Today is my birthday! 15 years old. Yahoooo.
Chapter 3
Luke has been excelling in school. This has brought great joy to Tim and Abby. They never figured their son could be so smart and cute. Luke peers closely at the letter from his principle. A pang of worry comes to mind. He gave a boy in his class, Axel the answers on the homework maybe, Sister Ugla caught him; fifth grade is easy. Luke wonders if Johnny feels the same way about sixth grade. But, how can she see through that glass eye of hers. The cool wind brushes against his cheeks as he waits outside for Johnny. He and Johnny only hang out after school. It was Uncle Tony's idea of bonding for the two of them. Tim was hesitant at first, but he realized it'd be safer this way. Abby loves the idea more than she loves Caff-Pows.
Four boys all form a circle around Luke. They look like they're all in Johnny's grade or even older. "Lookit here, it's shrimpy" a boy with red hair boasted. Luke tries to push his way out of the circle, but the circle tightens.
"Where do you think you're going?" the boy asked.
"Umm, could you…leave me alone?" Luke begged. He feels like a little kid, at the home the other kids would band together and protect one another. Even if it was a geek getting beat up, they'd help anyway. Now it feels different, like they wouldn't help him. All they'd do is watch with disdain.
"No…we can't" the boy shoved Luke to the ground. Luke looks just about ready to cry. Tears start to fall down his cheeks.
"Alan, don't. He's a fourth grader" one of the pleaded while Alan opens Luke's backpack and took all of his homework.
"I'm in the fifth grade" Luke whimpered. The boy trying to help Luke gives him a look to shut up.
"He's a little baby is what he is" Alan taunted throwing the bits and pieces of the homework into a puddle of mud.
Luke looks up to see Johnny strutting out of the school. His wavy brownish-blonde hair is flowing in the wind "hey Johnny, come here. You gotta see this" Alan called hopefully and kindly. All the other boys grin when they see Johnny. He'll put Alan in his place, well they hope he will. After all he is Kyle DiNozzo's brother. Why wouldn't he?
"Yeah…" Johnny said inquisitively. He walks over and a look of dread flashes through his eyes; it's Luke.
"Lookit, we got a shrimp boy crying"
"Johnny" Luke said brightly. He wipes the tears from his cheeks and almost grins. Johnny will help him, for sure. After all they're family.
"You know Johnny" Alan said suspiciously. He can't believe this dork could even be related to the DiNozzo's.
"He's my cousin" Luke said quietly and weakly. Johnny looks down at Luke; wondering if he should play hero or play coward.
"Liar, you two aren't related. Right Johnny?" Alan asked looking more to Johnny who gulps and looks around. Besides Henry, the other boys have their heads down.
"Uhh" Johnny looks from Luke to Alan. This decision is harder than it seems. He can either help the dork or be in the cool crowd. "Nn-o I don't even know him" Johnny lied while Luke wipes his eyes.
"That's your good luck" Alan said as one of his friends lift Luke up and hold onto his arms. Alan punches Luke a few times in the stomach and lands one directly in his right eye. Trembling slightly the ten year old can't help, but let the tears fall down his cheeks.
"Alan stop it" the boy whose been trying to help Luke said, letting go of Luke's arm.
Luke slowly falls to the ground. "Don't be a wuss Henry. Wait a minute…I'm being rude. Hey Johnny why don't you take a few swings. Henry, Eric, hold him up" Johnny looks down sheepishly.
Eric quickly pulls Luke up while Henry hesitantly does. "I'm good" Johnny mumbled under his breath. Alan rolls his lime green eyes at his friend.
Luke starts to get up, thinking that they're doing beating him up. Alan has other plans he pushes him back to the ground and throws his backpack into the mud. Johnny looks away not really sure of what he should do. That's when he sees Thalia walking with Kyle and Jeff. He catches Kyle's eyes and his face turns beat red.
That's when Kyle runs over to the group and pushes Alan to the ground. Thankfully Kyle and Alan's older brother Jeff are best friends. Only Jeff doesn't agree with Alan's bully personality. "Alan, don't you touch him or else" Kyle threatened clenching his fists at Alan who winces at him.
"What'd I do?" Alan whimpered. Kyle glowers at him angrily.
"You oughta leave him alone" Kyle ordered wanting to beat the shit outa this little puke bucket.
"Why?" one of Alan's friends, Eric asked nervously.
"Cos that's my cuz and if I ever see you messin' with him again. I'll beat your face or I'll get your brothers too. Get it?" Kyle threatened. Alan trembles his older brother could and would beat him up or worse. He'd tell there mama, who'd take the spoon to his behind. The exact same thoughts are floating into Eric and Henry's minds.
"Yeah…we'll leave him alone. I…we promise" Eric promised. "Just don't tell Ezra okay?" Kyle doesn't say anything.
"Or Paul" Henry added quietly.
"Or Brett" Alan mumbled sadly. Johnny's eyes widen, he can't believe his brother is being such a dork protector.
"You better or you'll have me to deal with. Get his bag" Kyle ordered gruffly, looking much superior to the younger boys. Johnny's beginning to realize that Kyle is getting pretty tall.
Alan reluctantly got up and retrieved Luke's bag. He gingerly hands it over to Luke who is standing beside Thalia. Johnny glares over at his brother. Alan and his bullying friends run away. Johnny stays back and starts to feel guilty.
"How could you? Those are my friends" Johnny spat.
"You call those dicks your friends. How stupid are you?" Kyle demanded glaring at his stupid little brother.
"No stupider than you. Least I'm not a geek protector" Kyle grabs Johnny by the shoulders and slams him into the school building wall. The eleven year old winces upon impact.
"Why didn't you do anything?" Kyle said clenching his fist; looking ready to beat the shit out of him.
"I just got here" Johnny lied. Luke watches with astonishment. Kyle's really being harsh and mean to Johnny.
"Bullshit. Why didn't you do anything? He's younger than you" Kyle practically shouted at him.
"Shut up. You aren't Tony…or Ziva" Johnny tries to become loose, but his older brother squeezes his grip so tightly. Tears roll down Johnny's cheeks.
"Kyle, let go of him" Thalia shouted, Kyle loosens his grip. "You're hurting him."
"You have to help him. What's wrong with you? They coulda really hurt him" Kyle shouted at him. His tone hurting Johnny's eardrums.
"I don't hafta do anything. He didn't get beat up to bad" Johnny said quietly. He looks over at Luke who actually does look beat up, pretty badly. Damn, Johnny should've helped him.
"You call a black eye good? I oughta give you a black eye…on both eyes" Kyle threatened looking and feeling pissed off to the extreme.
"You don't mean that" Thalia said pleadingly.
"I do, if Johnny won't stay true to family. It doesn't matter where you come from. Family is family" Luke almost smiles at that. Then he remembers the throbbing feeling in his right eye and stops.
"No dork is my family" Johnny said feeling Kyle push him against the wall one last time and shake his head.
"I'm not a dork" Luke squeaked. Thalia grinned at him and nodded like she can't help, but agree with his statement.
"He's family now, John. Get used to it" Kyle said offering Luke a friendly smile. "Let's go, Ducky will wanna put some ice on that" he leads Luke out of the school yard. Ally who has been watching with admiration towards Kyle; follows. Thalia stays behind and studies the red eyed Johnny.
He isn't crying, but he's close enough. Thalia puts a comforting arm around him. That sad puppy dog look on his face makes Thalia want to give him a hug. Only Thalia begins to wonder if he's going to grow up and be a bully or jerk.
"Listen, Kyle didn't mean what he said before. You know that" Thalia said kindly. She knows that Johnny's a good guy, but he's confused is all.
"He did too, just cos Luke is a baby" Johnny scowled at her. He didn't mean to sound all mean, but Luke's being a baby. Black eyes are sorta cool.
"Johnny, Kyle's right family is family. No matter what. Do you consider me and Ally family?" Thalia asked sharply. She sounds pissed off.
"Yeah" the eleven year old replied simply.
"Then, why don't you for Luke?" Thalia demanded softly.
"He embarrasses me…and all of you. He seems nice, but he does" Johnny admitted shrugging his shoulders. Thalia crinkles her nose in disgust.
"You embarrass yourself by thinking that way" Thalia said jogging to catch up with the other kids.
Johnny kicked a pile of leaves and started home. Instead of going the same way as the others; he goes the long way home. He might just make it home before Kyle, since usually he and Kyle drop everyone else home first. Then they go to their own house; last, that always irked Johnny. It seems as though they always having to be last with everything, it's never fun being with Kyle anymore. Kyle used to be his cool and loyal brother. Now he's a jerk and they don't get along anymore. Johnny wishes Cody didn't stay after for Extra math help with Sister Freda.
After dropping off Thalia and Ally at Gibbs house, Kyle can't help but feel sorry for his brother and Luke. He walks with Luke the ten minutes to his house.
"What a shiner, you look like half of a raccoon" Luke chuckled. "You should ice that face of yours, Luke"
"I gotta go. Candy's coming over soon" Luke lied. He didn't have to go, the babysitter Candy would be here in fifteen minutes. And she is pretty chill about stuff, plus she's sixteen.
"Hey Luke, my brother…he's a good guy. He's just confused is all, don't hate him for that. He's a good guy" Luke nods biting back a list of words. Everyone is always saying what a good guy Johnny is. His mom, other kids, and now Kyle; Johnny's just a jerk.
"I'm gonna ice my face" Kyle sighs and watches as Luke trudges up the steps and walks inside. He doesn't even turn around and wave goodbye. That, Kyle can totally understand he must feel so humiliated. Kyle rubs his neck and starts to walk home.
Johnny managed to beat Kyle home, just like he planned. He actually found a short-cut through the woods. Kyle would've loved it. Opening up a can of Coke, Johnny eases him self onto the couch and flicks on the T.V. He then does something that he wouldn't have done with Kyle in the house; he slurps his drink. Slurping louder and louder, Johnny chugs on his beverage and heads into the kitchen for another Coke.
Luke opens the door for the blonde haired teen, Candy. She grins down at him and frowns when she sees his eye. "What happened to your eye, Lucas?" she asked heading straight for the kitchen.
"I…uh we played dodge ball and I got him in the eye" Luke sits down at the table.
"Now that's a story, you hafta tell me" Candy said drumming her hands on her skin tight purple jeans.
"No, it's dumb. Anyway the guy said he was sorry" Luke lied. Nobody even said they were sorry or anything.
"Oh, well do you have any homework?" Candy asked already knowing the answer.
"I finished it at school" Luke lied. His homework got ripped up and destroyed. Anyway his parents will be home in two hours.
"Want me to check it or are you good?" Candy asked, her sugary sweet tone doesn't leave her voice.
"It's good" no it isn't it isn't good at all. It's floating in a pool of mud.
"How was school?" Candy asked opening up the freezer to get some peas or corn.
"Fine. What's with all these stupid questions?" Luke snapped at her. She sounds like a damn Interrogator.
"Don't be a grouch Luke" Candy ordered handing him the corn. Luke doesn't put it to his eye just yet. He glares at his babysitter.
"Whatever" he remarked rolling his eyes.
"Lucas, I don't wanna send you to your room, but give your attitude too yesterday. It's better off there than here. Kay?" Luke reluctantly nodded. He didn't mean to make Candy upset.
"My homework's fine" Luke replied in a softer voice. This obviously pleases Candy who grins at him.
"Are you sure? Your mom said she wants me to check it. Why don't you just take it out and we can go over it? It's probably all right anyway"
"Candy, I already handed it in" Luke lied. He hates lying to her, but she hasta get off of this topic.
"Why would you do that?" Candy asked incredulously. Sister Ugla has always said she'll grade homework like it's a test.
"Sister Ugla gave us time in class to do it" He lied again.
"Hmm, that's funny. I had Ugla she never let me do my homework in class" Candy taps her chin; thoughtfully.
"People change" Luke shrugged his shoulders.
"They certainly do, Raccoon Boy" Candy said mysteriously. Luke looks down sheepishly, but presses the corn to his eye and decides to keep quiet.
Ally skips around the kitchen with a gleam in her eyes. She's been that way for fifteen minutes; all excited and jubilant. "I can't wait to tell Gibbs and mommy" Ally said giggling with excitement.
"To tell them what?" Thalia asked sounding and looking confused.
"That Lucas got his eye kicked" Ally laughed. Thalia pinches her arm basically telling her that someone getting beat up, isn't funny.
"You can't do that, Ally. It none of our business"
"Is too. I was there, you was there, Kyle was there, Lucas was there, and so was Johnny…Johnny's gonna get a spanking" Ally sang over and over again.
"No because we aren't going to tell" Thalia said, Ally stops singing and glares at her older cousin.
"Why not?" she whined. That's no fun. Johnny should get in trouble cos now Lucas looks like half of a raccoon.
"Cos, it isn't right to get someone in trouble" Thalia explained like it's the most obvious thing in the world.
"But Johnny was bad" Ally said remembering exactly what Kyle said and did to him at the school yard.
"Ally, we can't" Thalia shakes her head. She knows it'd be the right thing to tell on Johnny, but Lucas is fine. It isn't like he got murdered or maimed.
"Will Kyle tell on Johnny?" Thalia swallowed hard. She honestly doesn't have a true answer for that question. Kyle did seem mad, but he wouldn't tattle on Johnny.