Authors: Amy Rachiele
Raven: U still with him?
Megan: Yes
“Is that your
friend
?” Antonio asks
tightly.
“It’s Raven, checking on me.” I’m still
looking at my phone screen, when Antonio says in a low, seductive
voice, “Tell her I’m gonna kiss you.” I didn’t even have a chance
to react, as he crushes his lips to mine and passion explodes
between us. My phone clatters to the ground. My arms wrap around
him. His muscled back is heaven under my fingers. He grips me
tighter lifting me up closer to him. The ache that fills me creates
a fog over my brain. Rockets of want pierce me. Antonio’s kisses
radiate a kind of
cherished
that is foreign to me. I’m not
sure how long we stood there in each other’s arms acting on an
emotion that had been bottled up for a decade.
On Sunday morning it felt like I dreamt
everything that happened the night before. Antonio was mystifying.
I had always been so scared of him that it felt weird that those
emotions melted away when I saw him on the deck alone in the
moonlight. His desire was palpable. And when he leaned down to
whisper in my ear like he had at church a week ago, it was my
undoing.
I was always attracted to him just like the
rest of the females at my school. People move out of the way for
him as if he was a ruler of a kingdom. He could be with any girl he
wanted, yet I’ve never seen him with anyone other than Alessandra.
And it appears that after last night he wants me.
When I left him last night, I felt bereft; I
wanted to stay with him. I decided to have Raven pick me up and
take me home. I didn’t want my parents to see or hear Antonio’s
Camaro outside the house. I offered to give him my number but he
said he already has it. About five minutes after I got into bed, my
phone buzzed with a text from him asking if I got home safely.
Warmth spreads through my body just thinking about my time with
Antonio.
Andiamo (on-dee-ahmo): Let’s go
“Megan!” My mom yells, “It’s time to get
ready for church.”
Oh yeah. I have to play the harp in front of
the entire congregation.
Why did I agree to this?
My hands
start sweating immediately. I shower and dress in long black
palazzo pants, the ones that look like a dress but are really
pants, and a pink chiffon shirt. I hear my Dad moving the Harp out
the door as I come into the kitchen. Mom is holding the door for
him. It’s a good thing my Dad is really strong. The Harp is
heavy.
“It is a real honor that Father Giovanni
asked you to play.” My mother says to me like I don’t know
this.
“Yes, it is.”
“You need to do your best for him and the
Lord.”
“Yes, Mom.”
“I think you should wear your hair up, it
looks more respectful than hanging down. You look almost wild.
Can’t you do something about that?”
“Yes, Mom.” I pass Erin on the stairs.
“Where’re you going? I thought we were
leaving.” Erin asks.
“Yeah, well, I have to fix my hair.” I say
aggravated. I twist it up in a clip and rush back to the
kitchen.
“Ahhh, much better,” My mother says, “softer.
Very nice.”
Wow!
Praise from my mother.
In front of the church, people are on the
steps mingling. My father opens the back of our mini-van to get out
the Harp. I am just opening my door when I see two people stroll
over towards us. The morning sun blinds me.
“Can we help you with that, Sir?” One of them
asks. I step out on to the curb and it’s Antonio and Vito
. Holy
Crap!
“That would be great boys, thank you.” My dad
says very civilly. Antonio smiles at me in his charcoal gray suit
that looks lip-smacking on him. My face heats when I think of him
kissing me last night. The deliciously tight clenches my stomach
made with him so close. Ugh, it was sooo good. My father starts to
give them instructions on how to move and carry the harp. My hands
shake as I follow Antonio, Vito, and my father up the big steps to
the church entrance.
Antonio:
So this is her harp. It’s awesome. Vito and I
very carefully carry it to the altar. Mr. O’Neill helps us to stand
it up just right. Megan and her family sit in one of the first
rows. I smile at her as I pass by to go sit farther back with my
friends. She looks stunning in pink. My parents are sitting with
the Ferretti’s on the other side of the church.
Vito and I make the sign of the cross and
slip in the pew to sit with Louie and Ronnie.
“So how was last night?” I ask Louie. He
looks at me funny. As if to say, ‘what the hell are you talking
about?’ “Uh, Raven.” I say.
“Oh, yeah-she’s cool.” He starts to say more
but Dino Prazzo slides into the pew right behind us with Maria and
some of her other cousins. I hear Dino talking to Glenn Prazzo, a
junior at our school.
“Hi Tony.” Maria says in my ear as she leans
in to me from behind.
“Hi, Maria,” I don’t turn around when I say
it. I look at Vito out of the corner of my eye and he’s rolling
his.
Maria doesn’t get a chance to say anything
more because we all rise as the organ begins to play. Dino and
Glenn are still whispering. I want to turn around and tell them to
shut the hell up when Father Giovanni calls Megan to the altar.
“We have a very special treat during today’s
Mass. Miss. Megan O’Neill is going to play Ave Maria on the harp
for us.”
Megan gracefully walks to the altar, makes
the sign of the cross, and gently slides behind the harp. Dino
comments viciously saying,
“Wow, I‘d like to be that harp, sitting
between her legs… I’d rather put my face between her…” I am moving
before I even distinguish my fist colliding with Dino’s face. There
is an audible,
GASP!
from the church-goers and I hear my
mother yell,
“Antonio!”
Vito grabs my arm to stop me from winding my
arm back again to smash Dino’s face a second time. Ronnie is
blocking me from jumping over the bench. I am lethal. Dino’s
cousins are shocked. Maria is yelling something to me. Dino’s lying
on the bench. Ronnie and Vito push me out of the pew. I hear Louie
trailing behind stopping Maria from following. There’s loud talking
and commotion in the recesses of my hearing. Dad is standing at the
end of the aisle looking really pissed. Vito and Ronnie haul me
outside.
I take a deep breath. The air feels good. The
sun is bright and making me narrow my eyes to slits.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” My father
booms from behind us.
The guys let me go and we stand way off to
the side of the church.
“I’m talking to you!” my father yells.
“Dino’s a fucking prick!” I say back not
looking at him. He whacks me on the head.
“Watch your mouth, we’re at church!” My
father yells at me. “So…”
“I didn’t like what he said.” I murmur.
“You just punched someone in church! Your
mother’s going to be saying the
Hail, Mary
for a week! Why
did you punch him?...” I say nothing. “Answer me!” My father’s face
is red from yelling.
I glance at Vito. Ronnie and Louie are
standing back like they’re either body guards or they’re ready to
stop me from pummeling others that are here to pray. We hear the
organ playing again and some commotion at the door. Dino’s cousins
are walking him out. My anger flares. I jolt ready to pound him
again. Louie and Ronnie make a wall to stop me.
“Whoa!” Ronnie says. I halt but watch Dino go
to the car. Maria looks over, shakes her head, and follows her
cousins. My adrenaline is still spiking.
“Take him over there.” My father points to a
granite bench. The guys walk me over and I sit down. They are all
hovering. My dad sits down beside me. He’s calmer.
“Tonio, I need you to tell me what’s wrong. I
can’t fix something if I don’t know what it is.”
“There’s nothing to fix, Pop.” I stare
straight ahead.
“Then what is it?”
“You aren’t going to like what I say.”
“Tell me.” He says. The guys move away, far
away. At first I think it’s to give us some privacy. Then I think
it’s what I am going to tell him.
“Dino said something… disrespectful about
Megan.” I still stare straight ahead.
“Megan. Megan O’Neill?” he asks. I nod still
not looking at him. He pauses. Then he realizes what I am
saying.
“Fanabola! Tonio. You can have any girl you
want!” He scrubs his face with his hands. “Shit!”
“Pop, we’re at church.” I say sarcastically
chastising his language.
My mother comes out of the church stomping
towards us in her high heels, “Antonio Rinaldo Delisi Jr.! What has
gotten in to you!? You embarrassed me. How dare you?-in God’s
house!” She makes the sign of the cross and looks heavenward. “You
are going to go in there and apologize to Father Giovanni!”
“Ma, ummm.” I didn’t know what to say. I know
it was wrong but I just reacted. I didn’t think. I don’t regret it
but I could waited till church was over to pound his face in. I’m
ashamed of where it happened but not of what.
“He’s interested in Megan.” My father says
slowly.
“What? What are you talking about Antonio?”
She asks my father. She’s still pissed. I am ready for the blow to
the back of my head that I know is coming from my Mom.
“You wanted him to be interested in a girl.
He is… with Megan.” She blinks a couple of times. My mother’s
reaction startles me. She’s not mad like my dad. She’s happy. She’s
really happy-in fact she’s beaming at me.
“Oh! Tonio!” She claps her hands and bends
down to hug me-her Coach© bag trailing on the ground. “Thank God!”
She makes the sign of the cross again. “Finally!” With her hands
waving, she is talking a mile a minute. “She’s smart too. She got
in early to Notre Dame. And talented-you should’ve heard her play
that harp….”
“Yeah, I should’ve.” I say feeling my shame
at the spectacle I made in church. My phone buzzes with a text from
Megan…
U OK
My mother’s eyes go immediately to my phone,
“Is that her?” she squeals. My mother is giddy like a school girl.
“How cute! She wants to know if you’re okay.” I turn to my father.
He hangs his head.
“How long has this been going on?” he
asks.
“It hasn’t. We saw each other at Alessandra’s
last night. I’ve liked her for a while, Pop, I just didn’t say
anything.”
“Alright…” he pauses for a long time then
says, “I’ll talk to her father.”
My mother uncharacteristically jumps up and
down in her heels
. I hope she doesn’t twist her ankle.
I
stand and she hugs me tightly-the fact that I have knocked someone
out in church forgotten.
Megan:
I was lucky to get through Ave Maria without
throwing up. I couldn’t get the image of Antonio hitting Dino in
church. It came out of nowhere. I had just settled behind the harp
when the room exploded.
Through the entire Mass, I saw a replay in my
mind of Antonio spinning around and punching-Dino’s head snapping
back. I wouldn’t be surprised if Dino had whiplash. From the
backseat of the mini-van, I could hear my mother talking to my
father.
“That kid is no good. He’s got the devil in
him!” she said still fuming. “If he was my boy, I would take him
over my knee then smack a for sale sign on his fancy car.” She went
on and on. I thought I was going to start crying now that the shock
was starting to wear off. “You see now why your Father told you to
stay away from him?” Pointedly, she’s looking at me as she swivels
in her seat to face me. When my mother gets going on something,
there’s no telling when she’ll stop. My father says nothing.
My phone buzzes with a text from Antonio:
I’m sorry! Can I C U later?
I quickly text back:
Not sure yet
Sweet elation pumps through my veins at just
the idea of seeing Antonio. He was gorgeous in his Sunday suit this
morning. The searing kisses from last night mingle with the visions
of his fist flying. I know I should be afraid but I’m not. I want
him. I don’t think in my entire life I have wanted anyone. One day
I’m running from him; the next day all I want to do is run to
him.
My father’s cell phone rings while my mother
is still going on and on about the horror show at church today. My
father’s words are short and one word at a time.
“Yes.” Pause, “No,” he sighs, “No, I didn’t
know.” A long pause, “Okay, this afternoon.”
My father hangs up but not before doing
something to his phone. Silence hangs in the air.
“So, what was that about?” my mother
asks.
“Antonio Delisi and his son are coming over
this afternoon.” My father says with absolutely no emotion.
“What? What does he want?” My mother asks in
a panicked voice.
My father does not respond and my mother
knows better than to press further. Erin glances at me, a smile
creeping on her face.
My mother is a wreck. She races through the
house, cleaning in one room then running into the next not
finishing what she started in the first. She is barking orders at
Erin and me.
“Erin, put this is your room. Megan, vacuum
the stairs.” We all work like crazy in a knowing silence. No one
talks or asks why the Delisi’s are coming.
The doorbell rings and all of us stop in our
tracks. My mother smooths her skirt while my father answers the
door.
“Hello, Patrick.” I hear Mr. Delisi say from
the doorway.
“Hello.” My dad says and invites Antonio and
his father in.
They come in the door and Mr. Delisi
immediately acknowledges my mother. “Hello,” she says lightly.
Antonio steps forward handing my mother a
foil covered dish. “Hello Mrs. O’Neill. This is from my mother.
It’s Tiramisu.”
“Thank you,” she says tightly.