The Mulligan Man

Excerpt

Dakota Trace sat in Ms. Myers third period English class. As usual, the woman had her blonde hair stacked high on her head. He watched the web of hair move in one heaping mound as she crossed the room. She reminded him of Marge Simpson. Ms. Myers had once told his class she slept with her head hanging off the edge of the bed to prevent her hair from getting matted. He imagined all the blood rushing to her face and the ensuing explosion, which would keep her out of the classroom for weeks. It had yet to happen.
It was difficult even with the walking hairball to focus on anything. The layer of makeup on Ms. Meyer’s skin was mesmerizing, but Dakota had more to think about than the bizarre habits of his English teacher. He slid his phone from under his desk as she walked to the other side of the room and texted his next-door neighbor, Adrienne.
Do you think you can get Karson off the bus this afternoon?
Adrianne was a college student who often took up his slack when he needed her. He was sure she’d agree, besides, it was his only hope for being able to meet the other kids in the park later.
Adrienne: Sure, Hun. What time will you be back?
Dakota: Not sure, big doings, explain later.
He smiled and shoved the cell phone back into his pocket. Because his dad had abandoned them to go to Afghanistan and fight a war he didn’t understand, Dakota was left with the responsibility of his younger brother, Karson. Thoughts of his father erased the smirk from his face. His mother worked two jobs and was never home, and the family they’d once been was long gone.
Dakota pushed his long bangs from his eyes and stared at the back of Mika Miller’s head. Her hair was so long it fanned out across his desktop and created an interesting piece of abstract art. He’d never thought much about the other kids he was meeting at North Park after school. Even though most of them hadn’t bothered hanging around each other before, they had reason to now.
Everything had gone profoundly wrong the night before at Wes’s “Beginning of School” party, and now they all had to face the consequences. After all, the five of them had been the ones who’d stumbled upon poor Wes’ body floating in the pool when the party was over. Dakota grimaced at the notion that this was the horrible truth that tied them together. He glanced around the classroom and saw three or four people blazing text messages on their cell phones, and a few whispering when Ms. Myers turned her head. No doubt, they’d all heard, and by lunch, everyone would know Wes was dead.
Mika was cute, but sort of plain. Dakota hadn’t noticed her before, but since they’d be stuck together during the afternoon gathering he gave her the once-over. She was one of the few kids at Echowood High born in the wrong decade and better suited to a day at Woodstock than the school in south Louisiana.
She always wore flowery sundresses and clogs, which made a horrendous noise when she walked. It wasn’t just the shoes that drew attention, but the fact that she wobbled a bit because one of her legs was obviously longer than the other. Dakota had heard her real mother was addicted crack and she’d been born addicted herself, but her grandparents had raised her. Even with the apparent handicap, she had eyes that were so blue they looked almost violet, and a little pug nose.
She’d never spoken one word to him in the twelve years they’d attended school together. Dakota couldn’t remember hearing her voice, in fact, except once at a school talent show where she’d belted out a perfect rendition of “Me and Bobby McGee” by Janis Joplin. The girl truly did belong in the days of hippies and bell-bottoms.
“Psst.” Mika flipped her hair over her shoulder and flashed a row of perfect teeth at Dakota.
Shocked she’d noticed him, he dropped the notebook he’d been shoving into his book sack on the floor. “Yeah.”
“You’re coming to the park, right?” Laying her head against her shoulder, she rounded her violet eyes at him.
He nodded.
“Great.” She whipped around and her hair fell back on his desk.
Mika was dating the biggest bully in the school. As he studied a strand of her hair, he decided it was an odd coupling. She seemed pretty cool, and Remi Leger was a complete tool. He wondered if she’d be riding with him to the park. Annoyed he had to give any of it thought at all, Dakota put his head down on his desk and waited for the bell to ring.