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what?”
    Johnny tilted his head back, smiled, and flicked up both thumbs. “Playboy.”
    “Ya hoo!” we yelled. “All right! Way to go.”
    Johnny marched around the locker room in full plume glory. His feathered hair was bouncing with him and his blue eyes glittered with glee. He looked at me and winked; I hollered louder than anyone else and followed the king as he strutted out the door.
    When I saw Juliet in the hallway by her locker, I stopped. She had so many purple hickeys on her neck it looked as if someone had tried to strangle her. I turned and walked away.
    Nice fuckin’ deal...
    I got a phone call that night. It was Johnny.
    “Larry, baby,” he purred, “Friday night, you and me are going to a party. ”
Bash
    I didn’t know whose house we were going to party at. All I knew was that Juliet had invited Johnny and Johnny had invited me. I was very nervous, but being the Ambassador of Love, I figured this was my chance to be around Juliet.
    I wore my newest black jeans and my whitest socks. I ironed my black Iron Maiden “Powerslave” T-shirt, the one where Eddy is on the pyramids in Egypt. I showered and I even flossed my teeth. I met Johnny outside his place. He had showered too, and the part in his hair was perfect. His feathered hair looked like the wing tips of ravens, they whispered so thinly at the ends. He wore faded Levi’s and had a thick red cotton shirt. He left the top three buttons undone so you could see his chest hair. He had a little patch that he liked to show off; I guess that was one of the benefits of being Metis. He was wearing a jean jacket, and as he lit a smoke, his hair fell over his face.
    “You packin’ rubbers?” he asked.
    “Naw,” I sniffed, “don’t need ’em.”
    “What?” His eyes went big.
    “I’m so damn hot, my women buy my rubbers for me—I’m a safe sexsonovabitch!”
    “Jesus,” he smirked, “I thought you were serious.”
    “Just joshing. Coulda been, though—I’m something!”
    He shook his head, smiling. “Leonard.”
    “Is your mom home?”
    Johnny tensed up. “Yeah, why?”
    “Just wonderin’ if sometime I could meet her.”
    “Larry,” he answered, “that’s one woman you never want to meet.”
    “Wow,” I said. “Shereshly?” That’s Raven talk for “Seriously.”
    “Seriously. Let’s go.”
    Johnny didn’t know where the house was, but I did. It was by Conibear Park. It was in the Welfare Centre, a pretty rough part of town. We knocked on the door and were greeted by an older woman. She was dressed up, and I could tell she was off to the Friday night dance. Her hair was still wet and she didn’t have any make-up on. I could smell her shampoo and her perfume, the combination of which smelled like rust metal roses. I could see her cleavage: Bananas!
    “Hey,” this perfect stranger said, looking at me, “you’re Verna’s boy, ain’t ya? I used to live on your street.”
    “Yes, ma’am,” I said, all flushed and hot. I didn’t recognize her but was too embarrassed to say anything.
    “You men here for Juliet?” she asked.
    “Yeah,” Johnny said. “She here?”
    “Yeah,” the woman said, turning around and walking into the house. “She’s putting my kids to bed.”
    Johnny and I stood outside.
    “Do we go in?” I asked stupidly.
    “I guess,” he shrugged. I stopped in the porch and took off my shoes.
    “Pussy,” Johnny scoffed, “taking off your shoes at a house party. What a putz.” He dropped his jacket on the floor on top of a small shelf that held boots. I hissed and hung it up. My mom never allowed anyone in our house to drop a jacket or hat. If you do and a woman steps over your clothes, that’s it. You’re done for: bad luck and you’ll never catch a moose. I hung it up for him and carefully hung mine up too.
    Like I said, I’m Dogrib: I gotta watch it.
    “Hey, man,” I whispered, “I got respect for the lady and her house.”
    “Yeah, yeah,” he said. He pushed me aside and walked