I would like to thank Elven Dragon Rider, bb-and-raven-rock, and skuller31 for reviewing my story. Thanks a bunch!
This chapter is told from Robin's point of view.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. (If I did, my brother and sister would be mobbing me by now...) Enjoy and please review!
"Today we will start our first unit: Pickle Ball."
Robin looked around his fifth period gym class. All his classmates were standing still, looking perfectly harmless and innocent. But Robin knew what would come next. Mr. Lonng, his gym teacher, would tell everyone to pick a partner, and the mad dash to stand next to your best friend would start, leaving several people with swollen toes.
"Everyone pick a partner," Mr. Lonng instructed, and, just as Robin had predicted, everyone scrambled around, trying to find a partner. He even heard someone shriek, "Ow!" which was an unmistakable sign that someone would end up with a swollen toe.
As the mad dash subsided, Robin looked around to see who, like himself, had been left partner-less. There were two girls and three boys.
The two girls stood about five feet apart from each other. Robin knew both of them, one better than the other. One of them was African American with short black hair that was pulled into a small ponytail. Robin knew her name was Bea and that she was a tennis player. The other was a tall, beautiful redhead cheerleader named Kori, whose presence always caused Robin's heart to beat a little faster.
The two girls looked around, and, seeing each other, quickly closed the gap between themselves.
Robin looked around at the three remaining boys. One was named Johnny Rancid, and Robin hoped that he did not get stuck with Johnny as a partner.
Johnny had hated Robin ever since kindergarten, when Robin had accidentally stepped on his favorite red crayon, which broke it in two. Robin had apologized over and over, he had even given Johnny his own red crayon, but nothing he said or did could make Johnny forgive him.
Robin watched in relief as Johnny sidled over to one of the other remaining boys. Robin did not know who the boy was, but seemed to think that he and Johnny would get along fine; they both had permanent frowns etched on their faces.
Robin smiled as the last remaining boy walked over to stand next to him. This boy was African American, tall, and very muscular. Robin knew that his name was Vic, and that he was the captain of the football team, but that was all he knew about the football wonder.
"Hey," Robin greeted him.
"Hey," Vic echoed. "You lookin' forward to pickle ball?"
"Who isn't looking forward to pickle ball?" Robin answered Vic's question with one of his own.
"Right on, man," Vic held out his fist, and Robin punched it lightly. The two of them stopped talking as Mr. Lonng began giving out instructions again.
"Everyone get a paddle and a ball and go to a court."
Robin and Vic were the first to reach the crate which held the blue and red plastic paddles. Robin claimed a red one; Vic took blue. Vic picked out a wiffle ball and the two of them walked over to the court in the middle of the gym and stood on one side of it. Johnny and his partner, both still wearing frowns, claimed the other side of the net.
"Ready to get squashed, birdy-boy?" Johnny sneered at Robin.
"Not really," Robin shrugged. "Why? Did you think you could actually beat us?"
Johnny scowled. His partner shot Robin a very cold look before turning to give Vic a glare that plainly said, "I hate your guts."
"If I could make faces like yours, Mammoth, I would send you the same look back," Vic told the boy angrily.
The pickle ball that followed this argument was one of the most intense Robin had ever participated in. Vic and the boy called Mammoth pelted the ball at each other so hard Robin was surprised the balls did not have dents in them by the second round. When the ball was passed over to Johnny or Robin, they sent it spinning back at such sharp angles that the other had to dive into the air just to reach the ball.
All in all, it was a fair matched game. The ending score was 2 to 1, leaving Robin and Vic the victors.
"Boo-yah!" Vic yelled when Mr. Lonng came over to tell them that the game was over. "Put 'er there, man!" He held up a fist again, and Robin punched it, just as he had done at the beginning of the period. Johnny and Mammoth said nothing, just skulked off to the locker room with their frowns etched deeper into their faces.
"Why is that guy called Mammoth?" Robin asked Vic as they headed to the locker rooms to change out of their sweaty gym uniforms.
"Because he's the strongest guy on the football team," Vic said quickly, then smirked. "And he just doesn't like his real name."
"What's his real name?"
"Morgan. No one's called him by it since sixth grade." Vic and Robin chuckled as they entered the locker rooms.
"Well, see ya later, man," Vic said as Robin and he turned opposite directions to go to their lockers.
"Yeah. See ya," Robin waved over his shoulder.
He quickly found his gym locker, then had to pull his sweaty shirt (which was sticking to his skin) off without drenching his spiked hair in sweat. He did so quickly, then dried himself off, used his amazing stick of deodorizing power, then pulled on his red polo shirt and jeans.
Robin then slung his red backpack over one shoulder, closed his gym locker, and exited the smelly changing room. He crossed the gym to stand by the exit that led to the back hallway.
He immediately felt himself go pink as he saw Kori. She was sitting on the bleachers with Bea, chatting away happily. Although she was not looking at him, he still felt nervous to be around her.
Robin felt himself go pinker as Kori looked up from her conversation, saw him, and gave him one of her dazzling smiles. He smiled back nervously, then stood with his back against the gym wall, waiting for the bell to ring.
"Hey, Robin," Robin started at the sound of Kori's voice uttering his name.
"Y-yes?" he asked, feeling rather flustered.
"Was the Latin homework just to read over 'Testamentum'?" Kori had her purple assignment book open on her lap, and she was holding her signature pink pen in her right hand.
"And answer questions 1, 2, and 5," Robin added quickly.
"Thanks," Kori said gratefully, then jotted down what he had told her into her assignment book as the bell rang, signaling the end of the period.
Robin began walking along the back hall, heading for his history class. However, he had only taken six steps when his backpack, which was still slung over one shoulder, was kicked. This caught him off balance, and he tripped and fell.
"Aww, the clumsy birdy fell," a sneering voice laughed. Robin did not have to look to know who it was that had kicked him. He picked himself up quickly and turned to face Johnny.
"Back off," Robin frowned. "Pickle ball's just a game. Winning doesn't matter."
"Oh, the birdy thinks I'm mad at him for beating me at pickle ball!" Johnny faked a surprised gasp. "Well, that just shows how incredibly stupid the birdy is." Johnny cracked his knuckles, brought his right fist back behind his head, and began to swing it in for a punch.
Robin caught his hand with his left hand easily, and pushed Johnny's hand back so that his fingers uncurled and his hand made a 90 degree angle with the rest of his arm. He grabbed Johnny's wrist with his right hand, took hold of his elbow with the left, and twisted his arm so that Johnny was not only unable to move it, but he was in a painful position.
"I said BACK OFF!" Robin said angrily. He gave Johnny's arm one last twist, then released him. Johnny cradled his injured arm in his unharmed one, still sneering at Robin. Robin shrugged, then turned to continue his progress down the hall. He took two more steps, and felt a foot collide with the back of his left leg.
Robin fell to the ground once more, cursing the fact that the back hall was almost always deserted. He let his backpack fall to the ground, then stood up, ignoring the pain in his leg.
Robin turned to see Johnny once more, the sneer still present on his face.
"Just let it go!" Robin found himself shouting. "Leave me alone!"
"And what'll you do it I don't?" Johnny laughed tauntingly. "Run home to momma bird?"
"Don't make me hurt you," Robin said warningly, fighting to keep his voice calm. The crack about his mother had made something inside him snap.
"You hurt me?" Johnny said, quickly balling both hands, even his injured one, into fists. "I'd love to see you try." He brought both of his fists behind his head, and swung them both toward Robin, aiming directly at his face.
Robin reacted in a split second. He crossed his hands in front of his face, then as Johnny's hands were about to make contact with his face, he karate-chopped outward with both of them. Hard.
These karate chops caught Johnny's wrists, stopping his two punches. Johnny howled in pain, hastily withdrawing both arms.
"You stupid bird! I won't be able to play pickle ball for a week!" Johnny yelled. Then, as if he had just realized that it had been the 'little birdy boy' that had hurt him, he yelled, "That didn't hurt!" and sprinted away.
Robin shrugged, picked up his backpack, then dashed his history class.
Robin did not look it, but he was very strong, and owned a second degree black belt in karate. Most people did not believe him when he said he took karate, for he looked scrawny and lanky. Little did they know that he had muscles as firm as rocks underneath his T-shirt, and the most impressive six-pack of all the sophomores.
Robin entered his history class just as the bell rang. After muttering a quick apology to Mr. Funkaa, he slid into his seat, feeling slightly pleased with himself. Johnny was not going to be bothering him anytime soon.