also red brick with large glass dividers along the counters and ovens so customers could watch their pizzas being made before their eyes. High school student employees became expert pizza jugglers as they made the dough from scratch and stretched it by tossing it in the air like an ever flattening Frisbee. The joint served beer and pizza; a limited menu but enough to draw a record crowd each weekend.
Big Ed was just that; a 250 pound, muscular, Italian with a graying flat top, white shirt, white pants and a white apron covered in flour and red sauce. He was an ex-marine who found his destiny in the restaurant business once he’d left the service. All of the high school students who worked there were a mirror image, from the white outfit to the buzz top haircut. It didn’t matter if you were male or female, the haircut and uniform were mandatory – just like the military. Everyone had the same short do. Big Ed didn’t discriminate. It made the place unique in itself.
The teenagers stood in front of Big Ed’s, trying to determine what they wanted to do with the rest of the evening.
“Let’s get a pizza,” Cat suggested to the group.
“I don’t want pizza. I’m stuffed on chips and hot dogs from the game,” Curtis complained. “Let’s get some beer and get drunk on my Dad’s house boat”.
Michael and Beth both turned simultaneously as they heard a loud chorus of jeers erupt from the crowd of teenagers to their right. Beth grimaced as she realized what was happening. Stephen was there on his bike coming toward them. The kids behind him were making fun of him as they normally did. She let go of Michael’s hand and stepped towards Stephen’s motorcycle to stop him. He braked and slid to a stop next to her putting one foot on the ground. Jeremy on a matching bike braked next to Stephen.
“Hi Stephen. Hi Jeremy,” she said with real warmth in her voice. She loved her older brother, Stephen, with all her heart and would do anything she could to protect him from the ridicule but there wasn’t much she could do except continue to offer her support.
“Hi. Sis,” Stephen said. His white hair and pink eyes made him unique and he hated it. All Stephen wanted was to be like all the other kids and not stand out like a freak. “You getting some pizza?” he said staring at the ground.
“Hey, Beth,” Jeremy echoed pulling himself up to his full 5 foot 8 inch height. He wasn’t as tall as Stephen or Beth’s friends but he could certainly made up for it with attitude and determination.
“We were just deciding. I don’t know if we will but you are welcome to come with us no matter what we decide to do.” She put her hands on the handlebars of the motorcycle, then cupped her hand on his cheek and pulling his face up so she could look into his eyes. He looked tempted and started to get off the motorcycle when Michael Tarlington walked over to him.
“What you doing freak?” the dark good-looking boy said.
“Don’t call me that, Michael. You know I don’t like it. Why do you hang out with this jerk, Beth?” Stephen stepped off the motorcycle and dropped it on the ground taking a step towards Michael.
Beth took a quick sidestep in between the two boys. “Stop it both of you.” Turning to her boyfriend she said, “Michael how could you?”
Michael stopped in mid-step and realized what he had done. “Hey man, I am sorry”. He held his hand out to Stephen.
Stephen looked at the hand for a moment and then shook it. “Naw man, it’s cool. It’s not the first time and won’t be the last.” Stephen picked up his motorcycle and swinging one long leg over the seat. “Beth, I am going to head home. You want me to tell mom and dad anything for you?” Stephen sat with one foot poised on the kickstart.
“Tell, them that I will be home by midnight and not to worry,” she said a sad smile on her face. With that, Stephen peeled
Big Ed was just that; a 250 pound, muscular, Italian with a graying flat top, white shirt, white pants and a white apron covered in flour and red sauce. He was an ex-marine who found his destiny in the restaurant business once he’d left the service. All of the high school students who worked there were a mirror image, from the white outfit to the buzz top haircut. It didn’t matter if you were male or female, the haircut and uniform were mandatory – just like the military. Everyone had the same short do. Big Ed didn’t discriminate. It made the place unique in itself.
The teenagers stood in front of Big Ed’s, trying to determine what they wanted to do with the rest of the evening.
“Let’s get a pizza,” Cat suggested to the group.
“I don’t want pizza. I’m stuffed on chips and hot dogs from the game,” Curtis complained. “Let’s get some beer and get drunk on my Dad’s house boat”.
Michael and Beth both turned simultaneously as they heard a loud chorus of jeers erupt from the crowd of teenagers to their right. Beth grimaced as she realized what was happening. Stephen was there on his bike coming toward them. The kids behind him were making fun of him as they normally did. She let go of Michael’s hand and stepped towards Stephen’s motorcycle to stop him. He braked and slid to a stop next to her putting one foot on the ground. Jeremy on a matching bike braked next to Stephen.
“Hi Stephen. Hi Jeremy,” she said with real warmth in her voice. She loved her older brother, Stephen, with all her heart and would do anything she could to protect him from the ridicule but there wasn’t much she could do except continue to offer her support.
“Hi. Sis,” Stephen said. His white hair and pink eyes made him unique and he hated it. All Stephen wanted was to be like all the other kids and not stand out like a freak. “You getting some pizza?” he said staring at the ground.
“Hey, Beth,” Jeremy echoed pulling himself up to his full 5 foot 8 inch height. He wasn’t as tall as Stephen or Beth’s friends but he could certainly made up for it with attitude and determination.
“We were just deciding. I don’t know if we will but you are welcome to come with us no matter what we decide to do.” She put her hands on the handlebars of the motorcycle, then cupped her hand on his cheek and pulling his face up so she could look into his eyes. He looked tempted and started to get off the motorcycle when Michael Tarlington walked over to him.
“What you doing freak?” the dark good-looking boy said.
“Don’t call me that, Michael. You know I don’t like it. Why do you hang out with this jerk, Beth?” Stephen stepped off the motorcycle and dropped it on the ground taking a step towards Michael.
Beth took a quick sidestep in between the two boys. “Stop it both of you.” Turning to her boyfriend she said, “Michael how could you?”
Michael stopped in mid-step and realized what he had done. “Hey man, I am sorry”. He held his hand out to Stephen.
Stephen looked at the hand for a moment and then shook it. “Naw man, it’s cool. It’s not the first time and won’t be the last.” Stephen picked up his motorcycle and swinging one long leg over the seat. “Beth, I am going to head home. You want me to tell mom and dad anything for you?” Stephen sat with one foot poised on the kickstart.
“Tell, them that I will be home by midnight and not to worry,” she said a sad smile on her face. With that, Stephen peeled
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