Saint Nicholas by Jamie Deschain Page A

for me from behind. I kicked and screamed as they pulled me back, and then a thick forearm wrapped around my neck, pretty much rendering me immobile.
    “Rossi! Get ahold of yourself.”
    It was my English teacher, Mr. Hammond. At the sound of his voice I stopped struggling, and for the first time looked around at all the faces that had just watched me kick the crap out of some guy I didn’t even know. Shakes was there with a bewildered look in his eyes, and Angie stood next to him, horrified.
    I looked past them though, past all of them, because behind the crowd, standing next to my locker all alone, was Sarah. Leaning up against it with her arms folded over her chest and a smile on her face. I blew her a kiss before Mr. Hammond hauled me away down to the principal’s office.

SEVEN

    - Sarah -

    “Suspended, Nicky? What the fuck?”
    I stood next to him as Nicholas’ mother ripped into him. I insisted on going home with him so Mrs. Rossi knew it wasn’t all his fault, even though it technically was. He didn’t have to beat the shit out of that guy, but after hearing why he’d done it, I was glad he did.
    “What the hell’s going on with you two, huh?” She looked at me and I blushed, turning my attention to Helena, who was sitting on the couch trying to seem inconspicuous, but like all little sisters I knew she was secretly listening in to the conversation. How could she not be? Nicholas’ mom was loud enough for the whole building to hear.
    “Ma, she had nothing to do with this. If you’d have heard what that guy said, you’d have done the same thing.”
    “What?” she asked. “What did he say?”
    He looked at me and I shrugged. “Might as well tell her.”
    “He said that Sarah was freaky, but he’d like to tap…to tap that ass.”
    Mrs. Rossi stood there for a moment, looking from Nicholas to me several times with a stone cold look of indifference on her face. Then out of nowhere she started laughing. A small giggle at first, but it slowly filled the room and echoed off the bare walls. He and I glanced at once another, wondering what the joke was.
    Tears streamed down Mrs. Rossi’s face, and she placed her hand on her son’s shoulder, squeezing it tight. “Oh—oh man, Nicky. You have no idea, do you?”
    I noticed his ears turn red as he snapped, “No idea about what, ma?”
    She came and took my face in her hands and pinched my cheeks. “Look at this girl, son. Look at her.”
    I darted my eyes over to him, a bit worried that Mrs. Rossi was losing it.
    “She’s beautiful. Those big green eyes, that hair, her skin. She’s gorgeous.”
    “You don’t have to tell me twice,” he winked. “But what’s that got to do with anything?”
    “My point is,” she let go of me and stood us next to one another, “there are going to be a lot of guys that come on to Sarah. She’s stunning. If you don’t learn to get used to that, you’re going to be missing a whole lot of school young man, and trust me, the punishment you get at home will be a hell of a lot worse than anything they could ever give you.”
    “So what you’re saying is that I should just let them do that? Talk dirty about her that way? What kind of man would I be if I did that?”
    He put his arm around me and I leaned into him, feeling the warmth of his skin next to mine. It never ceased to amaze me how hot he always was, and even though his mother was right there, I got the sudden urge to throw him on the couch and kiss him hard.
    “I’m saying you should be proud, and just let it go. Guys are gonna say things, Nicky. It’s what they do. That doesn’t mean anything’s gonna come of it. You’re not going anywhere, right?”
    She looked at me and I shook my head. “Not on your life.”
    “See? She’s not going anywhere. That feeling you felt when you heard what that guy said, it didn’t come from wanting to protect Sarah’s honor, it came from your own insecurities. You’re afraid someone better is gonna come along