A/N: This could be thought of as a sequel to 'There's Always a Price to
Pay' (which I think definitely needs a snappier title), but it is not
necessary for you to have read that before reading this one. It might help,
but you needn't have read it. But, hey, I'd love it of course if you did...
;)
I Didn't Bend the Street Sign
By Cradlerobber Speedo-kun
It was about power and control. Power over someone, and therefore control. It was about teaching a lesson to someone in order to remain in control. Right? That's what it was, right?
But that could be a lie. In the beginning it was not a lie, but by now it could be. I'd really prefer it was truth from beginning to end, because I really don't like caring about anyone. Especially not another boy. Even if I cared as a friend it'd be too much. I'm one of those distant sorts, the ones people think are cool because I act a little chilly and distant. It's nice to be thought of as cool, especially when you don't give a shit about anyone else. You don't care and they still do, and follow you around and fawn on you anyway. I was always told by my parents that nothing comes from nothing (1), but I've done nothing and I'm getting tons in return.
To put it bluntly, I've had followers and lapdogs, but never really anyone I cared too much about. Not enough to do stuff for them or anything. And no one ever seemed to especially care. It made me seem even more attractive, since I was seen as unattainable, untouchable, unemotional. And all of that was true. Oh so very true.
Except now it might not be. Because of him. He was made a member of Cougar Radio, and he was a wild success. To us he was just a low-life freshman that could help improve the image of Cougar Radio, though, even if he did get lots of fan mail. We never game him any of it, though. I rifled through it every so often with some other people who were with Cougar Radio. We always laughed at the lovesick girls' cutesy notes and wrinkled our noses in disgust at the ones that were timidly signed by males. There weren't a lot from guys, but there were just enough to make us ill.
I hung around with him and he thought we were friends. I was just really keeping an eye on him to make sure he wasn't badmouthing us or talking about what little he knew about the inner workings of Cougar Radio. I suppose I was also making sure he didn't get stuck between a rock and a hard place courtesy of those who were a little less than enthusiastic about Cougar Radio's existence. I wasn't personally concerned, though, and I only did it at Kim's urgings. She liked the approval rating Cougar Radio was getting with his help, and was loathe to lose that. I was loathe to receiving bodily harm courtesy of Kim, and thus went along with it.
And most of that time, I didn't care. Maybe I acted like I did, but I don't think I ever did, either. He apparently thought so, though, given that he thought I was his friend. He assumed, unlike my "friends", that caring was a given in a friendship. But I wasn't even friends with him. It was one-sided, and he was annoying to begin with. With my "friends" they were at least useful to keep around, and I could tolerate their presence and existence. With him, he was just irritating and overly optimistic. There seemed no plus side to having him around, except that it kept Kim from sending her hit-men lackeys after me.
Then he fed up. He insulted the basketball team. My basketball team. Sorry, but it doesn't matter if you're popular and raking in approval ratings, 'cause the moment you criticize anything to do with the school, Kim has your ass. And the moment you diss the basketball team, I'm there ready and willing to help get your ass.
He apologized to me afterwards. Funny that he should be apologizing considering we had just beat him up and tied him to a chair. But entirely appropriate considering the politics of Roscoe High. The custodian had eventually untied him, and he came slithering into the gym. Better for him that I was the only one there. He slouched on the bottom row of the bleachers, looking a little worse for the wear and still with some of the duct tape attached to his shirt. I didn't even acknowledge his existence.
And then came the apology. It sounded as if he had not yet given up on Cougar Radio. And he hadn't yet, I suppose. He was willing to come back if we forgave him, and I could probably "persuade" him not to insult any of Roscoe High ever again. I came up with the persuasion rather quickly. We had used it before on someone else. And it had worked. I hadn't personally taken part in it, but I heard of it through the basketball team. It had been accompanied by threats, too, but I never got the chance to give threats. Instead, I was interrupted. By one of his entirely worthless freshman friends. Da-nuh-nuh-nuh! Freshman loser to the rescue! Saves his friend from being molested by the star of the basketball team. Would've made a wonderful story for the school newspaper if anyone had mentioned it later on, or if the school paper wasn't so controlled by the school.
So I was motivated by the need to control. But I took it a little too far. With the other kid, they did just enough to scare him into submission. They did so in a detached manner. It was cold and scientific. That's how I started, too. Got a little beyond cold very quickly though. Got rather hot if you ask me. In the end the affect was vaguely the same, considering I scared the hell outta him, but he's not scared into submission considering he's left completely.
Yes, it got rather hot. Rather too hot. Something else took over and I cared about it and I wasn't the scowling scientist any more. And I really do not appreciate this. I really, really do not appreciate it.
You better watch out, Ray Brennan. 'Cause I'm coming for you, and I'm gonna do something to you that's so awful, so rotten that I'll never have to see you again, because you'll be too scared of me to come near me. I'll never have to see you again and I'll never have to care again.
I didn't bend the street sign (2), Ray Brennan. You did.
- - - - - - - - - - -
(1) – I stole this from King Lear. The reason he didn't mention King Lear is because I honestly cannot see him knowing the actual source of this, besides the fact that his parents said it to him a lot when he was a kid.
(2) – I honestly can't say what this means. To the narrator (Todd/MC) it means something, but to me it doesn't. How can this be? I'm not exactly sure. Writer's intuition, perhaps? Feel free to comment on what you think it means, and the moment I figure it out I'll let you guys know.
I Didn't Bend the Street Sign
By Cradlerobber Speedo-kun
It was about power and control. Power over someone, and therefore control. It was about teaching a lesson to someone in order to remain in control. Right? That's what it was, right?
But that could be a lie. In the beginning it was not a lie, but by now it could be. I'd really prefer it was truth from beginning to end, because I really don't like caring about anyone. Especially not another boy. Even if I cared as a friend it'd be too much. I'm one of those distant sorts, the ones people think are cool because I act a little chilly and distant. It's nice to be thought of as cool, especially when you don't give a shit about anyone else. You don't care and they still do, and follow you around and fawn on you anyway. I was always told by my parents that nothing comes from nothing (1), but I've done nothing and I'm getting tons in return.
To put it bluntly, I've had followers and lapdogs, but never really anyone I cared too much about. Not enough to do stuff for them or anything. And no one ever seemed to especially care. It made me seem even more attractive, since I was seen as unattainable, untouchable, unemotional. And all of that was true. Oh so very true.
Except now it might not be. Because of him. He was made a member of Cougar Radio, and he was a wild success. To us he was just a low-life freshman that could help improve the image of Cougar Radio, though, even if he did get lots of fan mail. We never game him any of it, though. I rifled through it every so often with some other people who were with Cougar Radio. We always laughed at the lovesick girls' cutesy notes and wrinkled our noses in disgust at the ones that were timidly signed by males. There weren't a lot from guys, but there were just enough to make us ill.
I hung around with him and he thought we were friends. I was just really keeping an eye on him to make sure he wasn't badmouthing us or talking about what little he knew about the inner workings of Cougar Radio. I suppose I was also making sure he didn't get stuck between a rock and a hard place courtesy of those who were a little less than enthusiastic about Cougar Radio's existence. I wasn't personally concerned, though, and I only did it at Kim's urgings. She liked the approval rating Cougar Radio was getting with his help, and was loathe to lose that. I was loathe to receiving bodily harm courtesy of Kim, and thus went along with it.
And most of that time, I didn't care. Maybe I acted like I did, but I don't think I ever did, either. He apparently thought so, though, given that he thought I was his friend. He assumed, unlike my "friends", that caring was a given in a friendship. But I wasn't even friends with him. It was one-sided, and he was annoying to begin with. With my "friends" they were at least useful to keep around, and I could tolerate their presence and existence. With him, he was just irritating and overly optimistic. There seemed no plus side to having him around, except that it kept Kim from sending her hit-men lackeys after me.
Then he fed up. He insulted the basketball team. My basketball team. Sorry, but it doesn't matter if you're popular and raking in approval ratings, 'cause the moment you criticize anything to do with the school, Kim has your ass. And the moment you diss the basketball team, I'm there ready and willing to help get your ass.
He apologized to me afterwards. Funny that he should be apologizing considering we had just beat him up and tied him to a chair. But entirely appropriate considering the politics of Roscoe High. The custodian had eventually untied him, and he came slithering into the gym. Better for him that I was the only one there. He slouched on the bottom row of the bleachers, looking a little worse for the wear and still with some of the duct tape attached to his shirt. I didn't even acknowledge his existence.
And then came the apology. It sounded as if he had not yet given up on Cougar Radio. And he hadn't yet, I suppose. He was willing to come back if we forgave him, and I could probably "persuade" him not to insult any of Roscoe High ever again. I came up with the persuasion rather quickly. We had used it before on someone else. And it had worked. I hadn't personally taken part in it, but I heard of it through the basketball team. It had been accompanied by threats, too, but I never got the chance to give threats. Instead, I was interrupted. By one of his entirely worthless freshman friends. Da-nuh-nuh-nuh! Freshman loser to the rescue! Saves his friend from being molested by the star of the basketball team. Would've made a wonderful story for the school newspaper if anyone had mentioned it later on, or if the school paper wasn't so controlled by the school.
So I was motivated by the need to control. But I took it a little too far. With the other kid, they did just enough to scare him into submission. They did so in a detached manner. It was cold and scientific. That's how I started, too. Got a little beyond cold very quickly though. Got rather hot if you ask me. In the end the affect was vaguely the same, considering I scared the hell outta him, but he's not scared into submission considering he's left completely.
Yes, it got rather hot. Rather too hot. Something else took over and I cared about it and I wasn't the scowling scientist any more. And I really do not appreciate this. I really, really do not appreciate it.
You better watch out, Ray Brennan. 'Cause I'm coming for you, and I'm gonna do something to you that's so awful, so rotten that I'll never have to see you again, because you'll be too scared of me to come near me. I'll never have to see you again and I'll never have to care again.
I didn't bend the street sign (2), Ray Brennan. You did.
- - - - - - - - - - -
(1) – I stole this from King Lear. The reason he didn't mention King Lear is because I honestly cannot see him knowing the actual source of this, besides the fact that his parents said it to him a lot when he was a kid.
(2) – I honestly can't say what this means. To the narrator (Todd/MC) it means something, but to me it doesn't. How can this be? I'm not exactly sure. Writer's intuition, perhaps? Feel free to comment on what you think it means, and the moment I figure it out I'll let you guys know.