Four Delinquents

chapter 7- The Art of Forced Cooperation

I looked at how much cash we had left. It wouldn’t be enough for a whole new wardrobe for Italo. Had we even decided what we would do with him. Perhaps we should just leave him be and make Baby Face do it. We would still have our decoy.

“ you still up to threatening Italo?” I asked them as we stepped onto the pavement of the sidewalk.

“if anything I think youd be more convincing if we brought you in to do it now. With your nose broken you look menacing.” said Baby Face smiling proudly at his work.

I looked over at Pretty Boy and noticed how bad it had gotten. It was turning black and blue and had a bloody crack down the bridge which was zigzagging and protruding now. This combined with his build and his square jaw made him look very manly and menacing.

“I could help you out and give you a black eye as well.” said Baby Face cracking his knuckles and smiling at Pretty Boy even wider. I think he was very happy to finally get a hit on Pretty Boy. He had been giving Baby Face problems lately. The only thing that had stopped him before was me. he must’ve felt better getting it out of his system.

“Perhaps you should do it Baby Face.” I said. “ we could bring him along as an example of what your capable of and that knife in you pocket your so proud of with all its tricks and knicks you’ve accomplished. I really don’t see why not.”

“ill tell you why not.” he said angrily. “ because im probably smaller than him. Say something like that again and ill do you like I did Pretty Boy right here. Oh you know how much that name suits you now Pretty Boy…”

He started laughing and dancing around Pretty Boy poking his fingers at him. He stopped suddenly and pointed seriously.

“that’s right don’t think about doing anything.” Baby Face said menacingly his hand twitching toward his pocket where his beloved knife rested. “you deserved what you got… you’ve been a mean basterd lately and it was time you stopped.”

He ground his jaw at Pretty Boy daring him to let him get another go at him. But Pretty Boy just looked at him defiantly and continued walking.

“better watch how you talk Baby Face.” said Pretty Boy quietly. “starting to sound like Hera.”

Baby Face stopped walking suddenly. His eyes bounced back and forth between me and Pretty Boy as if reading very fast. His brow darkening slowly. Finally he looked down at his shoes that were blowing out and beginning to show his toes. He seemed ashamed.

“im sorry” he said in a small voice barely audible over the roar of the cars and people walking by. Dogs barking and people laughing. “I wont do that again. Nobody deserves anything.”

His face showed seething anger as if his blood was boiling below the surface of his forced calm. That was where the blood thirsty part had stemmed. I was sure of it. He hated Hera more than he hated anything in the world. Perhaps even more than his parents or whoever ditched him on that front porch.

We had absent mindedly headed for the school. It was after all time for Clyde to get out. It was funny how fast the day had gone by. We needed to tend to our next order of business and get Italo convinced to work for us. Then we needed to get his new clothes and then somehow present the job to Zeus as a peace offering along with this cinnamon role for each of them. We could deal with Zeus entirely a little bit later. The rest would have to happen tonight. Though if Italo decided to run and tell Hera about it all. Our shrimp would be cooked and we would have to live in that house out in the woods.

Just think how uncomfortable that would be. Think of all the money we would have to pick pocket for the items we would need in the house. We would need matresses for all of us and blankets and lanterns and proper things to make it a home. We would rip all the wall paper down sweep it up and re-paint the rooms.