Switch Master: 6 (Ink and Kink) (7 page)

“I’m still getting used to roller derby terminology and
rules,” he said, looking at Bella and smiling, though there was nothing
suggestive in it.

“If you need tutoring, let us know, Taran,” Bella urged,
shifting around to sit next to Luke.

“I’m sure Sam will teach me what she knows. Mind if we join
you all?”

“Please do,” Teri said, shifting over two seats to give them
room.

Sam let Taran guide her into the seat Bella vacated and
claimed the one beside her. Once in her chair, she looked beneath the table and
saw Luke’s battered skateboard and backpack. His Converse sneakers had seen
better days.

“Luke, have you eaten dinner?” Sam asked. He seemed thinner
to her tonight, his eyes a bit sallow.

“Grabbed something at home,” he said quickly, keeping his
hand on his sketchbook.

“I saw you on TV last April,” Bella claimed, pointing to
Taran. “You and your buddies dropped out of the ceiling and did some awesome
karate moves. Come to think of it, one was a former football player! Whoa man,
talk about having some moves.”

“What’s she talking about?” Luke asked, looking up at the
mention of karate.

“Along with my brothers and some friends, we dropped out of
the rafters and performed a martial arts routine during a telethon,” Taran
said. “My sister-in-law Cassie helped put the event together. Phalen used the
stunt to propose to her.”

“Cassie’s the reason Bella and I have a place to live,” Teri
stated, referring to the apartment building that had become a haven for victims
of abuse.

“Don’t forget our other teammates,” Bella added. “Four of us
benefited from Cassie Maddox’s efforts.”

“How big is your team?” Taran inquired.

“The Femme Fatales have ten members, five skate at a time.”

“Sam’s a pivot,” Luke stated. “You should see her during
practices. She’s awesome.”

Taran nodded. “I’ve no doubt. Tell you what, ladies, do you
think the three of you could head up to the counter and order a couple of
pizzas, a basket of fries and drinks?”

“Sure,” Sam agreed after he nudged her with his elbow.

Taran got up out of his seat to take his wallet out of his
back pocket. “Here you go,” he said, handing money to Sam and drawing her away
from the table.

Sam followed his lead. “What are you doing, Taran?”

“I need to talk to Luke alone for a couple of minutes. He
was lying when he said he’d had something to eat at home. He’s more likely to
have something if he sees all of us pigging out on pizza, especially you.”

“Okay. Be nice to him,” she urged, feeling protective of
Luke. “I know he was snippy at first, but he needs your help.”

“I suspect his father’s situation did a number on him.
There’s more to learn than what he’s told you and it’s going to take some time
to get through to him. Don’t worry. I can handle it, doll.” Taran leaned in,
stole a quick kiss and returned to his seat.

Sam believed Taran would know what to do with Luke and left
them to their discussion.

While Samantha kept her roller derby friends occupied at the
food counter, Taran sat with a teenager who looked like he’d rather have a root
canal than sit there with him.

Taran had dealt with a lot of teenagers since he’d become a
lawyer. Some were spoiled, some were scared because their parents were
divorcing or they were afraid of losing their homes. Some, like Taran and his
brothers, had been orphaned, some faced probate court or legal guardianship
with a relative they didn’t know well.

But no matter the situation, Taran had been able to relate
to them and ease their minds. Mainly, he knew firsthand what it was like to
grow up without parents.

While it was true his mom and dad died when he was fifteen,
it’d still been tough not to talk to his father about becoming a man or know
his mom wasn’t making her famous chocolate chip pancakes on Sunday morning.

Luke’s situation was a little different, yet in some
respects he reminded Taran of himself at the same age. He’d been angry over the
loss of his parents and blamed himself because of an argument he’d had with his
dad the very night they’d died. Luke had that anger and sadness in his eyes.

Regardless of his lack of a smile and a few acne marks, Luke
was a good-looking boy. He needed a haircut and a proper shave, though his
facial hair was mostly peach-fuzz. One thing Taran was certain of, Luke
genuinely liked Samantha and vice versa.

“Sam told me you like art,” Taran said after ten minutes of
awkward silence interspersed with one-syllable responses from Luke.

“Yeah, I know it doesn’t pay the bills,” Luke said quietly.

“I didn’t say that.”

“Everybody tells me that, everyone but Sam. She thinks I
should be an illustrator or graphic artist.”

“Sam recognizes your potential. You know, she’s a genius
with computers. She can help you learn how to transfer your talent to a
computer with the right software.”

“She’s offered before,” Luke replied, at last looking up and
at Taran without the sneer on his face. “Might take her up on it, who knows?”

“Can I see your sketchbook?” Taran pointed to it.

“Why?” Luke’s eyebrows went up, his sneer returning.

Taran held up his hand. “Just want to see what Sam does. I
won’t hurt anything.”

“Okay,” Luke said, pushing the book across the table toward
Taran.

Taran opened the first page and began looking into the mind
of a sixteen-year-old. The first drawing was of a pretty girl with long,
flowing hair. So were the next two. Each was a cross between urban fantasy and
superheroes commonly seen in comic books.

The lines of the girl’s face were soft. Her eyes were
expressive. Luke had drawn her wearing some sort of cloak over a form-fitting
black cat suit, thigh-high boots and gloves.

“Who’s this, may I ask?”

Luke’s eyes flickered to the page. “Emily,” he answered,
looking away.

“Is she in your class?”

“No, she’s a senior. She works here,” he answered, gesturing
with his head toward the counter. Taran looked in that direction, seeing the
inspiration behind Luke’s drawings.

“Yes she does. She’s cute,” Taran commented.

Emily was a tiny brunette. Currently, she was handing over a
plate of nachos to a customer. Another girl helped Samantha and her friends.

“Is Emily why you hang out here?”

“Have nowhere else to go,” Luke answered with a shrug.

“You’ve a skateboard with you. There’s a sign in the back of
the rink pointing to the indoor park.”

“It’s a drag.”

Taran got the impression that the skateboard park was the
local high school kid hangout. Recalling what Samantha told him about Luke
standing up to bullies, he surmised that was where the bullies congregated.

Looking at another drawing of Emily, he noticed that the
girl’s cloak and gauntlets resembled a superhero’s protective shields more so
than fashion accessories. Emily was the girl Luke defended from the bullies.

“What’s school like?” Taran asked, thumbing through the
sketchbook to see what else he could learn about Luke.

“It’s a bore.”

“What grade are you in?”

“Tenth, should be in eleventh.”

Taran paused on a drawing of Bella Frye. She was given a
distinct edge, her curves were accented, especially her boobs. No doubt about
it, Bella was a looker. The male crowds that were likely to frequent the rink
to watch roller derby would enjoy watching her in action.

“Why’s school a bore, do you think?” Taran asked.

“My mind wanders to other things,” Luke said after Taran
flipped to another page, this one was of Teri. Taran didn’t miss the way the
kid flicked a glance over at Emily.

“To girls, I’d imagine,” Taran commented.

“Maybe, I’d rather just draw.”

“Ever think to ask Emily out?”

“She’d never go out with me.”

“Why?”

“No money or job or even a chance of being hired because I’m
a tenth grader,” Luke answered.

“If I understand your situation correctly, you had to repeat
a grade because you’d missed so much time at school.”

“They held me back because my old man is fuck-up, always has
been unless he wanted something.”

“I’m really sorry about the situation with your father. But
no matter, you should not hold yourself responsible for what he did.”

“How do you know I’m not like him? You’ve talked to me for
about ten minutes in order to impress Sam and you think you know me?”

“I’m trying to get to know you. I know what it’s like to
lose your parents. Someone had too much to drink and killed them.”

“Sorry about your folks. That sucks big time.”

“Appreciate that. Happened when I was about the same age as
you are now,” Taran said, seeing that talking about the loss of his parents
kept Luke focused on the conversation.

“Bet your old man didn’t attempt to blow up a neighborhood
or get rich selling drugs.”

“Sam told me what your father did and that you need legal
assistance. That’s why I’m here.”

“I can’t pay you,” Luke admitted.

“We’ll work something out. I’d need to talk to your Aunt
Glenda, but perhaps you could work for me on weekends or a couple evenings a
week.”

“I don’t know anything about lawyering,” Luke argued.

“In addition to being a lawyer, I run a tattoo shop in
Southie.”

“Tattoos? No freakin’ way,” the kid remarked, taking more
interest.

Taran rolled a sleeve, revealing the ink on his arm. “My dad
was in the Army, did a couple of tours of duty. When he came back, he opened
Maddox Ink.”

“Can I learn how to tattoo?”

“Maybe when you’re older,” Taran said. “What you can do now
is sweep up, sterilize equipment and answer phones. Again, I’d have to discuss
it with your aunt to get her approval.”

“You’re talking about a job in Boston. Not sure how I’d get
there without a car or a ride.”

“I’ll pay for your bus fare or Sam and I can bring you into
the city.”

“I don’t want to be a burden on her. Bus would be okay. Why
do you want to help me?”

“That’s easy, Sam likes you.”

“Figured it had something to do with her,” Luke remarked,
clearly hurt by Taran’s answer.

“To be honest with you, Luke, I’m only getting to know you.
She’s had a significant head start.”

“Other than my aunt, she’s been the one person I can count
on.”

“She believes you have potential to be far more than you
believe of yourself. After looking at the first few sketches in your book, I’d
say she’s right.”

Taran turned to the next page. This one featured Samantha.
She was drawn in far more heroic fashion than any of the Femme Fatales. It
wasn’t the product of a teenage boy’s crush, as had been evident in the sketch
of Bella.

“Has Sam seen this?” Taran asked, revealing the sketch he
was looking at.

Luke smiled at the mention of Sam’s name. “Sure. She’s been
pushing me to show my artwork to Emily.”

“You should. She mentioned you’d been in a fight in the
parking lot. Was Emily the girl you rescued?”

Luke sneaked a glance over at the counter. “They pick on her
because of her hearing. It’s stupid.”

“Bullies generally are stupid. What’s wrong with Emily’s
hearing?”

“Not really sure,” he admitted, glancing over at the counter
where Emily was taking money from another customer. “She wears hearing aids.
They’re barely noticeable.”

Taran didn’t want to stare at a girl who couldn’t be more
than seventeen. But given the conversation he was having with Luke, he took a
second to observe her. She kept her hair long and a little in her face, perhaps
as a way to hide her hearing aids.

Emily sent a look their way. Luke looked back, but she got a
little flustered and rushed off to help someone else.

“Luke, you’re missing the boat with this girl,” Taran
advised.

“Her dad manages the rink.”

“Does he know she was being bullied?”

“Think so. The guys bothering her were given warnings about
coming here.”

“Is he aware you stood up for her?”

“He knows. He still got pissed at me after he’d seen the
drawings I’d done of Bella. She’s a total babe.”

“Nothing wrong with thinking that way,” Taran said, turning
his eyes back to Luke.

“You’re supposed to be with Sam,” Luke remarked, growling
fiercely.

Taran looked him in the eye. “Easy, Luke, yes, Bella’s
attractive. Samantha is beautiful. See the difference? Maddox men don’t cheat
on their women, period.”

“Good to know,” Luke said, calmer now. “Guess Emily’s dad
thinks I’m all wrong for his daughter.”

“Dads are protective of their daughters. It’s in their
genetic code.”

“I already got in trouble for trying to earn some cash from
my drawings. I don’t want to get kicked off the premises for good.”

“Rules are set for a reason. You don’t have to like them,
but you do have to obey them. That doesn’t mean you can’t talk to Emily. Ask
her to help you with your homework or study together.”

“She is smart,” Luke replied.

“What classes are your strongest?”

“Mainly art, computer science and gym. I do okay in history.
English is boring.”

“What about math and science?”

“Both suck, just flunked a science test. If Sam’s right about
my future as an artist, why bother with math and science or read Shakespeare?”

“Shakespeare, which book?” Taran asked rather than debate
why all subjects were important.

“
Romeo and Juliet
, I have to write a paper on it. I
don’t get the ‘Wherefore art thou’ mumbo-jumbo. I mean, come on, the dude’s
right there in front of her.”

“In the time period, wherefore meant why. Juliet was asking
why Romeo is a Montague, a boy she shouldn’t fall in love with because she’s a
Capulet.”

Luke waved off Shakespeare. “Whatever, hey, how long have
you been into karate?”

“Since I was ten, I’ve earned a second degree black belt in
taekwondo and am proficient in jujitsu and recently started kung fu.”

“Can you teach me how to kick someone’s ass?”

“If that’s why you want to learn, no.”

“Why?” Luke frowned, lowering his chin.

“Martial arts are about discipline, fitness, self-reliance
and defense.”

“Are they hard to learn?” he asked.

“Yes. Tell you what. If you make an effort to bring your
grades up, we’ll arrange for you to start learning taekwondo. If you don’t like
it, you can try jujitsu with my older brother or kung fu with my friend Alex
Grant. Sam’s pretty good with judo.”

“Taekwondo sounds cool,” Luke agreed, bringing his chin back
up. “Maybe it’ll impress Emily.”

“If you talk to her, I think you’ll find out she’s already
impressed with you.”

“Can’t ask her out until I can afford it,” he grumbled.
“Even if Aunt Glenda says I can work, she’ll need the money for groceries and
stuff.”

“Is that why you didn’t eat at home tonight?”

Luke blanched, sending a quick glance over at Sam. Taran
followed suit. Sam kept looking over at them, the concern on her face obvious.

She gave him a sign, three fingers. Looked like the pizzas
would be ready in three minutes and stalling at the refreshment counter
wouldn’t be possible for much longer.

“Sam worries too much about me,” Luke said quietly. “I don’t
like to upset her or burden my aunt.”

“Do you know what Sam does for a living?”

“She’s a cop.”

“That doesn’t bother you?”

“Nah, she’s not bossy or judgmental.”

“My brother’s her partner. They find missing persons and
work on cold cases.”

“She mentioned it, but doesn’t go into too much detail about
cases or anything.”

“Well, she’s one of the best there is when it comes to
solving cases. Her computer skills put a hacker to shame.”

“She’s offered to teach me Linux on top of how to use a good
computer graphics program.”

“Then take her up on it. Sam wants to help you. I want to
make sure you get the legal counsel you deserve. The question is what do you
want me to do?”

“Thought you said Sam told you. For starters, I don’t want
my old man to get out of prison.”

“Appeals take a long time. Even then, an appellate court
could reject your father’s case or agree to consider parts of the plea deal he
made with the state. It doesn’t mean he’ll get out anytime soon.”

“Then my bitch of a stepmom will make me go with her to
visit him.”

“Watch your language, Luke. If Sam or a court-appointed
supervisor went with you, would you visit your dad?”

“Rather not. Only reason I heard anything from his attorney
about visiting him in jail is because he wants me to live with Daria.” The
bitterness when Luke spoke of Daria couldn’t be missed.

“Why do you think that?”

“She wants to impress a judge so she can get her kids back,”
Luke claimed bitterly.