Page 2 of Sugar and Skulls

“You do and he’ll be coming for you as soon as he can.” He takes my chin in his hand. His hand is black, there is a skull inked over the entire thing. His skin peeks out where the eyes, nose and mouth are. “Now, one more thing. Don’t let this little prick touch you ever again. I see you’re a nice girl, Jesse, but sometimes you have to be mean. Especially if you are protecting what’s yours. Got it?” He tips his head and his eyes catch the sun making my heart all gooey.

I glance at Rick nervously, nodding my head slightly.

“Go on, head back to the house. Prick will be along shortly.” I want to giggle at how he keeps saying Rick’s name wrong, but I don’t.

Instead of running home like the scary man told me to, I hide behind a tree on the corner of the lot and watch them. The scary man stands in front of Rick and it looks like he’s really scolding him.

He takes Rick’s hand and holds it up in front of his face and bends his fingers. It looks like it hurts. And. Then. They. Snap. Rick screams and I cover my mouth so that I don’t do the same. The man looks up and his eyes meet mine. I take off running and don’t stop until I get back to the house.

I take two steps at a time until I get to the bedroom I share with the other girls. Watching out the window I see Rick walking his bike home with one hand. His other is cradled against his chest. Snot and tears are running down his face. I’ve never seen him look like this. He’s always Mr. Cool.

I think Mr. Scary knocked him down a few pegs.

Janet rushes towards him. I push the window up a crack so I can hear them. “Rickie, what happened? Oh my god!”

“I fell off my bike,” he grumbles.

He didn’t tell on the scary man with the pictures.

Grandpa had pictures too. He told me he got them when he was in the Navy on a big boat. He said they were his secrets and that he had them tattooed onto his skin so he could take them to the grave. I don’t know what that means but I guess he got his wish.

Janet gathers all the kids into her van and off they go. I’m sure she just forgot me in the rush to get Rick to the doctor. It’s okay. I like being alone. It gives me a chance to sneak into the pantry for bread.

After I have my fill I head to the tiny bathroom we all share and pull down my pants. There’s some blood in my underwear. I think he scratched me. I still don’t know if he knew what he was doing or if it was an accident, but it hurt so I don’t think I’ll be riding on Rick’s bike anymore.

Rick has to wear a cast for a long time after that day. He doesn’t talk to me and he doesn’t ride his bike. Which is good because if he asks me again I’ll have to be mean like that guy told me to and tell him no. I don’t like being mean.

Unfortunately, once his cast is off he goes back to giving rides again and I have to be mean and tell him no thank you. I always add the thank you, so it doesn’t sound so mean.

One night at dinner Rick decides to sit next to me at the table. I’m patiently waiting for him to finish so I can give Mop the rest of my too salty pasta, but he’s taking forever. The other kids have all left the table and it’s just the two of us. Janet has her back to us as she busily washes dishes and cleans up the kitchen.

“How come you never want a ride on my bike anymore?” he asks.

Maybe he didn’t know he was touching me there. Maybe that man broke his fingers for no reason. I start to feel bad. I shrug my shoulders and continue to push pasta around with my fork.

Rick puts his hand on my leg, and I freeze. Slowly he moves it up, up, up. My eyes dart to Janet, silently pleading to her.Please turn around, please turn around.

She doesn’t.

The good news is I don’t have to eat salty food anymore.

The bad news is I won’t get to use the roller skates ever again.

Chapter Two

Dirk

???

"What the fuck do you mean you don’t know where she’s at?” I can hear Bill grind his teeth over the receiver.

“They moved her. She stuck a fork in the kid’s leg,” I reply, lazily leaning against my Harley.

“Goddammit!” he roars.

“I’ll find her, dude. Chill.”

“Why would my daughter stick a fucking fork in some poor teenage boy’s leg? Huh? Explain that to me, Dirk?”

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