002 Dim

Character: Tobias

Tobias hit the ground of the alley, cursing at the pain from the impact. He looked up at the older boy standing over him. "Are you really so dim that you think you can beat me?" The older boy pulled his fist back to take another swing at Tobias.

The fourteen-year-old rolled out of the way and the older boy missed. He sprang to his feet, turning to face his enemy. "You shouldn't count me out." Tobias moved forward throwing a punch.

The older boy caught Tobias' fist and stopped it. "Oh, shouldn't I? You're small and weak." The larger boy's fist slammed into Tobias' stomach. He doubled over and groaned as he fell to his knees, struggling to suck in air and fill his lungs. The older boy's fist came down and Tobias felt it hit the side of his face. He fell to the ground, groaning. Tobias tried to get up, force himself to his feet, but he was disoriented from the hit and he was only then catching his breath.

The older boy laughed at him, kicking him once in the stomach before he left. Tobias just lay on the ground for a while, getting his senses back. His head finally cleared and his breathing evened out. He forced himself to his feet, though he was a bit unsteady, and started to walk. He knew his mom would be mad to find that once again he'd been in a fight, but by now he figured she'd be used to it.

Tobias didn't see any problem with it, he was willing to get beat up every once in a while as long as he believed in why he was getting in a fight. Today it had been over the older boy defacing a UNSC poster. Tobias did have a sense of respect for soldiers after all, and he couldn't just let some kid go around defacing them without a challenge. Even if his mother would give him hell for the bruise that would probably be on his face the next day.

Tobias meandered down the sidewalk, not in any hurry to get home. His mom would see the dirt on his pants and she'd know right away, and he wasn't in any hurry to get yelled at. His hand rubbed at the side of his face that had been hit, trying to ease the pain. His mother would put ice on it when he got home, but he'd have to sit there with it held to his face while she complained about his fighting.

At least his father understood. He only scolded Tobias for getting in fights over things that he didn't think were worth it. He knew his father wouldn't get mad at him this time when he found out why he'd fought. His cousin was a soldier for the UNSC, and proud of it. He would at least understand why Tobias had gotten in a fight. He might still scold him a bit for having lost, but he wouldn't be as mad as his mom.

Tobias reached the street that his house was on, slowing his pace a bit. Anything to avoid getting home faster and having to sit through angry parents. He stopped in front of the house next door, not yet wanting to reach his own home.

"Got beat up again?" Tobias turned to look at the girl leaning on the porch of the house he stood in front of. He frowned, looking away from her and toward the ground. The girl laughed and moved down from her porch, walking over to Tobias. "Do you ever win fights?"

"I do sometimes." Tobias sulked a bit. He has only won about three fights in his life, which was probably less than a percent of his total fights. "What do you want Natalie?"

"I wanted to offer to help you clean off some of that dirt from your pants so your mom might not notice, but if you're going to have such a grumpy attitude then I won't offer." Natalie crossed her arms and frowned at Tobias.

Tobias right way perked up. "I'm sorry, I'm just unhappy I lost. Please help me." He tried to look as pitiful as he could. He hoped it would make her feel sorry for him and help him out.

Natalie sighed and uncrossed her arms. "All right, come inside." Natalie led him inside of her house. She brought him into her bathroom and had him sit down on the toilet. She then grabbed a towel and wetted it before she started to scrub at the stains on his pants. "What did you get knocked into this time?"

"I fell in an alley." Tobias just watched her scrub at his pants. "The guy was much bigger than me and he got in some good shots."

"Tobias, you're going to get yourself seriously hurt one of these days. I'm afraid that one of these days you're going to pick a fight with someone that won't stop and they're going to hurt you or kill you." There was genuine concern in Natalie's voice. "I just wish you'd be careful."

Tobias smiled a bit. "You're worried about me?" He was a bit excited at the prospect. He'd known Natalie since they were little kids, having always lived next to each other, and as he grew up Tobias had come to find he was attracted to his friend. Though she'd never shown any signs of returning his feelings.

"Of course I'm worried about you. You and I have been friends for almost all our lives. You're my best friend, of course I'm worried about you." Natalie stood up and Tobias frowned. "Now pants off."

Tobias blushed as her hands moved to his waist to pull his pants down. "What are you doing? I'm not taking my pants off around you."

"Oh, don't be a baby. It wouldn't be the first time I've seen your underwear. Unless you didn't wear any today." Natalie raised an eye brow. "Did someone go commando?"

"Natalie, the last time you saw my underwear was when you pantsed me and we were ten." Tobias grabbed his pants to keep them on. "Stop it."

Natalie let his pants go and rolled her eyes. "Fine, then I'll leave the bathroom and you can take them off." She grabbed a towel and tossed it at him before she left the bathroom.

Tobias removed his pants and put the towel around his waist and hung his pants on the towel rung before he moved out of the bathroom. He found Natalie sitting in the living room, watching some crime show. Tobias took a seat on the couch and sat in silence with her.

It was several hours later that his pants finished drying, or they remembered that his pants were drying. He embarrassedly got dressed. Natalie tried to convince him to stay but he knew he had to get home. He bit her goodnight and headed home. Cleaning his pants had worked. His mother had no idea he'd been in a fight, until his father noticed the slight swelling of his face.