How to Shave a Head [for Dummies] #5

1

Moonlight Pizza was a fairly modern pizza shop located at the heart of Raleigh. Chatter filled the saucy air of the green-and-blue painted restaurant, and a few teenagers were throwing darts in a lounge set away from the rest of the restaurant. The restaurant harbored huge, wall-sized windows that connected the empty outdoor cement-patio extension of the eating area to the inside of the restaurant, rain pounding against the glass loudly. The smell of alcohol was just as thick as the smell of pizza sauce and baking bread in the air, and the general atmosphere of the place was thick with laughter and nonchalance.2

We sat at a blue booth that nestled against the dividing line on the wall which established the blue side of the room and the green side of the room. There was a bar behind me and the lounge across from me, so at least I didn’t have to stare at the man serving the alcohol. No me gusta alcohol nada.3

But I did like the sound that the alcohol made as it filled up a mug. That sound was just very…satisfying. If I ever drank alcohol, that would be why. To listen to the sound it made as it entered the cup.4

Anyway, I’m getting off topic. What happened at Moonlight pizza was supposed to be my point.5

My mom had driven Riley, Jocelyn, Mrs. Barber, and I to the pizzeria in her rented van after searching local hot spots on the Hampton Inn Internet connection (Dial-up=U.G.H.), and we had arrived there at eight-o’clock. The actual pizzeria did not live up to it’s pictures on the internet site. There weren’t people filling every booth and lounge chair, to be completely honest the restaurant was pretty much empty. My mom had asked our waiter why it was so empty, and he said it was because everyone came at around 11 O’clock pm, and that was when the party started.6

To be completely honest, I was glad we were the only people in the restaurant besides an old toothless man sitting at the bar drinking beer. Or Vodka. Whichever.7

“Oh, I forgot my purse!” My mom erratically stated as she took a bite of pizza, then she turned to me and asked, “Will you go get it for me? It’s in the car.”8

“Fine.” I answered as I got up, “I need the keys.”9

My mom pried the keys from her pocket, and Riley stood up as she handed them to me, saying, “I’ll go with you…we can have ‘Bonding time.’”10

I laughed. I was getting to like this girl’s personality. I took the keys from my mother and headed out of the restaurant to the parking lot, located at the north side of the building.11

“So,” I began as we walked towards the car, “What’s your favorite color?”12

Riley laughed at the common question, “It’s green. And yours?”13

“Red.” I answered. The thing she didn’t know about the color question I just asked her was that I was able to tell a person’s general personality by their favorite color. Green meant that she was strong-willed and worked hard to improve her life.14

“Why red?” She asked.15

“Because it stands out. It’s bold. And powerful.” I answered.16

“Cool. You’re Fiery Ace, then!”17

“What!?”18

“You know, your nickname is ‘Ace‘, right? And the color of fire is red, so you’re ‘Fiery Ace!”19

I thought about this for a moment. Fiery Ace…it sounded like a corny gangbanger’s name.20

“I guess you would be Moldy Ry, then!” I joked back.21

“Oh, because mold is green, and ‘Rye’ is a type of bread, ha! I get it!”22

It was ironic that we actually understood each other. I liked her personality, too. She was playful.23

We came upon the rented lilac van in a fit of unadulterated giggles, and I shoved the key into the passenger door lock, forgetting for a few blissful seconds that my head was completely naked, being pelted by the freezing rain.24

That was when it happened.25

“Ace-” Riley had stopped giggling and her presence behind me seemed sober, “Ace, look at me.”26

Startled by her sudden solemnity, I turned with my hand still on the key.27

There, standing behind her, was a man with a gun.28

I didn’t know what to do. I stared, mouth agape.29

He was tall, blonde-haired and blue eyed, and fair-skinned. Completely Aryan, if by race.30

I had watched scenes like this in movies, and read about them in books, but never had I seen a real gun-man before. His eyes were hollow, and an angry scowl took over his whole face as he glared at me, the beginnings of 5 O’clock shadow showing on his lower face. The short barrel of the black hand-pistol was pointed at the side of Riley’s head, and I could see every detail of it, as if it were an enlarged image in my mind. The grey screws that held the black metal hilt to the barrel of the gun had rivulets of rain water running over them. The trigger seemed so ominous, deciding the life or death of the person in front of my eyes. The gun seemed huge, taking up my entire mind and body as I stared at it. For some odd reason, I remember distinctly a chink running along the side of barrel, as if the gun had been dropped by it’s owner and a piece had flown off.31

The only word that kept running through my head was, “Gun, Gun, Gun…”32

I was scared stiff. These were things that killed people.33

Was Riley going to die?34

No. Please, God, no.35

I didn’t know what to do to help her. All I could remember to do was…nothing.36

I was totally helpless.37

All of these thoughts came at me within a matter of seconds, because the next thing I know, the man was ordering, “Give me all yo’ money.”38

I couldn’t respond. I was too scared.39

He ordered more loudly, “Your money, GIVE ME YOUR MONEY!”40

I didn’t have money! Crap!41

I opened my mouth to attempt speech, but the second I did, a police car turned down the street we were on. I immediately waved my arms and yelled, “COP! HELP ME!”42

The Gunman looked behind himself to check for the cop in a frightened manner, and Riley took her chance to knee the guy in the groin and flip him onto his back, Women’s Self-Defense style. Apparently the cop saw what was going on, and he turned on his lights and siren and came speeding toward the parking lot.43

The man saw he was in danger of being caught, and for some reason, he threw the gun down and turned to Riley on his hands and knees, saying, “Ry, man, it was just a joke! Don’t you remember me!?”44

…45

What?