Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 106953 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 535(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106953 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 535(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
“Good. I have time to teach this bitch a lesson.” He lunges for me.
What I lack in size, I make up for in quickness. I sidestep him and then pretend to trip. I pitch forward, grabbing onto his backpack for stability. I slip the baggy inside the outer pocket. Felix shoves me.
“Get off me, you fucking hag.” He shoves me hard.
I fall to the ground, catching myself on the pavement. The cement digs into my hands. I push myself up, but before I can get to my feet, a kick in my side catches me unaware. I bend forward, gasping for breath.
“Come on, dude. Not cool,” Will says above me.
I curl into a ball and wait for another kick, but nothing comes. The sound of a bus stopping and the door opening fills the space. I struggle to my feet, still holding my midsection.
I manage to gather up the strength to flip Felix off and yell, “Smell you later, loser.”
He leans out the window and is about to shout something when his face pales and he drops down into his seat.
A long shadow appears, superimposing itself over my shorter one. Slowly, I twist around to see Leka’s face, which is focused on the retreating bus. A thunderous expression colors his features.
“You forgot your phone.” He lifts up my mobile.
“Whoops,” I murmur and reach for it. I twist to tuck it into my backpack, but the motion hurts and I let out an involuntary squeak of pain.
Leka’s face grows even darker, his eyes still fixed in the direction of the bus. “I’m going to kill that punk.”
“No.” I grab Leka’s arm. “You can’t. His dad’s a lawyer. We’ll get in trouble.”
“His dad could be the motherfucking pope, and I’d still carve up that little pencil dick’s face and deliver it to his dad during mass.”
This is really bad. Fear starts spreading through my veins. Oh, what did I start here? I should’ve kept my mouth shut and endured. It’s not like Felix ever hurt me before. Not really. So he said stupid things and my stupid feelings were bruised, but this is the first time he’s ever kicked me.
“Leka.” I tug on his arm. “Leka, please.” He finally looks down at me. I tip my forehead against his chest. “Please, don’t do anything. I already got him back.”
He rubs his hand up and down my arm. “How so?”
“I filled a baggie with fish and eggs and then dropped it into his backpack. I gave it a good slap before I let go.”
His hand stops. A finger bumps my chin up. I see a reluctant smile tip the corner of his lips. “Smell you later?”
I give a tiny shrug. “Seemed appropriate.”
He pulls my phone from my hand and does something to the screen before dropping it into my backpack. “Come on.”
“School’s the other way,” I tell him as he turns and leads me down the street.
“You’re sick today,” he announces.
“I am?” I raise my eyebrows.
“Yes. Sudden flu. High temperatures. I need to get some fluids in you.”
He turns down another street. My heart rate picks up. “Are we getting ice cream fluids?” I ask. This is the way toward my favorite diner where they make awesome chocolate chip pancakes and the best shakes ever.
“I hear that’s the best way to bring a fever down.”
* * *
He waits until I’ve stuffed myself full of pancakes and I’m working on sucking the very last of my shake out of my glass to pounce.
“How long has that been going on?” He jerks his head in the general direction of the street corner where Felix and I had it out.
“You’re ruining my breakfast.”
Leka gives me a dark look. With an exaggerated sigh, I push away my plate.
“Since September.”
“It’s October.”
I resist the urge to say something smart, like I know. I learned the months in kindergarten.
“He’s only there on Mondays and Thursdays. The rest of the time he gets a ride, I think.”
“So twice a week for the last six, this little punk has been assaulting you and you never said one word?”
It’s the hurt in his voice that finally penetrates and casts all my good intentions into the gutter.
“I thought I could handle it myself. I didn’t want to bug you. You’re always doing stuff for me, Leka. You pay my tuition. You buy my clothes. You put the roof over my head and food on the table and what do you get in return?” Heat pricks the back of my eyes. I blink furiously to keep the tears from falling.
“I get you, Bitsy. That’s what I get. Right?”
His hand reaches across the table. I stare at it.
No one wants you, I hear Felix saying.
“How can that be enough?” A couple tears slip out anyway. I swipe them away. “Mrs. M says that you need a wife. Am I holding you back? I mean, you never bring any women home. Are you afraid to? Am I doing something wrong?”