XX. Something Else Entirely
Song of the Day: - Unfriend You by Greyson Chance
-*No Parade by Jordin Sparks
*Don't Judge Me by Chris Brown
Madison Shepherd
Look at him," I said for the fifth or sixth time to Taralynn and Avery. We were currently watching Angelo as he flirted outrageously with the cheerleaders. What was even more astonishing was the way he bared his skin for all the girls to see and gush over. In the past Angelo wasn't one to show off his tattoos but in the new tank top and jersey he seemed perfectly at ease with the fact that the whole female population was drooling over him. One tattoo seemed to stand out, it was new and it was the tattoo of a rose that seemed to be dipped in blood. It was actually morbid. Almost... cultist.
"He is pretty hot," Avery admitted.
I looked at her. "Avery Tanner, do you hear yourself?"
"Well he is," she admitted guiltily, "I mean just look at him."
"And pretty loaded too," quipped Taralynn, taking a sip out of her chocolate milk. "Makes you wonder, doesn't it? What happened to the old Angelo?"
It certainly did, I thought. I wanted to march up to him and call him out for being such a douche. I wanted to go up to him, shake him and demand to know who the hell he was and why was he impersonating Angelo Tallerico.
"He came into school in a Bentley Continental!" I said furiously. "A Bentley! Where the hell did he get it from?!"
"Yesterday he came in a Bugatti motorbike" Avery sighed dreamily. "You should have seen him.....God he makes me think of sex on two legs. I had no idea that Angelo had such a wild side."
"And the diamonds!" I shook my head. "Somebody better tell me what the hell is going on here."
"Maybe he's just trying to change his image," Taralynn said mysteriously.
I scoffed. What a joke! "Just look at the way he's acting! As though he owns the place and this morning, he nearly assaulted Jasper."
"Poor Jasper." Taralynn's tone was filled with derision and it irritated me. I leveled my gaze on her, I could understand that she didn't like Jasper but there was no need to be rude.
"Excuse me, Taralynn? But what's that supposed to mean?" She shrugged but would not say. I was about to say something else when I noticed Carson begin some sort of confrontation with a freshman. Angelo got up from where he was sitting down and walked over to where Carson was harassing the student along with Cole and parker.
When he pulled Carson back by the collar I was certain a fight would break out.
Carson glared menacingly at Angelo and clenched both fists at his side. "What do you want?"
Angelo took the basketball from the freshman and began tossing it carelessly. "I just wanted to inform you and your idiots that your little game here is over. Three against one?" he scoffed in disgust. "Do yourself a favor and back off McQueen."
"Mind your damn business Tallerico!" hissed Carson.
"It is my business when I see you picking on someone else."
"You better watch your mouth, Tallerico," Carson stepped up to him, "I don't know who you suddenly think you are but you'd better not mess with me."
Angelo smiled and said loudly, "Alright everybody listen up!" as though the whole cafeteria hadn't already been paying close attention. "We all know that Carson McQueen has a problem bigger than Philadelphia," he addressed the place, "Carson could be bothered by any number of things but I've narrowed it down to three choices." He began spinning the ball indolently on his fingers. "Number one. Most psychologists would tell you that the reason for his behavior is that deep down inside Carson, is a very scared little girl hiding inside the closet, terrified of the whole world." The cafeteria rippled with giggles and Angelo went on. "Number two; like the Neanderthals of prehistoric times, Carson has a small and underdeveloped brain which is incapable of handling emotions properly and so he resorts to violence and intimidation to get his point across." There was a resounding "Ooh! Burn!" Carson's face was getting redder and redder by the second.
"And three," Angelo stopped spinning the ball and held up a finger, "Carson has a very tiny dick and he feels the more macho strut he performs, the more it'll compensate for his inadequacy and inability to perform in the bedroom." The cafeteria erupted in laughter.
Carson was livid by now and shaking with anger.
Angelo was on a roll now. "What's wrong with you, McQueen?" he taunted. "You know, besides the fact that you can't keep it up, huh? You're shooting blanks boy; cooking with a wet noodle." He changed his voice to a falsetto, "Can't hoist the main sails! My sperm has fallen and it can't get up!"
"Fuck you, Tallerico!"
"Oh that's funny cause you ain't seen your pecker since you were a baby," laughed Angelo. "Just because you need tweezers to take a piss doesn't mean you got room to brag boy."
I looked at Taralynn and Avery who were just as surprised as I was. Avery was barely holding in her laughter and Taralynn's face was filled with bewilderment.
"Do you guys see what I am talking about here?" I looked at him again. He was positively reeling in all the attention and enjoying the fact that he was humiliating Carson. Not that Carson didn't deserve it but still. Angelo was spiraling out of control and fast. "He's acting like he owns the place."
Angelo winked at Carson. "Don't hurt yourself McQueen. You're in my school now, in mi casa!" He turned to stroll away leisurely. Carson chose that moment to throw a punch.
Angelo caught that fist over his shoulder with style and grace. "Alright," he chuckled, "you really should not have done that." He twisted Carson's wrist and flipped him across the floor. He pointed to Cole and Parker, "Don't boys. Please, save yourself the embarrassment because if you try it, I'm gonna show you who's bad."
That was certainly someone else, not Angelo Tallerico. For one thing, he had completely lost his mind.
"Hey, Madison," Avery got my attention again. "What's up with you and that Justin guy?"
"Jasper," I corrected her. Jasper had muttered something about Angelo under his breath but he wouldn't say anything else. I shuddered at the way Angelo had looked at Jasper, as though he would have loved nothing more than to beat him to a pulp and this new Angelo was crazy enough to do it.
"There's nothing going on between us."
"Liar," smirked Avery. "I saw the way you guys were all over each other."
"And, he kissed you," Taralynn added, spearing me with a look.
"Oh don't be ridiculous!" I snapped impatiently. "Jasper acts like that with everyone and he's a flirt. It's his nature."
"Well aren't you going to tell us about your romantic getaway with our delectable Aussie?" Avery teased again with an accent. "I mean you have to spill every gory detail because I am just dying to know."
I pursed my lips. I didn't want to discuss Jasper. We had both been walking on egg shells around that awkward incident back at Macau, neither of us willing to breach the subject.
"Well Madison?" Avery prodded impatiently.
"Well nothing!" I said firmly. "There's nothing to talk about."
"Of course there is." I glanced at Taralynn and saw her face was tight. "How was he in bed? If what I've heard about Jasper Nuoah is true, then you'd have absolutely nothing to do but stay on your back!"
Sometimes Avery really got on my nerves with her ridiculous insinuations, like now. Whatever happened between Jasper and I was our own business. I honestly did not know which I found more irritating; Avery's questions or Taralynn's disdain.
"Look Avery can you just drop it?" I glared at her. "What are you, Five-O? I don't want to talk about Jasper, can't you respect that?"
She arched an eyebrow and said coolly, "Excuse me. I was only curious."
"Don't be," I glared until she backed off. I gave Taralynn a challenging look but she just looked away.
"Well," Avery continued, "Perhaps what happened with Jasper has something to do with him." She nodded in the direction of Angelo who was back with his adoring fans.
"No kidding," muttered Taralynn.
I fixed my cool gaze on her. "What's your problem?" I demanded harshly. "Are you trying to say that I and Jasper are responsible for that?" I looked at Angelo again. This time, a buxom blonde had crawled into his lap and was slipping her hand into his shirt.
"All I'm saying is that ever since you went to Macau with Jasper and Angelo came back, it's like he went to Crazy Town."
"He broke up with me!" I whispered furiously. "He's the one who just up and left Taralynn! So if you're looking for someone to blame the break up on, how about you talk to Über Fly over there."
"Well you're not exactly innocent," she returned coldly, glaring back at me. "All of a sudden Angelo's the bad guy and Jasper's the saint?"
"Jasper was there for me when Angelo left." Why the hell was Taralynn antagonizing me? Why was she taking sides when I needed my best friend to back me up?"
"And who was there for Angelo?" She stood abruptly and looked at me angrily, "Instead of casting the blame on Angelo, why don't you examine yourself." With that she walked away.
Now there was one more person I had to worry about. If Taralynn couldn't help me, then who could? Angelo didn't have any other friends I knew. None except Gino. Of course, Gino! Whatever was going on with Angelo, Gino would know...I texted Jasper telling him not to bother picking me up and once school was over, I headed over to Italian Kitchen. There was no sign of Angelo anywhere but I did spot Gino quickly. I waved to catch his attention.
Gino frowned at me for a second then he crossed the street to where I was standing. "Madison," he was genuinely surprised to see me, "What are you doing here?"
"Is Angelo here?"
He shook his head slowly. "Madison, Angelo doesn't work here anymore," he informed me.
He had quit his job? "He doesn't work here anymore? Since when?"
He studied my face and then sighed. "You don't know, do you?"
"Know what?" I asked in exasperation.
"Madison .... Angelo isn't the same guy anymore," he said grimly.
"Yeah I got a glimpse of that but I was hoping you would know what was up."
He exhaled. "Wait here ok!" He went back to the restaurant, said a few words to another waiter before taking off his apron and coming back to me. "Let's go," he told me and I followed him to an old Chevron.
"Where are we going?" I asked when I buckled my seat belt.
"To where Angelo usually hangs out nowadays." he replied shortly. The brief ride was made in silence and soon we reached a different part of town. A group of shirtless boys were joking around the cliffs overlooking the ocean and I saw something that made me cringe. The same new tattoo that Angelo had been sporting, a red rose dipped in blood was on all of them. And then it hit me; Angelo was in some type of cult.
Gino parked his car and we got out. He leaned by the side and nodded to another building opposite the road. "That's where Angelo usually hangs out now."
My eyes widened as I read the neon sign: The Gentleman's Lounge and the lewd signs all around it followed by the many almost- naked girls crowding around it. I whirled around to face Gino who looked somber. "A strip club?!" Angelo at a strip club? The idea was totally incomprehensible.
I couldn't form any coherent thought and my eyes darted to the boys at the cliffs. This time, much to my horror, I saw three of them bodily lift one boy and haul him over the edge and into the water, hooting and howling! The other people who passed by gave them a wide berth and I quickly understood that these were the tough guys.
My heart caught in my throat as I stared. "Gino did you see that?"
Gino on the other was completely calm and at ease. He said, "Relax Madison." How could he tell me to relax when I'd just witnessed a person being thrown off a goddamn cliff!
"They're cliff diving."
I blinked twice. "Cliff diving?" I sputtered.
"He nodded once again.”Those are the Columbian Roses." I looked at the boys again to be sure and then I saw one of them take a running start then dive over the edge while his cohorts cheered him on.
"Who are they?"
"They work for this guy named Soto Columbá. Soto's got his foot down on this whole neighborhood. Drugs, pimping, gun running, hookers, you name it. That's Damien Salvadoré." His voice was laced with venom and he pointed to a dark handsome youth in the middle with an array of tattoos. "Damien is one of Soto's top guys."
"How did Angelo get mixed up with them?" I asked still watching this guy named Damien Salvadoré.
Gino lifted his shoulders and let them drop in a shrug. "I don't know. Suddenly Angelo starts following Damien like they're brothers or something. It's pretty morbid."
"So now he's in a gang?" I looked back at the leader, Damien.
"It's worse than that," Gino sighed gravely. "Those guys, the Columbians, they're not just any gang. Nobody really knows how they operate; it's sort of like a cult thing, like bad cops or something. The members run this place for Soto and they're vicious motherfuckers. They recruit people into their inner circle and stuff. There's absolutely no way to refuse them, not unless you want something bad to happen to you. Oh, but they'll make it worth your while; flashy cars, cool clothes, woman.... money, drugs.... whatever you want, so long as you're in with them."
I thought back to the Bentley Angelo had driven to school, the jewelry and designer clothes.
"But once you're in," he went on, "there's no way out. You're loyal to Soto and only Soto; you do whatever he orders with no questions. The other day, back at the supermarket, I saw Angelo with Damien and some other guy named Quinn, and this kid Jake Miller said something... I don't really know what happened but the next thing, Quinn gets all macho like he was going to kill Jake right there and Angelo smiled and shook his head at Quinn, and then he calms down and leaves, little Angelo was holding Quinn back. When Angelo speaks to Sean, the poor guy breaks out in a sweat and nearly pissed himself right there and suddenly the next day, Jake is Angelo's new errand boy." He shuddered and shook his head again, "It's so not natural."
Damien Salvadoré said something to a dark boy with thick long dreadlocks and they began strolling toward the strip club leisurely. Another shirtless guy came out, wearing nothing but denim shorts and sneakers. A second look at the snake tattoo on his strong back and I knew who he was. Damien and the other one on dreads bounded up to him and I watched in horror as Dreads pulled out a gun and handed it to Angelo, whispering something in his ear and clapping him on the back in some form of manly affection. Angelo took the gun, cocked it and playfully aimed it at his friends head. Damien grabbed Dreads from behind and Angelo punched his well toned stomach while laughing. Two other guys, both shirtless, one on braids and the other with a top hat came up to them, they laughed together for a minute then began walking down the beach together.
I couldn't stand it anymore. I started in their direction. "Angelo!" I shouted. "Hey! Angelo!!"
All except Angelo paused and looked at me quizzically and then at Angelo. He said something to them and they kept on without him, casting speculative looks our way.
"Angelo!!" I shouted again. This time he did turn around to face me. His features seemed to be etched in stone and his expression cold; his eyes were icy and revealed no emotion. It was then I noticed with the new hair cut, sun kissed complexion and a rock hard body he was not afraid of flaunting, Angelo had never looked better, or more dangerous.
I looked at his hand still holding the gun and back at his face. "What is the matter with you?" I asked angrily. "What the hell is the matter with you?"
When he spoke, his voice was cold and without emotion. He said, "Go away, Madison."
"No!" I said fiercely. "I'm not leaving until you tell me what on earth has gotten into you?"
"Go away, Madison," he repeated.
"You joined a gang?" I cried in horror, "and cut your hair...and now you're carrying guns?! Suddenly you're Mister Uber Fly following these thugs around? Some guy named Damien makes you a proposition and now you think it's cool to carry guns and start terrorizing people?"
"Don't blame Damien," he replied simply, "And don't blame Soto either. They showed me who I really am. They showed me that I can be more than some rich girl's little bitch. But if you want someone to blame," his features twisted with hate and his words filled with venom, "why don't you blame those fucking Marc-Nuoahs you love so much. You all did this to me. You all fucked me up, Madison. "
I stared at him. "Is this about...Jasper? You're doing this to get back at me for leaving with him? Well if you look at it you didn't give me much of a choice Angelo! You walked out on me, remember? Look I'm sorry for all that but this is just ridiculous."
"It's a little too late to say you're sorry," he hissed. "You betrayed me Madison, you ran me into the ground and now because of you I'm one thousand shades of ultimately fucked up!"
"Stop it!" I shouted angrily at him. "How dare you blame me? You did this to us with your damn Sicilian pride! I didn't force you to join a gang, you did that on your own!"
His hand tightened on the gun. "And I'm glad I did. I regret the day I allowed you back into my heart, but I'm glad because you taught me a valuable lesson. I'll never make the same mistake like falling for a little viper like you. I will not let myself cause my heart so much misery. I learned the hard way to never let it get that far." His mouth tipped sardonically, "Careful who you bruise, Madison Shepherd. I know there was a time I thought you were the girl for me, my own princess," he laughed dryly, "now I see that I was a stupid idiot. I allowed myself to fall for you and you turned out to be that worst thing I ever came across. And you know what makes me so mad that I could spit? You tell me you're hurt, that this isn't me and you can't accept it? Do you expect me to care? You don't deserve my hurt so this is why it ends here. God knows that it'll take another lifetime, another world and another betrayal for me to look at your face again."
"I understand that you're mad... that you're hurt and so you're acting out and lashing at everyone...."
"Mad?" he gave a harsh laugh. "No Madison, I'm not mad. You just don't know what I look like when I'm not in love with you anymore, when the mere thought of you pollutes the very air I breathe. Go back to Jasper. I don't want to see you. I don't want to know you. I don't want to be with you. I want to forget you exist in the same world that I do. From this moment forward, you are dead to me, Madison Shepherd."
I had never felt so hurt in my life. Hearing these words out of Angelo, so precise and meant to cut which they did. They cut deeper than anything. I had never known Angelo to have so much hate, but now I did.
My eyes filled and threatening to spill over but I wouldn't let them, but I wouldn't let him see me cry. "You're cruel, Angelo Tallerico," I said, my voice barely audible, "and you're right. Maybe it'll be better if we both forget the other existed. I always loved you."
"Get out, Madison."
"Hey, that's enough!" Gino had come to stand by me and he glowered at Angelo. "What the fuck is the matter with you Tallerico?"
Angelo raised the gun at Gino and I gasped in horror. "Angelo!" I shrieked, "What are you doing?"
"Making a point."
"You gonna shoot me?" Gino said through his teeth. "Not cool, Tallerico."
Angelo smiled. "Awww c'mon Gino, a lil' bit cool. Get in your car and fuck off and you'd better not come back because if I catch you on my streets again, it'll going to be infinitely painful for you.
I watched him in horror, afraid of this new person. Gino started forward angrily and Angelo pulled the trigger twice. One dangerously close to Gino's ear and the other next to his foot. They had been fired to miss but did not diminish the impact of his threat.
"Are you fucking crazy?" screamed Gino.
Angelo didn't lower the gun. "I'm not going to miss next time," he promised him, to me he said, "And Madison, I understand I might have loved you once, please don't test me."
Gino shook his head sadly. "You don't know what you're doing, do you!"
"How much clearer should I make this?" growled Angelo. "Now I said get the fuck out of here."
I continued to stare at the creature masquerading as Angelo. Gino put his hand on my shoulder pulling me away. "Come on Madison. Let's get out of here."
Numb, I got into his truck and he drove away.
"Can't say we didn't try," he said bitterly and he sighed, "I'm really sorry Madison."
"It's ok," I said simply. "It was my fault thinking I could reach him. I just hoped that since I could get through to him before, I could do it again. But I was wrong. There's nothing left in Angelo Tallerico but hate now.'
"I'm sorry," he said again.
The pain had slowly given way and now all I felt was a numb void in ne.
"Want me to take you home or something?"
"Ocean View Luxury Apartments." Gino drove me there and I thanked him before entering the building. Jasper had given me the code for his elevator and he was waiting for me when I reached the door. He took one look at my face and his lips curved ruefully.
"Angelo...." I began to say but could not finish the sentence.
I didn't need to though. He nodded once. "I know." He held out his hands and I went willingly.
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