Underneath by Kealan Patrick Burke Read Free Book Online Page A

forget it then, okay," he said, annoyed at himself, annoyed at Freddy, annoyed at her for making it so goddamn difficult to avoid getting the living shit kicked out of him. He started to walk away, already bracing himself for Freddy's vicious promises, and heard her scoff in disbelief behind him.
    "Wait," she said then and he stopped abreast of Freddy, who was pretending to dig the dirt from under his nails with a toothpick. As Dean turned back, he saw Freddy's toothy grin widen and 'go for it, stud," he murmured.
    Stephanie was frowning at him, her arms folded around her books, keeping them clutched to her chest.
    "You're serious about this?"
    He nodded.
    She stared.
    Someone slammed a locker door. The bell rang. No one hurried.
    "All right then," she said. "I'm probably the biggest sucker in the world but…all right."
    For the first time, he saw a glimmer of something new in her eyes and it made his stomach lurch. He recognized the look as one he saw in the mirror every morning.
    Hope.
    Hope that this time things would work out right. That he would make it through the day, the week, the month, without pissing blood or lying to his parents about why his eyes were swollen from crying.
    Hope that there would be no hurt this time.
    Way to go, Dean , he thought, nothing quite like fucking up someone else's life worse than your own, huh?
    "Okay," he said, with a smile he hoped looked more genuine than it felt. "I'll call you. Maybe Friday? Your number's in the book?"
    "Yes," she said. "But Friday's no good. I have work."
    She worked the ticket booth at the Drive-In on Harwood Road. Dean saw her there almost every weekend. Saw her there and laughed with his friends about the irony of having a freak working in the one place where everyone would see her. Secretly he'd felt bad about mocking her, but after a while the jokes died down and so did the acidic regret.
    Now, as she walked away, her strawberry blonde hair catching the sunlight, he realized how shapely her body was. Had he never seen her face, he might have thought she was a goddess, but the angry red and pink blotches on her cheek spoiled it, dragging one eye down and the corner of her mouth up. This defect was all that kept her from being one of those girls every guy wanted in the back seat of his car.
    "I gotta admit, you got balls, shithead," Freddy said behind him and Dean turned, feeling that familiar loosening of his bowels he got whenever the jock was close. Such encounters invariably left him with some kind of injury, but this time he hoped Fred would stick to his word.
    "Y-yeah," he said, with a sheepish grin.
    Freddy barked a laugh. "Give her one for me, eh Bro? And be sure to let me know how that 'ol burnt skin of hers tastes."
    As he passed, he mock-punched Dean and chuckled, and though Dean chuckled right along with it, he almost wet his pants in relief that the blow hadn't been a real one.
     
    * * *
     
    The sun was burning high and bright. There was no breeze, the leaves on the walnut trees like cupped green hands holding slivers of light to cast viridescent shadows on the lawns around the school. Dean sat with his best friend, Les, on the wall of the circular fountain, facing the steps to the main door of the sandstone building, from which a legion of flustered looking students poured. The fountain edge was warm, the water low and filled with detritus of nature and man. The bronze statue of the school's founder stared with verdigris eyes at the blue sky hung like a thin veil above the building.
    "You've got to be kidding me," Les said, erupting into laughter. "Stephanie Watts? Aw Jesus…"
    Dean frowned. His hopes that Les would understand had been dashed, and he quickly realized he should have known better; Les couldn't be serious at a funeral.
    "Well, it's worth it, isn't it? I mean…if it keeps that asshole off my back?"
    Les poked his glasses and shook his head. "You're such a moron, Dean."
    "Why am I?"
    "You honestly think he'd let you off the hook