It was recess time and all the kids were playing outside, having fun and talking with their friends. Well, everyone but Prince Puma. He was getting picked on by a few of the older - and not to mention taller - kids, all of them a grade ahead of him.
"Dude, why the hell do you wear that stupid mask?" one of them said before shoving him against the outside wall of the school building. It was, sadly, quite normal for kids to get bullied. Especially here in Boyle Heights where the streets weren't always that, uh.. safe.
Puma let out a gasp of air at how bad it hurt to be shoved up against the concrete wall. For all he knew, he may have bruised a rib or two.
"Yeah! And what kind of fucking name is 'Puma', anyway?"
When Puma turned six years old, Konnan - a retired Luchadore - adopted him from he a foster home. From a temporary family who didn't give two s's what happened to him while in their care. He'd found the kid fighting for his life on the streets and took him in. Taught him how to fight. But that was just a few years ago.. he wasn't too great at defending himself yet. Specially not against a group of three boys who were older than him.
"And you don't even have any parents, you scrawny little bastard!" the third - and tallest- bully began to kick him in the ribs, effectively knocking all the breath out of him. He thought it would never stop, and just when he was about to give up all hope of being able to fight back or getting any help, the bully, Ryck, was shoved to the ground and an elbow came crashing into his stomach.
"Fuck off, Ryck! He's just a kid!"
Who was that? Puma thought to himself as air slowly, and painfully, made its way back into his lungs. He was curled up in a ball on the concrete, clutching at his stomach and ribs and hoping that whoever it is that saved(?) him doesn't wanna take a crack at him next.
He saw a shadow on the ground next to him, slowly getting closer and closer until he was completely swathed in its darkness. Hands were suddenly on his back, lightly touching his newly inflicted injuries, but not using enough pressure to actually hurt him.
"Hey, are you alright? I-I saw Ryck and his, uh, crew... um, beating on you.." Puma stayed still and held his breath for a moment before letting it all out and turning his head the slightest bit to peek at the boy who'd helped him.
"You really didn't deserve it, kid." the long-haired boy said when their eyes made contact. The boy seemed to be at least a whole grade ahead of him. A year or so older, maybe.
Puma used all the strength left in his body to roll onto his back, all the while groaning in pain.
The mysterious boy noticed how hard Puma was trying to sit up, and gave him a hand, helping him onto his tush so that his back was now leaning up against the wall.
"I'm Johnny." The boy - who Puma now knew as Johnny - stuck out his hand. Puma excepted it, giving it a tight squeeze and a slight shake. "I like your mask, it's very Aztec-y."
Puma smiled at that, bringing his hand to his mouth and then tilting it toward Johnny. "Thank you," is what he had sighed in American Sign Language.
He seriously didn't expect the boy to know any sign language, and was surprised when he gave him a thumbs up in response, which was the casual way of saying 'your welcome'.
"You're Konnan The Barbarian's adoptive son, right?" asked Johnny.
Puma nodded, and after hesitating for a moment, used his hand to sign his name. "Puma,"
"Puma, right? Sorry, my, uh, my ASL's a little rusty."
Quite frankly, Puma was surprised Johnny had even known any at all. The only people at this school who knew ASL were the teachers and maybe a few other kids- but even then there were few and far between.
"You're fine, J."
"Thanks, P." Johnny replied, but this time using sign language. "You know what? You should sit with me and my friends
at lunch tomorrow." he added, speaking aloud this time.
Puma smiled the slightest bit, looking confused as ever. "Me?" he pointed to himself.
Johnny smiled and nodded. "Course', you're really cool, dude. My friends would love you."
"Okay." Puma signed in reply.
"Tomorrow, cool. And you better tell me if Ryck or any of his 'crew' members give you any shit ever again, okay?" Puma nodded and excepted Johnny's outstretched hand, the taller boy helping him to his feet.
"See you tomorrow, J." Puma signed just as the bell rang, forcing them apart from each other and back into the school for more torturous lessons.
Puma watched as - his new friend(?) - Johnny made his way through the school doors, his wavy, shoulder length hair swaying from side to side as he weaved his way through the sea of students.
Puma hoped to be seeing a lot more of that boy in the weeks to come.
