Left Undone
Chapter 5
Timothy sat through his last period class , anxiously awaiting for the bell to ring, liberating him to go to the shop. He could think of nothing else the entire day, almost not being able to retain his focus on what the teachers were saying . The biology teacher watched him all period , obviously shocked to see him sitting there working on an assignment. Before he walked out of the class, she stopped him, searching the boy for any evidence of what transpired between them the previous day.
" Timothy, is everything okay?"
" Yes, Mrs. Baxter. I just wanted to know if there was some extra credit I could do to try and salvage my grades."
She looked at him intently, a smile threatening to over take her face. She had secretly wondered if the brilliant teen would come back to her. " Timothy, you've fallen behind severely."
" I know, but there's got to be something that I can do," Timothy said as the students filed past him. He noticed one , a honey skinned girl with light blue eyes and long brown hair. Her eyes sparkled at him as she held his gaze walking out of the door.
" Timothy, it's difficult but not impossible. There are some things that you can do to help bring your grade up. Being that this is AP, if you can get it up you won't lose your college credits."
" I'm willing to work at it Mrs. Baxter," Timothy said as his mind was still on the girl that passed. He couldn't for the life of him remember her name, and her beauty was burned into his mind.
" Just as long as you know that it isn't going to be easy. You've had all the fun you can afford. Come by and see me tomorrow before class, and we can discuss this," Mrs. Baxter said as she closed her book. Whatever happened to Timothy Speedle, she was happy that it brought him back to life.
Timothy nodded as he grabbed his books and raced out of the room, hoping to see the girl, but finding that she had disappeared amongst the sea of kids as they milled about, free from the confines of school for the afternoon. He made his way to his locker and opened it quickly as he glanced at his watch, 3:05. He had ten minutes to get to the shop, and he didn't want to be late for his first day of work.
As he closed the locker, he was startled by his friends that were standing on the opposite side of the locker with a look of mischief in their eyes. He had started hanging with them shortly after his father had died, knowing what type of crowd they were, but at that point he didn't care. He just wanted to get away from the life he once knew. They provided him with the means to escape his prison of sorrow, only to be put into another one, and soon he found himself unable to shed them. Even when they started vandalizing buildings , cutting class regularly, and beating up people, Timothy just couldn't seem to shake them off. It was as if he felt like he owed them something for taking him from his grief. Now as he eyed his watch again nervously, he wished that he had gotten rid of them.
" So, Speed, what are we going to do today?" Cooper Royston asked as he placed a hand on the locker next to Timothy. Timothy shot him an aggravated look and shook his head.
" How many times have I told you not to call me that?" Timothy returned angrily. They had made it a habit to call him that when they first met, and Timothy , until yesterday, had hated it. Yesterday had changed everything, and he didn't want these clowns to have anything to do with it.
" Alright, chill dude. I was thinking that we would ride down to the Tamani trail..."
" I got something to do," Timothy said quickly as he tried to move.
" And you didn't include us?" Tommy Peterson chimed in. He stood behind Cooper and flashed a goofy grin. He was obviously the follower.
" I didn't know I had to babysit today," Timothy replied sarcastically as he moved again. Cooper put a hand out to stop him, causing Timothy to stare at him with more irritation. He didn't like to fight , but it was in him.
" Now you wouldn't be running out on us would you, Timmy?"
" You guys? Not at all..." he returned smugly. " Now if you'd excuse me."
" Oh ,excuse me," Cooper mocked as he moved away from the lockers. Timothy continued to glare at him and shook his head as he walked . " Please don't tell me that you are going to be a punk ass like your pop..."
Timothy stopped in his tracks and turned around, not hearing anything else that was going on around him. He focused his attention on Cooper as the boy chuckled heartily . He was seeing red. His impulses told him to knock his head off, but his mind reflected back on what his father had told him in the past about fighting...
" Now what are you to do if some idiot wants to provoke you into a fight?
" I turn and walk away. But dad, won't I be labeled as a wuss?"
" It takes a strong man to walk away from a conflict, Junior. The weakest ones always make as ass out of themselves."
Timothy smiled to himself as he turned and walked away. He could hear the other two boys as they started to laugh at the diss that Cooper had been dealt. Cooper had just been made an ass.
TSJ
Timothy parked his bike quickly in the back of the store and slung the back pack over his shoulder, knowing that this couldn't be good. He had spent almost ten minutes with those clowns after school, putting him at the store a good fifteen minutes late. He pushed open the back door and walked in, noticing that H was nowhere to be seen. He shrugged then started to walk up to the front of the store, thinking that he would be there with a customer. He didn't see the broom until it connected with his head, sending him reeling into stacks of instruments that were waiting to be sent for repairs. He put his hands up, trying to protect himself from the blows of his assailant, as the broom came crashing down on him again.
" Who are you and what the hell are you doing back here?" a light voice yelled as the broom continued to rain down. Timothy grabbed the broom as it came down and snatched at it, feeling his head spinning. He closed his eyes to alleviate the motion.
" Where's H?" Timothy said as he tugged on the broom some more. Whoever this was, she was not giving up without a fight.
" H? There's no H here! Let go!"
" Only if you promise not to hit me again," Timothy said as he held on to the broom. If he let go, he knew he was in for more trouble. " I work here."
Hearing the commotion, H raced to the back room with a bat in his hands. When he got there, he grabbed the broom out of both their hands and tossed it to the side.
" Riley, what do you think you are doing? You almost killed the poor kid. Speed, are you okay?"
Timothy nodded as he held his head with one hand, getting up . When he lifted his head, he saw her. It was the girl in class. His eyes met hers, and he saw the surprise that resided in them. He smiled slightly but then it turned into a grimace as he struggled to stay balanced.
" You're late," H said as he looked at Timothy's head.
" I got held up. Ow!"
" Riley, I told you that we had a new guy coming in."
" Daddy, I freaked. All I saw was this white boy walking in from the back. I didn't know if he was going to rob us or what. I did what I had to do," Riley replied as she eyed him with concern. She had hit him rather hard, several times.
" Do I look like someone who would rob you?" Timothy asked as he gingerly felt the bump that was forming just behind his ear.
" You don't want to know," Riley returned as she shot him an disgusted look.
" Riley, go get some ice," H said sternly.
" Dad..."
"Go."
H helped Timothy to a seat carefully as Timothy smiled at him.
" What are you smiling at? She's my daughter."
" I should've known by the eyes," Timothy said as she walked back into the room. He grinned at her and she rolled her eyes at him.
" I think it's time that you formally met the new guy, Riley. This is ..."
" Timothy Speedle. I already know him, dad. He's in my biology class."
"Oh so this is the cute one you were talking about?" H asked widening his eyes.
She thinks I'm cute? Timothy asked himself as he saw her cheeks flush.
"Daddy!" Riley exclaimed as she turned to walk up to the front of the store, leaving them with a smile on their faces.
" That's my girl," H said as he returned his attention to Timothy. " You sure that you are okay?"
" Yeah, you got a couple of pain killers lying around?" Timothy asked as he placed the ice to his head.
H smiled and quickly went into the small bathroom returning with two small white pills and a cup of water, " Down those and come and join us up front. We have work to do."
" Only if you promise to keep your daughter away from the brooms," Timothy quipped as he took the pills, prompting H to cackle loudly.
" Done. Now come on."
Timothy got up slowly, and watched Riley as she moved about up front. She was mesmerizing.
Soon , he was able to move without having to hold on to anything and he got to work, noticing as she had thrown him furtive glances. There was something brewing in the air.
TBC...