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17. The Moretti Cousins

"Hey Tommy, you coming?" It was Ethan. He and Antoine had changed after

practice and were ready to head home.

"Yeah, wait up guys."

"So what were you talking to the cute Goth about?" asked Antoine.

"Oh, uh nothing."

"Yeah, it sure seemed like a whole lot of nothing to me." Antoine joked.

"So what's going on with the Coach?" Tommy changed the subject.

Antoine brought them up to speed on the team situation, "Coach kicked Lance off the team for tagging Coach Neumann's car."

"He was a jerk anyways. We don't need him around," said Tommy.

"Well Lance might have been a jerk but he was our left guard and a good one." Antoine got serious, "And you know what a good left guard means to a right-handed quarterback?"

Ethan got the point. He smiled, "I guess I better double up on my flak jacket or I could need rib renos."

"Yeah," said Antoine, "and speaking of renos this is where we part ways." He pointed to the large two-story house with the gated driveway across the street. "That's my dad's job. I've got to give him a hand."

Ethan motioned to Tommy, "Come on, man. Let's check it out." Antoine shook his head, questioning their wisdom as they crossed the intersection.

"That's my dad over there talking to the two dudes by the black sedan," Antoine nodded his head in their direction. The car was parked two doors down from the jobsite.

"They look like gangsters Antoine," said Ethan.

"Hey, did you hear about the Chinese Godfather?" said Tommy. "He made them an offer they couldn't understand."

Ethan and Antoine rolled their eyes.

Tommy shrugged, "What? You don't get it?"

"Yeah, we get it Tommy."

The tall guy waving a fat cigar was Rocco Moretti. He wore shiny black dress pants with a black, silk T-shirt, a black leather jacket and a very shiny silver necklace with a large crucifix. His cousin Tony was shorter, fatter and bald on top. Their tightly braided ponytails just made the whole scene a touch too much like 'wanna be' rock stars.

Tony leaned back against the car with his arms crossed.

"Hey Tony, ever think about becoming a vegetarian?" asked Rocco, his voice full of sarcasm.

"What?"

"What I'm sayin is, get off my car before it flips over you fat slob."

The Moretti cousins were outcasts from their own family, considered too incompetent to have around New York. They were shipped out to the small city of Middleton to make a living so long as they didn't embarrass the family again.

As small time racketeers they made their money loan sharking. They also ran illegal poker games, took odds on sporting events and strong armed local merchants. Life was good when their clients made good on their loans. And today that meant Lamar.

"Listen Lamar," Rocco growled, "You're into us for fifty large." Rocco had put himself in a corner by borrowing the 50 G's from Pops. Now he didn't have enough cash flow to make payments to his old man. Lamar needed more time to finish his two reno

jobs before he'd have any cash for Rocco. Rocco needed the cash yesterday.

"You think we're some kind of charity, boy?"

"I have two jobs that are going to pay off but I need time to complete them." He shrugged his shoulders, "If you won't give me the time, you won't get paid."

"Are you threatening us?" It was the hotheaded Tony. "You lookin' ta get an intervention through the back of your head boy?" He pointed at Lamar then tapped his own chest as he stepped towards him. He pulled his jacket back just enough to show Lamar the butt of his piece.

Rocco waved Tony back. "I'll handle this, Tony."

Just then the boys arrived at the jobsite.

"Wonder if they know the 70's are over?" Tommy joked.

"Don't let them hear you," Antoine whispered. "I don't know who they are." He kept walking as he talked. "My dad has secret phone conversations. I've tried to listen in." He shook his head, "He just chases me away. These days he's huge miserable. I wish-" Antoine didn't finish as they came within earshot of his father.

"Antoine." His dad turned abruptly. "Where you been?" He motioned to Rocco and Tony to give him a minute.

"Football practice." Antoine nodded to Tommy and Ethan, "My friends."

Antoine's dad pointed to a large pile of drywall. "I need that divided between the basement and the second floor before it rains."

Antoine looked at the huge pile some fifty feet from them. "You going to introduce me?" Antoine motioned to Rocco and Tony. His comment irritated them and his dad just as he meant it to.

"Antoine. You just get yourself to work on that stack of drywall." He glared, "Now."

Antoine turned to his friends, "Gotta go." He walked over to the drywall.

"Hey, wait." Ethan piped up. "I can use a workout."

"You ever carry drywall?"