The moment he stepped into the cold, he saw the young bull leaning against a lamppost not too far from his truck where the girl sat with her back to them, a fluffy cone of carbon monoxide pumping from the exhaust. Your name's Quill. Yup. You were in detention about eight years ago. Yup. Auto-theft. Yup, and busting a cop in the eye, he smiled his fat smile. How are the Dog Boys? Hatchet asked him, half expecting an ambush from the shadows. I guess I'm not a Dog Boy nomore. Aww, come on; once a Dog Boy, always a Dog Boy, right?
Quill spat and stepped away from the post and shook his head then worked his huge black boots a little closer to Hatchet. I got too old for it; Tim told me I was too old. Hatchet knew that once the boys reached twenty, Teague generally cut them loose but there always remained a certain amount of loyalty to the fraternity, at least in the boys he had guarded over at the detention center. If I'm seen by any of these kids, they'll go to him, thought Hatchet. But why reveal himself? Is he waiting on them? Is he stalling me? He can't be afraid of me. Hatchet studied his size again and reaffirmed that he didn't want to tangle with him. He can take me if he gets those huge mitts on me. Now that Hatchet could see him in a clearer light, up close, he began to recall Quill in the orange scrubs and slippered feet back in the multi-celled pod at the detention center and he had a sudden recollection of Quill's limited mental capacity. One of those kids who could never remember to discard when playing UNO. Poor kid's as sharp as a bag of wet mice.
So you recognize me from juvie? Hatchet asked him. Yup. I haven't been in that business for a long time but I used to see a lot of the old Dog Boys down at Oscar's Coffee. Uh-huh. I don't remember ever seeing you down there. Naw. You ever hear any of the other guys talk about me?
I know who you are.
Hatchet saw the truth in his eyes and felt a race in his veins. You were there, weren’t you? Where? At the church that night. At the church? yeah, I was there.
But you weren’t in the alley.
Nope. I drove the car, parked around the corner.
You drove the car? of course you did; that’s how you guys disappeared so quickly.
Malorie reached across the seat and honked the horn.
Are you here to take care of me, Quill? Huh? I get the feeling this isn’t an accident, you and me being here at the same time. Huh? You’re not here to beat my ass and drag me back to Tim? I told you I ain’t no Dog Boy nomore, dude. Hatchet strained to decipher any betrayal in his face or his posture but the big lug just stared at him with his stupid eyes blinking. I guess not, Hatchet said.
The horn honked again.
Well, the little lady is getting impatient; maybe we could get together for a beer sometime, Quill; I'd like to catch up with you and hear how you've been since the good ol' bad ol' days; no hard feelings, eh? Okay. Quill gave him his phone number and they traded goodbyes and Hatchet jumped in the truck and pulled into traffic. You know that lummox, Malorie? Not very well; what in the hell is wrong with you? What do you mean? You were a complete ass tonight. Let's talk about it tomorrow; you're too drunk to have a decent conversation. Far from it; just take me home.
From the moment he woke the next morning, Hatchet called and texted her but she never answered.
Quill spat and stepped away from the post and shook his head then worked his huge black boots a little closer to Hatchet. I got too old for it; Tim told me I was too old. Hatchet knew that once the boys reached twenty, Teague generally cut them loose but there always remained a certain amount of loyalty to the fraternity, at least in the boys he had guarded over at the detention center. If I'm seen by any of these kids, they'll go to him, thought Hatchet. But why reveal himself? Is he waiting on them? Is he stalling me? He can't be afraid of me. Hatchet studied his size again and reaffirmed that he didn't want to tangle with him. He can take me if he gets those huge mitts on me. Now that Hatchet could see him in a clearer light, up close, he began to recall Quill in the orange scrubs and slippered feet back in the multi-celled pod at the detention center and he had a sudden recollection of Quill's limited mental capacity. One of those kids who could never remember to discard when playing UNO. Poor kid's as sharp as a bag of wet mice.
So you recognize me from juvie? Hatchet asked him. Yup. I haven't been in that business for a long time but I used to see a lot of the old Dog Boys down at Oscar's Coffee. Uh-huh. I don't remember ever seeing you down there. Naw. You ever hear any of the other guys talk about me?
I know who you are.
Hatchet saw the truth in his eyes and felt a race in his veins. You were there, weren’t you? Where? At the church that night. At the church? yeah, I was there.
But you weren’t in the alley.
Nope. I drove the car, parked around the corner.
You drove the car? of course you did; that’s how you guys disappeared so quickly.
Malorie reached across the seat and honked the horn.
Are you here to take care of me, Quill? Huh? I get the feeling this isn’t an accident, you and me being here at the same time. Huh? You’re not here to beat my ass and drag me back to Tim? I told you I ain’t no Dog Boy nomore, dude. Hatchet strained to decipher any betrayal in his face or his posture but the big lug just stared at him with his stupid eyes blinking. I guess not, Hatchet said.
The horn honked again.
Well, the little lady is getting impatient; maybe we could get together for a beer sometime, Quill; I'd like to catch up with you and hear how you've been since the good ol' bad ol' days; no hard feelings, eh? Okay. Quill gave him his phone number and they traded goodbyes and Hatchet jumped in the truck and pulled into traffic. You know that lummox, Malorie? Not very well; what in the hell is wrong with you? What do you mean? You were a complete ass tonight. Let's talk about it tomorrow; you're too drunk to have a decent conversation. Far from it; just take me home.
From the moment he woke the next morning, Hatchet called and texted her but she never answered.
Edit 12.25.2018