Page 3 of Kingpin

“Uh-huh.”

“My name’s Dominic,” he greets, but he doesn’t smile so it’s not very comforting.

“I’m Alannah,” I reply, just as the door behind me swings open and three teachers come out. The two women go tend to the crying boy who’s still on the ground, but Mr. Bishop comes trotting up to us.

“Dominic, can I talk to you for a minute?” he says. He doesn’t look happy. “I was told you beat up Billy Hannigan. Punched him in the face and threw him on the ground. Is that true?”

“Yeah,” is all Dominic says in response.

“Why’d you do that, Dominic?”

“He was trying to bully Alannah.” He says it like he’s not even concerned with getting in trouble.

“He bullied Alannah, so you bullied him? Is that right?”

“Yeah, that’s right. That’s what he gets for putting his hands on the girls.”

“Well, that’s not how we do things, Mr. Collazo. Violence is not how you solve your problems. I’m going to need you to come with me to the principal’s office.”

Dominic shrugs like he doesn’t have a care in the world as he starts to follow Mr. Bishop towards the school. Before he steps inside, he turns around.

“Bye, Alannah” he says, then he smiles for the first time. Why would he smile when he knows he’s about to be in trouble with the principal?

I feel tingly all over as I smile back at him, but before I can say bye, he’s already inside.

For the rest of the day, I don’t speak to anyone except Mr. Bishop.

The only kid I speak to my entire first day of school is Dominic Collazo.