Post by silent.lullaby on Jun 12, 2010 19:14:24 GMT -5
//We Run This Town//Chapter 022// Fight and Food
I called Preston to pick me up, but he wasn’t answering his phone which I thought was weird. I tried calling Ceasario, but he wasn’t answering either. “What the fuck?” On a last ditch effort I called Adam, who was notorious for not picking up.
“Hello?”
“Adam? It’s Lil, I was hoping I could get a ride home if it isn’t too much trouble.”
“Yeah, sure,” he sounded groggy, “where you at?”
“The school, I had a late tutoring session.”
“Oh, alright, I’m on the other side of town so it’s going to take me a while to get down there, you with anyone?”
“No, everyone’s already left.”
“What about your tutor?”
“Left already,” I lied.
He sighed heavily, “aren’t any of the other guys closer?”
“Neither Pres or Cesar are answering.” I responded sitting on the steps. “It’s weird.”
“Alright, look, I’ll be there as soon as I can be. Stay safe.” He hung up and I kept my phone in my hands. Footsteps behind me and I whirled around standing quickly.
“Woah, woah!” Gavin held up his hands. “Just me.”
“Sorry,” I sat back down. “Thanks for the help today.”
“Yeah, I’m getting paid for it, so...” He looked around, “Your ride not here?”
“Nope. You should head off before it gets here too.”
“Ah, I see, one of the Mafia men.”
I wrung my fingers, “just go Burke.” I wiped my sweaty palms against my knees. I didn’t want to admit it, not to Adam, and not to Gavin that I was a little freaked out about waiting for a ride alone. I’d just gotten a creepy phone call, and the guy was obviously watching, he was probably in a bush or a car around. The city it’s self was quiet, but the school grounds, and parking lot-despite it’s size- was quiet. “I’ll be fine,” I assured with out much confidence.
“A DeLuca? A Walker perhaps?” Gavin prodded, I glared, “I’ve been peeking at my dad’s files since I could read. I know more about the men in your presence than maybe even you do.”
“Just go,” I replied, “my friend is going to be here soon, and I’m sure he’ll knock your teeth out just for being here and then I’m going to have to explain to my father while I was seen on the school stairs, after school, with Gavin Burke all alone.” I glared at him, “and neither of us want that now do we?”
“I’m just saying, maybe you’d reconsider your spot with those people if you know what they were really like. Like that McKnight...”
“Shut up!” I shouted standing again, letting my backpack fall down the stairs. “You want to know something new about Preston? When I was seven and broke my arm falling out of a tree, Preston drove me to the hospital, and bought me this big teddy bear and a bunch of balloons because he knew they’d make me happy. When I was ten and Nicholas Walters was shot dead he held my hand at the funeral and took me away when I started to cry. When your father,” I poked his chest hard, “sent mine to prison, Preston let me cry on his shoulder till I fell asleep. He got me through some of the hardest most trying times in my life so don’t you dare say shit about him!”
Gavin watched me for a minute, I was breathing hard and my hands were in fists at my side. “Maybe if your family weren’t who they were, you wouldn’t have ended up in those trying times.”
“I fell out of a damn tree. Nothing could have stopped that!”
“Nicholas Walters was also known as ‘Four-Fingers-Nicky’ and was shot to death in a drive by shooting because of a Mafia deal gone wrong. Your father and your Uncle were sent to prison because they are lead men in the New York Mafia! You wouldn’t have needed an assassin to rock you to damn sleep if your father was a real man!”
My fist drew back and collided with Gavin’s jaw before I even conciously thought about it. He fell to the ground and cracked his head off the concrete stairs. “Shit.” I muttered looking at my red knuckles. Gavin groaned and I knelt down beside him. “Shit, fuck, shhhhit.” I took off my blazer and put it behind his slightly bleeding head. Dajavu hit me and I touched the back of my own head. “I’m sorry.”
“Me too,” he replied groggily sitting up slowly. “I feel sorry for you, you know. You wouldn’t be so bad with out Lombardi tagged onto the end of your name.”
I swallowed hard and heard a honk I turned quickly before rubbing my neck. “Double shit fuck. Adam.” I stood, “and never talk to me again, you stupid fuck!” I shouted at him my hands on my hips, “please get that drycleaned, I’ll pay you back.” I whispered, then jogged down the stairs collected my backpack turned around and flipped Gavin the middle finger in which he looked surprised and then left with Adam.
The next day of classes went by quickly, Gavin was in Science so I decided I didn’t damage his head too badly.
“Honey?” I turned around out of the fridge with some orange juice. I was surprised to see Mom home, my heart hammered, her eyes didn’t seem red, and weren’t watery so I knew Sergio’s condition hadn’t worsened. “Are you going to that football game tonight?”
I grabbed a glass and poured some juice, “yeah, the girls and I are going to Jester’s first, and then we’re going to watch it.” I looked at her, she had the ‘concerned mother’ look on. “What’s wrong?”
“After... after what happened to Sergio,” she said standing up a little taller, “I’m not sure I want you going to these after school functions.”
I drank the juice down in a chug before putting it into the sink. “I can’t stop living because someone’s gunning for us Mom.” I breathed out, “cause there is always going to be someone as long as our last name is Lombardi.”
“Hon...”
“How’s Serge?” I asked.
“He woke up today,” she said smiling and the waterworks begun, tears streaming down her face, “it wasn’t for long, but he just said, ‘hey mom, hey dad.’ he asked who did it to him. He doesn’t even remember going to the dance.”
“That’s inconvenient.”
“We’ll protect him,” She said more to herself than to me. “I want to you take one of the older kids with you.”
“Gemma’s older.”
Mother scoffed, “by six months and three days. Doesn’t count. You know what I mean, Adam, Ceasario, Preston, one of them... please. For me.”
“I’ll ask, doesn’t mean they’ll want to go. Besides, we’re going with some other kids from school, Blaire is bringing her boyfriend Linden, and October is bringing Riley if she doesn’t boycott us since we axed her best friend.”
“Who’s her best friend?”
“Kaper Callahan.”
“Why don’t you girls like her?”
“It’s not Kaper,” I said awkwardly, I liked her well enough, even though she was with... “She’s dating Gavin Burke, Gemma absolutely shut her down when she asked if she and Gavin could join us at Jesters.”
“Hmm,” Mother nodded, “it’s for the best, I don’t want you around that boy. He’s trouble.”
I laughed, “no mom, we are.” And left the room.
Jesters was packed, but Linden seemed impressed when we got the VIP room. “How...” he started.
“My parents and my Aunt and Uncle own the place,” I told him. “So we get the VIP room whenever we want.”
“Sweet.”
Paul handed out our menus took our drink orders and left. We all talked, laughed, had a good normal time, and it included October and Riley who had decided to come with us. “KayCee says that she and... her date,” she spared the name but still earned glares from Gemma, “are going to that nice little nook of a coffee and desert place down on the south side, I heard it’s absolutely fabulous!”
“I prefer pasta,” Lucia responded as Paul handed out our drinks. We all ordered our meals and we talked some more, a nice, normal get together of friends. Even people outside of our little circle.
We all walked out together, and I bumped into Preston, “hey, sorry.”
He smiled, “I believe that’s my line. Sorry.” He put his arm over my shoulder and we followed behind my friends, “your mom called, three times.”
“I told her none of you guys were answering.”
“Yeah, well when Contessa Lombardi wants to get a hold of you... she does. Determination.”
“I just wanted a normal hangout with my friends,” I admitted, “I only let it ring once on each of your phones and then hoped you didn’t call back, just so I could honestly say to mom that I called.”
Preston laughed, “smart cookie. Look, I got to stay with you otherwise... well your mother will beat me with a hot skillet. She said so herself.”
I shook my head, “not cool.”
He shrugged, “I hope there are cheerleaders.”
I punched him in the kidney and he rubbed the spot. “There are,” I admitted after we walked nearly a block.
“I figured... it’s the real reason I’m here.”
I laughed. We all walked into the school yard and across the filled up parking lot, “we’re never going to find a spot on the bleachers,” October moaned.
“I brought some blankets,” Lucia poked at the big purse she was carrying, “we can sit on them.”
“I brought snacks,” Blaire shared poking her bag in turn. “It’ll be like a picnic.”
“I’m sorry to miss it.” Linden said kissing Blaire square on the lips, “but I got to go get changed, Coach is probably already pissed.”
“Good luck baby,” she responded kissing him one more time before he and Riley both jogged off toward the school. She sighed, “I am a lucky girl.” She whirled back around, “lets get set up before the hotties come running out!”
I called Preston to pick me up, but he wasn’t answering his phone which I thought was weird. I tried calling Ceasario, but he wasn’t answering either. “What the fuck?” On a last ditch effort I called Adam, who was notorious for not picking up.
“Hello?”
“Adam? It’s Lil, I was hoping I could get a ride home if it isn’t too much trouble.”
“Yeah, sure,” he sounded groggy, “where you at?”
“The school, I had a late tutoring session.”
“Oh, alright, I’m on the other side of town so it’s going to take me a while to get down there, you with anyone?”
“No, everyone’s already left.”
“What about your tutor?”
“Left already,” I lied.
He sighed heavily, “aren’t any of the other guys closer?”
“Neither Pres or Cesar are answering.” I responded sitting on the steps. “It’s weird.”
“Alright, look, I’ll be there as soon as I can be. Stay safe.” He hung up and I kept my phone in my hands. Footsteps behind me and I whirled around standing quickly.
“Woah, woah!” Gavin held up his hands. “Just me.”
“Sorry,” I sat back down. “Thanks for the help today.”
“Yeah, I’m getting paid for it, so...” He looked around, “Your ride not here?”
“Nope. You should head off before it gets here too.”
“Ah, I see, one of the Mafia men.”
I wrung my fingers, “just go Burke.” I wiped my sweaty palms against my knees. I didn’t want to admit it, not to Adam, and not to Gavin that I was a little freaked out about waiting for a ride alone. I’d just gotten a creepy phone call, and the guy was obviously watching, he was probably in a bush or a car around. The city it’s self was quiet, but the school grounds, and parking lot-despite it’s size- was quiet. “I’ll be fine,” I assured with out much confidence.
“A DeLuca? A Walker perhaps?” Gavin prodded, I glared, “I’ve been peeking at my dad’s files since I could read. I know more about the men in your presence than maybe even you do.”
“Just go,” I replied, “my friend is going to be here soon, and I’m sure he’ll knock your teeth out just for being here and then I’m going to have to explain to my father while I was seen on the school stairs, after school, with Gavin Burke all alone.” I glared at him, “and neither of us want that now do we?”
“I’m just saying, maybe you’d reconsider your spot with those people if you know what they were really like. Like that McKnight...”
“Shut up!” I shouted standing again, letting my backpack fall down the stairs. “You want to know something new about Preston? When I was seven and broke my arm falling out of a tree, Preston drove me to the hospital, and bought me this big teddy bear and a bunch of balloons because he knew they’d make me happy. When I was ten and Nicholas Walters was shot dead he held my hand at the funeral and took me away when I started to cry. When your father,” I poked his chest hard, “sent mine to prison, Preston let me cry on his shoulder till I fell asleep. He got me through some of the hardest most trying times in my life so don’t you dare say shit about him!”
Gavin watched me for a minute, I was breathing hard and my hands were in fists at my side. “Maybe if your family weren’t who they were, you wouldn’t have ended up in those trying times.”
“I fell out of a damn tree. Nothing could have stopped that!”
“Nicholas Walters was also known as ‘Four-Fingers-Nicky’ and was shot to death in a drive by shooting because of a Mafia deal gone wrong. Your father and your Uncle were sent to prison because they are lead men in the New York Mafia! You wouldn’t have needed an assassin to rock you to damn sleep if your father was a real man!”
My fist drew back and collided with Gavin’s jaw before I even conciously thought about it. He fell to the ground and cracked his head off the concrete stairs. “Shit.” I muttered looking at my red knuckles. Gavin groaned and I knelt down beside him. “Shit, fuck, shhhhit.” I took off my blazer and put it behind his slightly bleeding head. Dajavu hit me and I touched the back of my own head. “I’m sorry.”
“Me too,” he replied groggily sitting up slowly. “I feel sorry for you, you know. You wouldn’t be so bad with out Lombardi tagged onto the end of your name.”
I swallowed hard and heard a honk I turned quickly before rubbing my neck. “Double shit fuck. Adam.” I stood, “and never talk to me again, you stupid fuck!” I shouted at him my hands on my hips, “please get that drycleaned, I’ll pay you back.” I whispered, then jogged down the stairs collected my backpack turned around and flipped Gavin the middle finger in which he looked surprised and then left with Adam.
The next day of classes went by quickly, Gavin was in Science so I decided I didn’t damage his head too badly.
“Honey?” I turned around out of the fridge with some orange juice. I was surprised to see Mom home, my heart hammered, her eyes didn’t seem red, and weren’t watery so I knew Sergio’s condition hadn’t worsened. “Are you going to that football game tonight?”
I grabbed a glass and poured some juice, “yeah, the girls and I are going to Jester’s first, and then we’re going to watch it.” I looked at her, she had the ‘concerned mother’ look on. “What’s wrong?”
“After... after what happened to Sergio,” she said standing up a little taller, “I’m not sure I want you going to these after school functions.”
I drank the juice down in a chug before putting it into the sink. “I can’t stop living because someone’s gunning for us Mom.” I breathed out, “cause there is always going to be someone as long as our last name is Lombardi.”
“Hon...”
“How’s Serge?” I asked.
“He woke up today,” she said smiling and the waterworks begun, tears streaming down her face, “it wasn’t for long, but he just said, ‘hey mom, hey dad.’ he asked who did it to him. He doesn’t even remember going to the dance.”
“That’s inconvenient.”
“We’ll protect him,” She said more to herself than to me. “I want to you take one of the older kids with you.”
“Gemma’s older.”
Mother scoffed, “by six months and three days. Doesn’t count. You know what I mean, Adam, Ceasario, Preston, one of them... please. For me.”
“I’ll ask, doesn’t mean they’ll want to go. Besides, we’re going with some other kids from school, Blaire is bringing her boyfriend Linden, and October is bringing Riley if she doesn’t boycott us since we axed her best friend.”
“Who’s her best friend?”
“Kaper Callahan.”
“Why don’t you girls like her?”
“It’s not Kaper,” I said awkwardly, I liked her well enough, even though she was with... “She’s dating Gavin Burke, Gemma absolutely shut her down when she asked if she and Gavin could join us at Jesters.”
“Hmm,” Mother nodded, “it’s for the best, I don’t want you around that boy. He’s trouble.”
I laughed, “no mom, we are.” And left the room.
Jesters was packed, but Linden seemed impressed when we got the VIP room. “How...” he started.
“My parents and my Aunt and Uncle own the place,” I told him. “So we get the VIP room whenever we want.”
“Sweet.”
Paul handed out our menus took our drink orders and left. We all talked, laughed, had a good normal time, and it included October and Riley who had decided to come with us. “KayCee says that she and... her date,” she spared the name but still earned glares from Gemma, “are going to that nice little nook of a coffee and desert place down on the south side, I heard it’s absolutely fabulous!”
“I prefer pasta,” Lucia responded as Paul handed out our drinks. We all ordered our meals and we talked some more, a nice, normal get together of friends. Even people outside of our little circle.
We all walked out together, and I bumped into Preston, “hey, sorry.”
He smiled, “I believe that’s my line. Sorry.” He put his arm over my shoulder and we followed behind my friends, “your mom called, three times.”
“I told her none of you guys were answering.”
“Yeah, well when Contessa Lombardi wants to get a hold of you... she does. Determination.”
“I just wanted a normal hangout with my friends,” I admitted, “I only let it ring once on each of your phones and then hoped you didn’t call back, just so I could honestly say to mom that I called.”
Preston laughed, “smart cookie. Look, I got to stay with you otherwise... well your mother will beat me with a hot skillet. She said so herself.”
I shook my head, “not cool.”
He shrugged, “I hope there are cheerleaders.”
I punched him in the kidney and he rubbed the spot. “There are,” I admitted after we walked nearly a block.
“I figured... it’s the real reason I’m here.”
I laughed. We all walked into the school yard and across the filled up parking lot, “we’re never going to find a spot on the bleachers,” October moaned.
“I brought some blankets,” Lucia poked at the big purse she was carrying, “we can sit on them.”
“I brought snacks,” Blaire shared poking her bag in turn. “It’ll be like a picnic.”
“I’m sorry to miss it.” Linden said kissing Blaire square on the lips, “but I got to go get changed, Coach is probably already pissed.”
“Good luck baby,” she responded kissing him one more time before he and Riley both jogged off toward the school. She sighed, “I am a lucky girl.” She whirled back around, “lets get set up before the hotties come running out!”