A/N: If you want an apology for taking so long with this chapter, see the newest chapters of the other stories I just updated. Sorry, but I had a crappy combo of ingredients for dinner, and my stomach's really messed up right now. I said it before, and I'll say it again: Do NOT eat pizza when Ranch Dressing is an ingredient, even if you like Ranch Dressing… Just trust me on this one. Now, on with the story. BTW, I can't get any other way of spacing in, so this is my new way of writing in seperations.
Sherwood High Sherwood High Sherwood High
"Hey guys… Sorry about losing it on you yesterday," Robin apologized to the social elite.
"You have no reason to apologize," Marion told him, smiling gently. "I think it's amazing that you can put up with that all of the time." Robin shot her a shocked look, so she explained. "John said something about you two not usually going at it with company over. I assumed that that meant that you get yelled at like that a lot."
"Well, you know what they say about when you assume," Robin began, smiling. "But yeah, that's a regular occurrence. Except… normally I don't yell back." Robin shrugged, smiled at the group again, and walked back over to his brother and Much.
"Wait up!" Marion called, as she and Meg ran after him. The Scarlets and Alan exchanged looks before Will grinned widely.
"Someone's got a cru-ush…" he sang quietly. The others watched as Marion hooked her arm in Robin's, and Meg immediately started up a conversation with Little John. Much then shook his head and headed over to the remaining jocks.
"You might as well join us. Those two seem head over heels for the Princess twins."
"Why sound so depressed?" Will asked. Much stared at him through black-lined violet eyes.
"My two favorite cousins are dating within the social elite. This isn't depression, it's worry. They could be seriously hurt by this."
"Ah, come on! We'll protect them." Much raised a thin eyebrow. "No, seriously! We will! Won't we, guys?" Will looked to Nasir and Azeem for confirmation. The twin brothers nodded their support, neither bothering with the energy it would take to speak.
"Fine. But if I ever hear that either of them has been injured and you did nothing, I will murder all of you, using nothing but a spoon."
"Don't you mean a knife?" Alan cut in.
"Nope. That's not painful enough. Oh, and it'll be a rusty spoon, so if the attack doesn't kill you, the infection will."
"Violent, aren't we?" Cecily joked.
"When it concerns my family, and those two in particular, yes."
From around the corner, John King, the principal's younger brother, sneered in disgust. He headed out to the football field, to see if the jocks were still over there. He smiled to himself when he saw that they were. John called them over and waited for them all to arrive before speaking.
"All of you know the Loxley brothers, right?"
"The ox and the shrimp, right?"
"That's right. I want all of you to hurt them. I don't care how. Just make sure that they are hurt."
"What'll you give us?" one of the jocks asked, not wanting to do anything, even beat up an easy target, unless there was something in it for him.
"Well, I'll be in charge of your 'punishments' if you're caught. Also, I think I can arrange to have Millerson out of the way for that time." The teenagers thought it over before agreeing. "Good. Then I want you to be in the main hallway half an hour after school lets out tomorrow. The Loxleys stay after to help Professor Tuck, and Millerson can't stay late on Thursdays."
Sherwood High Sherwood High Sherwood High
The next day after school, the football players were in place. Little John and Robin walked out of the classroom and into the hallway. The professor had gone out the back way since it faced the faculty parking area, so the brothers were – supposedly – alone in the hallway. Three football players jumped out at John, knocking him to the ground. Another two ran for Robin, getting him in the face multiple times, as well as the stomach.
Another punch connected solidly with the slender boy's cheek. The small brown-haired head snapped backwards and the fist started for another swing. A solid wall caught it halfway through. John Loxley stood over the slumped form of his little brother, glaring menacingly at the football player a scant two inches shorter than his own six feet and five inches.
Before he could retaliate on behalf of the smaller boy, John was kicked in the back. He fell forward, startled. Robin jumped up to help his brother, his green eyes wide with adrenaline and no small amount of trepidation. Before long, the brothers were being crushed and beaten by the twelve oversized athletes. Robin was about to black out when he felt the youth above him get pulled off. His eyes opened blurrily to see four new boys fighting his attackers.
"You okay, Robby?" John asked, leaning over his brother protectively. Robin nodded, and managed to keep from smiling at the childhood nickname. John only ever used it now when he was worried. When John saw the nod, he jumped up and helped even the odds a little. Despite being beaten less than a minute ago, he was the best fighter of the five.
"Little John!" Robin called, determined to keep his brother out of detention for one day at least. John, however, seemed not to hear him. He continued to fight with the four newcomers who, to Robin's shock, were football players and a band member, and all people who had helped to beat him up only last month.
The shortest of the football players defending the brothers picked up one of his opponents and tossed him. Unfortunately, the thrown boy managed to kick Robin in the head before he crashed into a bunch of lockers, knocking both of them out.
When he saw his little brother's head connect with the jock's foot and then the floor, Little John went into a rage. The remaining eleven attackers quickly either fled or were beaten bloody. When he was sure no one else would come near his brother, Little John bent over Robin and gathered the small body into his arms.
With his brother cradled safely in his arms, Little John turned to look at their 'rescuers'. William Scarlet, and Nasir and Azeem Sarcen of the football team, and Alan Alexander Dale, who was a prominent member of the band, men's choir, and social elite stood before him. All four were bruised, but none of them was bloody.
"Thanks," Little John offered. The others nodded.
"We couldn't just let you face it yourself," Will explained. Little John nodded his acceptance, but still had to get in the last word.
"You would have less than a month ago."
Will, Nasir, Azeem, and Alan watched the giant boy walk away, his brother almost hidden from view by John's massive chest and arms.
Sherwood High Sherwood High Sherwood High
Over the next week, Little John and Robin both limped around school, looking more like walking, talking grapes than human beings. The bruises covered almost every square inch of their bodies. Somehow, every football player aside from Will, Nasir, and Azeem came down with extreme rashes and an itching problem. They would be fine when they left for school, but the moment they were anywhere near Much, one of the Loxleys, or their new friends within the elite circle, they would begin to itch uncontrollably.
Eventually, the itching powder ran out, and Much resorted to violent means as a form of payback. Marion and Meg began dating Robin and Little John, respectively, and they got farther along in their project than anyone expected of them, including themselves.
Sherwood High Sherwood High Sherwood High
A/N: Yes, that's where I'm ending it for now. There will be one more chapter. And for those who don't remember from the prologue chapter, I have nothing against jocks or cheerleaders. While I do find some of them annoying, it is for their personality, not their place in high school hierarchy. I have had football player and cheerleader friends. There was one guy in one of my classes last year who was a football player, and he is possibly the only reason I found the desk work part of the class so fun… So no, the feelings regarding those people in this fic do not, in any way, reflect on my real feelings. I just needed a stereotype… It's been overdone, but I was having a blonde moment (yes, that is my natural color, so I can use that excuse as much as I want) and couldn't think of anything better.
Thank yous:
cowgirlnm-1 - Thanks, and you're probably right. Cinnamon rolls for teachers always gets you on their good side... unless they're diabetic or on a diet... Then you're just screwed. I hope you liked the artwork, but like I said, it could seriously use some work... And if you want, I could probably sketch up a blue-print type thing of the house design? It'll even have beds and dressers in there, because that's just how I do it! grin Just let me know!
Anonyms - Thank you! Your review really made my day! I know I should expand my vocabulary, but then it feels like it loses something... I write alot like I talk... Whatever flows at the moment works... Thanks for the suggestion though. That chapter was actually the basis of the entire story. I was sitting in my fifth period class, and that scene just popped into my head. I formatted the rest of the story around it, so I'm glad someone liked it.
Heather - Thank you, and like I said to Anonyms, that fight was the reason for this story. I'm glad it was realistic enough to be touching. Thanks.
kkcnbay55 - Thanks for the review, and it doesn't bother me at all. To tell you the truth, that was how I was hoping he'd come across for the first (most of the) chapters. I didn't plan on him playing a major role, or even being a tough character until the last chapter. That's when the Robin Hood we grew up loving will finally make his appearance. Bear in mind that he has grown up believing (and with good reason) that his father hates him. Also, living in Little John's shadow, he has never had a reason to fend for himself or even become his own person. So, to tell you the truth, I'm glad you mentioned it. It means that I'm doing something right. Stick with it a little longer, and the real Robin will come out. Thanks again!
AlisonMarianFan - Thanks.
Branwen Welsh - Yeah, I have noticed that. But since these characters are under my control for the moment, they're going to be more human than most people and stick around, because that's what I see them doing. And I'd just like to say 'WOW!' to your schedule. I just barely graduated high school ('05!), and even that was enough to screw me over in my writing. Note how long it's taken to get this up! So you're right, and I apologize for taking so long with this thing! Thanks for the review! I'm sorry! I think my brain imploded when I heard the Grad march song for the ninety-ninth time! I'm trying to get it up quick! Please be patient with me or I'll start crying all over you, and we'll do the Alice-in-Wonderland-cry-an-ocean's-worth-or-tears-and-drown-the-world thing!
