Untamed Hearts

1- The Unpopular Guy.

That was why she was so happy when I got a scholarship into Atlantic Hall Academy, I mean to mama that was the answer to all our prayers. If I played my card right, I would be headed to Yale on a full academic scholarship to study Business Administration or Political Science.

I was in the Advanced Placement Program, a straight A student, sharp batter for the baseball team and I had just one more year to go.

Working for the DiMaggio was good, the customers were the same, the tips were generous, my paycheck came in every month and they were good to me.

My life was going smooth, sweet and simple until she walked in.

******************

it was a Friday night and I was working double shifts. I was in a particularly good mood because Gino had promised me a good deal on a '58 Ford truck he and some buddies had rebuilt from scratch. Gino and I were chatting gaily about something when his uncle and co owner, Calogero DiMaggio yelled for me.

"Michelangelo!" he shouted loudly enough soothe whole restaurant heard us.

I rolled my eyes and gave a long-suffering sigh. The elder DiMaggio got a kick out of the fact that I was named after an alleged homosexual renaissance painter.

"These people," he pointed to a party of six young people occupying a table, "need serving. I don't pay you and Gino to screw around."

I nodded and gave him a two-fingered salute. "On it, Calogero."

Grabbing six menus, I walked over to their booth. "Benvenuto di Italiano Cucina, Signori e Signora," I passed the menus around, "Welcome to Italian kitchen. Home of the best woodfried pizza this side of the Pacific and also the best antipasto, what can I get you this fine evening?"

My good mood dissolved like a block of salt dumped into cold water when I saw whom I was serving. Behold sat Atlantic Hall's very own 'it' couple. You know, the ones who walk in the room in slow motion with heir hair whipping about their faces while the preppy music plays in those cheesy chick flick movies.

Madison Shepherd and her boyfriend Carson McQueen.. Madison Shepherd was your typical queen bee; rich, ridiculously beautiful and destined to marry the son of a senator. Either that or a Russian shipping magnate, or maybe that was just my imagination running wild as usual. Carson McQueen was your All-American boy, with his yellow hair and ability to throw a football, plus his father was some famous politician. As usual, their posse was accompanying them. Cole Jameson with Lori Shipton and Avery Tanner with Evan Parker.

My path and theirs never had any real reason to cross as they lived in the upscale areas like Bel Air and Beverly Hills. I wondered why in the name of Sicily were they slumming it?

Now, understand one thing about my person, when I saw the upper crust that resided at the top of the social hierarchy, I didn't need to kiss ass and roll over to please. Not a chance in Holy Sicily. And I they expected me to, I let the numbskulls know that I wasn't having it. I knew how t hold my own and the rule was, if you didn't disrespect me, then I wouldn't disrespect you and all would be well in the world.

I hoped they would not recognize me because knowing them, they would likely say something monumentally stupid and I would have to bite my tongue and take in silence. Either that or I would retaliate.

"Do you only serve Italian food here?" Evan Parker, the football witless wonder asked me.

I pretended to think about it. "here? At Italian Kitchen? Caspita, I don't know."

"Can it smart ass," Cole Jameson told me in a supercilious tone, "you don't want a visit with your boss, do you?"

"Wait a minute, are you actually named Michelangelo?" Lori Shipton piped up.