Those Grey Cowboy Boots

By Chanuga Rollins

 

Annie and her family just moved to Addison, Illinois about a month earlier, and other than her next-door neighbor Pan, Annie hadn’t had the time to make any other friends.

Standing on the steps of her new high school with Pam and waiting for the bell to ring, Annie couldn’t help but notice a boy staring at her. 

Pam, that boy over there is staring at me. Pam turned to look, the boy had long black hair and dark eyes. Oh, that’s Nicky, Nicky Rico, stay away from him he’s bad news she told her new friend. 

Awe, why Annie asked. He’s cute. You need to stay away from him because he’s a “corner boy,” I’ll explain later Pam said just as the school bell sounded.

The first day of school went fast considering it was only a half day. Pam and Annie choose to walk home instead of taking the hot overcrowded school bus. 

About a block from home, Annie saw Nicky Rico with some of his friends loitering on a street corner. As the girls passed Nick smiled at her, come on Pam tell me about him, and what the hell is a corner boy? 

I know you’re from a small town in the Midwest, but around here the corner boys are a gang of young guys that do things, for the older mob guys in the neighborhood, they’re like a hoodlum recruiting center. He’s a criminal Annie, just stay away from him Pam said.

Later that evening Pam and Annie shared a big bowl of popcorn as they watched the movie “Goodfellas.” Oh my God, Annie said, what horrible people… Is there a point that you're trying to make concerning this movie?

 Are you fucking kidding me, Annie, Pam hollered. That guy you asking about is headed on this same path as the guys from the movie she said, but what do you expect, like father, like son? 

That’s horrible, he’s not going to see his creation grow and flourish Anne said. Grow and flourish, really Anne, Pam said with a smirk.

So, what do you mean by that, Annie asked. I don’t know all the details, but Nicky’s father is doing life in prison for murder, Pam told her naïve friend.

Awe, no wonder he has sad eyes, Annie said, he seems kind of lost. Yeah, well he keeps doing what he’s doing he’s going to wind up right where his old man is, or dead Pan said. 

By the way Pam, Annie said, that movie sucked but the popcorn was awesome, both girls laughed.

A few days later Pam came down with a horrible cold, so she decided to stay home from school leaving Annie on her own for lunch. But instead of eating in the cafeteria with a hundred-plus loud students, Annie decided to get some fresh air and eat outside in the back of the school. So, Annie went out the exit door next to the cafeteria and got away from what few students were also outside. 

She picked a spot under a tree away from the building, as she ate Annie noticed a shadow looming over her, it was Nicky Rico.       

Hi, I’m Nicky, extending his hand out, Annie couldn’t help but notice how soft his hands were, hi I’m Annie.  

The 30-minute lunch break seemed like a second as the two young people talked, do you want to get together tonight and do something Nicky asked Annie. Can I let you know Annie asked? Sure, here's my cell phone number, call me anytime Nicky said.

Annie couldn’t wait to call Pam and tell her the latest news, but Pan wasn’t at all happy. Girl, I told you to stay away from that boy, he’s trouble. Well, I think he’s sweet and I’m going to call him, Annie said to Pam as she hung up. 

Annie called the number Nick gave her, and some guy with a gravelly voice answered… Yeah, the voice on the other end said, hi, is Nick there, who the hell is this the voice asked. 

Annie hung up, not knowing what else to do she threw the number that Nicky gave her in the garbage.

The next morning at the bus stop, Pam asked Annie how her date went. Did you kiss him, Pam asked. No, Annie said, some strange man answered the phone, and I hung up. Lord only knows who that was Pam said, like I told you stay away from him. Annie was very disappointed.

Later that afternoon while walking home from the bus stop, Annie and Pam saw Nicky hanging on the corner with some other guys. He just ignored her as she and Pam walked by, I told you that he was fucked up Pam said.

Almost home, the girls heard running behind them, turning around they were surprised to see that it was Nicky. 

Go away please, Annie said to Nicky, I don’t have time for your stupid games. But Nicky demanded that he be heard, I’m sorry for ignoring you he said, when I’m with the other guys it’s a thing we have, I know it’s stupid.

What the hell are you talking about Annie shouted, you’re babbling like an idiot. 

You are an idiot Pam chimed in, and that’s all you’re ever going to be. Pam please, Annie said, I want to talk to him in private if you don’t mind, I’ll call you later. Annie walked away with Nick. Man, this girl is asking for a lot of trouble Pam thought as she walked the rest of the way home by herself.

As all young people do Annie and Nicky worked out their differences, for now, it took time for Annie to realize that some of what Pam has been telling her about Nicky was true. 

One evening, while Annie was sitting on her porch with Nick and her mother talking, a police car, came to a screeching halt right in front of her home. With their guns drawn, they searched then handcuffed, Nicky… What the hell is going on Annie demanded, get back and mind your own business miss, the officer said. 

Annie’s mother grabbed her daughter and pulled her back up on the porch. Later Annie found out that Nicky and two of his buddies held up a food store on the other side of town earlier that afternoon.

 Not being able to make bail Nicky was sent to the detention center and held for trial. 

Annie visited him as often as she could, Nicky told her it was all a big misunderstanding and that it would be taken care of soon enough. 

Three weeks later the owner of the food store who identified Nicky and his friends was found dead, from an apparent suicide. Nicky was released from the detention center three days later.

One day when Annie came home from school, a man was sitting in her living room with her mother, hi Annie I’m Detective Mark Evans from the OCU. I’d like to have a word with you if that’s ok. What does OCU mean, Annie asked as she sat down. 

OCU dear means Organized Crime Unit, I’m here to talk to you about your friend Nicky. For two hours detective Detective Evans talked to Annie about Nicky her then-boyfriend. 

Armed robberies, car thefts, gambling, extortions of every kind, and truck hijackings, your boyfriend is quite the entrepreneur the detective said. Well, tell me, something detective, if you know all this why isn’t he in jail, Annie asked. 

It’s complicated, but have no doubt, we’ll eventually get him. We always do, unless of course he’s murdered before that, which happens more frequently these days. 

Young lady, I advise you to stay away from this kid, you do not know him the way we know him, I can assure you of that. This boy is bad news!

When the detective left, Annie’s head was spinning. Annie, I want you to stay away from this boy, he obviously has some issues, her mother warned.

But all the warnings from her mother and Pam did no good because Annie still had feelings for Nicky.

The school year went by in a blink and spring was in the air, Annie and Nicky were together almost constantly. Nicky was expelled from school right after the holidays and asked never to return after punching a teacher in the face several times, the teacher broke up a crap game that Nicky was running.

Annie of course was always quick to make up excuses for Nicky’s behavior, one night while on a double date with Pam and her new flame Andy, Nicky gave the usher in the theater a hard time because he assumed the usher was gay. 

But as time went on Annie noticed other things in Nicky that she didn’t like and couldn’t ignore anymore. For instance, one night Annie found a gun in Nicky’s jacket pocket along with a big wad of cash. 

Annie never mentioned it to Nicky because she knew he would just lie about it, and that was another thing, she knew that Nicky lied to her constantly, and she hated that most of all.

On the last week of the school year, Nicky showed up at school to walk Annie and Pam home, it was a pleasant surprise since he hadn’t been near the school since being expelled. 

A block or two from the girl's home a police car pulled up and blocked them from crossing the street. Awe fuck, Nicky said under his breath but loud enough for the girls to hear. 

Hands-on the car asshole the cop said to Nicky, you ladies take a hike, the cop said as he searched him. Pan and Annie kept walking. The cop didn't find anything on Nicky, so he was forced to let him go, I’m keeping an eye on you, the cop said as he got back into his patrol car. 

Nicky ran the block or so to catch up with the girls and acted like nothing happened. Really dude, are you not going to tell us what happened back there, Pam said. 

It’s no big deal that cops an asshole, Nick was unusually quiet the rest of the way home, he acted like something heavy was on his mind, but Annie just let him be.

The cop that stopped Nicky was Officer Pete Salamander, who had just transferred to this district and already hated the so-called corner boys. 

On his first night, one of the corner boys threw a beer bottle at his patrol car, he was certain it was Nick, but Officer Salamander couldn’t prove it.

With Nick’s birthday, only a day away Annie wanted to get him something very special. 

She dragged Pan along for company and headed for the mall, as they walked around, it didn’t take long for something to catch Annie’s eye. 

In the window of a shoe store was the most beautiful pair of grey cowboy boys that Annie had ever seen, and they were on sale… So, she immediately went in and snatched up a pair in Nicky’s size, after shopping Annie treated Pam to lunch. 

So, is it getting serious with Nick, Pam asked Annie. Well, to be honest, I don’t really know, we never talk about things like that. Besides he lies a lot, we have been seeing each other for over a year now and I’ve never even met anyone in his family. 

When I bring it up, he changes the subject Annie said. Pam apologized for making her friend sad. 

No, I think that maybe you were right all along, I’m starting to see a different side of him, and it’s not good Annie said.

 The next evening, regardless of how she felt Annie took Nicky out for his birthday, they went to a Japanese restaurant where Nicky ate sushi for the first time in his life. Annie laughed as he tried to figure out how to eat it with chopsticks. 

After dinner Nicky talked Annie into coming with him to the social club where the corner boys hung out, the guys were throwing him a little party.

Annie’s mom lent her the car for the evening, so out in the restaurant parking lot, Annie opened the trunk and gave Nicky his birthday present. 

Tears came to his eyes when he saw the cowboy boots, he immediately tried them on, and they were a perfect fit.

A little while later Annie and Nicky still wearing his new cowboy boots walked into the social club and right into a very loud Happy Birthday.

All the guys were there, all were giving Nicky high fives and slaps on the back and wishing him a Happy Birthday. With the music blasting and the liquor flowing, Annie watched Nicky having a good time with his friends. 

Maybe she thought she was wrong, after all, he just turned 19. With all the commotion going on it took a few moments for everyone to notice the cop standing in the doorway of the social club.

It was Officer Pete Salamander; he was announcing that he just received a noise complaint coming from this address. 

Immediately Joe “Joey Past” Pastore a reputed mobster, stepped up to address the officer. I own this building, get the fuck out of here private party unless you have a warrant. 

I don’t need a warrant for a complaint unless you have something to hide officer Salamander said. 

Joey Past knew that this cop was lying about the noise complaint, on the right side of the social club was an empty lot. On the other side of the club was a used car lot that Joe just happened to own and was closed at this time of night, so no one was complaining there. 

Joey Past repeated, get the fuck out of my club. But instead of leaving the party, Officer Pete Salamander walked around the social club with a strange smirk on his face.

I see liquor being served to minors, officer Salamander said, although there were several minors in the club, he turned his attention to Nicky who was trying to conceal his beer. 

Officer Salamander walked up to Nicky, don’t hide that beer boy, the officer said to Nicky. In fact, I want to see you chug it, birthday boy, Nicky stood there with a bewildered look on his face, I said “CHUG IT BOY,” the officer screamed! 

That’s it, get the fuck out of my club you crazy fuck, Joey Past hollered, don’t come back without a warrant… But Officer Salamander just stood there for a long moment and stared at Nicky. 

And then, for no apparent reason, he slapped Nicky in the face, “Happy Birthday” boy, officer Salamander said as he walked out of the club.

Nicky was filled with anger and embarrassment, he almost ran out of the club after the cop, but Joey Past stopped him. 

Don’t do it, kid, he’s probably waiting for you out there, he’ll kill you and make it look like self-defense. I have a hook-up with a police captain, I’ll take care of that prick, Joey Past promised Nick.

As everyone resumed having a good time, Annie sensed something off with Nick. When she asked him about it, he just brushed her off and said everything was fine. She thought it best to just let it go as she resumed celebrating Nick’s birthday.

As the Summer, Fall, and then Winter passed by, Annie was no longer dating Nicky, in fact, she hadn’t seen him in a couple of months. As her final school year was coming to an end, Annie was already researching her next new town, Annie was accepted at Princeton. 

A few weeks before leaving town Annie and Pam went shopping together for the last time as teenagers, Pam was also leaving, and she was accepted at UCLA.

As the ladies were waiting to cross the street, Annie saw Officer Salamander sitting in his patrol car drinking a cup of coffee. Just then a motorcyclist with a passenger both wearing black helmets and dark face masks stopped for the red light. 

The girls crossed the street, but Annie made it over first, Pam was a slow walker. 

Hurry girl, the light is going to change Annie said, Pam just made it to the curb on Annie's side of the street when the passenger on the motorcycle pulled out a handgun and began firing it into Officer Pete Salamander’s body, killing him.

As the biker and his passenger took off, Pam ducked for cover, but not Annie. She focused on the motorcyclist’s passenger, the one that did the shooting, Annie noticed his boots. They were the grey cowboy boots that she gave Nicky for his birthday over a year ago.

The end. 

Copyright 2021