Sunset Memories

Chapter 10 - Broken

When I woke up, I was laying on a soft bed and looking up at a dim light. The room was a pale beige, a color I would call sand. There were all sorts of different tools around the room, but the closest to me was a wet cloth and a glass of water. I took a mouthful of the water gratefully. 

     Hey, Mom. I got a strike on the first day of school, and I got into a fight. 

     My face split into a painful grin as an image of me saying that to my mother crossed my head. She'd explode. I made a mental note to tell her that in slightly different words. 

     I wasn't wearing my shirt anymore, but my skin felt like it needed air. I raised a hand and gingerly touched my ribs, wincing as they burst with pain. The last time I'd had that kind of reaction was when I'd broken my leg during a snowboarding accident when I was eleven. 

     The door cracked open and Max entered. He saw that I was awake and sat down on the bed, grinning at me gingerly. 

     ''How're you feeling, man?'' he asked. 

     ''Rocky,'' I said. 

     Max nodded. ''Were you trying to make a point when I said that Simon could worse?''

     I laughed softly; my ribs groaned painfully. ''No,'' I answered. ''I was trying to stop him from . . .'' I didn't have the words to continue. 

     ''From putting a hand on Danielle's ass?'' 

     I nodded. 

     Max breathed out heavily. ''Yeah, well, that kinda cost you, man.''

     ''It was worth it.''

     ''Luca. You called him a piece of shit, and he swore about ten times as much. You didn't even get a swing at him.''

     I shrugged. ''It didn't have to be even.'' 

     Max raised his eyebrows. ''Yeah, well, next time you see him, kick him where it hurts.''

     ''He already did that to me,'' I said quietly, and just as I did, a throbbing was exposed between my legs. 

     ''Ouch,'' Max grimaced. ''Okay, well . . . just beat the living shit out of him.''

     I grinned. ''Okay.'' 

     A group of girls stopped outside the door, none of them recognizable to me. One of them with short blond hair and blue eyes looked at me, eyeing my shirtless body for a second.

     Max said, ''Yeah?''

     ''Oh, um . . .'' She smiled shyly. The girls behind her giggled. ''We were just wondering if Luca was okay.''

     Max stood up, his full heigh exposed. ''He's fine. Why? Aren't you girls in grade eight?'' 

     ''Yeah, but . . .'' She smiled again at me as the girls giggled yet again. ''We . . . we've never seen anyone stand up to that idiot Simon so . . . bravely.'' 

     I watched, but said nothing. They thought I was brave?

     Max laughed falsely. ''Yeah, Luca's the knight in shining armour now. We get it. But, if you'll excuse us, he needs to be attended by his loyal page. Farewell, yon maidens.''      

     He closed the door as the girls laughed hysterically. Max looked at me quizzically. 

     ''So you're famous now. Grade eight girls are wanting you, man.''