Business of Misery (Ace Merrill - Stand By Me - Eyeball Chambers)

Chapter Three (TheGoofyCat)

Business of Misery

Deena

3

It was half-six when I walked into the Blue Point diner. After waiting fifteen minutes for Eyeball to show, which he never did, I gave up and decided I wasn't going to stay at home and pine for him, or kill time for him to get his ass into gear and finally pick me up. I got into my car and drove to the diner.

Bev was waiting for me in our booth. She was flicking through the pages of Teen magazine, chewing on bubblegum and twirling her hair with a pencil. There was no sign of Annie, or that chick from Oklahoma; her name was almost as forgettable as her face.

"Where's Annie?" I asked, shuffling over to the seat by the window and grabbing a menu.

"She got detention, remember?... She'll be here after seven."

"I'm definitely not waiting that long to eat," I grumbled, my eyes skimming the menu. "I'm starved. I can't decide between French fries or Cobb salad."

"Cobb salad, better for your hips," she sighed. "Eyeball came in looking for you, by the way."

"Why didn't you say that in the first place!" I looked at her. "He was supposed to pick me up! Where did he go?"

"Irby's... I think."

"Typical!"

When it came to booze or his girl, Eyeball always chose the one thing that couldn't talk back. Irby's was Eyeball and his pals watering-hole. The NO MINORS sign that was stuck on the door was never upheld, after all I was pretty sure Eyeball and his cronies were keeping it in business. It was the place to be if you were a JD, outcast, or one of those skanky girls from the public school.

I breathed an annoyed sigh, and shimmied out of the booth.

Before I could leave - and give Eyeball a piece of my mind - Bev grabbed my wrist. "But-uh, Deena? He didn't look very pleased. I think he found out about you and that guy from out of town..."

Suddenly I didn't feel so hungry!

When I stepped out of the diner, I knew I'd have to come up with a pretty fast explanation as to why I did what I did, Irby's was two stores down and a very short walk. If I could weasel my way out of going inside that wretched hut I'd jump at the chance; a girl like me should never be caught dead in a place like that. But I had some explaining, or better yet... pleading to do.

Last week Eyeball and I had gotten into a fight. It was more one-sided, he annoyed me and I stormed off. Next thing I knew I was dancing up at the Portland dance hall with my body firmly attached to a fine young man and my lips stuck on his. How on earth Eyeball found out about it, I'll never know.

I peeked through the glass window of the billiards bar and sure enough Eyeball was inside, playing a game of darts with Ace Merrill.

Vince Desjardins and Billy Tessio hung around them like flies. I grimaced at the sight of Billy, his hair was one big dollop of Royal Crown's Pomade! What Annie saw in him was a question me and Bev all too often wondered. Annie had been infatuated with him, and his slime styled hair, ever since she was in middle school. Her mother had forced her to take piano lessons at the Tessio's house and whilst Annie was watching Billy from the window, to the tune of Mrs. Tessio playing Chopsticks, she was dreaming of their wedding.

"Billy, get the drinks in!" I heard Ace order as I walked into the pool hall. I watched Ace throw his dart and it landed on the board with perfect precision. Ace had practically grew up in a tavern, so it wasn't a surprise that he knew his way around a dartboard.