Page 85 of Summer, in Between
‘Stuck Up Bitch.’He pushes past me, shadowed by a guy only slightly taller than him, but much older.He sneers at me, and like Steve, he has a black tooth right in the middle of his top teeth.He takes his time looking me up and down.I put the shopping bags on the outside table.
A couple of minutes later I hear the door open behind me, the bell jangling.I look over my shoulder, willing my brother to appear, but no.
‘Hey, cutie!’Black Tooth stands in front of me.Steve leans against the bonnet of a wreck of a sedan with a smashed-in bumper, his arms crossed, smirking.‘So, you’re the firecracker that gave my little cuz a black eye, hey?What are you, Italian?Greek?You’re a hot chilli firecracker, hey?I like a firecracker.Want to take me on?’
I turn my back on him and rearrange the bottles in the shopping bags, my stomach churning.I will my face to stay impassive.
‘What, the little firecracker doesn’t want to talk to me?I hear you’re into older guys, I’m not your type?’
‘Keep walking.’My voice quavers.I clear my throat.
‘Yeah, nah, I think I’ll just hang here for a while.’He sits opposite me.
I grab my bags and bang on Sadie’s window.Matty jolts, startled, then, without sparing me a glance, gives me the middle finger salute.Matty, I am going to stab you with a fork, I swear it.I move to Sadie’s doorway but Steve beats me to it.He stands in the doorway, one hand across the door jam.
‘You’re not so tough without your boyfriend around, are you?’he says.
‘And look how tough you are.’I’m shaking and it’s taking all my strength not to turn and run.‘Are you going to get out of my way?’
‘Make me, Stuck Up Bitch.’
Sadie catches my eye, and one look at my face sends her from behind the counter.
‘Off you trot, fella,’ she says to Steve, and he slinks his way to his cousin, still sitting at the table, staring at me.
‘Matty, let’s go,’ I call from the doorway and miracle of miracles, he comes out.As we cut across the spare block, our hands full with bags, I hear the low putt of a motor.Black Tooth drives past, windows down, elbow out, Steve in the passenger seat beside him grinning.
‘Where you going, firecracker?’Black Tooth calls.‘I won’t bite.Not hard, anyway.’
‘Who’s that dickhead?’says Matty.
‘Some loser friend or cousin or something of that other loser,’ I say.‘Just keep walking.’They drive past us, then do a U-turn to drive past again, this time spinning their wheels, black smoke pouring from the tyre rims.They roar off down the street.
‘I think they’re gone,’ says Matty.
‘Listen, Matty, when I say, “let’s go”, I mean it.That a-hole could have done anything and you’re in there playing pinball, sticking your freakin’ finger up at me.’
‘How was I supposed to know that?’
‘You weren’t, but why didn’t you come when I asked you?Oh fuck, here we go again.’The car slows beside us, and Black Tooth leans out the window, banging his hand on his door panel in time to some really bad music blaring from the car.
‘Leave my sister alone, dickhead,’ Matty yells.
‘You going to make me, little man?’He pulls the car over and gets out.‘Why don’t you go play soccer with your little mates?’
‘Matty, ignore them,’ I hush.‘Keep walking, let’s just get home.’
‘What’s your hurry, firecracker?’He blocks the footpath.
I jut my chin and swap the shopping bags to one hand and grab my brother’s arm with the other.The handle digs into my palm, cutting off the circulation.I clench and unclench my fist, and mutter to Matty to just keep walking.As I pull him by the arm, Black Tooth shoves Matty and he staggers, dropping the shopping bags.‘Not so mouthy, now, are you, little man?’
‘Steve!’I yell.‘I know you’re no Einstein but this is next level, even for you.Call off your attack dog or you’ll regret it.’
‘Calm down, firecracker,’ Black Tooth laughs.‘No need for threats.I’ll be seeing you around, cutie.Maybe we’ll go for pizza.Extra chilli, yeah?Be nice to my little cuz and I’ll be nice to your little bro.’He whacks Matty on the back and saunters back to his car.We’re sprayed with roadside gravel as the car fishtails down the road.
I turn to Matty and burst into tears.I drop the shopping bags and throw my arms around my brother.‘Why aren’t you crying?That was so freakin’ scary!’
‘I know, right?’Matty hugs me tight.I can feel him trembling.‘I was about to drop the bags and run home to get Dad and Paul, but I didn’t want to leave you.Man, they are going to flip out.’
