Page 36 of Pocketful of Shame
"No, it's okay," I replied, averting my eyes from his glorious abs. "What time is it?"
"A little after six." Still brushing his teeth, he looked at me and said, "Wanna hear something crazy?"
"Always."
"We made the news."
"What?" Snagging the remote control for the television off the nightstand, I tapped several buttons but to no avail.
"That won't work," he explained, inclining his head to the remote in my hands before he moved for the television, and I swear every single muscle on his back rippled and bunched as he walked.
Banging his fist on the top of the old television set, he stepped back, attention focused on the static-filled screen. Slowly, a picture ofmecame into focus, followed by the voice of a news reporter…
"The hunt is still on to find a missing teenage girl in the Houston area this morning. Ramona Priscilla Dillon, an eighteen-year-old girl from Pocketful, Louisiana, and daughter of haulage tycoon Cal Dillon, was a resident of Tully House, a residential mental health treatment facility, when she disappeared without a sign one week ago today. Ramona, who was at the center of a criminal investigation last December, is thought to be high risk and is in dire need of medical intervention."
"Holy shit," I gasped, slapping a hand over my mouth.
"Told you it was crazy," Sketch mumbled with a mouthful of toothpaste.
My breath caught in my throat then when a photo of Sketch popped onto the screen.
"It is thought that she may be accompanied by a teenage boy from her hometown, Holden James Capaldi, son of Chris Capaldi Sr, and star fullback of the Newton-Willis Tigers, who was reported missing from his home the morning after Ramona disappeared from Tully House. At only seventeen, Holden Capaldi is a minor and his parents are franticly seeking their son's safe return."
"Yeah fucking right," Sketch snorted and continued to brush his teeth.
"If anyone has any information on the whereabouts of the two teenagers, it is imperative to reach out t0 the local authorities in Pocketful, Louisiana. The number is listed below on the screen. Do not approach the boy. He is extremely territorial of the girl and fellow students at their high school have suggested that he has a violent temper."
Sketch grinned, revealing a foaming mouth of white toothpaste, seemingly pleased with this piece of information.
"Yesterday morning, we reached out to fellow students at Newton-Willis. Here is a pre-recorded interview of what one student had to say…"
"Oh my god," I gasped, eyes glued to the screen. "Is that –"
"Presley?" Sketch filled in when Presley appeared on the screen, standing next to a reporter on the steps of our school. "Yep." Stalking in the bathroom, he returned a moment later, minus the toothbrush and foamy mouth. "What a piece of work."
"Listen, I've known Romi and Sketch since we were in Pre-K," Presley told the reporter, pushing his glasses up on his nose. "He's in love with her. Can't help himself. She's like his addiction. His crack. If she was taken away, you can be damn sure that he followed her. He would send out an army to bring her back if need be."
"What are you saying here, Quinton?"
"I'm saying couldn't stand being apart so they ran away together," he replied simply.
My eyes widened. "Did he just…"
"Throw me under the bus?" Sketch filled in flatly. "Yep."
"Why?"
"God only knows why he does what he does," he grunted.
"You can't separate those two," Presley continued. "Many have tried and they all failed. It's physiologically impossible for them to be apart. Trust me, I know."
"Wasn't she the girlfriend of Holden Capaldi's late brother?"
"Pssh, semantics," Presley mused with a bat of his hand. "Look, all I'm saying is if their folks want those two to come home, they can't separate them again."
"So, we're talking about a modern-day Romeo and Juliet love story?"
"Star-crossed lovers? Perhaps. Romeo and Juliet? Hell to the no." Presley countered, looking horrified. "Sir, you do realize that the tale of Romeo and Juliet was not in fact a love story? Nowhere in the context of the entire tale was Shakespeare aiming for a love story. It was a tale of destruction, greed, family rivalry, and spoiled children. With all due respect, you need to take the movie adaptation with Leo and Claire and throw it away."
