Teenage Memories

Chapter 2

A week later, after the last bell rang, Tony walked through the hallways into the gymnasium. He had heard about the basketball club had a wide opening, so he planned on signing in today, without any hesitation. He had always love basketball since he was in elementary school. Once, when his mom was still alive, he was allowed to play basketball and his father had let him play and join the main team and had the time of his life. And then his mom had died, and his father changed upside down. He used to be caring and cuddly, now he doesn't care and always drunk.

He walks into the gym, and there were two groups of guys, one was bigger, and louder. And the other one was filled with skinnier guys and were acting like they just knew each other. Then, he decided that the louder group is the sophomore, junior and senior grader. So he went too sat down in between of the smaller group of the pair and greeted them.

"Hey," He said and received some different answer, "So, what should I do to join the club?" He asked silently and one out of the four guys answers him.

"There's a formulary in that table," He said pointing to a table at the corner of the room. "Just go and fill it, and then just put it to the left pile and you're in."

"Okay, thanks…" Tony said dropping the hints.

"Jason, Jason Green."

Tony nodded at him with a slight smirk before saying; "Thanks, Jason." And he took off to the table at the corner of the room. When he reach it, he takes the paper and take out his pen and fill it up, write down his full name, his birth date, his father's name and some other things. When he's done, he put the paper to the other pile. But then, someone shouted at him.

"Hey, Kid!" One of the older guys yelled out and signed him to come to the center of the room and he jogged toward him. Tony was almost as tall as he is, just different by a couple of inches and the other guy was staring at him with clear brown eyes. "What's your name?"

"Tony." He simply said and the other guy nodded.

"Great, Tony, you can go home now, come back tomorrow half an hour after school; we'll introduce you and your friends to the whole team. Don't be late and bring a t-shirt and a pair of training pants. Tell your friends, okay?" He explained and Tony nodded.

"Of course." He answered and the older guy nodded.

"Thanks, Tony." He said and patted Tony's shoulder and turn on his heels to walks away. Tony did the same into the group he just left a couple minutes ago and inform them about the meeting tomorrow. When he's done, he quickly makes his way to his house.

The group of football team was gathered in the front of their school, in the park's benches. Gibbs was sitting down in the chair, gathering up some formulary he had just received earlier that evening. Dylan was lecturing the whole team about how they should do their exercise tomorrow. Gibbs is the true captain, but Dylan is always taking over, still can't accept the fact that the captain before their team choose Gibbs over him. And that's why they choose Gibbs; he's wiser and talks less. In fact, sometimes, he can surprise people at what he's up to, 'because he doesn't really tell people about his plans.

"Shut it, Neal, you're not funny." Dylan said sternly. The guy he just interrupts make a fake 'ouch' noises and let it go. "So, Gibbs, what's that smart head of yours think we should do tomorrow?" He said, his voice was mocking, hoping it'll set Gibbs to the edge, which didn't work.

"Just do our usual exercise, we can't fake our first exercise, or we'll lose a lot of new members eventually." Gibbs said shortly.

"What? That's it?" Dylan asked and Gibbs simply nods, continuing to sort the papers out. "What do you guys think? Do you agree with him?" He asked. He hoped he'll found a disagreement but find none of it and he sighed. "Whatever."

After a while of silent times, one of the guys said, "Dylan, isn't that the guy whose always with Jackie these days?" He said and Dylan shot his eyes up.

"Yes, yes he is." He said before hoping off the table to walk to Tony, who is walking his way out of the school, both hands gripped the straps of his backpacks, headsets tucked in both of his ears, blasting some kind of rock music. Well, Dylan is a possessive, selfish kind of person. And Jackie is actually not just his 'best friend', he had always had a crush on her since the first day he met her when she was visiting her brother, two years ago. And of course, with Tony around her, he'll lose some of his chances. When he reached him, he stepped in front of Tony, stopping him short on his paths. Tony immediately tucked off his headsets.

"Yeah?" He asked, looking up at Dylan who is actually almost a feet taller than him. Dylan crossed his arms across his chest and glared down at him.

"You've been hanging around with Jackie, huh?" Dylan asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Uh, yeah, why?" Tony asked back.

"Well, you should leave her alone now." Dylan said and Tony furrowed his eyebrows.

"Why should I?"

"Because she belong to me, and no one messes with what belong to me, period." Dylan said and Tony smirked, finally realizing, he's ultimately friendzoned, Tony thought.

"Yeah, sure, you can have your best friend back." He said with a small snort before walking past Dylan, leaving him looking at his back weird.

Gibbs, from afar, snorted. He can hear the two's conversation and Tony was pretty brave to say that to someone like Dylan. And also the kid was smart. But its okay for him, in fact, he likes the way he talks. He likes him.

While walking his own way home, he smiles to himself. He had saw Gibbs the moment he's going to walk past the park. He tried to keep calm and walked pass silently, trying to be invisible, but of course, Dylan was there. Dylan had always hated him, and yeah, Tony admits it, he would do the same to a guy that trying to steal someone they love. But still, he's just ruining everything. And then he put up his best argument, and had heard a snort from afar, hope it was Gibbs'.

After around twenty minutes of walking, he was exhausted. He's going to starts using his bike, he decided. And after a few more steps, his house was visible. Huge, painted soft blue, two stories, he can see his room's window in the second floor. There was no sign of his father's car and he sigh his relief. He has not really met his father in the past week. He believes that his father had come home at mid night around three days ago, and he had not saw or heard his father again. Not that he misses him, he was glad actually. He fastens his walking pace and got into his house in a couple seconds. When he arrived, he ran straight into his room. He throws his backpack on the floor and slumped himself into the queen sized bed. This bed use to be the guest room's bed, his was used to be a single bed, and he had realize that sometimes he needs to stretch out his long limbs, but he can't anymore. He had study harder and when the report card arrived, revealing a full of A+, he had begged his father to switch his bed, and for once, his father granted his wisdom.

Tony grabbed one of the pillows and hugged it tight, curling his body against the pillow. He was really exhausted, and he really doesn't care that's its too late for a nap, he just close his eyes and drift off to sleep.

It was 5 pm when he woke up; an extra 2 hours of sleep were enough for him. He got up and yawned, stretching out his arms. He walked into his window and noticed that his father's car was now on the parking lot. He leave it be and take out all of the items from his backpack and fill the backpack with tomorrow's need. And he take out his basketball jersey, put it in the bed, next to the backpack. He felt dirty now, so he grabbed his sweatshirt and his favorite sleeping shorts. He walked in the shower and took a long, hot watered shower. The water's noises were so loud; that he doesn't realize someone had walked into his bedroom. Ten minutes later he was done; he dried himself with his towel and dressed up. He hummed into some music he had heard earlier that day as he walks out of the bedroom, to found his father, sitting in his bed, his basketball jersey in his father's hands. It was not a good sign if his father had seen his jersey out of his closet. He doesn't approve his passion for basketball; all he cares about is his son, his only child, to continue the family business.

"Father?" Tony had asked and watched as his father slowly stood up, the smells of alcohols were strong, and he towered Tony. A drunk and an angry Anthony DiNozzo Sr. is never a good sign.

"What is this trash doing here?" His father asked, voice low but growly. His eyes suddenly look up straight into Tony's eyes, "Don't tell me you're joining the basketball team without my permission, again." He said and Tony shuddered.

"No, I did not join the basketball team, father." He said and his father growled and he takes something from the pile of papers in his bed, founding whatever he's searching for, he shoved the piece of paper into Tony's face.

"Then, what's this!?" His father growled and he noticed the paper, it was a flyer about the basketball's signing up and he remembered now that Jackie had ripped it off the wall and shoved it into his backpack this morning. He had cursed Jackie in his mind for doing that stupid act. "Answer me, Son!" His father's loud voice boomed in his room and it had takes everything on him to not flinched.

"M-my friend was m-messing a-around and she, umm, she shoved it into m-my backpack." He said, taking the lame excuse. It was partly the truth but, still.

"Bullshit," His father growled low under his breath before ripping the flyer and throw the jersey to the corner of the room. Tony flinched now, not that he will admit it out loud, but he is scared. And out of nowhere, his father's palm connected hard into his cheek, the slap sends him to the floor. "Get up and take your beating like a man, boy." He commanded and Tony obeyed. He stands up just to get shoved into the wall, his father holding him in place by his collar. His father's clenched hand was connected into his stomach over and over again and then to the cheek bones. After sometime that seems like an eternity, his father let go and Tony's knees gave up and he sink into the floor, clutching at his stomach, gasping for breath. "You should not lie to me, son." His father spat down at him.

"I-I'm sorry, f-father." Tony stuttered, coughing out some blood after he had accidently bitted the inside of his cheek hard.

"Don't call me father, son." His father said and Tony sucked in some air, "Maybe you're not my son anymore." He said.

He father did not mean that, he's just drunk. Tony tried to tell himself but it was really hard to believe. As his father leave his room, Tony curled on himself more, trying to hold his emotion in line. You're a man, man don't cry, Anthony. He had heard his father's voice said in his mind. He sometimes has voices in his head and he often obeyed the voices in his head. No matter was it good for him or not.