“Billy! Billy! Look Billy, look!”
“Yeah buddy, I see you, great job getting up so high! Be careful up there!”
“I will! Wheeeeeee!”
Billy smiled to himself as little Trevor whooshed down the slide, wishing for a brief moment that he could join him. Of course he hadn’t been able to fit in years, but watching Trevor made his body remember the feeling of absolute freedom and joy, and he missed it. He didn’t get down here to the playground very often, it was beneath his 16-year-old dignity; besides, he was too busy with work and school, and most of his neighbors avoided him anyway. So when Miss Abernathy asked him to look after Trevor on one of his rare afternoons off, he knew she had to be pretty desperate, and it didn’t take but a moment’s thought before he agreed. His original plan had been snacks and maybe a movie, but it was a warm spring day, and after 15 minutes of the little guy bouncing off the walls – literally – Billy had given up and herded him to the play area in the center of the complex. Now he sat on a bench, trying to ignore the not-entirely-friendly sidelong glances he was getting from the neighboring moms and doing everything he could to make himself seem smaller. Maybe this had been a bad idea, he thought, wishing desperately for a distraction. And then, like a chorus of angels coming down from a heaven he wasn’t sure he believed in, he heard it: the glorious strains of the ice cream truck.
“ICE CREAM! Billybillybilly can we get ice cream? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaassssseeeee?”
“I don’t know,” Billy teased, pretending to think about it. “Have you been good?”
“I’ve been the BEST,” Trevor assured him, grabbing his hand and attempting to drag him towards the truck. “Please Billy, they have my favorite Iron Man icy pop and I haven’t had one since, like, forever please say yes!”
“Okay, okay, we’re going,” Billy laughed, getting up and allowing himself to be pulled along. “But we have to wait our turn in line like gentlemen.”
“You sound like my mom,” Trevor complained, but he took his place in line, in a fidgety, wiggly sort of way. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity but was really about a minute and a half, they were next. Trevor stepped forward, ready to tell the ice cream man what he wanted, only to be pushed aside by a bigger boy, one Billy had never seen before.
“NonnasaystogivemeadrumstickforherandanIronManicypopformerightawaywe’reinahurry” the boy announced all in one breath, not even looking at poor Trevor sitting on the ground, trying not to cry. The vendor, who hadn’t even noticed Trevor because he wasn’t tall enough to be seen out the window, handed over the demanded treats.
Billy helped Trevor up and brushed him off, then stepped to the window with a hopeful look inside the truck. “We’d like an Iron Man icy pop, please,” he requested.
“Sorry, that was the last one,” the ice cream man replied. “Either pick something else, or get out of the way.”
“That’s ok,” Trevor said, sadly. “That was the only thing I wanted.”
Billy looked around, furious. Who did that snot-nosed brat think he was, pushing Trevor around like that? And then to take the last coveted treat, almost literally out of his hands? With a growl, he spotted the kid on the other side of the parking lot, as if he was waiting to be picked up. “You just sit tight,” he told Trevor. “I’ll be right back.” Then he spun around and marched over to the scrawny would-be bully. “HEY!” he yelled, “you give that back right now!”
The other kid, a little red-haired punk that barely reached Billy’s armpit, cowered. “I didn’t do anything!” he screeched. “You get away from me you bully!”
At this magic word, one of the moms who had been giving Billy the evil eye already swooped in like an avenging angel, or at least like a vulture, flailing her purse and yelling, “Bully! Bully! We know you! Sweet child, how dare!”
“But he-“ Billy tried to explain, but by this point they were starting to draw a crowd.
“Call the police!” someone yelled, and with that he turned and ran. The last thing he saw as he grabbed Trevor and headed back into their building was the actual bully’s smug little face. This isn’t over, he thought, frustrated. You can’t live that far away; I’m not letting you get away with stealing ice cream from a little kid!
Fifteen years later
Todd looked up at the sky thoughtfully as he hurried home. Been raining all day, gonna have to make Nonna’s tea extra strong tonight. As if in response to his thought, a few sprinkles landed on his glasses, and he picked up his pace. Unfortunately, he was so preoccupied with the weather, he wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings; next thing he knew he was face-down on the pavement, 7-11 bag split down the side and snacks scattered all around him. Unpleasantly familiar laughter came from above him, and he sighed, adjusting his glasses. “Really, Billy?”
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“Really what?” the asshole in question echoed mockingly. “I was just out here minding my business, enjoying the evening, waiting for my mom to get off work; same as I do every other night – as you well know. Not my fault you’re clumsy.”
“Right, because I’m in no way clumsier when your feet are involved!” Todd rolled his eyes and painfully got to his own feet, muttering a curse as he swiped at the package of snack cakes smeared across his t-shirt.
Billy tsk’d “Now, now, son, you kiss your mother with that mouth?”
“If I was your son I’d run away and join the circus,” Todd growled as he gathered up his fallen snacks.
“Ooh, feeling feisty tonight, aren’t you?” Billy’s voice lost its taunting mockery, becoming uglier. Fortunately, the sky chose just that moment to open up, and he ducked back into the bar, laughing uproariously as Todd was instantly drenched.
Billy’s laughter was cut off abruptly when he turned and saw his mother watching him disapprovingly. “Honestly, William.”
“Aw, ma.”
“Don’t you ‘aw, ma’ me! I saw what just happened. When are you and Todd going to let that old grudge go?”
“I will when he does. You want to talk immature, you know he just smeared the seat of my bike with shaving cream last week.”
“Yes, and I know you stole his order from In ‘n Out the week before that.”
Billy chuckled. “That was a pretty good one.”
“That’s not the point. You two are both too old for this kind of childish behavior.”
“…he started it.”
“He was 11 years old,” she retorted, shoving a tray of empty glasses into his hands and swatting his butt with her bar towel. “You’re a grown man, fighting with a child, and one that doesn’t even exist anymore.”
A gust of wind wrenched the screen door out of Todd’s hands, nearly causing him to drop the remains of his bag. He winced at the resulting slam, kissing his chances of getting in unremarked goodbye. Sure enough, Nonna’s voice came from the kitchen, shortly followed by the matron herself. “Now Todd, what have I told you about sl- oh for heck’s sake, look at you! Dripping all over the floor, I thought you’d have enough sense to get there and back before the storm dropped!” She paused, peering more closely at him. “And what is that all over your shirt?”
“That,” he replied somewhat bitterly, “was supposed to be my bedtime snack.”
She sighed. “Billy again?”
“Billy again.”
“Something is going to have to be done about that boy. He’s not bad, but he’s certainly not going anywhere good at this rate.”
“Oh yes, someone definitely needs to do something about him. If this is what you call “not bad,” I don’t even want to know what “Bad” looks like!”
Nonna shot him a sharp look. “Now Todd, don’t you think I don’t know about your part in this little feud of yours.”
Todd offered her his most innocent grin, although the effect was somewhat spoiled by his bedraggled condition. “Who, me? Now what could little old me do to a big bad bully like Billy?”
She swatted him upside the head. “Whatever you’re thinking, don’t! It’s long past time this whole mess was laid to rest.” The doorbell chimed from the other side of the house, cutting off whatever she was going to say next. “Oh, that’s Betty, I forgot she was coming by for that arthritis rub. You go get out of those wet clothes – and mind what I said! You leave Billy alone!”
Todd grinned at her back as she headed towards her client. “Oh, don’t worry Nonna. I wouldn’t dream of laying a hand on him!”
The sleek fox slipped through the shadows, ears pricked and nose alert for danger. His route was a familiar one, but his vulpine instincts were restless – his task was nowhere near safe, and he knew it. He slowed, creeping from shadow to shadow as he scoped out the scene. His target was nowhere in sight, but he knew that this was the place, having passed by earlier and seen the bike parked out front. Now it was just a waiting game – and the fox was a very patient hunter. He looked up at the clouds passing across the full moon, plotting his next moves. It was a cool night, but not a cold one – his prey should be vulnerable, not armored against the weather. Now just to get into position – first up onto a crate, then the top of the dumpster, then scrambling onto the low roof courtesy of a half-fallen gutter. Panting a little, the fox settled into the roof shadows to bide his time.
The fox tensed as the door opened and a group filed out, laughing and talking. He growled softly to himself as his prey separated from the group and walked towards the bike, nearing his hiding spot. Closer, closer…NOW! The fox sprang down onto his unsuspecting prey, yipping in excitement. As hoped, the human male flung his arm up to protect his face – presenting the fox a clear target. He felt his teeth sink into the soft, unprotected flesh, but controlled his instincts to rip and tear – now was the time to flee! He bounded down to the pavement and disappeared into the shadows as his prey bellowed in anger and confusion, laughing silently to himself.
Billy clutched his arm to his chest, trying to stanch the bleeding with the hem of his shirt. “What the shit was that?!” His friends rushed back to his side, babbling hysterically, all of them grabbing at his shoulders and trying to get a look, and absolutely none of them being any use at all.
Finally a calm, older female voice cut through the chaos. “Alright everyone, take a step back and let me get through here. William, what on earth is going on?!”
He sighed in relief, holding out his still-bleeding arm. “Mom, thank fuck you were still here. I dunno, something jumped down from the roof on me, I think it bit me!”
His mother gravely inspected the wound. “If something bit you-“
“Don’t even say it. You know I can’t afford to go to the hospital.”
“Ok but Will-“
“No, ma. You can wash it out and bandage it up for me, I’m sure it’s fine”
“But it attacked you, that’s not norm-“
“NO, ma. That’s enough.”
“Just as stubborn as your father ever was,” she sighed, throwing her hands up in defeat. “Fine, let’s get you back inside and get you cleaned up.
