These shaggy hair surfer bums are tasty. This particular one is high on much more than life.
“From Idaho, bro. Not much to talk about except potatoes.” Sun setting in front of my pupils is actually turning something in my belly; it makes me miss home. Not home, but for him; Jenkins.
I can’t pinpoint if it is the warmth or the loving environment that sets me to abound, but I feel different. Better connected and dare I say, relaxed.
“Cool, cool, right on. Been back east before. A lot of farm land in Iowa.” His concentration is fleeting. Though he thinks he is being impressive he definitely is failing.
“Idaho, not Iowa.”
“Oh right, Ohio. Got to love Cleveland right girl?” His eye winks at me, and it looks like he is having a hard time from stopping it.
“No.” With that, he shifts to another one of the strangers that are intimate with the shore.
“Having fun?” Noah hands me a drink while he swishes his around in a cup.
“I love how pretty and open the air feels.”
“You look good, more at ease since you’ve been here. Probably good to unwind.”
“It has been nice, though I miss some things back home.” I don’t say who, because it would solidify.
"Your boyfriend?”
“No boyfriend.” At least I don’t know about the correct titles.
“Listen, AJ, I’m sorry I haven’t been more involved after what happened with Winter. Been a bit selfish with what has been going on, but I shouldn’t have left you to deal with everything on your own like that.” The sentiment is often an annoyance, but coming from his facial effort, I take it with understanding.
“It’s okay, Briggs has tried. I’ve been pushing everybody away.” I curl the cup into my chest.
A commotion has our heads turned to where Laney is yelling at a big dude. I’m talking welcome to 21 years of age, six-foot-something, hundreds of pounds of pure thrill.
“Who the fuck is that?” Casual and calm, letting the chick handle her own fight unless she needs back up fists. Because I am all in for a battle. I need some frustration released. Maybe I should masturbate tonight, hmm the choices.
“That’s this other guy Laney knows, Briton.” Shrugs, makes no effort to go and defend her. He sips on the stale drink and watches the show unfold. There is no movement for him to play a referee to his pregnant non-girlfriend.
Briggs looks over to us and then back to Laney, gauging when to interfere if Noah doesn’t step up to the plate. Speaking of stepping up.
“Where's your balls, big man?”
“Excuse me?”
“Your balls. I know you got them because, apparently, you nutted in that chick over there. The one that seems to be getting her head ripped off by steroid Steve.” There is a taunt in my tone and I don’t care to hide it. Buckle up for the bitch that is called life there sweet innocent Noah. Karma is knocking and you best put on your Sunday blues.
“They’ll work it out; this happens and then it calms down. Best to stay on the outside of the situation.” Yet, he still turns when steroid Steve grips Laney’s upper arm and she hollers to him to let go.
“Guess we don’t have a choice on what side of the conversation we can remain on.”
“Meaning?” Eyes perk in question, and I wish to only tell him to be more observant.
“Briggs will defend her honor for you, baby boy.”
“Shit, what the hell is he doing?” He strides to him as Briggs makes his way in-between steroid muscles and little Laney.
“Who the fuck you think you are, coming between me and my girl? Better get out of my way before you learn what a beat down feels like.” If only they knew how much Briggs had been beaten down, they wouldn’t have threatened him.
“Let me get this straight, Laney here is your girl? Is that why she is pregnant with my cousin’s kid? It doesn’t really take a genius to know those don’t line up. But let me make this clear for you, never touch a woman out of anger. Especially one that belongs to our family.” It was then I realized I saw the darkness I dove into every morning, come forth in front of his eyes.
Briggs Byington was living in deep waters and was surviving merely by tucking it underneath his cocky smile. Now we all know what secrets are hiding behind our eyes.
“Briggs, back down, man. He isn’t worth it.” Noah’s hand clasped onto Briggs’ shoulder trying to talk him down from the rabid bear.
“Isn’t she worth it, Noah?” Noah’s hand shook, as he dropped it and he stared at the sand. Where were his morals, his true north to protect this woman, he obviously cared about?
“She isn’t.” Steroid Steve should not speak unless spoken too.
“She always will be,” Noah whispers at no one, can’t even look in the eyes of the girl he loves.
Laney stands on the edge of this argument now. Her arms folded, trying to get warmth from the cold betrayal around us.
“Listen here, steroid Steve, no way to talk to a lady. Especially one with her circumstances. I’m sure she’s got shit storms going on in her body and mind you don’t even know about. Let this go, and be on your way.”
“You don’t need to defend me.” Laney doesn’t even move to make me stop.
“No harm in having friends.” Her eyes soften, and I adjust mine.
“Steroid Steve? Name’s Briton, baby. It seems I have been missing out on the best piece on the beach. Who might you be?” The crazed eyes roam over every inch of my developed body. I let him take in everything because what’s about to happen is going to hurt.
“Oh, you are talking about me? Goodness, you know how to falter a girl. I can’t even imagine what I would do with all that muscle. So wild you think I’m mighty fine. I mean, like duh, but wow you sure have something.”
“It’s a big something.” Mouth hungry with lust.
“Show me, pretty please.” Licking my lips, I lean in for effect.
“Out here in the open? In front of everybody? Why don’t we go back to my place and I’ll show you all night?”
“You aren’t scared to share, are you? I’m sure Laney and I wouldn’t mind tag-teaming.”
“What the fuck is going on?” The rage coming from Noah vibrates his words. Briggs understands the game I am playing at as he nods in agreement.
“Nothing to be scared about; got nothing other than pride for my cock.” The bear morphs into a wolf and he thinks he’s getting served dinner.
When he shuffles in his shorts, I bring my knee up to cut off his attempts of attitude.
“Sorry, not big enough for me. Also, I would really like the opportunity to come back to your place. While you slept, I could cut off all extremities that make you feel oh so good baby. Starting with your small dick.” As he bends in half and calls me a bitch.
Briggs grabs him by the neck and lands punch after punch into the side of his skull. Knuckles begin to break and bones cut like glass as they crash into each other.
“Never fucking call my cousin a bitch; the arrogance of your trailer trash makes me mortified you even have a dick between your legs. Bastard.” With the last of his testimony, we all shuffle across the boardwalk to go home.
Laney comes with us, as we hold up Noah who apparently got knocked by someone’s elbow in the jam of things. She is quiet, and I look back to make sure she is following us and safe. Mainly to see that the psycho steroid man isn’t going to kidnap her.
Noah’s black eye is covered in the darkness as we sneak back into Aunt Maddie’s house. Though she knows and all the lights flicker on as we groan. Mother’s instinct she declares, as we all sit around the kitchen on stools as she bandages Briggs's hands.
“Who punched you?” Maddie huffs with her hands on her hips; she doesn’t even look tired. She almost looks thrilled and excited.
Noah is getting really stellar at this shrugging.
“Well, I know it wasn’t Briggs. He would have kicked your ass and you wouldn’t be conscious.” This makes me laugh, alongside Laney. The tensions seem to clear a little bit as we flex our lungs to relax.
“I kicked this steroid dude in the balls!”
“I fucking could have murdered that asshole.” Briggs tries to stretch his fingers, but winces in pain. I wince also. Only because Maddie asks a question that has the plot thickening by the minute.
“Briton’s back in town, Laney?”
“He showed up at the beach house. He says the baby’s his, that we’re his.” Earthquakes start in the bottom lips of my aunt and my cousin’s crush. Both lips tremble and I worry what information we are missing.
“I’m going to bed.” Appears Noah doesn’t want to communicate with his words.
“Good, maybe in your dreams, you can find some damn balls to actually stand the fuck up for your woman. Stop being an immature pretty boy. Don’t make her face this alone; is that the kind of man you are?” Briggs follows Noah up the stairs as his demeaning speech continues and we are cut off by slamming doors.
“What was that about?”
We all shrug.
“Aunt Madeline, why aren’t you sleeping? The late Mrs. Moion use to say beauty evolves during the sleep state.”
“Darlin’, your mother is the wicked witch if there ever was one. Besides, I’m always up, sleep is boring. I have to put the ham in the oven in a couple hours.” She starts to shuffle and arrange things in the fridge.
“It’s barely at two o’clock.” Laney squints at the time on the oven.
“Got time, I’ll make the pies!”
“Nope, no energy for that, goodnight. Hope I don’t have a hangover in the morning.”
“What was that, dearest?”
“I hope I don’t get a hangover from turkey tomorrow.”
“Me too, I hate when that happens.” Like this woman could have any hangover other than happiness.
“You staying, Laney?” Maddie’s voice softens as I leave the room.
“If that’s alright, I can leave before the others are up. I don’t mean to make such a fuss. How horrible am I for ruining everybody’s life?” The noise of her sniffles breaks by bleeding heart. I sit on the stairs as Maddie consoles her.
“You have not ruined anything for anyone. What you have done is made everything more exciting. We are so wonderfully blessed you have become a part of our family. Laney Rhodes, I always wanted a daughter. You are imperfect, and that is the best thing about you.” Laney's cries become more intense by the love that thickens in the home.
Trying to be quiet I turn and crawl up the stairs. It isn’t until I reach the top of the landing that I find Noah leaning against the spindles on the railing. We make eye contact, though his mood tells me no room to talk. So I scamper off behind my door. As I close it, I see him slump to the ground, his ear pressed to the sorrowful cry of a girl he loves downstairs.
“Go to who?” Briggs sits up from the floor beside my bed.
“What the hell! You scared me.”
“Want to sleep here.” Like we are 8 years old again, he pouts lays his head under the pillow, and starts snoring.
“Goodnight to you too, buddy.”
“Goodnight, AJ.”
I do, have a good night.