You Don't Know..What you Don't Know

Chapter Five: Summer

It was so late when we returned from the lake, I spent the night at Steve's house. Aunt Mary and I hang out most of the next day. Since she has three boys, she enjoys having a girl around to bake cookies and talk girl talk.

The boys left some time ago. Torri went home last night since there wasn't enough room for all of us. I need to discuss last night with him but he hasn't come over yet. We need to discuss lots of things.

Aunt Mary and I talk about my upcoming year in high school. I mention my goal to be a journalist. "Runs in the Family Tia. Have your mother tell you about your famous Great Uncle who is a novelist."

There is a writer in the family already! He's in Germany she explains. I will have to have mom call him. She will need to translate of course. My mood has lifted. There is writing in my DNA.

We are having such a wonderful discussion when the boys walk in. I didn't even notice Torri until he was standing behind me. "Hey Momma 2, what smells so good."

Aunt Mary eyes him, "Torri if want to stay for dinner, you don't need to compliment your way to my table."

He smiles and sits down like he is as much a part of this family as the other boys around the table.

The boys discuss their next adventure while we eat. It seems they had a day at the Center playing soccer and now are off to hang out at the Grove and play football.

Secretly, my second passion is football. Its so cliché.  Girls don't ever play. That underestimates me especially because I make a mean quarterback. "I get to be quarterback this time," I exclaim over all the voices.

"Ah Tia, every time you play quarterback , we lose because we are defending you every second." George whines.

"My spiral is better than any of you soccer geeks." Athena nods. Damn right.

"You can come, but you can't play this time. It's the cousins verses the neighborhood." John says quietly.

"That sucks..I am a cousin and Torri is not. Why do I have to sit out?"

Torri takes this moment to chime in, "Oh I am not playing with them. I'm playing with the neighborhood."

The walk to the field is short. The boys are talking lots of trash to Torri. He gives it right back to them.

We arrive at the field and all the rough looking boys from the neighborhood are there. They are the older boys with tattoos and lip rings. I am surprised "The Cousins" let me tag along. Most of the time, they shield me from this side of the city.

I plop down on the steps as the game begins. The violence that ensues on the field is scary. The boys are getting brutal for a game of fun. They are tackling and tripping each other without pads on. Many of them wind up bloody. No quarterbacking for me. Nah, I'll sit right here.

Mike intercepts the football and comes down on a large boy with a bar between his nose. Mike is not small so the boy hits the ground hard. When he recovers, Mike is pushed to the ground. I close my eyes. Please, let this end here.

Before my eyes open again, Steve and Torri knock the boy to the ground. He refuses to stay down. He comes up swinging missing both Torri and Steve. All this is happening in a millisecond. Steve is on top of this guy slamming his head into the ground. I catch a glimpse of the boy passing out.

While John and George are trying to pry Steve off him, I start running down the street. It is too much for me to watch to conclusion. Surely Steve will not kill him over a football game. I am scared to find out the answer.