The Steel Kiss

Well. What a day. At school until four. Civics club project. Mrs. Hooper was happy about my work. Took the secret way home. Longer but better (know why? Obvious). Past the house that drapes out cobwebs at Halloween, past the pond that seems smaller every year, past Marjorie’s house, where I saw her that one time blouse open and she never knew.

Was hoping, praying I’d get home today okay and I think I will. But then there they are.

Sammy and Franklin. They’re walking away from Cindy Hanson’s house. Cindy could be a fashion model. So pretty. Sam and Frank, so handsome, are the sort could go out with her. I don’t even talk to her. I don’t exist to her, I’m not on this planet. Complexion clear but too skinny too gawky too awkward. That’s okay. That’s the way the world works.

Sam and Frank have never slugged me, pushed me down, rubbed my face in dirt or dog shit. But never been alone with them. Know they’ve looked at me some, well, of course, they have. Everybody in school has. If this was Duncan or Butler, I’d get whaled on, the crap totally beaten out of me, cause there aren’t any witnesses around. So I guess same is going to happen with them. They’re shorter than me, who isn’t? But stronger and I can’t fight, don’t know how. Flail, that’s what somebody said I was doing. I looked silly. Asked Dad to help. He didn’t. Put on a boxing show on TV and left me to watch it. Lotta good that did.

So now, getting beat up.

Because there aren’t any witnesses around.

No way I can turn. I just keep walking. Waiting for the fists. And they’re grinning. What the boys in school always do before the hitting.

But they don’t hit. Sam’s like hi, and asks if I live near here. A couple blocks away, I tell him. So they know now this is a really weird way for me to get home from school, but they don’t say anything.

He just says nice neighborhood here. Frank says he lives closer to the tracks which is noisy and it kind of sucks. Which I don’t say. Of course.

Then from Frank: Dude. Epic in class today.

I’m like I can’t say anything. What he means is Mrs. Rich’s class. Calc. She called on me because I was looking out the window, which she does when somebody’s looking out the window to embarrass them and without looking back I said g(1) = h(1) + 7 = -10.88222 + 7 = -3.88222.

Yeah, one of them says, Loved her face, Mrs. Bitch. You owned her, man.

Epic.

“See you ’round.” From Sam. And they just walk away.

I don’t get whaled on or spit on. Or told dick bod, skinny bean, all of that.

Nothing.

A good day. Today was a good day.