Page 39 of Driftwood Daffodil

“So you’re obviously upset about what happened.”

You think.

“I’m sorry, alright. Now can we move past this.”

Every fiber of my being wanted to rip that perfect hair out of his head. “Sure Simon, let’s move past this. How about you move that way,” I nodded at the open gate, then looked back at the door with my keys hanging out of the knob, “and I’ll move this way.”

Simon didn’t like my suggestion. He stepped in, forcing my back up against the door, and slammed his hand down on the wood above me.

“You don’t get to dismiss me.”

“I believe I just did.”

The shadows moving across Simon’s face warned me to keep my mouth shut. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

“You’re ex-girlfriend.” That probably wasn’t the best thing to say, but why would I start doing the smart thing now?

“I decide when this relationship ends,” his hand rose and I closed my eyes, waiting for the inevitable smack.

It didn’t come. Instead of a slap and stinging cheek the click of a gun being cocked rang through my ears.

“Step back.”

I cracked my eyes open to see our neighbor Mr. Garibaldi standing on the other side of the house in his green housecoat. Simon's hand was in the air ready to strike, but his eyes were locked on the barrel of the shotgun pointed at him.

“I mean it boy. Go home.”

Simon took one last look at me then began slowly backing away.

I’d never been more happy for the local raccoon war than I was at that moment.

GIOVANNI

Novalee Ford was in my school. Mine! The same one I’d been going to since high school started. People like her weren’t supposed to get into St. Agatha’s, yet there she was. If I wanted to get kicked in the face I’d hit on Atlee’s sister, or tell Darry I was fucking his mother. Was being the operative word.

Maybe this was karma, or someone’s idea of a joke. It sure felt like a fucking joke.

Here Gio, welcome to school. Now sit there and stare at the bitch whose brother killed yours.

There was a joke with a killer punchline. Because killing someone was all I wanted to do. Her brother for fucking with my family. My brother because Romeo was a dick who didn’tdeserve to be boss, and Nova’s blonde bodyguard for being her friend, because why the fuck not.

But the person I wanted to kill the most was my father. The prick knew she’d be there – he was on the committee that signed off on her scholarship – and he didn’t say shit. Well that wasn’t true. He did say a few things when I confronted him about it. Like:‘the girl’s IQ tests were off the charts,’and‘maybe you’ll learn some patience from this experience’.

Patience? Motherfucking patience. Was he kidding me?

“God fucking damnit!” I threw my fist into the dash over and over again, and didn’t stop until blood was trickling down my cracked knuckles.

“Gio…”

Fuck, I forgot Carissa was on the phone.

“Are you okay?”

I was great. Everything was fan-fucking-tastic. Or at least it would be when I slit Novalee’s throat.

Looking down at my bloody hand, I flexed my fist, tightening the skin around my sore knuckles and hissed, “I’m fine.”

“You don’t sound fine.”

---