The Mob from TAC

by Richard Pinkerton

CHAPTER 8:

  Mav makes a Proposal

  ‘Wal, you’re alive!’ Rick Maverick along with Pete, ran into Wal at lunchtime, the following day, outside the college library. Mav stayed alert, doing his best not to risk running into Tucker Pyles. He hoped desperately that maybe the guy wouldn’t remember him, but he wasn’t going to test that out.

  ‘Yo, Mav, what’s happening?’

  ‘Had any more run ins with Tucker Pyles?’

  ‘Lousy scumbag,’ Wal growled. ‘He deserves a good smack in the head.’

  Pete grinned. ‘You should have done it yesterday.’

  ‘I will if he picks on Jacqui again.’

  ‘Sounds like Jacqui doesn’t appreciate your help,’ noted Mav.

  Wal smirked. ‘She does, she just doesn’t want to admit it.’

  ‘Yeah right!’ scoffed Pete.

  Wal’s eyes narrowed. ‘What did you say, Cook?’

  ‘I said, you’re right’

  ‘That’s what I thought you said.’ He simmered down.

  ‘Why don’t you go and find that Pyles freak now?’

  ‘I’m not going to waste my time looking for him. He can come and find me. Then I’ll deal to him.’

  Mav couldn’t help but like Wal, despite his arrogance. He was a big tough guy who didn’t seem to care about anyone but himself, but Mav couldn’t help but think that there was more to this guy then what he let on. Good points that for some reason Wal tried to hide. Perhaps Pete was right about Wal and he wasn’t such a bad guy at all.

  ‘So how did it go with you guys last night?’ Wal asked. ‘Did you get in the shit for skipping class?’

  ‘Hell yeah,’ Pete said. ‘It’s extra chores for me for the next few weeks. Garden work especially. God I hate gardening. I wish my parents weren’t into that sort of thing.’

  ‘I’m getting pocket money docked,’ Mav said. ‘Which is gonna be tough seeing as I get bugger all as it is.’

  ‘Ah diddums.’ Wal smirked. ‘That will teach you guys for getting caught… idiots. You wouldn’t catch me getting caught skipping class.’

  ‘Yeah, well that kind of goes without saying doesn’t it?’ Pete said. ‘If you don’t get caught well of course you won’t get caught.’

  ‘What are you talking about, Cook, you idiot?’

  ‘I don’t know, just trying to figure out your bizarre way of getting a message across.’

  ‘You better watch it, Cook, or I’ll smash you one! Anyway where are you guys going now?’

  ‘Into the library,’ Mav said.

  ‘Bloody hell, you guys are a bunch of girls, aren’t you? The library? Sheesh! Well, I gotta cruise. I’ll catch you later. Enjoy your book reading… dorks.’ He snorted and began to stride away.

  Pete imitated his voice. ‘Enjoy your book reading you big dork.’

  Wal swung around at the last moment and glared at him. ‘What did you say, Cook?’

  ‘I said, yeah we’ll enjoy reading a big book.’

  ‘That better be what you said!’ Wal walked on.

  The two of them entered the library. Mav wasn’t really interested in reading, he just wanted to hang out somewhere, where he could avoid Tucker. He felt confident that a guy like him wouldn’t be in here. Instead, he’d probably be sitting around eating his lunch somewhere. If his size was anything to go by, it would take him all lunchtime.

  Shelves lined the walls and tables were set out in the middle of the room - quite a spacious looking library in Mav’s experience. It wasn’t quiet like he expected to to be as students were murmuring to each other, shuffling around and tapping away on computer keyboards. The first thing to catch his eyes though was a vision of beauty at one of the tables reading a book. At first Mav could only stare. She had the sort of beauty that he could sit and admire for hours and hours without getting bored. He wished that he could have the opportunity to do just that.

  ‘That’s Samantha Drysdale, a senior,’ Pete said, gazing at the longhaired blonde.

  ‘Is she married?’ Mav felt his sense of humour returning. It had been gone since he had first seen Tucker that morning.

  ‘Of course not!’ Pete laughed. ‘But...’

  ‘I think I’m in love. I know, it’s crazy, I hardly know her... Well, actually, I’ve never even met her... yet, but hey, Pete, will you be my best man?’

  ‘Yeah, sure, why not, but...’

  ‘It’s gonna have to be a secret wedding though, seeing as we’re underage. She’ll probably kick up a stink about that, but what the hell, she’ll probably even make a fuss about having to be the bride.’

  ‘Yeah, well, you know, she wouldn’t be the only one…’

  Mav didn’t hang around to hear any more. He was on a roll and he wanted to make his move while he still was. He strolled up to the table and sat down opposite her. ‘Hi.’

  She looked up curiously and gave a puzzled expression. ‘Do I know you?’

  ‘You must be Samantha right?’ He tried hard to break his stare from her bright emerald eyes, but it was extremely difficult.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘My name’s Rick Maverick. You may have heard of me, I’m the one guy in this school that nobody’s ever heard of.’

  Samantha let out a delightful laugh. She had a sparkling, full-lipped smile that lit up her whole face. ‘Oh, so you’re that guy.’

  ‘Well, actually that depends. If you take the moon in relation to the sun...’

  She laughed some more. Her eyes shone and she toyed with a strand of blonde hair.

  ‘Yes, Maverick’s my name and I’d like to make it yours too.’ He tried to inject humour into his words so that if she rejected him, he could turn it all into a joke.

  ‘I already have a name.’

  ‘Oh…’ Mav feigned disappointment. ‘I was sort of hoping that I could give you mine. Do you know how embarrassing it is having a surname like mine?’

  ‘What’s wrong with Maverick?’

  ‘Oh so you want it?’

  ‘Ha ha, I didn’t say that!’

  ‘Oh well, never mind. But you see my name duplicates itself. Rick Maver-Rick. See? Embarrassing huh?’

  ‘It never occurred to me.’

  ‘Well, it is a famous name.’

  ‘True.’

  ‘So you won’t marry me then?’

  ‘Nope.’ She smiled.

  ‘Well, can we just get engaged then?’

  ‘Nope.’

  ‘Can we be lovers?

  ‘No!’

  ‘Really close friends?’

  ‘I doubt it.’

  ‘Go to the movies with me on Saturday?’

  ‘I don’t think so.’

  ‘Hey we’re getting close to yes.’

  ‘Definitely no.’

  Mav didn’t consider himself a charmer, but when he was on a roll, he couldn’t stop. ‘Okay, I guess my pick up lines aren’t doing too well. I expected you to turn down my marriage proposal, but thought that by the time I’d got to the movie question you’d be so relieved, you’d say yes.’

  ‘Sorry,’ said Samantha. ‘I’ve already got a boyfriend, you see?’

  ‘‘Ah.’ Mav’s heart sunk, but he hid his disappointment. ‘Oh well, I guess I’m just going to have to go to the movies with members of the same sex. Very depressing actually.’

  ‘That’s life I suppose.’

  An older student stepped up and peered down his nose at Mav. ‘Who’s this guy, Sam? What was that you were talking about? I heard the word “sex” mentioned.’ His shirt had no wrinkles, his voice was very cultured and his entire manner reeked of arrogance. Mav hoped that this guy wasn’t Sam’s boyfriend.

  ‘Don’t jump to conclusions, Craig. We were just talking,’ Sam said.

  ‘He mentioned sex. I heard him.’

  ‘It’s not what you think, mate.’ Mav frowned.

  ‘Shut up you! I wasn’t talking to you.’

  ‘He was just talking about going to the movies.’

  ‘He asked you to the movi
es?’

  ‘Craig! You’re jumping to conclusions again! He was talking about going to the movies with members of the same sex.’

  Mav felt like telling this guy what he thought of him, but didn’t want to risk offending Sam.

  ‘You’d better watch it, mate.’ Craig shook his finger in Mav’s face. ‘Mess with my girl and you’ll have me to deal with.’

  ‘You and your ego, huh?’ Mav said, making no further efforts to be civil.

  ‘Are you getting smart with me, peon?’

  ‘Maybe by your standards.’

  ‘Leave him alone Craig. He wasn’t doing any harm.’

  ‘Shut up, Sam!’ He turned back to Mav. ‘I get sick of you younger kids who think that you’re better than everybody else. You should show a little respect to your superiors.’

  ‘Huh Superior? Superior snob, yes. Stuck up ass hole, yes. God knows what Sam sees in you.’

  ‘Why you...!’ Craig steamed. He lunged forward at Mav to grab him by the shirt. Mav had already expected something like that and just had time to pull a chair into Craig’s path. Mav’s timing was a little too perfect. The chair connected with Craig’s groin and he let out a cry of agony, a cry that diverted all attention in the library towards him. Craig crumpled to the floor, holding himself in intense pain.

  Once people realised what had happened laughter broke out. Many uttered amused comments, some that weren’t exactly flattering. Craig cringed as he glanced around the room. Samantha shrank back into her chair. At first Mav was a little stunned at what he had done, but then came to his senses. ‘Oh well,’ he said. ‘Gotta cruise. I’ll ah, catch you later Sam.’ He couldn’t help but look down at Craig and make one final cheeky comment in a squeaky voice. ‘Cheers mate.’

  ‘I can’t believe that you did that, you know?’ Pete said to Mav outside the library with a big smile on his face. ‘That was brilliant! It was great to see that stuck-up jerk squirming on the floor, it was beautiful - poetry in motion.’

  ‘Why didn’t you tell me that she had a boyfriend?’

  ‘I tried, but you were determined to roll on in there. You know, Craig McLeod’s one of the biggest snobs in the school. His parents are filthy rich. He thinks that he’s king of Te Arawa College. And he treats Samantha like dirt.’

  ‘Then why is she still with him?’

  ‘Probably because he’s rich. If I were you, I’d watch my back. Trust me, I know Craig McLeod well. He has a huge ego and thinks that he’s far better than anybody else. It’s funny, other seniors seem to like him, but the rest of the school hates him. I think it’s because he splashes his money around.

  ‘Buys his friends, huh?’

  ‘You got it. Hate to tell you this, Mav but there’s no way anyone’s ever gonna be writing Maverick vs Drysdale on desks and toilets.’

  ‘What? Maverick vs Drysdale? What do you mean by that?’

  Pete chuckled. ‘It’s a tradition here at TAC. On sports days when they put up the sports sheets and which house is playing which house, it’s like Tainui 4 vs Arawa 3 or Tokomaru 5 vs Aotea 1. So one day… many moons ago… kids started writing names of people, going around together, in a similar way. Smith vs Jones, Maverick vs Drysdale. That type of thing.’

  Mav couldn’t help but think it was a cool tradition. ‘Maverick vs Drysdale. I kind of like the sounds of that.’

  They were about to walk away when a gruff voice called out to them.

  ‘Hey, Ubbheads!’

  Mav froze and his chest tightened.

  Tucker Pyles barged towards them. His face screwed into a sneer and his eyes burned. However, he didn’t look at Mav and seemed more interested in Pete and his school bag. ‘You!’ he growled at Pete. ‘Got any food?’

  ‘Not for you, bozo,’ said Pete in a caustic tone of voice.

  Mav groaned inwardly. Not smart, Pete.

  Tucker’s hand swooped across the side of Pete’s face, clipping his ear. Pete gasped with pain and staggered back. ‘What th...?’

  ‘I won’t take any cheek from you, ubbhead! Have you got any food?’

  ‘No, I’ve eaten it all!’

  Tucker shoved him, almost causing him to topple over. ‘Why didn’t you leave some for me?’

  ‘Why should I keep any for you?’

  ‘Because I said so! I rule this school, ubbhead! You give me food. That’s my taxes that I collect, got it?’ He grabbed Pete by the shirt and glared homicidally into his eyes.

  Pete’s face paled and his eyes widened. He was quite small in stature and wasn’t the type to take on a bully, especially not one Tucker’s size. ‘Sure, okay, no problems.’

  The moment Mav had been dreading arrived. Tucker turned to face him now. His eyes narrowed immediately and his frown deepened. ‘You... Who are you?’

  ‘Rick,’ Mav said. He wanted to look away but dared not.

  ‘Don’t I know you?’

  ‘Err… no, I…’ Mav was about to lie with sincerity, but then decided to try another tack instead. He put on a fake Spanish accent. ‘I never meet you, no. In fact errr… me no speak a de very good English. Me from Spain. You ever go Spain amigo?’

  Tucker continued to study his face for a moment. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking. He finally eased back. ‘No. Why would I ever wanna go there? Especially if there are ubbheads like you there? I never liked Australians anyway. Because you’re an Aussie, I’m gonna cut you a break today, but tomorrow both of you will bring me food. Got that?’

  ‘Food?’ Mav said completely forgetting he was supposed to be Spanish. ‘Seriously? Who bullies people for food?’

  ‘I do! You got that?’

  He quickly reverted back to his fake accent. ‘Ok amigo, I remember bring you food next time.’

  ‘Good.’

  Mav breathed a deep sigh of relief as Tucker Pyles strode away. ‘Food… what kind of a bully demands food? Are we at Primary School or something?’

  Pete snorted. ‘Well obviously that jerk still thinks he is.’

  That afternoon after school, Mav and Pete walked towards town. Mav would normally catch the bus to Akato but today his father was going to meet him later in the afternoon. That was great as far as he was concerned because it gave him a chance to hang out with his new friend.

  ‘Bugger that Tucker,’ Pete said. ‘I’m gonna have trouble finding extra food for him. I mean I’ve gotta eat too, so it pretty much means I need to bring two lunches instead of one.’

  ‘Yeah, I know what you mean,’ Mav said. ‘I’m gonna have to ask Mum for an extra big lunch and she’s gonna wonder why. I’ll have to say I’m having a growth spurt or something.’

  ‘I can’t believe he wants food. Normally it would be money, but no, that big moron wants food. There has to be something severely psychologically wrong with that guy.’

  ‘You only just figured that out?’ Mav grinned.

  Pete scowled and put on a silly voice, ‘Hello, my name’s Tucker Pyles of Fat and my brain is so small and my gut so big that all I want is food, food and more food. Yeah, my brain is down there in my stomach too!’

  ‘School…’ Mav said thoughtfully as they crossed the road. ‘Why do people say it’s the best days of your life? Seems more like some kind of sadistic torture sometimes. There’s always people trying to make your life a misery… teachers included.’

  ‘Now I’ve got Jacqui Donaldson trying to make my life a misery,’ Pete said. ‘You know, all I want to do is get to know that Holly, but as soon as Jacqui sees me she tells me to piss off.’

  ‘I notice you’ve been gazing at Holly a lot.’

  ‘She is such a babe! But she hasn’t even given me a second glance. It doesn’t help with Jacqui poisoning her mind against me. She hassles me and all Holly can do is laugh.’

  ‘You really like her, don’t you?’

  ‘She’s freaking hot!’

  Mav pictured Holly in his mind. ‘You really think she’s that great?’

  ‘Of course!’ Pete stared at hi
m. ‘She has to be, without a doubt, the most sexiest girl in the whole school, you know, and there has to be hundreds of guys who would want her. She seems to be getting pretty friendly with Sheep. I get this horrible thought of him and Holly together making out under the trees. I tell you what Mav; he’d better not be trying to steal my girl.’

  ‘Your girl?’ Mav tried not to laugh.

  ‘My girl.’

  He was about to reply when he saw Samantha Drysdale several metres up the road walking on her own. ‘Speaking of dreams, look who’s up ahead. My girl.’ He had to admit, there was a certain perverse satisfaction in making a statement like that. Positive thinking is the key to success! That’s what he’d been taught anyway. ‘Hey, Sam!’

  She took one glance back and kept on walking. Mav and Pete quickened their pace and pulled up alongside her.

  ‘Hi Sam! What’s a nice girl like you doing walking down a street like this?’

  ‘Please, Rick, I just want to be left alone.’

  ‘Hey, I wanted to talk to you about what happened in the library…’

  ‘I don’t want to hear it, Rick. You embarrassed me.’

  ‘That’s why I wanted to talk. I wanted to say I was sorry. I guess I let things go too far.’

  ‘Forget it. I’ll see you another time.’ She turned and crossed the road leaving Mav standing next to Pete.

  Mav sighed.

  ‘Looks like you blew it, Mav.’

  ‘Seems like I have.’

  ‘You get used to it.’

  ‘Believe me, I already am. I’ve blown it with so many girls I’ve just about run out of dynamite.’

  ‘Well, I’m not gonna blow it with my girl.’

  A voice came from behind. ‘Who? Who’s your girl, Pete? Myrtle the Turtle? Woof, woof!’ Ben Tamati stepped up and attempted to trip Pete up with a swooping kick to his heel. Pete stumbled, but kept his footing.

  ‘Turtles don’t bark, you moron.’

  Ben shoved him viciously and almost sent him sprawling to the pavement. ‘Don’t get smart with me, e hoa! I’ll give you a beat down, that’s what I’ll do.’

  ‘Nah, I’ll pass, Ben.’

  Mav could understand it. Ben wasn’t big like Tucker, in fact, he was quite short, but he was power packed and very quick. Definitely not somebody you wanted to rile.

  ‘You’re talking about that Holly chick, eh?’ Ben sneered. ‘Your girl? What a joke.’

  A sparkle appeared in Pete’s eyes. ‘She’s your girl, isn’t she?’ He cast Mav a wry smile.

  Ben’s expression softened. Clearly Ben was the type of guy who could be put into a good mood by boosting his ego a little and that was what Pete was doing. He snorted, ‘Of course she’s my girl, you Wally! You’d better not go chasing her. She’s my girl and that’s all there is to it.’

  Even though Mav had never seen Holly in a romantic light, he didn’t like the idea of a hoodlum like Ben making the moves on her. He had to say something, but had to be as diplomatic as he could. ‘Hey Ben, I don’t wanna upset you, but I think you’re wasting your time. I know Holly and you’re not her type.’

  Ben spun around and grabbed Mav by the shirt and a poisonous look spreading across his face. ‘Oh yeah? And what do you know, punk?’

  Instead of intimidating Mav, Ben only succeeded in making anger well up inside him as all he could think about, was him putting his dirty hands on Holly and for some unknown reason, he couldn’t handle that. His next words surprised even himself. ‘I know you’re nothing but a bully, Tamati! And I know that your ego is more inflated than Tucker Pyles stomach... OOMPH!’

  Ben nailed Mav with a vicious blow to the gut. A few more body blows sent Mav staggering back. He was able to retaliate with a punch of his own, but Ben gave him a vicious shove, which sent him hurtling into a tall fence. The back of his head collided with the hard wooden exterior. Ben was just too strong and fast for Mav and he dropped to the ground in pain, clutching at the back of his head. A faint woozy feeling overcame him.

  ‘I don’t take no shit!’ Ben snarled. He turned back to Pete. ‘And as for you, you little punk. You leave my girl alone. If I even see you talking to her, you’re dead meat, got it?’

  Pete trembled and nodded his head vigorously a few times.

  ‘Good! Just you remember it.’ With that, Ben departed.

  ‘Jerk!’ Pete growled once Ben was out of earshot. ‘My name’s Ben Dumati,’ he imitated. ‘You leave my girl alone! It’s my Barbie doll and you better not touch it!’ He reverted to his normal voice and looked down at Mav. ‘You okay, mate?’

  ‘Yeah.’ Mav groaned and sat up. ‘I can’t believe how quick that guy is.’

  ‘I know. Don’t mess with him, mate...’ his voice trailed away and he peered up the path as someone approached.

  Sam had returned and she reached them with an alarmed look on her face. ‘Wow, Rick, I saw what happened, are you okay?’

  ‘Me okay?’ Mav hid his delight at her return as best he could. ‘Well, that’s not actually a word that describes me. Demented yes, insane, yes, but definitely not okay. But then that’s okay, isn’t it?’ He climbed to his feet rubbing the back of his head and winced as he did.

  Sam shook her head. ‘You get beaten up and you’re still cracking jokes.’ She expressed a wry smile. ‘I’d better be going.’ She departed once more, leaving the two of them standing there, gazing after her.

  Mav felt quite chuffed. ‘How about that? She came back.’

  ‘Maybe she doesn’t like to see people get the crap beat out of them,’ Pete suggested.

  ‘Yeah... You’re probably right.’ But Mav couldn’t help but wonder. Maybe he really had left an impression on her and maybe there really was a slim chance that she liked him, regardless of the fact he had embarrassed her earlier that afternoon. Perhaps if he managed to avoid all these guys who wanted to make his life a misery, he might find out.

  CHAPTER 9:

  The Dreaded Rex Cassidy