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s hung in the air thicker than the onion scented steam coming off the griddle. Everyone was in a bad mood. Especially Cap.
Then Tyler walked in. He strolled in through the back door with paint on his face and a bandage over his left eye.
“Yo, Blue Man Group in the house,” cracked Gary Green Shirt, whose shirt today was that same neon green one he’d worn at the street fair. He was obviously back at the top of his laundry rotation.
“You look like a smurf pirate,” said Nikki.
“Ha ha, very funny.”
“What the hell happened to you?” It was Danny D, their meat purveyor.
“I got jumped.”
“Really?”
“Really. Six guys from Monty’s came up behind me, grabbed me and held me down. Sons of bitches… ”
“I hope you got a couple of licks in.”
“Oh, you know I did.” Tyler held his hand up in anticipation of a high five, which Danny D promptly ignored.
Ant looked up. “I thought you said it was five guys.”
“It was six. Maybe even seven,” Tyler said, answering the question but ignoring the innuendo.
Cap came out of the walk in. He’d been stacking the cases of meat. “What are you doing here? You should be home resting.”
Tyler waved him off. “Nah… I’m good. Sitting at home is too boring.”
“You got one eye and half a concussion. You need to go home.”
The truth was, Tyler really wasn’t feeling so hot. But his need to come in and put his own positive spin on what went down last night far outweighed the fact that he was both nauseous and dizzy.
“Dad, I’m fine,” he insisted.
Cap didn’t have the time or the energy to argue. “Whatever,” was all he said.
Then Carlos walked by. “Hey papi,” he said. It’s what he always said. Pretty much the only thing he said. Hey papi to the guys, hey mami to the girls. “What happen?”
“Ah… Carlos… You wouldn’t believe it. I got jumped by eight guys…”
About an hour later Romeo showed up. He walked silently up the path to the counter, but before Ant even had a chance to say anything, Tyler rushed him.
“Yo, you got some nerve coming here.”
“Take it easy Cookie Monster.”
“Oh, you think this is funny?”
“No. I don’t. I think the whole thing is pretty sad and stupid.”
“You calling me stupid?”
“Oy,” sighed Romeo. He knew full well he wasn’t going to get anywhere with him. “Look, I just came to talk to Ant.”
“What’s going on here?” It was Cap. He was about ten feet behind them in the kitchen. He was taking in the whole scene and he wasn’t happy.
“Nothing Daddy. I got it,” said Ant.
