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The Vo
Nick figured it was him against Le
“I say fuck you.”
“That’s all?”
“And your whole ugly family.”
Casey Vo
Nick stopped at the bottom of the railroad berm, where the gravel led up to the ties and tracks. David and Clay came up beside him. Sweat rolled down David’s cheek. Nick turned to see young Andy hanging back in the orange grove.
“You know, Le
“It’s too late for apologies. The dog ate the hat. It was new.”
“Then you apologize to us,” said Clay. “How about that?”
“For what?” asked Le
“For being so dumb,” said Clay. “Look at you dumb shitheels trying to be cool.”
War screams, then, and gravel chattering and dust rising as the Vo
Nick figured on a left from Le
“Gung fuggin kiw you.”
The blood u
Then someone clobbered Nick from behind and he was down before he felt or heard it. Looking back, he saw Clay pummeling Casey, David down and looking his way but no opponent in sight, Andy still watching from the trees. Then a shadow falling above him and Nick understood someone was about to club him again.
This time he heard it. Ethan behind him with something big and heavy. Felt the jolt, then the loud whine in his ears. Le
Clay slugged Casey one more time and climbed off. Saw Ethan Vo
Clay covered the distance fast and jumped Ethan the clubber from behind. They fell onto Nick and rolled off. Clay came up with the club and caught Le
Ethan struggled to his feet, turned, and labored up the berm.
Nick got himself upright as Le
Clay kicked at him but missed.
Andy, on hands and knees, breathed fast and hard.
“Yer fuggin dead,” said Le
“Yeah, yeah,” said Nick.
“Dumb shitheels,” said Clay.
Nick picked up the club, then took a knee like they did in football. His head hurt and he felt the vomit stirring inside. He watched two Le
Nick looked up to see four girls looking down at him from the tracks. Then just two. The bigger one had brown braids and wore a dirty pink blouse. The younger one was dark-haired and dimpled and had an inquisitive look on her face.
The older one stepped down the berm a few feet toward the Becker brothers and launched a white rock that flew wild. Then another. She scurried back up and ran away.
The younger one followed her sister’s footsteps almost exactly. She had a faded blue dress and a red ribbon in her hair and a pair of scuffed brown cowboy boots. An orange in each hand. The SunBlesst girl’s baby sister, thought Nick. Looked about five.
“I am Janelle Vo
She dropped the oranges and scrambled back up the gravel and out of sight.
3
THAT NIGHT MAX and Monika Becker loaded their four sons into the Studebaker and drove across town to the Vo
Nick sat on the scratchy backseat, felt his knuckles throbbing all the way up into his ears. Still seeing double sometimes, his neck thick with pain and a big lump risen on the back of his head. Didn’t say anything to his parents about the vision trouble because he hated doctors.
David sat up front beside his mom, thinking he’d be glad to get to State, out of this stupid small-town stuff, into something more than oranges and fistfights.
Clay sat in the back, pummeling Casey Vo
Between Clay and Nick, young Andy sat with the pride of the new warrior, his heart beating hard and true. He had fought alongside Nick, and they had won. The world outside the windows of the Studebaker now seemed not only larger but more attainable.
The Vo
“We’re staying here, boys,” said Monika Becker, turning her pretty face to the backseat.
“I’m not going to apologize,” said Clay.
“You’ll do exactly what your father told you to.”
“I won’t mean it.”
“That’s another topic, Clay. For now, keep a civil tongue in your head and mind your ma
Nick watched his father flick his cigarette butt into the curb and start up the dark driveway. Khaki trousers and a white shirt tucked in with the sleeves rolled up. Irish Setter boots and a belt the same color. Nick had always liked the old man’s walk: loose and casual but his head always up and steady. His father didn’t miss much. He could tell what was wrong with an orange grove by looking at one leaf from it, tell a grower how to up the yield without ru
A porch light went on and the door opened. Nick saw a small woman, then a tall man with overalls and no shirt. The woman’s hair was dark and pulled back tight. She looked older than his mom, but Nick figured they must be about the same age. Mr. Vo
Nick listened to their voices through the open window of the Studebaker, but he couldn’t make out much. His father gestured back to the car, canting his head inquisitively. Then Mr. Vo