Geleel Barlett didn't know how to feel about his new life...a kid who grew up in Brooklyn for 15 years of his life...forced to move to Los Angeles last minute because of his mother's work.
'This shit lame as hell.' The dreadheaded teen thought to himself as he rode in his mom's car, she was taking him to school.
"Aw baby, fix your faceee, it's been about 2 months, you still mad about leaving New York?" His mother, Yvette, questioned him.
"Nah, I'm soooo happy to leave behind all my friends and move to a new city where I don't know anybody and get alienated everywhere, this is the best time of my life." Geleel said as he rolled his eyes and his mother kissed her teeth.
"You not even givin it a chance!" Yvette said as she ran a red light, they were in a rush.
"Did you even try talking to new people?" She then questioned her son as he sighed.
"I did, but L.A. people so weird, they lame as hell and the ones that aren't are hella rude for no reason ma, can we please go back to Brooklyn?" Geleel questioned his mother.
"Aw baby, you know we gotta stay in L.A. for my job...I'm sorry." Yvette apologized to her son as she stopped the car and he slumped in his seat.
"Tell you what, you go in there and do your best, okay? When you get home I'll make your favorite food." Yvette sang as Geleel couldn't help the smile pulling at his face.
"Deal." Geleel said as he grabbed his bag and opened the car door.
"Good, now be good and get your education, alright? No fights, you know this is what your father would want." Yvette reminded Geleel of his late father as he frowned slightly...she was right, he couldn't let his father down by being a high-school failure.
"Now come give your mama some sugar boy." Yvette said as she pulled her son in, much to his dismay, and placed a kiss on his cheek.
"Ma! Come on, I'm in highschool! You can't be doin that!" Geleel shouted as he tried to wipe the makeup and red lipstick off his face...this wouldn't be coming out any time soon for sure.
"Oh don't be ungrateful! You used to love my kisses! Now get goin fore you end up bein late!" Yvette shouted as Geleel groaned and finally left the car.
His mother drove off as he turned and began walking to the entrance of his school.
He quickly took note of all the different students at Excel Academy laughing at him, no doubt due to the smeared makeup on his face.
"Nice makeup, who did it?" A girl questioned as her group chuckled at Geleel's annoyed face.
"Ya mama..." Geleel muttered as he walked up the steps and sighed at his predicament.
Almost everyone was laughing and it was mainly because of his face.
"Oh would you look at that, everybody wearin this stupid ass uniform, shocker." Geleel said as he alluded to the fact that Brooklyn Tech didn't have uniform but this school's uniform was so strict.
As Geleel got the main door of the school he noticed a dude point down at his University Blue Jordan 1s.
"Your shoes are untied bro." The Caucasian boy warned him.
"It's a style preference bruh." Geleel called back to him as the former entered the building and sighed.
He then began walking down the hallway as he tried to wipe the makeup off his face still, the boy was prepared for yet another dreadful day at this God forsaken school, nothing interesting ever happened here.
Little did he know...all that was about to change today.
It happened in the 3rd period...that was when she arrived, the girl he would never have thought to change his entire life in the span of a day had arrived.
As he noticed the brown skin, brown eyes, the curly hair and the short stature...he instantly recognized this girl...thought he couldn't believe it, neither could anyone else in the class.
This was...
"Okay class, this is our new student, Amara Creed." The teacher announced as everyone began murmuring amongst themselves whilst the girl only offered them her large smile.
"As many of you know, she is the daughter of Adonis Creed, and she is DEAF, so this is a warning to not one but all, do not use ANY of these reasons as a means to bully Amara, she has worked hard to prove herself to be able to strive in a class without other children like her, so please treat her like you'd treat anyone else, now, say hi to Amara." The teacher relayed as she gestured to the class to mimick the signs she was doing.
"Hi Amara." The class simultaneously stated as they signed it out as well.
"Hello class, I am so excited to join you guys!" Amara signed back as Geleel was the only one in the class who could understand it, he had learned sign language in the past for his own personal reasons.
The dreadhead then watched as Amara was led to her seat by her sign translator, he was still in awe, even thought Excel Academy was the best school in the city, he was still shocked that the daughter of someone as great as Adonis Creed would be going to his school.
Even though he'd gotten his work done, he couldn't help but have his eyes glued onto Amara as her translator worked to translate everything for her.
The dreadhead found himself staring at her through 5th and 6th period too...but now was lunch time, as he sat alone, as usual, but he now wondered about Amara...he was worried for her, even though she was Adonis Creed's daughter, that wouldn't stop the kids of this school from trying to get at her...
Almost as if to spite him, he notices Amara get her food, and almost immediately after she was stopped by a boy named Devon Jameson, he was in the school's boxing program.
"Why you so quiet huh? Yea you deaf but I know you can talk dumbass." Devon said to Amara as the girl gave him a puzzled look, didn't this idiot realize she couldn't HEAR him?
As Geleel watched the girl try to walk away from Devon, he was shocked to see the latter slap her lunch tray out of her hand with so much force when the food hit the floor everyone turned to them with ooooos and curses.
"I'm talkin to you dumbass! Can't you read my lips?" Devon questioned Amara as the girl gained a wary expression...she didn't know what to do...she couldn't understand him, why was he mad at her? Did he hate her? Could she really survive in a school like this if this is how it was going to be?
Geleel frowned deeply as he tigetened his fists...he didn't want to get involved, everyone knew the number one rule at this school...mind your damn business, especially when it comes to the boxing team...you do NOT want to get in any of their ways.
However, when the dreadhead saw the terrified look on Amara's face...and the fact no one else was stepping in he said screw those rules.
He was Geleel Barlett, he didn't follow rules in Brooklyn and he'd be damned if he started now.
The dreadhead found himself storming over to Devon quickly.
He roughly grabbed the boy's shoulder and pushed him away from Amara as the deaf girl's eyes widened...someone had finally stepped up for her.
"What the hell is your problem, Barlett?" Devon questioned Geleel irately.
Everyone in the cafeteria was now tuned in, including the other boxing team members, they were now intrigued, if Geleel made a wrong move he was about to get picked apart by the entire crew...
"Just back off Devon, she didn't do shit to you." Geleel said as Devon growled and shoved him roughly in his chest.
The dreadhead closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath as everyone ooooed again, he HATED being shoved in his chest.
Geleel shoved Devon again as the latter had finally had enough of the former's interferance.
He swung at Geleel with a left hook, only for the latter to unexpectedly duck under the punch and swing with a right hook of his own...the punch connected with Devon's jaw perfectly, the force and power knocked him to the ground immediately, he was knocked out cold.
"Oh shit!" Someone who had recorded the entire altercation shouted as everyone began hooting and hollering.
Geleel turned to Amara as she turned to him with a wary expression still marring her features.
"Sorry about him, he's an ass." Geleel signed to her as she was taken back.
"You know sign?" Amara questioned him as he smiled.
"Yea, I do, you okay?" Geleel questioned her as she nodded.
"I'm fine, my name is Amara Creed." Amara introduced herself.
"Trust me I know, I am Geleel Barlett." Geleel introduced himself.
"Thanks for stepping in, you didn't have to though, really." Amara assured him as he chuckled.
"I didn't have to but I needed to, here, let's go get you a new tray." Geleel began as he prepared to lead Amara towards the food bar.
Unfortunately, before he could go anywhere he turned to notice the captain of the boxing team standing up close and personal with him.
Malachi Bonner, the school's largest and most powerful athlete...even at 17 his frame was already 6'4 and 220 lbs of pure muscle.
Geleel's own 6'1, 185 lbs, frame was fairly small compared to his.
"What was that about Barlett? You lost ya mind or something?" Malachi questioned Geleel.
"Nah, my mind perfectly in tact." Geleel responded as he looked up at Malachi, no intent to back down despite the size difference.
Amara looked warily at Geleel...she really hated the fact he was putting himself at stake for her like this and they had just met, why was he even doing this for her?
"If ya mind in tact then you'd know better than to do what you just did to my mans." Malachi said as he gestured to Devon who was stirring awake and cupping his jaw in pain.
"Yea well...maybe you should tell ya mans to keep his hands to his side." Geleel said, as Malachi scoffed.
"Oh yall heard that? Lil G got jokes today...aight." Malachi said to himself as what happened next was so swift for Geleel.
The larger boy swung at him so fast he couldn't even register it until he was nailed right in the mouth with a hook.
Geleel staggered back onto one knee as the crowd began getting wilder again.
Amara began crying profusely as Geleel stayed on one knee...spitting a wad of bis blood onto the floor, his lip was busted.
"Get up boy! Put your hands up!" Malachi shouted irately as Geleel stood up groggily and raised his fists into the air prepared to fight...as if he wasn't going up against the best boxer this school had ever seen.
Malachi advanced Geleel huskily as the crowd got more and more intense.
The large teen then hit Geleel with a jab, a left hook and a overhead punch to end the fight as the latter fell to the ground again...he was going to keep getting back up no matter how bad Malachi was going to break his face.
"Hey! Hey! Break it up!" The school security guards had finally showed up as they separated Malachi from Geleel and tried to defuse the situation.
Geleel smiled at the crowd that had formed, it was a rather bloody smile of course.
"How my lipstick look this time?" Geleel questioned that girl from earlier as she rolled her eyes at him whilst he was dragged off.
Sure, to the naked eye he had just been beaten up and embarrassed in front of the entire school.
To those thinking outside the box, he just put his fists up against the school's best boxer.
Geleel's eyes then locked onto Amara who was still crying heavily.
"I am so sorry." She signed to him only for him to shake his head.
"Don't be sorry, there's nothing to be sorry about." Geleel signed back as he was dragged out of the cafeteria by the security guards.
He knew he would have to go to a parent teacher conference later on...but who was gonna go for him? His dad was...gone, and his nother couldn't take time off of work...speaking of his mother, he just knew she'd be disappointed in him when she found out about this.
Principal's Office, Later
Geleel sat in the office across from Malachi, his parents, and Devon, his parents were there as well.
Ofcourse, the dreadhead, who now had a bandage on his right brow and a pad on his left cheek, had no parent with him to represent him.
"So you're telling me you have no guardian that could make it to this meeting?" Principal Dunbar questioned him.
"Nope...my dad's gone...and my mom has work." Geleel answered as the principal sighed and turned to the other side.
"I guess we're just gonna automatically have to-" The principal was cutoff by the door opening.
"I'll be here for him." Geleel almost gasped at that voice...this sounded like.
"Adonis Creed?" The principal shouted as everyone in the room gasped once they recognized who had just entered the room...the once young and decorated world heavy weight champion of the world...Adonis Creed was here, and behind him was none other than his daughter, Amara.
"If it's alright, with you principal, I'd like to represent Geleel in this case." Adonis said as he sat next to Geleel and the latter's jaw almost dropped, Adonis Creed knew his name?
He turned to Amara who now sat on his opposite side, he then realized she probably told Adonis everything that happened, his name included.
"Ofcourse it's not Mr. Creed! Big fan by the way!" Principal Dunbar shouted as Adonis smiled and began virtually destroying him and Malachi in a battle of words.
Geleel was just happy to have someone in his corner here, this woulda been tough to handle alone.
The Principal, after a long debate had come to a new set of rules, if the boxing team used their status to harass Amara, Geleel, or any other student for that matter, they would have their team contracts terminated.
Geleel smiled at this as he stood before Adonis and Amara outside.
"Aye, thanks for standing up for my daughter in that school, this is all new to her, she's really glad she found a good friend, I am too." Adonis said as Geleel's eyes widened.
Amara, Adonis Creed's daughter...considered him as a friend? He didn't have ANY up until this point.
"Hey don't mention it, it's the least any real man would do." Geleel said with a shrug as Adonis chuckled.
"What a 15 year old know about bein a real man?" Adonis questioned with another hearty chuckle.
"I know a lot, unc, aye, and thanks for coming through for me back there, I appreciate that." Geleel thanked the veteran legend.
"Don't mention it, it's the least I could do after you stood up for my daughter." Adonis said as Geleel nodded.
"Alright it was nice meeting you Mr. Creed, but I gotta get goin." Geleel said before turning to Amara.
"Bye Amara, I think you're a great friend too by the way, stick with me in school and I'll protect you don't worry, okay?" Geleel questioned her as Adonis arched a brow at this, did this kid just use sign?
Amara nodded at Geleel before hugging him and letting him turn to walk away.
She didn't like Devon or Malachi...they seemingly were aiming to make her first day of this type of school the worst...but Geleel helped save it.
As Geleel walked down the crosswalk, he was shocked to hear Adonis call out to him.
"Aye kid! You wanna grab a bite to eat with us?" Adonis shouted out as Geleel stopped...he was pretty hungry considering he had skipped lunch.
Ah, what the hell, he thought to himself as he ended up going out to eat with Amara and Adonis.
They were at Applebees as they all enjoyed different meals.
"Sometimes I really miss food like this." Adonis said as he bit into his steak.
"Why can't you have it normally?" Geleel questioned him as he ate a wing on his tray.
"Because I'm Adonis Creed, thankfully this place is empty around this time or this table would be stormed right now...try enjoyin them wings with someone shoving a camera into your face." Adonis said with a chuckle as Geleel shook his head at the man.
"Ya know, my daughter showed me that video, you-" Geleel cuts Adonis off.
"Yea, yea I know, I'm famous at the school for being the dude that got his ass kicked by Malachi Bonner." Geleel said as he sighed.
"No, not that one, this one." Adonis said as he showed Geleel the video of him knocking Devon clean out.
"That slip left and right hook combo was meannnn, and ya punch got some power, where did you learn that?" Adonis questioned Geleel who smirked.
"Learned it from growing up in Brooklyn." Geleel admitted as Adonis chuckled.
"Touche, but for real...with some polishing, you really could be a great boxer kid." Adonis encouraged Geleel.
"I don't know bruh." Geleel said with a shrug.
"We should let Geleel come to our gym dad." Amara signed to her dad.
"Great idea sweetheart!" Adonis signed back before turning to Geleel.
"Hey G, how would you feel if I invited you to train at my gym?" Adonis questioned Geleel as he almost choked on his drink.
"You deadass?" Geleel questioned Adonis who nodded.
"I'd love to come, ofcourse what the hell?" Geleel questioned as Adonis whooped softly and highfived Amara.
Geleel couldn't help but smile...today started off dreary, but surprisingly as soon as Amara showed up, like an Angel in disguise, things got better, he gained a new friend, he gained respect at school, he met ADONIS CREED, and was being invited to the Creed gym? Nothing would ruin this day.
Later
Geleel walked into his apartment as his mother immediately rushed him.
"Baby! The principal just told me what happened! I'm so sorry I wasn't there oh my God, how bad are the bruises under the bandaid?" Yvette questioned Geleel who was unnecessarily handled.
"It's fine ma! I feel amazing right now matter fact!" Geleel shouted as Yvette was confused.
"Sweetie are you okay? What happened for you to act like this?" Yvette questioned...she had to make sure her son didn't suffer any brain damage or something...
"I got invited to Adonis' Creed's gym...that's what happened ma." Geleel said with a smile plastered across his face.
Chapter Fin