The Short Lover Boy – Episode 11
By: Authoress Sharon ~ Ronnie✨✨
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~CHAPTER ELEVEN~
~THE END~
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~SAMMY’S POV~
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All I can say is, that guy Kevin Reynolds should consider himself lucky they stopped the fight. I was just starting to get warmed up. I mean, I hadn’t even tried my karate yet. A couple of well – placed chops and the guy’s history.
Anyway, the theater manager and his flunkies grabbed the three of us and move us up the aisle. Becky gets her purse and comes along. .
The manager calls out the crowd, “Sorry, folks, we’ll have the movie going again
in a minute.”
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He drags us into his office, a crummy little place that smells like stale cigarettes,
and plops down behind a metal desk. Becky sits in a folding chair, and Kevin
stands in the corner looking nervous. Gus is next to him, twitching like he stuck his
finger in an electric socket. Me, I casually lean up against the wall and pull out a
pack of gum.
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“Juicy Fruit, anybody?”
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The manager glares at me, lights up a cigarette, and leans forward across the desk.
“I’ll make this quick. I’m calling a cab for the young lady, and the rest of you will
place a phone call to your parents. You’ll tell them what happened and have them
come down here to pick you up.”
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Picturing my dad’s face, I was just about to swallow my gum. I notice that Gus has turned white, and Kevin is blinking real fast. .
“Sir —-” says Kevin.
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“No discussion if you don’t like it, my next call is to the police.”
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A half hour later, Becky is gone and the parents start to arrive. First are Mr. and Mrs. Gaffney, who look dazed by the thought that their son was in a fight. In a funny way, Mr. Gaffeny looks happy, especially when he sees the size of the guy Gus was up against. My dad shows up after they leave, and I can see I’m in one of his lectures.
Before we leave, Mr. Reynolds walks in. The first thing that hits me is his clothes. He’s wearing a gray suit I’d love to get my hands on, with a maroon tie, gold cuff links, and the shiniest shoes I’ve ever seen. The next thing I notice is a definite chill in the room, like somebody just opened a window. He turns to the manager.
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“Please make sure our name is never mentioned in connection with this
incident.”
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“Huh?” Says the manager. “Yeah, sure.”
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“Thank you.” He shakes the manager’s hand, and when he releases his grip, I see
a flash of green.
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“Come, Kevin,” says Mr Reynolds. He pivots and heads for the door. During the whole time, Mr. Reynolds hasn’t looked down at his bloody son. .
My dad and I are right behind them. As we follow them out through the lobby, Kevin glances back at me. He doesn’t look angry anymore. What he looks is miserable.
Later I’m in my room, sitting in the bed. My dad has delivered a few choice words plus he’s grounded me for a month. I’m staring at the walls, something I’ll be seeing a lot of in the next few weeks.
I can’t get that look of Kevin’s out of my head. The more I think about it, the harder it is for me to call him El Creepo. I wonder what it’s like having a father who’s so worried about his reputation that he doesn’t bother to get mad. I think back to when my father was yelling at me, and it almost makes me smile. .
There’s a knock on the door, and Nick sticks his head in. “There’s must be some mistake,” he says. “They told me I’d find Mike Tyson in here.” .
“Yo Nick. You heard what happened?”
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“How many times have I warned you not to take on guys bigger than you are?”
He says. “In your case, that means nobody over the age of eight.”
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“Hey, I had no choice.” I give him the whole story, including the part about
Kevin’s strong – arm tactics. When I finish, he leans back against the wall with a
strange smile on his face.
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“This Becky, she’s some little operator, isn’t she?”
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“What do you mean?” I ask.
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“She held his hand, right? She kissed him first?”
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“Well, yeah.”
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“I got news for you, kiddo. She got what was comi
ng to her.”
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“Nick, she was scared. He had her pinned to the seat.”
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“She’s a tease.”
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“What’s that?”
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“You’ll find out. There’s a million like her.”
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He gets up from the bed and walks to the window, where he looks out at the big oak tree in our front yard. “Did I tell you cindy and I broke up?” .
“When did this happen?”
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“Last night. I took her to dinner at Mario’s, and on the way home she says she’s
calling it quits. Just like that. Boom.”
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“How come?”
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“That’s the crazy part,” he says. “I don’t know. I mean, i listened to what she said, but it was like she was speaking a foreign language or something.” .
He looks over at me. “Women are different, Sammy. They’re not the same as you
and me.
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Never forget that.”
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“Hey, they’re people,” I say.
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“You really are just a kid, aren’t you?” He ruffles my hair and smiles at me, but all
I can see are those sad eyes of his.
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Monday during lunch period, Gus and I are out on the play ground. Every so often somebody comes up and asked me what happened to my eye. I tell them they should see the other guy.
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Suddenly, I spot Becky and Alice. “Time to make another move,” I tell Gus.
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“On Alice Biddle?” He says in a sickly voice.
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“No, on the Pope.”
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“Yesterday in the hall she called me Lizard Breath.”
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“Perfect,” I say. “She’s already using pet names.”
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“I don’t know Sammy.”
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“Trust me. She’s like putty in your hands.”
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We wait until the two of them split up. When Alice walks off, Gus gives me this pleading look.
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“Putty,” I tell him.
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He shrugs and slinks off after her. Meanwhile, i hurry after Becky to make a move on my own. I decide on the take – charge approach. .
“Okay, here’s the deal,” I tell her when I catch up.
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She just keeps walking. There’s something familiar about this scene, but I can’t stop to figure it out now. Deciding the take – charge approach was a mistake, I remember something Nick used to say: Flattery will get you everywhere. .
“Hey, nice shirt,” I tell her. She doesn’t say a word.
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As I rack my brain to understand what’s wrong, another one of Nick’s sayings
comes to me: Act Sincere.
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“Becky,” I tell her, “I got this special feeling towards you.”
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She just keeps staring ahead. Finally i can’t stand it anymore.
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“I don’t believe it,” I say. “I help you out at the movies and this is the thanks I
get?”
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She stops and puts her hands on her hips.
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“Help me out?! I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life.”
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“I saved you from Kevin Reynolds. Doesn’t that mean anything?”
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“Well, okay, but it was for your own good. The way things turned out, you should
be glad I was there.”
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“Get this straight, Sammy Carducci. I don’t need you spying on me or butting into my life. I’m not some possession for you to win or lose. And I don’t like being a Guinea pig for your stupid theories on women.” .
It’s like somebody punched me in the solar plexus. How does she know about my theories? That information is top secret. It could be dangerous in the wrong hands. Hers, for instance.
I realized there’s only one way she could have found out.
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“Gus! I’m gonna break his scrawny neck.”
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“Don’t be ridiculous. He’s your best friend.”
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“Not anymore.”
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“Sammy,” she says, “I tricked him into telling me. Then I used him to trick you.”
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“Huh?”
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“Gus told you where I’d be Friday night, didn’t he?”
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“Well, yeah.”
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“I gave him that information on purpose,” she says. “I knew he’d take it straight to
you.”
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“You mean you wanted me to follow you?”
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“Yes, so I could teach you a lesson. Remember the ice cream shop? Remember the
fat woman with the sweater?”
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“You knew we were there the whole time!”
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She nods. “Dark glasses and all.”
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Things are moving too fast for me. I have to stop to let my brain catch up. “Wait a second. You saw us sitting behind you in the theater?” .
“That’s right.”
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“And you kissed Kevin Reynolds?”
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“Sa
mmy, that’s the reason I kissed Kevin Reynolds. To make you jealous. It’s why i
went out with him in the first place.”
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I stand there with my jaw flapping in the breeze.
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“I turned Kevin down the first time he asked me out. The second, the third, and
the fourth time, too. I didn’t say yes until after I talked to Gus and learned about
your theories.”
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I feel like an idiot, but I also feel great. Is that possible?
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“Are you going out with Kevin again?” I ask.
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“I don’t think so.”
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“Because of what he did?”
“Partly,” she said. “But the main thing is that he’s too old. I’m not a woman, even though I might look like one. I’m a girl. Sometimes I get tired of trying to act like a grown – up, and I just want to play jump rope or tag.” .
“You mean like this?” I ask, tagging her. She nods, still thinking about what she
said.
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“Well?” I say. “You’re it.”
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“Don’t be silly. We weren’t playing. Because if we were, I would have tagged you
first, like this.”
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“But I tagged you first,” I tell her.
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“It didn’t count.”
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“Did so.”
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“Did not.”
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“Did so.”
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“Did not.”
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“Did so.”
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“Okay,” she says, “and I tagged you second. So you’re it.”
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She takes off across the playground, with me right behind her. Just as I’m about to catch up, she throws a wicked head fake, and suddenly Alice Biddle is straight ahead. Over to one side, Gus is shuffling away sadly. Obviously, Alice has just shot him down.
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“You’re it!” I yell to Alice, digging at her ribs.
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She jumps, then looks back and glares at me.
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“If you’re trying to lure me into some childish game, you can just forget it.”
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“Fine,” I tell her. “Then you’ll be it all day, with whatever cooties that involves.”
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She pretends to walk off, but as she passes Gus, she touches his shoulder.
“You’re it!” She says, then runs away.
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He goes after her, then chases me, then I chase Becky around and around the
playground past the tether ball pole and jungle gym and sandbox. By the time I tag
her, she’s grinning and so I am.
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“Hey, Sammy,” she says, “your tie is loose.”
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All of a sudden, as I glance down at myself, my clothes look funny. What’s an eleven – year – old doing in a suit, anyway? What am I trying to prove? Maybe I should wear jeans and a T – shirt instead. Maybe I should give up spaghetti and start eating peanut butter sandwiches. Maybe I should get rid of the breath mints and the pocket comb and the nose – hair scissors. Maybe it’s time i stopped trying to be different and start acting like a normal kid. Nah.
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✨THE END ✨
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