Shop Class Prodigy

Note: A Megas XLR fanfic focusing on the under-appreciated Goat. Before Megas was found, Coop and Jaime spent many enjoyable days being educated and enlightened in school. (guffaw) Yeah, sure.

This focuses on the "entertaining" classes, shop and mechanics, both of which Goat is a genius in.

Despite his scraggly, rugged looks, he's a prodigy. This goes into the origin of Coop and Jaime's friendship with Goat, and why Goat is named Goat to begin with.

Chapter 1—High School Daze

Coop and Jaime didn't really enjoy going to school that much. Coop was more interested in playing the latest video games that were coming out onto the market or sampling the latest delight that the nearest delicatessen sold. Whatever his obsessions were, he was always immersed in them rather than his classes. His longtime friend Jaime, was just as bad, maybe even worse. A beautiful woman always sidetracked Jaime, but automobile shows kept Coop and him occupied to the point of zoning out, swapping manly stories about how much a certain rig could haul and burping the alphabet backwards. But, one day, their lives were inevitably changed…The day they met someone that would bring a giant robot into their existence.

There was a "kid" in shop class who looked as if he stepped straight out of the 1960's. He had a grungy look, an untrimmed goatee and wore oily clothes practically every day when he walked into class and took a set next to Coop and Jaime. He talked like a surfer from California, and he was even more laid back than many Californians one would encounter. In New Jersey, this was definitely and oddity if not strange and unusual in and of itself. Even more peculiar, this "kid" was named Goat. No one really knew why he was named Goat, but a lot of kids thought his parents were smoking some pretty good marijuana to have given him such a horrible name. Yet, none of them ever said that out loud. The only kids not thinking this or saying it behind Goat's back were Coop and Jaime and they both admired his lackadaisical fashion sense, as well as his cool, devil-may-care attitude.

The boys were getting by with their average grades, but they were having difficulty passing shop class. This was considered a mark of shame upon them since stereotypically boys didn't have hardly any problem at all with classes that incorporated building and "logic". However, Coop and Jaime lacked the logic and there was only one way to redeem themselves…

Seek help from Goat.

Chapter 2—Help From An Unexpected Person

Coop was the more talkative of the friends, so he was asked to inquire Goat's help. Goat was more than obliged to help the duo and give them the edge they needed in class. Goat was so excellent at his craft that the teacher took a hiatus from the course and allowed Goat to teach. Despite his cool, calm attitude, he was tough on the other kids taking the course. Although he was a new friend of Coop and Jaime, he was hard on them as well.

Coop and Jaime had never worked so hard in all their lives (in fact, they didn't really "work" at all). However, they were feeling a sense of accomplishment and were pleased that they had befriended Goat, but they still didn't know that much about him. So, in an effort to become more acquainted with him, Goat took them to one of his favorite places…the junkyard.

Goat lived in a trailer park not too far away from the junkyard where he liked to create works of art out of other people's trash. While he manufactured masterpieces, Coop and Jaime were awed at his talent.

"So, why the name Goat ? We never really asked you before and we were intrigued.", Coop asked as the three admired him finish another project before they were called into the trailer for dinner.

"I was born in the Chinese Year of the Goat, hence my name. I hear what others have been saying about my name. Who cares about them ? I mean, it's my name, right ? I mean those other dudes no respect but saying my parents are stoners…That's just wrong. But I won't say anything back to them. It'll just give them more reason to tease me. Frankly, they can all kiss my ass.", Goat answered, honestly.

"Excellent point. We definitely don't disrespect your parents. And we definitely don't disrespect you. Man, you're the best to help us out and we didn't even have to cheat.", Jaime said, devouring a piece of pepperoni pizza. Coop munched loudly, nodding his head in approval.

This pizza was some of the best he had ever eaten, and he was up to his seventh piece already.

Chapter 3—Graduating Class

It seemed to Coop and Jaime that their time in school had gone by so rapidly but it had been an eventful four years. All that lay ahead for the guys now was figuring out what they wanted to do for a career. Goat already had the future diagramed and had prepared a future site of what would someday become his own junkyard and repair shop. Sadly, the artwork would have to take second place to repairing vehicles but at least he would be doing something he loved. As for Coop and Jaime, heck, they were absolutely oblivious and clueless as to what they wanted to do with their lives but when Goat unearthed Megas, that all changed.

Epilogue

Coop and Jaime knew they had to thank Goat for being the one to find Megas. They also realized that he had taught them how to fix automobiles and just about anything that was broken. True, they did modify the initial design of Megas but it was an effective weapon in fighting off the Glorft or whatever other unknown forces wanted to try to attack Earth.

Goat didn't stay on Earth as he initially planned to. He had left his junkyard and his repair shop to his best friends and finest mechanics he knew. He had gone with Coop and Jaime as their mechanic…as everyone's mechanic. Goat might've not been able to fly Megas or fight against evildoers himself but he was more than happy helping where he was needed. He wouldn't have wanted it any other way. At least now, he was getting the respect he deserved and he was among intergalactic friends. Nothing could make him more pleased than to be respected and know that his two best friends, Coop and Jaime would always be there to chill out with him when they weren't busy kicking bad-guy butt.

The End

By: Elizabeth Berndt

January 19, 2005