The Skater boy
“Honey how is Nick doing anyway?” Howie looked over at his wife and smiled at her.
“What a random question, we go from talking about having a baby to my best friend’s brother?” She shrugged and smiled, grabbing her husband’s hand as he drove them towards their house.
“He’s doing okay I guess, he ran away the other day.”
“Again?”
“Uh huh…you sure we want to have a baby? I mean what if it doesn’t like us?”
“Howie sweetie, you worry too much. If I like you our baby will too.”
She reached over and kissed his neck ever so slightly, just the way she did when she wanted to divert his attention from anything she needed to do. He was so easy to preoccupy and sometimes she even felt a little guilty for doing it. Like talk of a baby, the thought of having a child with this guy sickened her but yet, it seemed like the next logical step in their relationship. Everyone was questioning them about it so it seemed natural.
“I told Beth about Kevin.”
“Honey, I told you he doesn’t want to be set up on a blind date.”
“I know…but still, it’s time for him to get involved again don’t you think?”
“I don’t really think about that kind of stuff.”
“Stop being such a guy.” She once again reached over and kissed his neck just as she passed her lover’s house. She couldn’t help but smirk at the irony. She would have to steal away tonight, pound another sleeping pill into Howie’s hot tea which he drank every night and make her way over there. How much she hated not being able to stay with him all day and night, but soon enough. Right now, it was too dangerous to be anyone but Mrs. Howard Dorough.
“I’m just being honest babe; he’s not going to let you set him up.”
“I can be very persuasive…and besides, once he actually sees Beth, he’ll fall head over heels just like everyone else does.”
Howie laughed, she was right about that. Beth had to be one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. He actually blushed when his wife introduced the two of them. He only wanted the best for his friend, truth was, he kind of found himself worrying about Kevin a lot. The guy always seemed so detached and often had a very far away look in his eyes. No matter how many times Howie brought up the idea of therapy, or even a long break or vacation from the force, it was always frowned upon. What bothered him most though, was the fact that he was able to find so much happiness despite his best friend’s sadness. In a way, he felt guilty about that.
“What?” He looked over at his wife who was staring at him with her beautiful brown eyes.
“Nothing, I was just thinking about Kev.”
“Sometimes I think maybe you should have just married him!” They both laughed about that. It was great that his wife got along so well with his friend. Once again just showing how lucky he truly was, he sighed but then his mood suddenly changed as he saw something happening up ahead.
“Well Richardson, you never answered me. Where do you think you’re going?”
Nick tried his best not to show his fear. Even though he was scared to death and the thought of being beaten by the likes of these losers wasn’t a fun thought at all. “I’m going home.”
“By way of the graveyard?” Charlie asked, walking up slowly to the younger boy to try to intimidate him. He felt like carrying the baseball bat in his hand was a perfect addition but he found himself kind of annoyed when the blonde showed no fear in return.
“Yeah, what were you doing in there?” Nick asked as he looked from boy to boy as they moved closer to him.
“Only freaks hang out in the graveyard Dink...freaks or people who have dead mothers. Lucky for you, you are both.” That also only got the smallest rise out of the kid.
Nick refused to show his anger, he knew better than to lose it again. He knew he could take Charlie, it was everyone else, he was doubtful of. They were circling him like a pack of wolves and Nick found himself searching around the empty streets for someone to see something was amiss. Maybe make a phone call, or shout out their window, hell to even drive by and honk. All he needed was a little distraction so he could make a run for it.
“What is it you want? I mean don’t you have anything better to do than follow my ass around?”
Charlie laughed which made his stupid friends laugh right along, “Please…don’t flatter yourself, like I was following you.”
“I’m sorry…would you rather me say stalking?” There was his damn sarcastic temper coming out. He was always told by the members of his family that his mouth would get him in trouble one day. Perhaps this was that day. From the look on the face of the idiot who decided to target him, he grew even surer that maybe he was correct. Charlie did not look amused as he suddenly lunged at Nick and grabbed his shirt as he pulled him closer.
“I was just passing by when I thought I smelled a loser. Seems like I was right, and what do I want, how about some revenge?” With that being said, he threw Nick to the ground. The youngest Richardson hit his skateboard on impact with the pavement. This caused an added laugh to the gang circling around him.
Nick moved to get up but was kicked back down by another kid, he grimaced as he watched Charlie go for his skateboard, “Thanks for the board, like I said…I needed to borrow it. I would have given it back but since you were such an asshole today, I think I’ll be keeping it.”
“Give that back! It’s MINE!”
“Shut up Richardson, don’t sound like a pussy faced kid. It’s bad enough that you already look like one.” Charlie let out one more laugh and started to walk away.
“Fuck you!” That made him stop and turn back around.
“I’m sorry…I didn’t catch that.”
Nick managed to stand himself up; his shoulder ached as well as his side from where he was kicked, but he wasn’t going to show them he was in any pain. “I said…FUCK YOU!”
Charlie smiled and walked back over to Nick, who never moved a muscle to run away. At this point they always ran away so this intrigued the bully. “You are something else Richardson, I haven’t figured it out yet. Whether you think you are untouchable just because your whole damn family is on the police force, or maybe you’re just a retard. My guess is you’re a retard.”
Nick took a deep breath; the amount of hate registering in his voice was taking him by surprise. “You are wrong…it’s neither. I have been through much worse than you. Good lord you are nothing but the puss of a pimple of the things I have been through and seen- so if you’re done, I’ve gotta get home.”
He took one more deep breath as he walked right up to Charlie while he still looked dumbfounded and poked him in the chest. “And you can keep the damn skateboard; its wheel fell off when you pushed me anyway, you sack of shit. Oh and my family are in the FBI not the police!” That being said with all the grace of a super hero’s exit line, he turned around and started walking slowly down the street, almost ready to vomit from the amount of pain and fear that he was feeling.
Brian and Kevin arrived to a dark and quiet house. “This is the place, according to the address.” Brian said, showing his brother the small card he had written the information on.
Kevin took the card and once again glanced over at the very small house. In comparison to what the Nicosia’s used to live in, this place was much smaller and plain, the last name not even appearing on the mailbox. “Looks like no one is home.”
“You know I give them credit for coming back here. I would have never been able to come back after knowing what her husband was a part of.”
“I know what you mean, well let’s go and make is official, maybe she’s just trying to save on her electric bill or something.”
The brothers got out of the car and made a slow walk to the front door. Kevin was surprised by all the emotion he felt as he approached. Part of him wanted to just hug this woman. Mainly because in a way he understood how she felt, but then another part of him wanted to yell at her, insist she go far away because she brought back all those memories. He didn’t want to live through those but most importantly, he didn’t want his family to either.
He knocked on the door and then rang the doorbell and instantly they were greeted with a barking dog but no one came to answer their call. “Guess we should try again tomorrow.”
Kevin nodded at Brian but decided to try the bell one more time. He felt like he was being watched through a window somewhere so he stood a little bit away from the door and peered through the window.
“Kev, what are you doing?”
“I just feel like someone’s home.”
“If someone is home then they are ignoring you. Maybe it’s Patty, maybe her mom told her not to answer the door.”
When Kevin heard that name, thoughts immediately went to his little brother. Wondering if he had seen this girl he was so in love with when they were little, since they had come back into town. “I wonder if she goes to the high school?”
“Doubtful, they live right over the line, she goes to North. I doubt Nicky even knows she’s here.” Kevin nodded, seemed like his brother’s thoughts went to the same place.
For a second he thought about how abruptly Nicky had left the house and wondered if he ever made his way back home. Why he allowed that fight to leave his thoughts was beyond him, probably just because of concentrating on bringing back all these damn memories.
“Come on, we’ll try again tomorrow.”
As they started to walk back to the car, Kevin glanced up at the second floor and just as he suspected, he saw a curtain close.
Howie stopped the car, surprised at the scene that he was watching. There were about ten kids all standing around and laughing as one kid stood and repeatedly was hitting something over and over again with a baseball bat.
“I’m checking it out!”
“Honey, just call the police, let’s not stop.” But it was too late, before Arianna could even get her last word out of her mouth; Howie was out of the car. Making sure he shined his brights on the kids to stop them.
When the kids saw the lights, they scattered like a pack of roaches, all except for the one with the bat, who just glared right back at the agent as he made his way closer to the boy. “What do you think you’re doing?” Howie asked, making sure to put on his most intimidating voice.
“What’s it to you?”
Howie used that sarcastic comeback as a reason to pull out his badge, he figured once the kid saw it he’d crap his pants. “Maybe I should take you down to the station?”
“For what? I didn’t do anything wrong, unless beating the shit out of my broken skateboard is some kind of federal offense?” Oh how he hated kids like this, he always knew that in no time, these were the types of kids he would later end up arresting for something major, something that the FBI would have to step in on, perhaps a huge drug bust or armed robbery.
“Why are you beating that with a bat?”
“Would you rather me be beating a person?”
“Just answer my question.”
“Because the damn thing is broken and I was pissed, now if that’s all you needed to know, I should be getting home.”
Howie watched as the kid grabbed the skateboard from the ground. It looked very familiar to him. Nicky had one just like it and he should know because he was the one that bought it for him.
“Better get home then and next time you decide to roam around at night, do it without a baseball bat.”
The kid rolled his eyes and saluted with the broken skateboard. For a second, Howie thought the hoodlum was going to throw it at him, but he quickly placed it back down at his side. “Yes sir…whatever you say sir.”
Howie nodded, knowing that nothing he said meant a thing to this kid and watched as he took the skateboard and flung it making it hit the side of a building. “Hey!” Howie shouted at the kid but just as he said that, he took off running and laughing as his buddies met up with him in the shadows.
He decided to go over and get a better look at the skateboard and sure enough he sighed when he did recognize that it was in fact the one he had bought for Nick this past Christmas. His last name clearly marked on the bottom. “Great.”
He walked back to the car, bringing the skateboard with him, “So you managed to break that up. Good for you.” His wife said the second he opened the car door.
“Yeah I guess, but they had this.” He handed the board over to his wife who looked at it and shook her head.
“How did he get this?”
“Now that’s a great question.” Howie answered as he stepped on the gas and once again put the car in motion. They drove for a little while when they saw Nick walking slowly on the sidewalk, nursing his side with his shoulders hunched over.
He slowed down and motioned for his wife to open her window, “The poor baby looks like he’s in pain.” She said, trying to act as if she really cared one way or another.
“I know…” he said to his wife as she softly spoke to the teenager.
“Nicky honey, its Arianna…”
At first Nick pretended not to hear her and just kept walking. He was embarrassed because he was crying and truthfully, he didn’t much like her or trust her. He saw Howie’s car as it turned the corner and actually had thought about hiding in the bushes until he passed but there was that part of him, the kid in him he guessed, that wanted Howie to see him and stop. Nick just wished she wasn’t with him.
“Yeah?” His voice cracked and all he could do was bite his lip to avoid the slew of curse words that were about to come out of his mouth.
“Nicky…” Howie stopped the car and jumped out, quickly walking over to the teenager and looking him up and down.
“Were you just mugged?”
“No, why do you ask?”
“Because you look like you’re in pain and I found your skateboard with a no good kid.”
“I’m okay, we just had a disagreement.”
“So you know him?”
“Yeah, it’s not a big deal,” Nick started walking very slowly hoping that Howie would relent and go away but instead he held out his hand and grabbed Nick by the shoulder. To which the younger boy grimaced.
“You’re hurt. It is a big deal…get in the car and let me take you home.”
“No, I’m not going home.”
“Nickolas Gene…”
“I can’t go home Howie….please just leave me alone.”
“That I will not do, come on let me at least take you back to my house then…okay?” He sweetly grabbed the child into a hug that Howie knew the boy needed. Once he got Nick to his house he’d call Kevin.
Nick finally nodded and with a pat of the back, gingerly placed himself in the backseat of the car, smiling at Arianna as she watched him get in.
“You should at least call your dad Nicky, he’s probably wondering where you are. I thought you were grounded.”
“God why the hell does everyone know my business?”
“Relax kiddo, I only know because I am with your brother all the time.”
“He doesn’t have to tell you that though.”
“He’s just concerned, that’s all.”
“Well, that kind of concern I can do without.” Howie glanced over at his wife and shook his head, once again doubts about having a child of their own danced in his head as they ventured down the street in silence.
Thanks for reading :O) I'll try to update this one by next Friday but if it doesn't happen by then, as soon as i'm done with a chapter i'll post.
