Screw Your Roses, Asshole

Stella fell backwards onto her butt on the sidewalk and she knew he was too big and too strong for her to do anything and that upset her more than being pushed onto her butt. Not protecting her little sister.

Her little sister looked at her with tears in her eyes and Stella knew she'd failed her.

"What you looking at, dufarr?" The bully looked away from her and Stella looked with him and saw him.

Gerry. Her friend Deirdre's older brother, the one she had a secret crush on and she looked at him with helpless anger from where she sat on the sidewalk. What could he do? What would he do? Nothing. Just like everyone else looking at them. Looking at her.

Nothing.

"Give it back .... give it back to me... it's mine ... give it back." It was the desperateness of the young girl's voice that had turned his head.

That fucker Hossein, holding a doll above his head, away from some teary-eyed little Asian girl jumping up and trying to take it back from the older boy who towered above her, laughing. Not a good humored laugh either. The asshole was enjoying taunting the little kid.

He knew that fucker Hossein. Grade ahead of him and bullying anyone he could get away with bullying. He knew what'd happen to the doll soon too. Ripped to bits. He'd seen it before. Nothing to do with him and why buy yourself trouble. He'd ignored it before. He'd have ignored it this time too, except for her.

"You give it back to her right now." Her.

The older Asian girl, taller than her sister but still not reaching Hossein's shoulder. He recognized her. She was in his little sister's class. He couldn't quite remember her name but his little sister liked her and there was something about her. Something that drew him. That had drawn him from that first time he'd seen her, heard her laughter, seen her smile at his sister. Seen her eyes glance his way. Beautiful almond-shaped eyes, dark and sparkling with life.

Now they sparkled with anger.

"Fuck off, dhillo," Hossein sneered, placing his hand on the older girl's chest and pushing, hard, laughing as she fell backwards onto her ass on the pavement and it was the helplessness and the anger on her face that did it.

That and Hossein glancing at him and sneering. "What you looking at, dufarr?"

Nobody talked to a McGuire like that. Least of all some shithead fresh off the fucking boat. Not in this neighborhood.

"Fuck you, asshole." Gerry's punch smacked hard into the side of Hossein's head, staggering the asshole and hurting his knuckles like fuck.

His second and third jabs were just as hard but they took the fat fucker in the guts and the ribs, knocking him backwards and doubling him up. Gerry's kick, a kick with everything he could put into it coz if you kicked someone in the balls you didn't fuck around and his older brothers had taught him that one, that kick took the fucker in the balls, dropping him to his knees and folding him over. He thought about stopping then but nah, best teach the fucker a good lesson now and maybe he wouldn't need to teach him another one later and his older brothers had taught him that as well.

A quick flurry of punches and kicks and the fucker was on the ground, sobbing and groaning. He was swearing as well until Gerry's kick to the guts shut him up. One thing his MMA instructor and his older brothers had taught him. Don't stop until the other fucker's down and beaten, and then you put the boot in to make sure the fucker stays down. Master Burgos didn't believe in Olympic rules. Neither did Gerry's brothers. No one did in this neighborhood. Gerry was no exception. Especially when the other fucker was that dickwad, Hossein.

Street rules. McGuire rules.

It was that kind of neighborhood.