Ch. 2: The Praise At School

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Disclaimer: Any songs I use the lyrics to work better if you listen to the songs when they come up, just saying. There's a list at the tail end of this story, just look them up read along. I also tend to leave some space for imagination, so just imagine what's happening if you'd like while the songs are playing.

Also, if you guys wanna point out any grammatical, spelling, or continuity errors I accidentally let slip by, please let me know either through reviews, or PMs. They'd be greatly appreciated in the long run.

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Austin arrived at school the next morning, Monday. He drove into the school's student parking lot with the truck, got out of the driver's side door, then walked over to the other side, opened the door, got his backpack, closed the door, & locked the doors while walking towards the school. He pulled out his iPhone to check the various things he usually did while walking. Dez then met up with him.

"Austin!"

"Dez!" they both high-fived, fist-bumped, then raised their hands up.

"What up!" they both said while raising their hands.

They both walked down the hallway after entering the school to Austin's locker. He opened it & got his stuff for first period. After he closed his locker, they walked to Dez's locker where he got his stuff. They then walked to the school cafeteria to wait for the bell for everyone to go to their classes & sat down at an empty table.

"So, that new video's gotten a lot of attention in the last few days, huh?" Dez said.

"Yeah, over 600,000 views since it was uploaded. I got hit up a lot on my Facebook fanpage & Twitter with how many likes people put on it. It's been trending really well."

"Yeah."

Just then, a few girls came up to the table.

"Hey, Austin," one of them said.

"Hey, Kayla."

"So, that song you put online is pretty good."

"Thanks."

"Yeah, so there's this party on Friday. We'd love for you to be there."

"Um, ok, sure. Where is it?"

"We'll text you the address through Facebook."

"Ok. Can Dez come too?"

"Sure. The more, the merrier."

"All right. I'll see you girls there."

"Yes you will," she said & they walked off, conversing.

"Thanks, man," Dez said.

"No prob. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't check to see if you could come?"

"True that."

The first bell rang.

"Welp, time for History," Dez said.

"Yep. Let's go," Austin replied & they got up & walked to their class.

Meanwhile…

At Ally's school, she was hanging out with Trish, walking down the hallway to their lockers.

"Yeah, it's been crazy…" Ally said.

"Hey, Ally," a guy said to her as she passed him. She looked at him.

"Good songwriting," he continued, pointing at her after snapping his fingers.

"Thanks, Gavin," she said, smiling & continuing to walk.

"Hey, Ally. Great song," another guy said as they passed each other.

"Thanks, Chase," she responded.

"Is this gonna continue much longer?"

"Oh come on, Trish. It's just some harmless 'congrats' stuff."

"I guess, but what if this gets out of hand?"

"Trust me, songwriters don't get as much praise as the singers."

"I guess that's true. Not unless the singer is the songwriter."

"Hey, Ally. You mind signing my notebook?" a dude said, stopping them.

"Sure," she said, getting out her pen & started writing on a page he opened up to in his notebook. "There," she said after finishing.

"Thanks," he said, walking off.

They continued walking along & chatting.

After a few periods, Austin & Dez were just hanging by his locker after he closed it & were about to walk to their next class when...

"Oh. How about we film a 'thank you' video for you to put on YouTube for your fans?" Dez asked.

"Oh. Dude, perfect!" Austin said, getting his phone out, activating the camera, & handed it to Dez.

"Hey, Austin," a guy said, walking up to him.

"Yes, Garrett?" Austin replied.

"Looks like I was wrong. You did make a viral video."

"Thanks Garrett. Now, run along to your class because I'm in too good a mood to deal with you today, k?" he said, then patted him on the arm & walked back over to Dez.

"Yeah, well, maybe you can afford your dad's chemo now," he said.

Austin turned around, getting a bit mad, & walked up to him.

"Care to repeat that? Speak into my good ear. I don't know if I heard you right," he said, putting his right hand behind his right ear.

"It's just that, you know, your dad being on chemo must be costing your family a bit, so maybe you can pitch in," he said & people started peering towards them.

"Oh. You wanna make fun of my dad? At least my parents are still together. Your parents are divorced & living in different parts of the country."

"Yeah, well, at least they're healthy."

"You know what, Garrett? You're not worth it. This feud has been going on for so long that, frankly, I'm tired of it."

"I see, but I'm not done. Do you know how much you've made from people seeing your video?"

"No, I get paid at the end of next month & I find out how much I made in the middle of it. It's still the third week of September."

"Well, I hope you use some of it to help out your folks."

"Trust me, we're ok. If my mom & dad need a bit more money, I'll be happy to pitch in," Austin said, clenching his right fist.

"Good," he notices his fist. "Oh, am I making you mad?"

"You make me mad every day just by being an otherwise regular douchebag whenever you see me. Right now, you're making it personal & I'd like you to just go away before my pent-up anger from every other day these last few years comes out & I can't be held accountable for my actions."

"Oh really? Tell you what. give me a good one, right here," he said, putting out his face within striking distance of Austin. "Come on, one free shot. Right here, on the jaw," he said, tapping his jaw.

"Austin," Dez said, whispering. Austin looked towards him & then back.

"Like I said," he said, then patted his cheek. "You're not worth it," he continued, then turned & walked away.

"Oh, you hear that, everyone? Austin Moon says I'm not worth it," he turned around to say, yelling to get everyone left in the hall's attention. "He's too much of a wuss to fight back."

"Hey, Garrett," Austin said & he turned around, then Austin socked him in the jaw with his right fist. "You said I could get a free shot in, ya piece of shit," he shook his fist, then walked back towards Dez. "We ready to make that video now?"

"Uh, Austin, you just punched Garrett out & I've been recording the entire time," he said, stopping the recording. "Well, good. No one ever believes me about him, now we have proof."

People were gathering around Garrett as he was in pain from the punch.

"Yeah, but we also have proof that you were the one who socked him in the jaw."

"Well, good about that too. I'll save it. Use it for something in the future."

"Austin Moon!" a teacher yelled, coming down the hallway from the other side of the hallway.

"For instance, right now. Mrs. Wood, how are you this fine morning?"

"Well, not so great, seeing as you just punched Garrett out! Honestly, what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking he was being an inconsiderate douche that needed to shut the fuck up & learn some respect, what do you think?"

"I think you punched him when it wasn't called for."

"Oh, it was called for? I don't know what you all saw in those cameras with feeds to the main office, but you probably didn't hear what was going on."

"Oh, & you recorded it?"

"Not me, Dez recorded it on my phone. You see, I was going to record a 'thank you' video for my fans for supporting me by seeing my latest video on YouTube & after Dez started recording, he came up, yadda, yadda, yadda, & now I have the entire incident on my phone. Oh!" he said, then got out his laptop from his backpack & charge cable, then hooked up his phone to his laptop & waited for it to sync.

"What are you doing?"

"Easy. I sync my phone to my laptop, then export the video using iMovie, then I show it to you guys in the office & I prove I was in the right."

"O...k, but you're going to have to come to the office."

"Oh, no prob," he said & they all walked down the hall.

In the office…

"Oh, you hear that, everyone? Austin Moon says I'm not worth it," he turned around to say, yelling to get everyone's attention. "He's too much of a wuss to fight back."

"Hey, Garrett," Austin said & he turned around, then Austin socked him in the jaw with his right fist. "You said I could get a free shot in, ya piece of shit," he shook his hand, then walked back towards Dez. "We ready to make that video now?" the video then ended.

"So, as you can see, I was very much justified in punching Garrett."

"Yes, Austin. The evidence shows that," Mr. Wood, the principal, started. "But, unfortunately, we don't look too well on physical violence, so, as a result of your violent outbreak, you're suspended for the remainder of the next 2 weeks."

"2 weeks? That seems a bit much, doesn't it?"

"Not to us. You assaulted a fellow student & what would we be without the punishments for it? Even if it's called for, there are other ways to deal with others than physical violence."

"Oh bullshit there are."

"Austin!" Mrs. Wood yelled.

"I'm sorry, but I've been bullied by people ever since middle school & the people our parents trust to watch over us during the days we're here have done jack shit to help me, or at least ask about what was going on. Take this for instance; a guy who was in my grade, whom I had Spanish with in 7th grade after lunch, he made sure to get in front of me every day that I wasn't earlier than him, or slightly late. One day, I decided to gently push him forward, seeing as it was the only thing I could think to do. In hindsight, I'd find an alternate path, since there's at least 2 I can think of, but regardless, when I did that, Mr. D. happened to come out of the computer lab next to the Spanish room &, rather than ask what was going on, assumed I was the aggressor in the situation, & made me go back to the other end of the hallway & walk back to the classroom. That's the problem with most of you adults. You never ask, or even consider an alternative explanation. Oh &, get this, in 8th grade, I believe, another kid, named Chuck, continually called a good friend of mine "birthday girl," just because it was his birthday & they didn't announce it on the announcements that morning, so when he brought it up to everyone, he called him that all day every chance he got. man, is this place better since those 2 transferred to different schools. Point is, the system in which these things happen under is fucking broken & you guys should be taking better measures to make everything fairer. You know what? suspend me. I'll have a better time at home than here anyways," he said, packing up his stuff in his backpack, standing up, then started to walk towards the door. "And you know what? Those guys, as well as a few others I could mention, are some of the most retarded bunch of people I've ever had the displeasure to deal with, so before you go judging me for keeping stupid, petty grudges, put the fact that they continued bullying the few of us so much that I have so much pent up anger that I never want to dredge up because I don't know what will happen if I ever let it surface. I'm a volcano just waiting to erupt. That's what they've done to me. I never act on it because I'm the bigger person & I know it won't benefit society to be another outcast with anger issues. Good bye. See you in 2 weeks," he said, then walked out, Dez following. "Ya know, it's these kinds of things that inspired 'Thirteen Reasons Why,'" he said as they walked.

"Austin, that was pretty cool you did that," Dez said.

"Thanks. You know what? That was some great catharsis for me. I know I'll never get the satisfaction I obviously need, but that felt pretty good."

"Yeah, I can imagine. You gonna be ok?"

"Yeah, I'll just go home & simmer down. Will you come over after school so I can get the homeworks & notes I'll miss?"

"Yeah, man. No worries," Dez said as they got to the exit, then they did their handshake.

"What up!"

"See you later, man."

"Yeah, man," Dez said & Austin walked out the door, got to his truck a minute later, started it, then drove off.

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PEACE

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