sigh.
She’s battling herself now.
Wondering if I’m as wild as I seem.
Wondering if she should step over that good girl line and join me on the dark side.
“You know what?” Violet asks. “Fuck all of this. I’m glad I made you come see this, Jolie. There. This is what it’s like. Just a bunch of losers and horny dudes that have nothing better to do. Let’s get out of here. There’s plenty of beach to go around.”
“But it doesn’t have me,” I say.
Jolie takes a step back and I grab her hand.
She gasps.
She looks at her hand but she doesn’t rip it away.
“One little birthday kiss from the most beautiful girl I’ve met won’t hurt anyone, right?” I ask.
“Why did you hurt that guy?” Jolie asks.
“You’re still worried about Stimmy?”
“Maybe I am.”
“He wasn’t following the rules,” I say. “My rules. All of this around here is mine. I control it. I run it. I say who can be here and who can’t.”
“Am I allowed here?” Jolie asks.
“You’re good for now, sweetie,” I say. “But don’t worry about Stimmy. He got what he deserved. That’s how this world works. But you and me, why are we wasting time like this, sweetie? We have to catch up.”
“Catch up?”
“I’ve been missing you all my life,” I say.
Jolie gasps again. Her cheeks are redder than ever.
“Ohmygod,” Violet says. “Cops are here! Jolie, the cops are here.”
“Fucking bullshit,” Taz growls.
I look at him and Les and nod.
Cops ruin everything.
“I have to go face the music now,” I say to Jolie.
“What? What’s going to happen to you?”
“Ah, see how much you care about me already?” I ask.
Jolie pulls her hand away. “Good luck, Mac.”
“Hey, sweetie. Meet me here tomorrow. Okay? Same time and place.”
Jolie bites her bottom lip and stares.
Violet rips at her arm to get her moving.
The two of them hurry back down to the beach.
I look forward and help myself to another cigarette.
Now I have to face the fucking cops.
4
“What the fuck do you call this?”
Declan steps over Stimmy and comes right for me.
I turn my head and can still see Jolie and Violet.
Violet is hauling ass while Jolie keeps looking at me.
I smirk and wave to her.
She waves back, but only using her hand at her hip so Violet doesn’t see.
“Look at me, Mac,” Declan orders.
I look at Declan.
He’s got a steel-cut jaw and is built to smash heads together.
In reality, he’s terrifying.
The skate park has already mostly cleared out.
Anyone who sees Declan coming knows to move.
But I don’t need to move.
I stick my right hand out. “Taz…”
“Yup,” he says.
He gives me the bag Stimmy had.
“Let’s talk,” I say to Declan.
Declan looks around.
He stops at Aric. “You touch Steven and I’ll break your neck.”
Oh, by the way, Stimmy’s real name is Steven.
Declan and I walk side by side to get some distance from everyone else.
“How the hell did you find out?” I ask.
“Someone called it in,” Declan says. “Said you smashed some guy’s head off a railing.”
“It was just Stimmy,” I say
.
Declan grins. “Yeah, but still. You’re lucky I got the call. What the fuck is this?”
I hand Declan the bag. “This is the problem. He showed up today selling this garbage. Les got a call from Hanky.”
“What is it?” Declan asks.
“Cheap shit,” I say. “Hanky said he took three and felt almost nothing.”
Declan eyes me.
Then he nods.
You didn’t think I was going to get arrested by a cop, did you?
Declan swishes one of the pills around in his mouth.
“What do you think?” I ask.
“I think Stimmy is about to get his ass kicked,” he says.
“Are you going to charge him?”
Declan looks over his shoulder. “I don’t know. I’ll have to get some definite answers as to what this shit is. It’s not good stuff. I can tell you that much.”
“It’s not my stuff, right?” I ask.
“Your stuff?” Declan asks.
“Oh. Right. Nothing. I didn’t say a thing.”
Declan shakes his head.
He zips up Stimmy’s bag and we walk back to Stimmy.
Stimmy is finally sitting up.
He looks up to Declan and there’s dried blood on his face.
He opens his mouth and he’s missing some teeth.
“Jesus, Mac,” Declan says. “How hard did you hit him?”
“He opened his mouth as I slammed his head down,” I say. “It’s not my fault he’s stupid.”
“Stand up,” Declan says to Stimmy.
Stimmy gets to his feet.
He looks at me with a little grin, thinking this is about to turn on me.
Then Declan makes his move.
He spins Stimmy around and cuffs him.
All the while Stimmy cries for help, begging to be let go.
Taz, Raf, Aric, and Les laugh.
Aric tries to record it with his phone but Declan tells him if he does, he’ll make him eat the phone.
Which Declan would do.
And Aric knows it.
Aric puts his phone away and Declan starts to walk Stimmy away.
“Wait a second,” Taz calls out. He crouches down and picks something up. “Stimmy… you forgot your tooth!”
“Oh, that’s messed up,” Raf says.
“There should be more than one,” Les says.
“Stay here,” I say and I walk after Declan.
I follow him to his police SUV.
He tosses Stimmy into the back.
Then he faces me.
He puts his hand out.
Mess You Up (Brooks Crest Book 1) Page 3