Disclaimer: I own my car, that's about it, and it ain't worth two bits and a donkey cart, so don't sue me.
Weight lifting is my last class of the day, since I started playing baseball in junior year, I was forced to come in here and work out with the jocks. I don't consider myself a jock, mainly because our baseball team is like the red-headed step child of Ridgeway.
I took my headphones out while I was doing the preacher curl, mostly because the cord always got in the way. I wasn't listening to the football players on the bench next to me until I heard Sam's name.
"So you got a date to prom?" John Hatchet asked.
"Not yet, I was thinking about asking out that Sam girl." Jeff Cooper replied, I grimaced obviously, not because of the weight I was curling, but simply because the guy drove me up a wall, I despised everything about him.
"Whitman or Puckett?"
"Puckett you idiot, she's got a sexy little body, I think I can score. A hotel room, alcohol, and some fancy candles and chiz. And if not willingly, well no answer isn't necessarily a no."
"Dude, she's probably stronger than…."
I cut off what John was about to say when I slammed Jeff in the jaw with a 10lb plate. He was sitting on the bench, and spun almost comically as he hit the floor. I dropped the plate and John was on me in a second. With testosterone and adrenaline flowing I overpowered him, even though he was 60lbs heavier at least. Landing a blow in his gut, and when he doubled over I took his head in my hands and drove my knee into his face.
The whole weight room burst into an all-out brawl, for the most part it was the two teams clashing. They didn't know why, just that baseball was against football. Adam, Carly's boyfriend, was on my baseball team and had been standing on the other side of the bench press Jeff sat on. I think he stayed out of the fighting for the most part, but I did body slam a receiver that was trying to duke it out with him.
Campus police showed up and broke everyone up. I was taken to see Principal Franklin, Jeff and John went to the hospital. Both had regained consciousness, but I would hate to see the x-rays.
"Freddie," I had expected Principal Franklin to scream or something, but the tone of his voice was level more disappointed than angry. I was prepared to accept any punishment.
"Freddie, I have to say I'm disappointed in you." I nodded, refusing to justify my actions, those words did not deserve to be repeated in any situation. "Normally I would expel a student for such a thing, but since you have long completed the requirements for graduation, I am just going to make you graduate early. Today early, get your stuff and go. I am sure lawyers are going to be involved, just be happy you're not leaving in handcuffs." He pressed his hands together in-front of his face and looked at me. "Unless you can explain."
"I can't. Thank you Principal Franklin, for everything, you're a great Principal."
I left his office and went to my locker. It was the middle of class so no one was in the hall, that was okay though, I didn't want to talk to anyone quite yet.
My mom had been sobbing uncontrollably for an hour before I gave up trying to console her and climbed through the window to the fire escape. I had my headphones in while I sat on the stairs that led up, staring at the Seattle skyline.
Jeff's words echoed through my mind, and no amount of blaring Cuttlefish would dislodge them. They left a bad taste in my mouth, like bad fish, or rotten meat. I felt my phone vibrate, I pulled it out of my pocket and looked at the caller id. It was Carly, again, I think she called me more in the past three hours than in our whole friendship. I silenced the ringer, I still wasn't ready to talk, I had to figure out why my blood still boiled, why I wanted to rearrange Jeff's face with that 10lb plate, why of all the people I could see it was that blonde haired demon that I wanted to see.
The sun was beginning to set, emanating hues of red and orange. I was staring down at my pearpod , trying to figure out which song would make sense to how I feel right now. A tapping on the railing of the fire escape drew my attention and Sam was standing there. I forced myself to repress the smile I knew would have crossed my face had I let it.
"Are you okay?" She started, with probably the softest voice I ever heard Sam use.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I scooted over on the step and she sat next to me.
"You know what 'fine' stands for right?"
"Freaked out, Insecure, Neurotic, and Emotional, we watched that movie together last week, of course I do." I couldn't suppress the smile this time and so I stared down at my feet.
"Adam told us what happened."
"Oh." Was all I could manage as she took one of my hands and squeezed it. "I know you can fight your own battles Sam, but what he said, I couldn't stop myself."
"It was sweet, a girl likes to know a guy can step in and stomp someone's face when needed. And yes despite my tomboyishness, I am still a girl."
I chuckled a little bit, "I noticed." I think we both blushed and I quickly changed the subject, "How did you get up here anyway?"
"Oh yeah, Crazy said your grounded and I couldn't see you, so I went downstairs and climbed up the fire escape.
"Always the rebel."
"Speaking of rebels," she slugged my shoulder, not hard but enough to have me rubbing the sore spot. "Principal Franklin said he would deal with the lawyers and your mom after Adam told him what was said."
"Thanks for telling me this Sam. Now I have to tell you something. I know we promised to never keep secrets from one another, I think the reason I went all 'roid rage, was that I like you Sam, and not just as a friend. I couldn't stand how he was talking about you, I would have expected Adam to do the same for Carly, but I couldn't….."
I think she really just got tired of me talking, because she grabbed the side of my face opposite her and made me look at her. "Shut it and lean Count Nubula"
I ran my hand through her soft blonde hair and pulled her forward. Our lips meeting in the middle, a shockwave traveled down my spine, a sensation I haven't felt since my first kiss with Sam.
"What the YUCK!" My mom was leaning out of the window, I opened one eye and was trying to wave her off. "I need my disinfectant spray, my baby kissing that delinquent!" She ran off, I'm guessing to find her can of spray.
Sam pulled away from me, her cheeks flushed. "I guess I have to be nice to you now."
"Maybe a bit nicer, who knows, you may decide you like me."
She punched me in the shoulder again as her response, I had to chuckle a little bit, "You'll have to buy me a smoothie when you mom lets you out of solitary."
"It's a date."
A/N: So, I know the donkey cart reference is a bit off the wall, but that is me! I know the punishment is unrealistic too, but I don't care.