Read Online Sally Boy by P. Vincent DeMartino - Free Book Online Page B

The aromas of the sauces, meats and cheeses made your mouth
water from a block away.
    Sal smiled when he saw his friends Mikey
Delia and Anthony DiGregorio sitting in a corner booth, eating
slices and drinking cokes. Like Sal, they wore the colors of the
Golden Guineas. The three were initiated into the club together,
and for the past three years fought side-by-side to protect their
turf.
    Regarded as the neighborhood wise-ass, Mikey
was never at a loss for words or a contrary opinion about any
subject. Irritating people was something he truly enjoyed. A young,
tough, brawler, Mikey had a chip on his shoulder the size of the
EmpireStateBuilding.
    Like all the other members of the Golden
Guineas, he was the son of Italian immigrants and a product of an
unforgiving upbringing. A belligerent attitude kept Mike in
constant conflict with the people around him, and for some bizarre
reason, made him very popular with the girls. They were drawn to
his “bad-boy” demeanor. Exceptionally handsome, Mike had dark,
black hair, stunning baby blue eyes, and a muscular body.
    When Mikey was ten, his mother ran off with
another man, leaving him to be raised by his abusive, alcoholic
father. With no one else to blame for his failed marriage, Mike’s
father directed his anger toward his only son. Whenever Mike’s
father tied one on, he would take out his frustrations by beating
Mikey with his belt. Even though the leather strap stung, Mikey
never cried because he was a tough little kid and he didn’t want to
give his father the satisfaction of knowing he was hurt.
    However, when his mother left, she took any
confidence or self-respect the confused boy had. His mother was the
only person who ever made him feel that he had any value as a human
being. Psychologically, Mikey never recovered from being abandoned,
and the traumatic experience caused him to develop a deep-seated
resentment toward all women. This underlying malice has since
shaped every interaction Mike has had with a girl, rendering him
incapable of fostering a meaningful, loving relationship of any
kind.
    Anthony DiGregorio was the complete opposite
of his friend. Thin and wiry, Anthony had brown eyes, black hair,
and a happy-go-lucky attitude. Although he wasn’t as well-built as
Mike, Anthony was still quite capable when the fists started to
fly, and he was fearless if a friend was in danger. His only fault
was he was a little too trusting. Anthony hadn’t acquired the
high-degree of street smarts, or the killer instinct, that so many
of his brethren had developed.
    Anthony’s mother was overly protective of
her only child, and his father resented the fact that his son hung
around with “street punks.” He certainly took more than his share
of harassing from the fellas because his parents were so strict
with him, but Anthony’s good nature allowed him to laugh it off.
Fortunately, his sensitivity afforded him the luxury of attracting
the pretty girls who admired those qualities.
    “What’s going on fellas?” Sal asked happily
as he slid into the booth next to Anthony.
    “We’ve been waiting for like an hour. Where
the fuck you been?” Mikey chided, peering up from his plate.
    “I was talking to my Pop.”
    “So how’s that asshole doing?”
    “What the fuck did you just say, Mike?”
    “You heard me.”
    “You better watch your fucking mouth,
jerk-off,” Sal cautioned, sticking his finger in Mikey’s face.
    “Why so fucking sensitive all of a sudden?
You know I’m just breaking balls.”
    “Yeah, whatever.”
    “Hey, I was only fucking around with you.
Why you acting like a fucking mamaluke?”
    “Maybe I’m just not in the mood to be fucked
with.”
    “What’s your fucking problem, asshole?”
    “I ain’t got a problem, Mike.”
    “It sounds like you do.”
    “The problem is not everybody wants to hear
what’s coming outta your fucking pie hole. Especially, when its
fulla chewed up pizza.”
    “Sal, c’mon, how fucking long we know