A Typical Day
"So we rush forward, and at the last second, just before everything is over and we die, Much lets lose with this bomb that he's been storing away for an hour. He didn't even tell me he got it!" Professor Tuck laughed at the indignant expression on Little John's face. He was one of the few people in the school who knew that the elder Loxley brother was not a fool.
Much, Little John, and Robin were sprawled in various places around the room. Much had placed eight desks together and was dozing on the makeshift bed. John was seated on a table and animatedly retelling his and Much's adventures with a video game the night before. Robin wandered around the room, staring for the hundredth time at all of the small figures and creatures kept in the jars and bottles. Tuck sat at his desk, grading papers and listening to John's tale, while also keeping an eye on Robin and Much.
Suddenly Robin hissed slightly in pain and cringed, pulling his shoulders in toward himself. John looked up, worry evident by how tense he held his body. Robin smiled apologetically at him.
"Sorry. My cheek itched."
"You should know by now not to scratch a bruised cheek."
"What can I say? I'm a slow learner."
"Rob…"
"Yeah, yeah. Hey Tuck?" The slight boy waited for Tuck's grunt of acknowledgement. "What's that?" Tuck looked up to see the teen pointing at a small jar, which was on a shelf about four inches out of Robin's reach.
"Bottled antler bladder." Robin's face screwed in a dubious expressions while he nodded slowly. He then pulled a desk over and used it to give himself the height needed to reach the bottle. "Be careful, Robin." Tuck cautioned.
John watched his brother for a few more seconds before returning to his story.
§ § §
"So what did you say to them?"
"What could I say? I just let them go in. They couldn't blame me, after all, how was I supposed to know that a giant cement truck was behind that wall?"
The vice principle laughed with the others at the mock-helpless expression on Will's face. He, the Scarlets, the Sarcens, the Leafords, and Alan were sitting on the bleachers in the band room, enjoying a lunch time free of Much Millerson's yelling. Will was about to launch into another story when a large football player ran into the room.
"Will! You, Nasir, and Azeem are needed in the main hallway, now. Come on." The trio shrugged and followed him out the door. When they reached a set of doors leading to the man hallway the fourth football player stopped and turned.
"We weren't really needed, were we?"
"Just as support. We're gonna get revenge for what those freaks did to Frank last week."
"I thought you already got it when you pounded that Loxley shrimp into the dirt."
"The next day after school Millerson and the Ox attacked again."
"What do you want us to do?"
"Hold Loxley back while we teach his cousin and brother a lesson."
"And if we decide not to?" Azeem asked, his sage-like voice intimidating even the burly football player in front of him for a few seconds.
"What? You're gonna side with them? They attacked us for no reason!" Eventually the trio gave in to the pressure and followed the rest of the football time in the direction of Professor Tuck's biology classroom.
"Where are we going?" Nasir asked quietly.
"To get the Loxleys and Millerson. They spend lunch with Tuck."
"Where did you hear that?"
"I overheard Claire telling Mike that she saw them in there when she had to ask Tuck a question about an assignment."
"Why would they hang out there, though?"
"Who knows."
§
"Hey Professor Tuck, can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Of course, Mr. Jacobs. What can I help you with?"
"It's kinda…" the jock allowed himself to trail off as he glanced at the three boys lounging in the teacher's classroom. Robin had followed Much to dreamland after inspecting the antler bladder, and Little John was working on that night's homework.
"Personal?" the professor finally supplied. The jock nodded and waited to be lead out of the classroom, wondering how their plan would be accomplished if Tuck was standing in front of the door. "John, would you wake the others and wait outside while we have a chat?" the professor asked. John nodded and woke his brother and cousin, leading the groggy teens out the door. He shut the door behind him to give the duo privacy.
Nasir and Azeem held John back while the others attacked Robin and Much. John started yelling and cursing at them, alerting the teacher to trouble. Tuck also finally noticed that Jacobs had been stalling for something and acting suspicious.
"Tell me, Mr. Jacobs, what made you think it would be acceptable to lie to a teacher while three of your classmates are being beaten as we speak?"
"They attacked us first!" The teacher raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, instead heading out to stop the fight.
"Enough!" the fat professor yelled loudly, causing all of the students to freeze. "Release him," Tuck ordered Nasir and Azeem. The twins looked only too happy to be given the order, and Will reached out to help Robin to his feet.
"Don't touch him," Little John growled, moving to stand between the jocks and his family. When the other teens finally backed away a sufficient distance, John turned to check on the boys behind him. Much was already on his feet and looking ready to attack the others, even though his blood-slick face was more cut than skin. Robin was leaning against the wall, the bruise on his cheek from earlier the least of his worries. John walked over to him and began checking him over for damages.
Robin shrugged him off after a moment and faced the jocks. He didn't flinch away from them; instead they felt unable to meet his eyes. Every visible part of his slight body was covered in scratches and bruises; blood, cloth, or both covered the rest. "Why?" he finally whispered hoarsely. He cleared his throat and tried again, louder this time. "Why do you guys keep attacking us? What have we done to you? And don't start that crap about us starting it. You've been picking on us since we were in second grade."
When he received no answer even after several moments of silence, he finally lost his strength and began to sag. Little John was behind him a fraction of a second later, helping him stay on his feet. The trio said goodbye to Tuck and limped away, heading for the main doors instead of their next classes. Tuck rounded on the jocks still standing in front of him.
"Are you happy now? I will be taking this up with the principle, and don't expect the fact that you're the football team to exclude you from suspension or expulsion. Get to class." The boys turned and left for their classes.
A/N: Thank you bla, it's a pretty easy story... They're almost all outlaws in the real thing... I'm just taking the ones who seem more jock-like in my mind and making them jocks... Cecily is from the book "Outlaws of Sherwood", Azeem is from "Prince of Thieves", Nasir and Meg are from "Robin of Sherwood" ( an oldBritish TV show), and Much is from all three, but in this he's probably most like the "Outlaws of Sherwood" Much... Oh, and Guy of Gisbourne in this story is a good guy... justa little off... as you'll see soon if you keep reading... Hope that clears things up for you.
