24. Fight For Words
*The parts in first person are a character's thoughts*
A group of kids made their way toward them, like mourners on their way to a burial.
"Daniel, can you just chill out? I didn't mean anything personal to the girl," Andrew said shifting his eyes between Daniel, the girl, and the chain of kids who formed a horseshoe around them. He did not like this one bit.
"Get him, Daniel!" someone in the crowd cried.
"Knock his face off, Andrew!" another boy said.
Great, now Daniel had really done it. If the kids escalated the situation too quickly Andrew would have a problem on his hands. He could walk away. But what would that do to his reputation among his peers? Consequently, if he did fight Daniel, was his reputation worth sacrificing his perfect record? After all, his school popularity would be irrelevant in the future anyway, but his record was permanent.
The crowd continued to taunt him and Daniel. Andrew observed Daniel's movements and found countless openings in his pathetic excuse for a fighters walk around the ring. Or was he counting on him to take a swing and counter it? Andrew had learned to never underestimate an opponent.
Andrew pushed aside his primal rage and focused on controlling his temper. No matter how much he wanted to beat Daniel to a pulp he wouldn't do it at the expense of his clean record. He creased his brow, thinking. Well, he could call off the fight and finish it outside of the campus.
If Veronica were here, he would walk away just to impress her by being a gentleman. He had her in his next class and if he got in trouble now he could kiss goodbye his chances with her. Carl had only gotten her because he had pretended to be a goody two-shoes kind of guy.
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In his peripheral vision, Daniel saw the girl clutching her book against to her chest. The girl couldn't have escaped even if she wanted to. She was trapped inside the ring of kids.
Daniel held his breath when Andrew clenched his right fist. This was it, if the coaches didn't intervene like he hoped they would, he was going to go home with some bruises to explain to his parents.
"You brought this upon yourself Daniel. No hard feelings, OK?" he said, taking a couple of steps back and breaking into a fighter’s stance.
Actually, it was some kind of martial arts stance. Daniel’s heart pounded frantically. Time seemed to slow as he watched Andrew dance around him like a predator planning an easy kill. The seconds were ticking by Daniel could only buy himself so much time pretending to look like he was an experienced fighter himself.
Just as Andrew was advancing toward him, an earsplitting whistle blew that drowned out the roaring crowd and made Andrew freeze on the spot.
"Break it up fellas! There’s nothing to see here! Get back to your basketball game!" ordered Coach Kohl.
The crowd walked off, groaning in disappointment. Andrew began to walk off casually trying to blend in with the crowd.
"Hey! Where do you think your going, Mr. McCarthy?" bellowed Coach Kohl.
Andrew whirled around and walked slowly toward the large bald man. Standing before Coach Kohl, Andrew was dwarfed. Not by height, because Andrew was at least a head taller than him. But by sheer muscle mass, and by the coaches imposing stature, that made him seem a foot taller than he really was.
"Yes, coach," Andrew said innocently.
Daniel had to stifle a laugh. Andrew, who a couple seconds ago looked like he was ready to kill him seemed like a scared little boy who had been caught stealing cookies from a jar by his parents.
"Would you like to explain to me why my students were gathered around you and Daniel hollering like blood-thirsty Romans?" Coach Kohl demanded, a smile cutting across his face. He crossed his arms over his chest, his huge biceps threatening to burst out of his shirt sleeves.
Daniel thought he looked like Mr. Clean.
"Coach, it was all a misunderstanding. Me, and Daniel, and um... this young lady were rehearsing a dramatic scene from a play we're all involved in. Everyone must have thought we were really about to get into a fight," Andrew said.
It was a lie and Coach Kohl seemed like he was soaking it in. He looked from Daniel and to the girl, who was still here. Why? Why wasn't she leaving?
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Stacey could have left when the boy, who she now knew was named Daniel, had first stood up for her. But she didn't want to have to worry all day about whether he had been hurt for her sake. Technically, she could have left and told one of the coaches that there was a scuffle going on. They would have defused it before it could escalate into violence. If only she wasn't so stressed, then maybe she would have been able to think straight.
It seemed that Daniel was actually counting on getting the coaches to come. She could have done that part for him. Stacey bit her lips. Why didn't I realize it sooner?
"Guess we all had great performances," Andrew said.
"I don't see any scripts. How do you explain that?" Coach Kohl asked skeptically. Good, the Coach wasn't a fool and knew that the fellow named Andrew wasn't to be trusted.
"We don't need them we all have our lines memorized," Andrew replied, without a hint of a pause to the coache's question.
Stacey frowned. He was such a snake.
**********************
Was the coach buying into this? Should he say something? Clearly Coach Kohl wasn't as fond of Andrew as his other teachers were. Maybe he could be the one to bring Andrew to justice. Or perhaps, he would just make himself look like a fool. Whatever Daniel said, he had to choose his words carefully. Andrew was a real con-artist who could twist around anything he said and use it against him.
"Stacey, is it true? Are you three rehearsing for a school play?" the coach asked in a kind voice that didn't belong to such a hulk of a man.
Coach Kohl waited patiently for the girl to respond. Daniel turned in an about face and stared at Stacey. She looked at Andrew the coach and then her gaze lingered on him before finally to the floor, saying nothing.
Daniel hated not being able to see her face. It had somewhat of a calming effect on him. He turned to face the others. The coach gave Andrew a look that would have given the devil himself nightmares.
"I'm sorry, but I didn't tell you the whole truth," Andrew said.
"Well then spit it out! What other stories do you have?"
"Daniel was-"
"What? Were you about to say that this was all my fault?" Daniel said. He couldn't contain himself any longer. Not if Andrew was going to make him be the one to take the fall. "Coach, I know you’re seeing right through his lies. As if Stacey’s silence weren't enough to confirm that every word he said was a lie."
"Now just wait a second. Let me explain-" Andrew began to say.
"Shut it! Let Daniel finish what he was saying!" Coach Kohl barked.
"We were not rehearsing for a play. You can check with the Theater teacher. The next production hasn't even been selected yet. Believe me, I know, I'm in Theater. But I doubt Andrews has ever set foot on a stage, unless it was stand up comedy. And as for Stacey, she's not in Theater. At least not that I know of," Daniel said.
"The thing that drew a crowd over here was me standing up for Stacey."
"Thank you, young man, you've said enough to convince me that this scum is cowardly enough to mess with such a sweet young lady," the coach said disgustedly. "Stacey dear, all I need is your confirmation. Was Andrew making you feel threatened in any way?" he said, putting a tree trunk of an arm on her shoulder.
Stacey lowered her gaze, hesitating for a moment before finally speaking. "Yes, if it wasn't for him,” she said, pointing a shaking finger at Daniel, “I don't know what I would have done.”
"Andrew, go to the Principals office. I'll be emailing him personally. So don't plan about slithering your way out of this. I'll be sure and let your father hear about this."
The look on Andrews face could be described in only one word: fear.
"Oh yes, I know your father. Me and him go back a long time. War is hell. All that good stuff," he said, hands on his hips, and a look of triumph on his face.
Andrew nodded and said, "Yes, sir." Then he walked away. When he was at the main entrance of the gym he grabbed his backpack lying against the double doors and started to walk out. He paused at the door and turned to give Daniel a look burning with rage. Then he opened the the left side door and stalked out, letting the door swing shut behind him.
"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that. I was getting sick of his father bragging about how disciplined and polite his son is," Coach Kohl said.
"The feeling is mutual, coach," Daniel said.
"Tell you what since you just made my day I'll let your' laziness slide for today, and Stacey I won't tell Coach Uestus about you either," he said. Uestus was the girls coach.
“Thanks sir,” Daniel said.
“And Stacey, you're very fortunate.”
“Sir?” Stacey said.
“Your book. It's spectacular, really. I haven't seen one since they stopped being printed and instead used as firewood.” Coach Kohl cleared his throat. “At least, until they became valuable relics of a time when trees were cut down to make paper.”
“Oh,” Stacy said, turning her book over. “I never thought of these for the money. Just the sound of the pages ruffling as I turn them is as mesmerizing as an autumn breeze. And the comfort of holding something that is a part of the natural world is a feeling that electronics can never replace.”
“You know what's strange?” Coach Kohl said. “People aren't supposed to even posses books unless they have a permit.”
Stacey tensed up and pursed her lips. She quickly replaced her nervousness with a smile.
Daniel wondered if she had one. If she didn't, it could mean bad news.
“Stacey, do you- never mind,” Coach Kohl said, saluting them as he walked off.
“Bye,” Stacey said, before resuming her position against the wall, returning to her book.
Daniel sat down next to her and opened his bag to pull out his Algebra II program like he was going to do before Andrew ruined his and Stacey's day. He scooted a couple of inches closer to the girl, trying to keep the movement subtle.
