Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
Zeppelin
Ican’t stop thinking about Misty’s ex having domestic violence charges. She’d have told me, wouldn’t she? Then again, she never really told me why they’re not together anymore, either.
No, she’s too feisty to put up with shit from anyone. One mistake, and she’d have walked.
It still bothers me until I head down Main Street and something else takes that spot in my brain. Sitting on the front curb of Mama’s salon is Bernie. And she’s hugging her knees rather than sitting inside like she’s supposed to.
Pulling over, I hop off my bike and walk over to her. “Bernie?”
“Hi, Zep,” Bernie says, wiping her eyes clumsily before looking up at me. “I didn’t hear your bike.”
“Why are you out here?” And why the fuck are you crying?
I can’t ask the bigger question without her mama throwing a fit, but I have never felt an instant anger like I do right this moment. Seeing Bernie crying breaks my fucking heart.
“I got tricked.”
“What do you mean?”
Wiping her nose with the back of her hand, she stares at her shoes. “The girls invited me to come with them to get our hair done. I thought they were my friends, but it was just a joke.”
“Joke?”
“Sierra said she’d pay for me because I told them Mom couldn’t afford it. She was already paying for everyone else. She didn’t. I was just invited to laugh at because I thought they wanted to be my friend. Then they made fun of my glasses and my backpack.”
Okay, I’ll be the first to admit I was an asshole in high school, but I wasn’t cruel. Not like this. “Is your mama coming to get you?”
“She’s at work. Zep. She’s going to be so sad. I know how much she wants me to have friends. I’ve never had any friends. Not real ones. How do I tell her what happened?”
The way she looks up at me with those big blue eyes filled with tears has me devastated for her while also wanting to enact revenge. “I’m your friend, Bernie.”
I rub her back, and she smiles. A real smile this time. “I can buy us ice cream. Mom gave me money for a tip, and I don’t think she’d mind. She likes you.”
Well, if that doesn’t warm my cold heart. And it’s cute she thinks I’d ever let her pay for ice cream. Or anything.
“Before we do that, why don’t we see if we can fix this?” I wink at her and pull out my phone.
Standing, I look inside the salon at the cruel girls Bernie’s age. Only one looks visibly upset about what they’ve done to Bernie. In fact, she sits there with her arms crossed and glares at the laughing blonde I assume is the head of the group. That must be Sierra.
Being a girl must be hard. If a guy did that to one of my friends, I’d have kicked his ass and gone to get pizza with him. But it’s different with girls. There’s this whole clique and hierarchy thing to deal with.
“Zeppelin? Isn’t it a bit early for you to be up? Is everything okay?”
I roll my eyes. I guess most of the women in my life know me well. “Hey, Mama. I need a favor…”
Istand with my arms crossed and lean against the wall of the salon. My head feels a bit dizzy from all the chemicals in this place. No wonder drug makers wear masks when they make shit. Woof.
And there was no way I was letting Bernie leave without getting the full treatment at the salon. Mama called it the Princess Package, and it sure as hell is.
“What do you think, sweetheart?” Mama asks.
She spent the entire appointment chatting away happily to Mama as she worked, and I think Mama’s just as happy. Almost like she has a grandchild. One she never expected to have.
“Wow!” Bernie exclaims as she puts her glasses on. “I’m beautiful!”
I smile and shake my head. “You were always beautiful, kiddo.” And then I see the pink streaks in her hair. “The color washes out, right? I don’t want Misty having my head.”
Then again, I like when Misty has my head. Preferably in her mouth. But that’s a whole different head.
No, if I let her daughter dye her hair pink, she’d have more than just the head above my shoulders. She’d detach my balls from my body and wear them as earrings.
Mama gives me a knowing smile before nodding. “After a few washes. It’s just a temporary dye.”
Pink in her hair and pink on her toes and fingernails. And with the tiara worked into her fancy updo, she really does look like a princess.
Even with Mama’s discount, I gape at the cost as I pull my wallet from my pocket and hand over the cash to pay her.
Three hundred and fifty bucks seems like a hell of a lot for all this, but when I look over to Bernie turning her head with a beaming smile on her face, it’s all worth it. And then some.
“Bernie?” calls a snotty voice. The blonde chick. “You’re still here? You guys know she doesn’t have money to pay for this, right? And I’m not putting it on my mom’s card.”
I’ve never wanted to hit a child more in my life than I do right now. Someone needs to teach this brat discipline and manners.
“Don’t worry about her,” Mama says. “She’s got it covered. She got the Princess Package.”
“Guess your mama doesn’t love you enough for that,” I say, holding back my smirk at the shocked look that comes from it.
It doesn’t last long. It quickly turns into a scowl. She really does have guts. Rotten guts, but guts.
“It’s really a shame,” Mama says.
The girl scoffs and glances at Bernie. “Pink’s a stupid color, anyway.”
“Isn’t that pink in your hair, too?” I ask. “Guess you’re stupid, huh?”
“Who asked you?” she barks and snaps her fingers. “Let’s go, girls.”
And now Shania Twain will be playing in my mind all fucking day. I officially hate the little bitch.
“The brat didn’t tip,” Emma says. “Not that I expected much.”
The only girl who doesn’t hurry after their horrible leader hangs back and turns to Mama. “Does Bernie have the money to pay for this?” She keeps her voice low so no one but the three of us can hear. “I have some, if she needs it.”
“She’s covered, sweetheart,” Mama says.
Handing over a handful of cash, she smiles at Emma. “Here. It’s not a lot, but I figured Sierra wouldn’t tip. If I knew she was going to do this to Bernie, I never would have come.”
“You don’t have to—”
“Please, take it. I know she’s difficult.” Turning to Bernie, she smiles. “I love your hair, Bernie. I almost got purple, but we have family pictures tonight, and Mom would have murdered me.”
“Thanks, Carly! You’ll look pretty in your pictures,” Bernie says and waves. “See you at school!”
Carly waves back before walking outside. “Have a good weekend.”
“That’s Carly,” Bernie tells us as she hops off the chair like we hadn’t just heard her. “She’s actually nice. One day, when Sierra took my cookie and threw it on the ground at lunch, Carly gave me her brownie.”
My heart drops, and my head snaps up to look at Mama. She has the same look I do. Bernie’s been keeping secrets. Bullies.
She’s such a sweet girl, but she really does trust too easily. And forgives the same way. All she wants is friends, and people take that for granted. Take advantage of her kind nature.
“You know what I think your backpack could use?” I ask.
“What?”
“A Daredevil patch. What do you think?”
Her eyes light up. “That would look so cool!”
“I’ll get it for you, and we can sew it on together.”
Jaw dropping, she stares in awe at me. “You know how to sew?”
Mama giggles and points at my own patches. “Who do you think sewed all of these on? It wasn’t me.”
“That’s so cool.”
No one will mess with my girl anymore. I’ll make damn sure of it. And if that bitch, Sierra, gets put in her place by the bigger club kids, I wouldn’t be upset. In fact, I might throw them a pizza party when I find out.