DISCLAIMER: I do not own "I've Got a Tiger By the Tail," nor do I want to. =P But Johnny is mine.
MY NOTES: Thanks to reviewers: Beth Smith, Sona Camdyn, Kora, and pierced-belly-button! If you aren't a reviewer yet, become one!
That Monday, Ray was running his mouth about his trip to the 'Hill.' "Man, I had that girl eating out of the palm of my hand. I got what I wanted, on the second date. Beat that." Alan heard him and realized he finally knew what to do. He found Marie and told her about Ray.
"I want proof," Marie said doubtfully.
"Okay."
Alan took the pretty girl just close enough to Ray to hear his bragging. When she heard the lies he was telling, she broke down in tears and ran through the hall. Alan chased her. When he finally reached her, he put his arms around her and told her he would try to help her straighten out her reputation. She wiped away a few tears and buried her head in Alan's chest. Alan ran his hand through her soft dark brown hair and told her everything would be okay. She continued to cry, leaving Alan's tight navy blue t-shirt wet. "I'm so sorry, Alan," she said, wiping away more tears.
"Me, too," he said soothingly.
"If you don't mind I would like to be friends again, but I don't want to date anyone else for a LONG time."
"I would like that alot." He smiled at the heart-broken girl in front of him.
*********
The next day Alan told Ronnie all about everything. Ronnie told him he was happy for him, but inwardly, he thought "She doesn't deserve to get him back that easily, but I'm glad Alan's happy again."
*********
On Wednesday, Ray asked Marie out again. Her answer shocked him. "I'm never going out with you again," She said. "I hope you spend the rest of your life sad and lonely."
"What?" Ray asked with a totally blank look.
"You heard me," the angry girl replied. "Oh, and I should have never broken up with Alan. Especially for a jerk like you!" she shouted. Then she took off to see Alan.
"Wow, that was clichéd," he mumbled to himself.
*********
"I can't believe she won't go out with me again. I mean, I'm the hottest guy in the entire school," Ray bragged. "And worst of all, she wants to ask Alan out again."
Before his friend, Johnny, could say anything, Gerry was right beside them, saying, "Who told you that lie?"
Ray gave him a dirty look.
Gerry laughed, "Man, if looks could kill, I'd be six feet under."
Johnny kept looking back and forth.
Julius, who had heard the conversation, laughed and said, "Don't you know Sunshine's the best looking guy here? Then Superman, here. Then myself.?
Petey caught Julius's words, He strutted along and said, "Shoot, I'm the finest man here."
Everyone but Ray laughed.
Julius smiled. "Man, you ain't even one of the top twenty."
"And you are?" the shorter black guy asked.
Johnny laughed and said, "I have to go, y'all." He turned to say goodbye to Ray, and realized that he was already gone.
*********
Alan was so happy to have Marie back, which made Ronnie and Gerry a little angry. Marie had treated Alan like dirt and he treated her like an angel. She didn't deserve it at all. Her feelings had been hurt. So maybe she did need a friend, but it shouldn't have been Alan. But Alan wasn't the type to refuse friendship to anyone. Especially someone who had been hurt. He knew how that felt.
********
After his last class, Ray found Alan in the hall and asked him what happened. Alan told him the whole story.
"I told her you were saying things that you had no business saying."
" And she believed you?" the shorter teen asked
"No. I took her close enough to hear your crap."
Ray's face lit up with anger. He was livid. He drew back and hit Alan's jaw with all of his strength. Before Alan could return the punch, someone grabbed his hands. Alan gasped. It was Coach Boone. The tall black man smiled and said, "I'll take care of this, son." Alan stepped back and felt his jaw to make sure he was okay.
"Guess what?" Coach Boone said sarcastically. "You are gonna be suspended for so long that you're actually gonna miss this school. Oh and you can expect to run a few miles at practice. Won't that be fun, Dean?"
Ray stormed off shaking his head and gritting his teeth. His deep blue eyes were filled with anger. He was saying something unkind under his breath about Boone. Coach Boone smiled. "I've always wanted to do that," he said, forgetting that Alan was still standing behind him. The young man laughed, reminding Boone of his presence.
"Thanks," Alan said. "But I wish I could have hit him."
"Well I'm glad you didn't, but I understand."
Coach Boone looked back at him with a grin. He then realized how bad Alan looked. "That's gonna leave a mighty bad bruise. We need to get some ice on that."
"Thanks. But my Dad's probably waiting. I better just go." Alan said, as he began to slip off in hopes that Boone would let him go.
"Wait up. You're not leaving here without ice to put on that jaw."
"Okay" Alan said, slightly perturbed.
When Alan buckled into his dad's car, he was immediately questioned. "What took you so long?" Fred asked.
"Ray hit me in the jaw, and Coach Boone insisted on getting me ice."
"Why did he hit you?" the older man asked angrily.
"It's a long story. Ray told some lies about that girl I told you about, and I told her."
"Why do you have to get in the middle of everything?" asked Fred, a little more angrily,
"I'm sorry." Alan looked up at his father. "I didn't get in trouble. Just Ray. And I was just trying to help her."
"Well, whatever," Fred mumbled.
Alan decided to change the subject. "How was work?" he asked, although he really didn't care.
"The same as usual. A little better, I guess, since I got off early."
"Thanks for picking me up. It's nice not to have to worry about walking home."
The subject was changed again, only by Fred this time. "Well, how's your jaw feeling?"
"Cold." Alan laughed a little at his corny joke, and then realized that his dad didn't think it was very funny. "Actually, it's really sore, but kind of numb at the same time."
The rest of the ride was quiet, with the exception of Alan softly singing the Buck Ownens tune, "I've Got a Tiger by the Tail."
By the time Alan got home, his ice was melting and dripping out of the plastic bag. When he got out of the car, he dumped the ice out of the bag and followed his dad into the house. He dumped his bookbag beside the bed and went to the living room to lie on the couch. His jaw was really hurting by then. Mr. Bosley walked over and took a look at his son's injury. He made Alan put more ice on it. Alan slept a long time. His father woke him up and said, "It's time for supper. You've been asleep for an hour."
Alan slowly sat up, wiped his eyes, and asked, "What are we having?"
"Hot dogs."
Alan walked over to the table and dropped himself into a seat. He opened his mouth to take a bite, and felt excruciating pain. He gasped, and gave a short yell. His dad quickly asked, "What happened?"
"It just hurts really bad to open my mouth that wide," he said, holding back tears.
Thankfully for Alan, there was pudding in the fridge. And it was his favorite kind, chocolate. His dad called someone on the phoen and started discussing something that had nothing to do with Alan, and it probably would have bored him anyway.
He walked upstairs to his bedroom and collapsed on his bed. He climbed under the covers and pulled one of three pillows out from under his head to snuggle up to. At times like these, he wanted his mother. He hadn't seen her in ten or eleven years. She and his Dad had been divorced when he was very young. He barely remembered her. Two things he remembered were her soft voice and her love of music, which he had inherited. He loved the memories of her tickeling him and hugging him when he was he sick or hurt. He would have given anything for one of those hugs at that moment.
He never discussed his mother with anyone except Ronnie. He told Ronnie EVERYTHING. Slowly Alan drifted off into a sweet sleep filled with dreams of his mother.
MY NOTES: Thanks to reviewers: Beth Smith, Sona Camdyn, Kora, and pierced-belly-button! If you aren't a reviewer yet, become one!
That Monday, Ray was running his mouth about his trip to the 'Hill.' "Man, I had that girl eating out of the palm of my hand. I got what I wanted, on the second date. Beat that." Alan heard him and realized he finally knew what to do. He found Marie and told her about Ray.
"I want proof," Marie said doubtfully.
"Okay."
Alan took the pretty girl just close enough to Ray to hear his bragging. When she heard the lies he was telling, she broke down in tears and ran through the hall. Alan chased her. When he finally reached her, he put his arms around her and told her he would try to help her straighten out her reputation. She wiped away a few tears and buried her head in Alan's chest. Alan ran his hand through her soft dark brown hair and told her everything would be okay. She continued to cry, leaving Alan's tight navy blue t-shirt wet. "I'm so sorry, Alan," she said, wiping away more tears.
"Me, too," he said soothingly.
"If you don't mind I would like to be friends again, but I don't want to date anyone else for a LONG time."
"I would like that alot." He smiled at the heart-broken girl in front of him.
*********
The next day Alan told Ronnie all about everything. Ronnie told him he was happy for him, but inwardly, he thought "She doesn't deserve to get him back that easily, but I'm glad Alan's happy again."
*********
On Wednesday, Ray asked Marie out again. Her answer shocked him. "I'm never going out with you again," She said. "I hope you spend the rest of your life sad and lonely."
"What?" Ray asked with a totally blank look.
"You heard me," the angry girl replied. "Oh, and I should have never broken up with Alan. Especially for a jerk like you!" she shouted. Then she took off to see Alan.
"Wow, that was clichéd," he mumbled to himself.
*********
"I can't believe she won't go out with me again. I mean, I'm the hottest guy in the entire school," Ray bragged. "And worst of all, she wants to ask Alan out again."
Before his friend, Johnny, could say anything, Gerry was right beside them, saying, "Who told you that lie?"
Ray gave him a dirty look.
Gerry laughed, "Man, if looks could kill, I'd be six feet under."
Johnny kept looking back and forth.
Julius, who had heard the conversation, laughed and said, "Don't you know Sunshine's the best looking guy here? Then Superman, here. Then myself.?
Petey caught Julius's words, He strutted along and said, "Shoot, I'm the finest man here."
Everyone but Ray laughed.
Julius smiled. "Man, you ain't even one of the top twenty."
"And you are?" the shorter black guy asked.
Johnny laughed and said, "I have to go, y'all." He turned to say goodbye to Ray, and realized that he was already gone.
*********
Alan was so happy to have Marie back, which made Ronnie and Gerry a little angry. Marie had treated Alan like dirt and he treated her like an angel. She didn't deserve it at all. Her feelings had been hurt. So maybe she did need a friend, but it shouldn't have been Alan. But Alan wasn't the type to refuse friendship to anyone. Especially someone who had been hurt. He knew how that felt.
********
After his last class, Ray found Alan in the hall and asked him what happened. Alan told him the whole story.
"I told her you were saying things that you had no business saying."
" And she believed you?" the shorter teen asked
"No. I took her close enough to hear your crap."
Ray's face lit up with anger. He was livid. He drew back and hit Alan's jaw with all of his strength. Before Alan could return the punch, someone grabbed his hands. Alan gasped. It was Coach Boone. The tall black man smiled and said, "I'll take care of this, son." Alan stepped back and felt his jaw to make sure he was okay.
"Guess what?" Coach Boone said sarcastically. "You are gonna be suspended for so long that you're actually gonna miss this school. Oh and you can expect to run a few miles at practice. Won't that be fun, Dean?"
Ray stormed off shaking his head and gritting his teeth. His deep blue eyes were filled with anger. He was saying something unkind under his breath about Boone. Coach Boone smiled. "I've always wanted to do that," he said, forgetting that Alan was still standing behind him. The young man laughed, reminding Boone of his presence.
"Thanks," Alan said. "But I wish I could have hit him."
"Well I'm glad you didn't, but I understand."
Coach Boone looked back at him with a grin. He then realized how bad Alan looked. "That's gonna leave a mighty bad bruise. We need to get some ice on that."
"Thanks. But my Dad's probably waiting. I better just go." Alan said, as he began to slip off in hopes that Boone would let him go.
"Wait up. You're not leaving here without ice to put on that jaw."
"Okay" Alan said, slightly perturbed.
When Alan buckled into his dad's car, he was immediately questioned. "What took you so long?" Fred asked.
"Ray hit me in the jaw, and Coach Boone insisted on getting me ice."
"Why did he hit you?" the older man asked angrily.
"It's a long story. Ray told some lies about that girl I told you about, and I told her."
"Why do you have to get in the middle of everything?" asked Fred, a little more angrily,
"I'm sorry." Alan looked up at his father. "I didn't get in trouble. Just Ray. And I was just trying to help her."
"Well, whatever," Fred mumbled.
Alan decided to change the subject. "How was work?" he asked, although he really didn't care.
"The same as usual. A little better, I guess, since I got off early."
"Thanks for picking me up. It's nice not to have to worry about walking home."
The subject was changed again, only by Fred this time. "Well, how's your jaw feeling?"
"Cold." Alan laughed a little at his corny joke, and then realized that his dad didn't think it was very funny. "Actually, it's really sore, but kind of numb at the same time."
The rest of the ride was quiet, with the exception of Alan softly singing the Buck Ownens tune, "I've Got a Tiger by the Tail."
By the time Alan got home, his ice was melting and dripping out of the plastic bag. When he got out of the car, he dumped the ice out of the bag and followed his dad into the house. He dumped his bookbag beside the bed and went to the living room to lie on the couch. His jaw was really hurting by then. Mr. Bosley walked over and took a look at his son's injury. He made Alan put more ice on it. Alan slept a long time. His father woke him up and said, "It's time for supper. You've been asleep for an hour."
Alan slowly sat up, wiped his eyes, and asked, "What are we having?"
"Hot dogs."
Alan walked over to the table and dropped himself into a seat. He opened his mouth to take a bite, and felt excruciating pain. He gasped, and gave a short yell. His dad quickly asked, "What happened?"
"It just hurts really bad to open my mouth that wide," he said, holding back tears.
Thankfully for Alan, there was pudding in the fridge. And it was his favorite kind, chocolate. His dad called someone on the phoen and started discussing something that had nothing to do with Alan, and it probably would have bored him anyway.
He walked upstairs to his bedroom and collapsed on his bed. He climbed under the covers and pulled one of three pillows out from under his head to snuggle up to. At times like these, he wanted his mother. He hadn't seen her in ten or eleven years. She and his Dad had been divorced when he was very young. He barely remembered her. Two things he remembered were her soft voice and her love of music, which he had inherited. He loved the memories of her tickeling him and hugging him when he was he sick or hurt. He would have given anything for one of those hugs at that moment.
He never discussed his mother with anyone except Ronnie. He told Ronnie EVERYTHING. Slowly Alan drifted off into a sweet sleep filled with dreams of his mother.