The Memory Giver (#Wattys2014)

Chapter 2

                                                          Chapter Two

             Turtle thought he recognized the voice, but he didn’t have a girlfriend, so she must have been talking to someone else.

            “Rita?” Ansley said.  His tone had changed.  He sounded puzzled—no, more than puzzled.  He sounded as if he were afraid.

            Butch released Turtle, and both boys turned around.  Standing before them was a girl Turtle knew from school.  She was in his class. The new girl, Rita Calderon.  She was a tiny thing, a tad over four feet, wearing jeans and a slate gray tee shirt, over which hung an oversized boys varsity jacket.  She was staring at Ansley with fire in her eyes.

            “This is none of your business, girl,” Butch said, in a threatening tone.

            “Of course it’s my business,” Rita replied, dismissively.  She wasn’t the least bit intimidated by the older, bigger boy. “He’s my boyfriend.  Everything he does is my business.  Including fighting,” she said, adding some edge to her voice.  She walked up to them, and gently shoved Ansley away from Turtle.

            “What?  You gonna fight his battles for him?” Ansley said, adding a snicker, trying to regain control of the situation.

            Rita removed her backpack and placed it on the ground. Then she pulled a rubber band from one of her pockets and quickly twisted the ends of her curly brown hair into a tight bun.  She stood up, and without replying to Ansley’s question, flexed.

            “Lard Ass is not your boyfriend!” Ansley shrieked, and Turtle could hear the deep concern creeping in.

            “Don’t call him that!” Rita said, taking a menacing step toward Ansley. She wagged her index finger in his face, her neck getting as loose as a goose.

            “Whose jacket is that?” Ansley said taking a step back.  “That jacket belongs to your boyfriend, right?  Your real boyfriend.”

            “It’s mine. I got it at my last school,” Rita said, and cracked her knuckles.  She actually cracked her knuckles like a boy might do.  “I took it from a bigger boy because I wanted it. And Theo is my real boyfriend.”

            She knew his name.  Turtle couldn’t believe she actually knew his name.

            Ansley looked from the girl to his brothers who no longer appeared to be backing him up on this one.  “I… I don’t fight girls,” Ansley said in a screeching tone.

            “Good.  I’m glad to hear it.  I guess that makes you a gentleman,” Rita replied.  Her gaze found Turtle.  It softened.  “Pick up your things, honey.  I need you to walk me home now,” she said softly, sweetly, and yet there was no denying the command in her voice. 

            It was then Turtle realized the three boys had all backed away.  The circle around him had been broken. He scrambled his books from off the ground. 

            “Well?’ said Rita, staring at him incredulously.

            “Well, what?” asked Turtle, totally baffled.

            “What about mine?”

            Turtle bent back down, hauled up her backpack and strapped it onto his shoulders.