half, he had racked up over 120 yards. Ed Weiss, the quarterback, was throwing like Y. A. Tittle, and the Tassos had golden hands. Defense was holding steady and so far nobody had gotten hurt. The Stingers led, 14 to 6. Full uniforms or no, the Del-Bombers would have to hold up a few more sporting goods stores to look good that day.
Lenny Arkadian noticed Emilio about twenty-five yards down the line of trees that served as a boundary. He nudged Perry. "You know that guy?"
"Emilio?"
"He's a real douchebag."
Perry shrugged, not in the habit of cutting down any of the guys' parents.
Coming off the field at half time, Joey noticed his father standing about ten yards from everybody else. In spite of himself, Joey felt excited but resisted an impulse to run up to Emilio and ask how he had looked on the field. Fuck it. He knew how he looked. Like always. The best. Joey walked over to the rest of the guys, tossed his helmet by the duffel bags, grubbed a cigarette from C, and out of the corner of his eye watched his father watch him out of the corner of his eye.
Perry's bottle of Tango was passed around. Joey took a slug and walked past Emilio to the Del-Bomber camp. He handed the bottle to two guys and bullshitted with some other guys from Tully. Watching his father across the field, Joey suddenly wished that Emilio was talking to the other people. For a strange moment Joey felt depressed and sorry for him. He took back the Tango and walked toward his father.
Ray Rodriguez was sitting alone drinking a soda and still debating whether he should be pissed at Richie when he saw a midget run from the woods and snatch the football. Ray jumped up in pursuit and tackled the midget. The football went flying; the midget ate dirt. Ray got to his feet, pulling up the thief by his jacket collar. "Whadya think you're doin', hah?" (slap). "Hah?" (slap). "Hah?" (slap). The midget was trying to fend off the slaps. He pulled out an old-fashioned razor and went for Ray's face. Ray was startled and fell backward on his ass. The midget jumped on his chest and was about to rearrange Ray's eyes when a football whipped the blade from his hand. He leaped to his feet, stomped on Ray's crotch, and disappeared into the woods. Joey and Ed Weiss ran to Ray and helped him up.
Joey had been walking toward Emilio when he saw Ray Rodriguez beating up a dwarf. Then he saw a flash of silver, and Ray fall down. He thought the dwarf had killed Ray. Panicked, he dropped the Tango and ran blindly toward the bizarre scene. Ed Weiss was throwing footballs at a tree trunk. He'd pitched three no-hit games for the Evander Tigers, and he threw the pigskin with the speed of a baseball. He was reaching into the duffel bag full of footballs at his feet, ready to drill one into the tree again, when he saw Ray Rodriguez laying on the field about twenty yards away. A little kid was sitting on Ray's chest. At first he thought Ray was fucking around with one of the younger kids watching the game, but then he saw the knife. Ed grabbed a football and fired it at the glinting reflection.
Ray was trembling as Ed and Joey helped him to his feet Some Del-Bombers and Stingers came over.
"Shit! What the hell was that all about?" asked Perry.
"I dunno. I saw this ... I think he was a midget ... grab the ball an' ..." Ray's hands were shaking.
"Midget my ass." Toby Barrett walked over to the small crowd, the razor in his outstretched palm.
"Oh, shit ... Ducky Boys." Joey felt his stomach tighten. The Ducky Boys were stone killers that always attacked in droves to compensate for the fact that few of them were over five feet.
"You sure?"
"Yeah, man ... lookit the fuckin' blade."
"Oh, my God." Ray closed his eyes and held his forehead.
"You think they'll be back?"
"Yeah."
"Maybe not."
"Well, I ain't hangin' around to find out."
"What's happenin'?" C poked her head into the group.
"Nothin'."
"Get lost."
"Whada we gonna do?"
"What happened?" Richie and Jo-Jo came
Lenny Arkadian noticed Emilio about twenty-five yards down the line of trees that served as a boundary. He nudged Perry. "You know that guy?"
"Emilio?"
"He's a real douchebag."
Perry shrugged, not in the habit of cutting down any of the guys' parents.
Coming off the field at half time, Joey noticed his father standing about ten yards from everybody else. In spite of himself, Joey felt excited but resisted an impulse to run up to Emilio and ask how he had looked on the field. Fuck it. He knew how he looked. Like always. The best. Joey walked over to the rest of the guys, tossed his helmet by the duffel bags, grubbed a cigarette from C, and out of the corner of his eye watched his father watch him out of the corner of his eye.
Perry's bottle of Tango was passed around. Joey took a slug and walked past Emilio to the Del-Bomber camp. He handed the bottle to two guys and bullshitted with some other guys from Tully. Watching his father across the field, Joey suddenly wished that Emilio was talking to the other people. For a strange moment Joey felt depressed and sorry for him. He took back the Tango and walked toward his father.
Ray Rodriguez was sitting alone drinking a soda and still debating whether he should be pissed at Richie when he saw a midget run from the woods and snatch the football. Ray jumped up in pursuit and tackled the midget. The football went flying; the midget ate dirt. Ray got to his feet, pulling up the thief by his jacket collar. "Whadya think you're doin', hah?" (slap). "Hah?" (slap). "Hah?" (slap). The midget was trying to fend off the slaps. He pulled out an old-fashioned razor and went for Ray's face. Ray was startled and fell backward on his ass. The midget jumped on his chest and was about to rearrange Ray's eyes when a football whipped the blade from his hand. He leaped to his feet, stomped on Ray's crotch, and disappeared into the woods. Joey and Ed Weiss ran to Ray and helped him up.
Joey had been walking toward Emilio when he saw Ray Rodriguez beating up a dwarf. Then he saw a flash of silver, and Ray fall down. He thought the dwarf had killed Ray. Panicked, he dropped the Tango and ran blindly toward the bizarre scene. Ed Weiss was throwing footballs at a tree trunk. He'd pitched three no-hit games for the Evander Tigers, and he threw the pigskin with the speed of a baseball. He was reaching into the duffel bag full of footballs at his feet, ready to drill one into the tree again, when he saw Ray Rodriguez laying on the field about twenty yards away. A little kid was sitting on Ray's chest. At first he thought Ray was fucking around with one of the younger kids watching the game, but then he saw the knife. Ed grabbed a football and fired it at the glinting reflection.
Ray was trembling as Ed and Joey helped him to his feet Some Del-Bombers and Stingers came over.
"Shit! What the hell was that all about?" asked Perry.
"I dunno. I saw this ... I think he was a midget ... grab the ball an' ..." Ray's hands were shaking.
"Midget my ass." Toby Barrett walked over to the small crowd, the razor in his outstretched palm.
"Oh, shit ... Ducky Boys." Joey felt his stomach tighten. The Ducky Boys were stone killers that always attacked in droves to compensate for the fact that few of them were over five feet.
"You sure?"
"Yeah, man ... lookit the fuckin' blade."
"Oh, my God." Ray closed his eyes and held his forehead.
"You think they'll be back?"
"Yeah."
"Maybe not."
"Well, I ain't hangin' around to find out."
"What's happenin'?" C poked her head into the group.
"Nothin'."
"Get lost."
"Whada we gonna do?"
"What happened?" Richie and Jo-Jo came
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