Lacie: No, but your man will appreciate it.
Charlie: Fine.
“Shit.” I snatched the French toast from the pan and dropped it onto a nearby plate. Both sides were equally burnt. The inability to cook without scorching food must be a genetic trait.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
I could only imagine Mum’s arms filled with groceries. I’d tell her to take it easy, she’d argue. The more time I spent ‘helping’ her, the more I understood where I got my stubbornness. I turned off the stove and dashed through the living room to the foyer.
She’d crack up at me wearing her apron, complete with a floral design and frilly edges. I wiped the egg from my hand, grabbing the doorknob. Jerking it open, I froze. Where I expected an elderly woman cursing under her breath, stood a slender man.
“Can I help you?”
He didn’t have a pie in hand. His work boots were well-worn in, as were the jeans with more than a few stains. Something about his face struck me as familiar, as did everybody in Firefly. Sharp angles and a five o’clock shadow covered his face.
“It’s about my kid.”
Four words, and I found myself in the lone hallway of Firefly Valley Middle School. Pushed against my locker, I could see the angular jaw, the hiss between his teeth as he threatened to give me a knuckle sandwich. My heart raced as I heard kids laughing, going along with the bully’s assault.
“Johnny,” I mumbled.
“Matt won’t be able to go on the camping trip.”
I hadn’t seen it before, but the similarities were there. Matt had his father’s nose and angular jaw. When puberty finished with him, he’d be a little version of Johnny.
“Why?”
This wasn’t middle school, and I wasn’t the defenseless kid who ran away crying. The blood in my veins boiled. My fingers tightened into fists as I tried to even my breathing.
“It’s not a good idea.”
His lack of an answer wasn’t good enough. Anger filled my ribcage. From Johnny, to Matt, to Seamus for introducing me to the gremlins. I had avoided getting involved, sidestepping any connection with this godforsaken town. I let my guard down, and now I had my childhood bully in my doorway.
This is why I loathed Firefly.
“Matt said?—”
“I remember you,” I muttered.
“We were in homeroom together,” he said, as if that were the entire story. Those years had shaped my entire life, and he couldn’t even remember the torture he had put me through.
My forearm shot up, my body spinning until I had him pinned against the exterior of the house. He didn’t have a chance to struggle before I pressed my forearm across his throat. Johnny grabbed my arm, but I refused to back away.
“Homeroom? You tortured me.”
The words came out in a low growl. Leaning in, our faces were only inches apart. Because of him, I spent my childhood hiding, bouncing from one class to the next, hoping I could get in front of a teacher before he caught me alone.
“Not much of a bully anymore.”
“I was—a kid.” He struggled to breathe.
If I wanted, I could have taken a punch. I doubled his weight, and with a single blow, I could have retribution. This wasn’tabout Matt or the gremlins. This was about me protecting my younger self.
“Fuck the trip. It’s off.” I didn’t want any part of him or this town. For a moment, I thought they could change. Instead of threatening to give me a black eye, he used his kid as a pawn. I wanted nothing to do with these head games.
“Charles!”
I didn’t let go as I turned to see Mum getting out of the car. It took every ounce of willpower to not toss Johnny onto the porch and drive my foot into his stomach. I wanted to. Badly. Not in front of Mum, even after I left, she’d have to deal with the fallout.
