Now those arms—big, solid guns— were his. The new John Lydon had looks. Now healso had brains.
"Well, mom, ifwe're meant to be together she'll see me. I have to admit, it'snice to be big and good-looking for a change."
"You werealways good-looking."
"Said my blindmother." He grinned.
"All the ladiessaid so."
"All the ladieswho said so were your age, your friends, and lying."
Kate sniffed.There was no convincing him. "Everyone called you herboyfriend."
"Yes, they did,mom, but they were making fun of her. And she used to turn beetred. She hated it."
"Did it everoccur to you, boy, that she was blushing because she liked it?"
No, he thought.That had never, ever occurred to him.
"Well, youruncle said you could borrow his truck." Kate dropped the keys intohis hand. "Finish your coffee and go get your girl."
Chapter 7
Willow BendCountry Club Ballroom, Hammond, MA
Rori McLearysat at the bar, a dull roaring sound rushing through her head. Shewas numb. The ballroom had gone utterly silent as Lily Spense hadmade the announcement. The DJ had killed the music. John Lydon—the son of a bitch— was standing with the gaggle ofcheerleaders who had organized the reunion, a bandage on hisbrow.
Jack was in acoma. A sickening, cold block of dread formed in her stomach.
Lydon kepttrying to catch her eye. Rori felt like throwing up. He took themicrophone hooked into the PA system from Lily and tapped it.
"If I could geteveryone's attention for a sec?"
Rori narrowedher eyes at him. What as he up to?
"I know all ofus have Jack Lynch in our thoughts tonight." Lydon looked straightat Rori as he spoke. "I was with his mother earlier, and we have nonews. Just that Jack is in a coma. I know the ballroom is rentedfor the night. I think Jack would want everyone to re-connect,think of him, and let the reunion continue."
Rori's jawdropped. What a load of absolute crap! When Jack failed to show upto deliver his speech everyone had begun speculating. He ditched onpurpose; he was seen leaving the hotel with John Lydon and they gotin a fight; he was called away on business and left from the hotelparking lot in a helicopter. Nobody spoke of Jack as though he werea valued friend. Suddenly his most despised enemy was speaking forhim like an old friend.
Her nailsbiting into her palms as she trembled with anger, Rori surged toher feet. She headed straight for John Lydon.
Big, solid,still insanely handsome, John smiled broadly at her, his armsopening in welcome. Rori carved a path through her classmates, darkhair escaping from the diamond clip, curling around her pale face.Her eyes flashed. A circle of curious gawkers formed around them inthe center of the floor.
"What the hellare you up to, John?"
"Rori, it'sreally great to see you." Murmurs. Gasps.
"What thehell are you up to, John?"
"I don't knowwhat you mean, Rori." Lydon's face went tight. He reached a handtoward her. "You look gr—"
Somebodyscreamed. Somebody else laughed. The bartender swore. John Lydonlay sprawled on the dance-floor, a disco-ball spinning gently abovehim. He cupped his hands over his groin and curled over onto hisside, moaning.
Rori McLeary,had kicked him in the nads.
***
Rori staredinto her glass of white wine, slumped at the bar in the HammondSuites lounge. She didn't think she could face her hotel room,littered with mementos. Every hope she'd ever have of facing Jackwas melting away. She was too shaken to pray for him.
Something waspositively rotten in Hammond. John Lydon had never shown any humankindness to anyone. She still felt sick every time she thoughtabout prom night.
I shouldhave kicked him then, she thought. Trails of mascara left tightsaline scars down her face. She didn't even care that people werestaring. All she could think of was Jack laying in a coma and thatawful, awful night twenty years ago...
Prom Night,Hammond High School, 1991
Music blaredfrom the gym, stuffy with body heat and the smell of hairspray.Rori wandered outside to the courtyard, where the fountain drewother prom-goers for a soft spray of relief. It was unseasonablywarm. John Lydon, her date, had vanished moments ago. She didn'tcare. She disliked John. Really, she shouldn't have accepted whenhe asked her to go, but she'd had no other offers and feared she'dbe left out. John was a handsome, athletic, popular boy. He wasalso a bully. She had not realized how cruel he was until she'dlistened to him in the limo. What a complete jerk.
"Come on,Flinch! Where's your tux? Couldn't find a girl who was willing tobe seen with you?"
Oh no! John hadgiven Jack Lynch the awful nickname Flinch because the footballbullies liked to throw fake-punches at him in the hallways,laughing when he ducked. More than once a punch had landed, sonaturally Jack had become head-shy. Rori rushed to the fountain,gasping at what she saw.
John and hisbuddies had grabbed Jack by the waist of his jeans and the collarof his shirt. They were hanging him over the edge of thestone-rimmed fountain. Arcs of water created a soft mist. JackLynch had lost his glasses in the scuffle. His face was red fromstruggling. John had his upper body in his ham-fists, and waslowering his face into the water. She saw blood going pink in therivulets on his chin from a deep gash in his lip.
"Leave himalone! What are you doing?"
John Lydonsneered at her as she rushed to intervene. Shoving Jack's upperbody away, he was yanked out of the fellow-tormenter's hands. Helanded in a heap in the pool, scrambling to his feet. Jack wassoaked.
John wasenraged.
"Why don't youmind your own business, Rori?"
"It is mybusiness. What did he ever do to you?"
"He shouldn'teven be here. Neither should you. I thought maybe you'd be easy. Imean, you're fat—" The other guys fell apart into great guffaws ofugly laughter. John snickered. "Well, I figured I might get laid.Sue me. She has big boobs. I mean, she has a huge ass, too—"
They were inhysterics, now. Rori wanted to throw up. She'd seen John staring ather breasts all night.
"She's not fat,you asshole." Jack crawled over the lip of the fountain.
Rori rushedforward to offer him a hand, but
