Kate: “Probably?”
There was a hint of something inside Joe that didn’t mind giving the bullies a taste of their own medicine. He had even welcomed it despite his injuries.
Joe: “Well, they deserved it. I personally didn’t like that he put their families in the video, but I do think that Fleez and Dozz needed to be taken down a peg. Your brother was just brave and crazy enough to do it. In a way he’s a hero.”
Kate: “You know what I think?”
Joe: “What’s that?”
Kate: “I think you’re a hero.”
Joe was left speechless at that. He could only blush and look down at the floor.
Kate: “It’s true.”
Joe: “Nah, I’m not no hero.”
Kate: “But you are. My brother didn’t do what he did to help anyone else out. He didn’t even stand up for himself. He did what he did to outdo Fleez and Dozz. He wanted to be the best showman—I know he did, and so he put on a show that rivaled theirs. His motivations were mostly selfish, but not yours.”
Joe: “What do you mean?”
Kate: “I mean that you’re a good person, Joe. You stepped in and helped my brother without even thinking about your own well-being. I know, because I saw you with my own two eyes. You dived in and defended my brother like a champion.”
Joe: “Well, he’s like family. There was no way that I’d let him get hurt like that without doing—I don’t know … something.”
Kate smiled and softly tapped his arm.
Kate: “Thank you for being my brother’s good friend. He needs you.”
Joe: “What about you? What do you need?”
She took her eyes off of him and looked into the distance morosely.
Kate: “Well … I need you. I’m tired of pretending to be mad at you.”
Breathing had suddenly become very difficult for Joe. He took a few deep breaths before he could say anything.
Joe: “I need you too.”
She smiled and Joe grabbed her hands and cupped them in his own.
Joe: “I missed you, I missed you, I missed you! So freaking much!”
She laughed loudly.
Kate: “You lunkhead! I bet that’s the reason you stayed in the stadium when we left.”
Joe: “Huh? What do you mean?”
Kate: “You stayed to help somebody, I just know it. That’s the only reason.”
Joe: “Well I—”
Kate: “Don’t worry, you don’t have to say anything else about it right now. I’m just glad that things are almost back to the way they were.”
Kate laid her head down on his shoulder and Joe smelled her perfume. It was jasmine, what she always wore. He loved the smell.
Joe: “Me too.”
They sat like that for a while and talked about their last couple of weeks. Joe told her as much as he could, but left out the details. She wanted him to tell her even more, but he protested. After that, she told him about her classes and they talked about their plans for college.
Mod returned to them all bandaged up, along with the very tall and brown-haired Dr. McCullough.
Joe: “That was quick.”
Mod: “I’m good to go, surprisingly enough. I just need to take it easy for the next five days. I should be alright by the time I go back to school.”
Dr. McCullough: “Your bruises should heal up even faster, Joe. Come on, let’s get you examined.”
Chapter 27
A Good Deed Never Goes Unpunished
Mod: “How much money do you still have? Your summer job ended a while ago.”
Joe: “Enough to last me for a while. My parents didn’t want me to kick anything back to them even when I asked.”
Mod: “Aww man, that’s sweeeeet! My parents would never be that nice.”
Joe checked his driver’s side mirror to make sure no one was trying to pass. He changed lanes when he saw that the coast was clear.
Joe: “I just hope it lasts until I get my next job. I’d hate to ask my folks for an allowance again. It just feels so lame after having a job.”
Mod: “My folks are starting to get stubborn and closefisted with what they give me. They’re pushing for me to get a job, but there’s nothing close that suits me.”
Joe: “Well, since we’re going to the grocery store, you might as well apply there. You can be a bagger or cashier easy.”
Mod looked over at Joe and rolled his eyes.
Mod: “Did you not hear what I just said? It’s not my skillset.”
Joe: “Well, you need something that pays, so you might as well just suck it up and work there. It’s not like it’s going to be your future career or anything, just a job for the here and now.”
Mod: “I need to be somebody’s roadie, or maybe start making my rounds on the night club comedy circuit, or become an apprentice to one of the great bass players. That’s a job that a legend starts out with.”
Joe shook his head. Once he fully stopped at the red light, he gave Mod a piece of his mind.
Joe: “That stuff’s unrealistic, man. You can’t complain about money and then be unwilling to work most of the jobs in this town. Just get something, work it for a bit, make a little money, and then get on with your life. My summer job went by like that.”
Joe snapped his fingers.
Joe: “I wish that I had put part-time availability on my job application instead of seasonal so I could still work there. I’m telling you, man, it’s easy stuff. I’m reapplying the next chance I get.”
Mod: “Whatever.”
Mod stared out of the window silently for a while. It was a few hours past noon and hot as the inside of a worn boot. Both boys, lightly dressed, still sweated from brow and chest. Once the light turned green again, Joe pulled away.
Mod: “Why are we going to the grocery store anyway?”
Joe: “I need to get some supplies for my friends.”
Mod: “Those two girls?”
Joe: “Yeah.”
Mod: “What were their names again?”
Joe: “Melissa and Dahlila.”
Mod: “Dahlila was the blonde, right? At least I think that’s what I saw. I was more than a little drowsy at the time.”
Joe: “Yeah, she’s blonde, but I wouldn’t get any funny ideas. She’s tough. She’d probably break you.”
Mod: “We’ll see about that.”
Joe drove on thinking of Borland’s words. He was sure that he’d get a call tonight from either Borland or Liandra. In the meantime, he knew he had to resupply Melissa and Dahlila, but Borland was the problem. He didn’t see Borland around, but he knew the man was probably watching him at this very moment. At this point he could be around any corner. Another problem was that Joe had no way of contacting Melissa or Dahlila other than being face to face. He knew he had to exercise the utmost caution. He didn’t need Borland to know who he was visiting, for his own sake.
After a few more minutes of driving, he and Mod finally reached Kwoala-T Mart on Gains Street. There, they picked up all manner of snacks and goodies. They bought various flavors of chips, crackers, granola bars, juice, bread, water, lunchmeat, and cheese. He grabbed a ready-made meal of fried chicken, cheesy macaroni, buttered green beans, and biscuits for all of them. Joe figured it was about five days’ worth of supplies, altogether. He was grateful when he saw that he hadn’t even come close to putting a dent in his savings. He had Mod consolidate the items into as few bags as possible so it wouldn’t look like he had a lot. The cashier, a pretty girl slightly older than Joe, complimented Mod on how quickly he had bagged the groceries. He smiled like a goober and continued bagging. He had double and even tripled some items in no time at all. He then asked if they were still hiring, and she told him not at the moment. She smiled and told him to try again in a month or two, since one guy was on the ins-and-outs.
When they left, Joe carefully looked for signs of Borland until he noticed that he was beginning to spook Mod. He’d seen nothing anyway. He drove off towards Sapton street and
was relieved there were no signs of him being followed. He still remained careful, just in case.
Once he reached the clock tower, he parked in the back and propped the door open with a nearby stick that he was fond of using. There were only three bags between them, with Joe carrying one and Mod carrying the other two. Mod removed the stick with his free hand once he walked through the door, and tossed it to the ground outside.
Joe: “Wait, no!”
Mod: “Wuh?”
Once the door closed, it was pitch black in the hallway thanks to the remnants of the outside sun that lingered in their eyes. You had to look way upwards to see any light.
Mod: “Oh yeah, I forgot.”
Joe felt around for the door and clumsily stumbled into it. He slowly pushed it open and felt all the air sucked from his body in an instant. He was off his feet and found himself looking first at a shadow, then the floor, then he saw Mod’s upside down outline, and when he had finally crashed he saw the rooms high ceiling. It wasn’t long before Mod was tossed right next to him. They both lay on the floor, dazed and as still as silent mountains.
“Who are y—wait Joe!?”
Joe recognized the voice as one belonging to a certain blonde.
Joe: “Ow!”
Joe looked around at all the groceries that had come spilling out of his bag.
Joe: “Dang … what a pain.”
Dahlila: “What’d you say?”
Joe: “Nothing, ow, my back!”
Joe slowly sat up and began collecting the items that had fallen out of his bag. He rubbed as much of the pain out of his back as he could.
Dahlila: “Why did you come sneaking in here like that? I almost ripped your head off.”
After he grabbed all of the groceries, Dahlila helped pull him up to his feet. Once he was up, he went over to Mod, who was still nursing his injury, and tried to help him up.
Mod: “No, no, no! Let me rest up a little longer. I’ll be okay.”
Joe: “If you want it that way.”
Joe left Mod on the ground and turned his attention to Dahlila. She was sweating profusely and wearing what looked like workout clothes. She wore form-fitting blue shorts that were made of lycra or spandex or maybe something else that Joe wasn’t sure of. She wore a matching tank top that stopped right above her abdomen and showed off her impressive physique. She had the build of a professional athlete. Joe was reminded of the runners he saw on the Olympics, and the hurdlers. Her blonde hair was tied back into a ponytail that touched the middle of her neck. She looked at Joe, puzzled.
Joe: “I’ll remember not to do that again. We weren’t sneaking in. We were just bringing you and Melissa some groceries and supplies.”
Dahlila: “Well … um … thanks. You … uh … really didn’t have to.”
Joe: “I figured you were running out of stuff so I brought you more.”
Dahlila: “That’s just it, we have enough to last us a while.”
Joe began to think to himself.
Joe: “Either you both eat extremely light or…”
Dahlila: “Or I might’ve left to get us more supplies.”
Joe: “You left!?”
Dahlila: “Chill, kid, this ain’t my first rodeo.”
The way she said that sounded very Borland-esque to Joe. He then remembered that Borland had raised her.
Dahlila: “I left and came back without anyone seeing me. Have you forgotten about my skills already?”
Joe: “No, but it’s still really dangerous, and how exactly did you get all this stuff anyway?”
Dahlila sighed loudly, crossed her arms, and tapped her right foot feverishly.
Dahlila: “It doesn’t matter.”
Joe: “It does. How?”
Dahlila: “I had to borrow some money.”
Joe looked her in the eye for a while.
Joe: “You mean steal some money?”
Dahlila: “The guy I took this from’ll be okay. I made sure I got one that was well off. Besides all that, I have his name and address. I’m going to pay him back once I get a chance. I stake my honor on that.”
Joe: “Fine, but Borland is snooping around the area, so you should be more careful that he doesn’t see you.”
Dahlila: “I’m sure he’s tailing you, and if so you’re bringing him right to us.”
Joe had already thought of that.
Joe: “Not at all. If he is watching, then to him it’ll just look like Mod and I are hanging out here, eating junk food like we always do.”
Dahlila: “Oh yeah. Not bad, kid.”
She grinned at Joe, then looked over at Mod, who was still over on the floor resting on his back. She seemed to notice him for the first time.
Joe: “That’s Mod.”
Dahlila: “Hmm.”
She walked over to him looked down at him the way a doctor might examine a patient.
Dahlila: “Come on, let’s get you up.”
He looked at her without blinking for a couple of seconds, and when he didn’t respond she began to pull him up. He protested at first, until he quickly found himself on his feet.
Dahlila: “Sorry about the violence. It looks like you were already worse for wear before I got to you.”
He looked at her and again smiled like a goober, as if it were his first school dance with a girl.
Mod: “Oh, these? These are nothing, just war wounds.”
Dahlila: “Okay, tough guy. Glad you’re alright.”
Mod worked a few more kinks out in his back and then offered Dahlila his hand.
Mod: “Sorry for my lack of manners. My name is Modrick Malington, age fourteen, Aquarius. I like long walks on the beach and happen to be single and ready to mingle.”
Dahlila: “That’s cute. If I was into dating little kids, that would be a great line.”
Mod looked dejected.
Dahlila: “Oh yeah, you’re the kid from the other night. Thanks for all the supplies.”
He nodded his head and offered a small smile. She examined him even further with her eyes.
Dahlila: “Lift your shirt.”
Mod: “What!?”
Dahlila: “Hurry up. Let me take a look at your back.”
Mod: “Ah—okay.”
Mod did what he was told and Dahlila put her hand at first on his shoulder blades and then moved downwards to his lower back.
Dahlila: “Hold on a sec. This should help.”
With her left hand, she grabbed Mod by the back of his neck at the base where it met his back. With her right, she pushed forward on his lower back. She pushed his back forward eerily far. Joe had never seen someone’s back bend like that.
Dahlila: “Okay, now lift your arms.”
Mod: “I don’t think I want to.”
Dahlila: “Stop being a baby! I know it hurts a little now, but I’ll have it feeling better once I’m done.”
Mod again did as he was told, and this time Dahlila lifted him off of his feet in a bear hug and bent his body towards hers. She then put him down and swiveled his body around in a circular motion around the waist. She then roughly gripped his shoulder and spun him around to face her.
Dahlila: “Now how’s that?”
Mod: “It still hurts a little, but it feels a lot better than before.”
Dahlila: “Heh, I should be a masseuse.”
Joe: “What did you do?”
Dahlila: “I just relieved a knot of tension in his back. All this money you pay these doctors goes down the drain when they can’t do simple things like this.”
She wiped her brow and walked over to where she left her exercise equipment, which consisted of a set of ten pound weights, a jump rope, and a mat. She picked up the rope and started doing jump rope exercises near the back wall. The boys followed her partway.
Joe: “You’re in great shape, Dahlila.”
Dahlila: “Yeah, well, what choice do I have? There’s nothing else to do here. Besides, I have to stay in tip-top shape for all these threats that seem to be creepin
g up.”
Mod: “Whatever you’re doing, it’s working for you. You look amazing. None of the girls in my school look even half as good as you.”
Dahlila abruptly stopped jumping and looked very annoyed. Her brows furrowed and her eyes were full of venom. She stomped over to Mod and looked down at him.
Dahlila: “You think I do this for that? That’s not why I train so hard. I’m not some little girl trying to pretty herself up for some snot-nosed brat. I do this to get strong so I can survive. Survival is all that matters in this world.”
Mod: “I’m — I mean I didn’t — sorry, I mean. I didn’t mean for it to come out that way.”
Joe: “I’d just drop it. She’s pretty scary when you think about it. I wouldn’t want to anger her anymore.”
Mod: “Yeah, I — um … noted.”
Dahlila looked at Joe, stunned.
Dahlila: “Really Joe? Is that what you think of me?”
She smiled at him and Joe was reminded of how cute he thought she was when he first met her. Her features were almost angelic. She didn’t smile much, but when she did it was one of the cutest smiles he had ever seen. Then she punched him in the arm and all of that went away. The punch was playful, but it still shot pain through Joe’s arm and left it tender. Mod cringed when he saw the hit. Now she was more demon than angel. When she saw him wince, she cupped her hands over her mouth and laughed loudly.
Joe: “Ow, ow, ow, ow, ouch!”
Dahlila: “Oh my God! Was that too hard? I’m so sorry.”
Joe: “I’ll say it again. Remind me not to piss you off.”
She laughed again, and this time Joe did too, through the pain.
Joe: “Where’s Melissa, by the way?”
Dahlila: “She’s up at the top, either reading or drawing or looking out at the town.”
Joe: “Oh, I see. Well I brought dinner for us all. A premade meal from the grocery store.”
Dahlila: “Cool. Melissa might be a little disappointed though. She planned on cooking tonight, and wouldn’t shut up about it either.”
Joe: “Well, I’ll just sit it all over there and go up to see her.”
Average Joe and the Extraordinaires Page 14
