by Todd Kirby
okay?”
“Yeah,” said Jeremy, “one of my teachers wanted to talk.”
“Just wanted to talk, huh?” Ratchet commented, “Well that was nice…”
Jeremy smiled, “I’m getting a ‘C’ in her class and she thinks I can do better.” he clarified.
“‘C’s get degrees.” Ratchet rhymed. “You’re going to a party tonight, right?”
“Yeah, over at Reggie’s.” said Jeremy.
Without looking up from what he was doing, Ratchet warned, “Be careful… jocks tend to get stupid when they drink. It never ceases to amaze me how some people drink and want to have a good time, but other people drink and want to screw up everybody else’s good time.”
“The jocks don’t mess with me much anymore,” Jeremy assured him. “Not since that incident at Junior Prom last year.”
Ratchet smiled. “Yeah, well... I have a feeling that Ford boy hasn’t forgotten or forgiven you. You got any backup that’s gonna be there?”
“I’ll be alright.” Jeremy assured him.
Jeremy worked up until it was time for the party, then started packing up his tools. “I’m out.” he said finally. As Jeremy mounted up and rode off down the road, Ratchet stopped what he was doing and watched him leave. The evening sky looked a little foreboding, and Ratchet had a bad feeling.
When Jeremy arrived at the party, it was already in full swing. Reggie’s place was out in the country, where you could make all the noise you wanted and there were no neighbors around for miles. His parties often got rowdy. The first person Jeremy encountered was the jock from the locker area that morning.
“Hey man,” he said, “you got that dime?” Jeremy reached into his pocket and pulled out a baggie. The jock reached into his pocket and pulled out a bill. They ‘shook hands’ and exchanged items. From there, Jeremy went over to the keg and got a beer. As he roamed the crowd, Jeremy couldn’t help but wonder if this was what it’s like as an adult going into bars. He had never been inside one before, but Ratchet and the gang were frequent visitors, and they often talked about the good times they had.
As the night wore on and the early birds left, there were mostly just hard-core partiers remaining. Jeremy thought about leaving as well. He had seen everyone he wanted to see and conducted the business he came to conduct. He knew that if he hung around too long, eventually somebody would do something stupid. Jeremy poured out the last of his unfinished beer and started toward his bike. About halfway there, he heard a girl’s voice yell, “Let me go!”
Looking up, he saw Jamie... and some jock had a hold of her arm. But it wasn’t just any jock.
“Let her go Ford.” Jeremy said calmly but firmly.
Ford looked up at Jeremy and said, “Mind your business, Bonds.”
As Jeremy looked around to evaluate the situation, he noted three other jocks in the area. And all three started walking over. There were several other kids nearby and they all started wandering over as well, no doubt looking forward to a little live entertainment.
Seeing his friends arriving, Ford became more bold. “Your biker friends aren’t here to bail you out this time Bonds.” he said with a smile.
“Nope, they’re not.” Jeremy replied as he watched two of the jocks circle around behind him. “Good thing I won’t need them for a bunch of pansies like you.”
The jock behind Jeremy on his right lunged forward. Jeremy swung his elbow back as hard as he could into the boy’s adam’s apple. The jock dropped, grasping his throat. As the boy behind Jeremy on his left ran at him, Jeremy spun around and drop-kicked the boy between the legs - lifting him up off the ground about three inches in the process. That jock fell to the ground grasping his privates.
Jeremy turned around just in time to see a fist swinging toward his face. He ducked just enough to avoid the full force of it, but it caught him on the mouth solidly enough to bust his lip. As Jeremy stumbled, the boy was on top of him immediately. Jeremy grabbed the boy’s shirt and flipped him over forwards. The boy spun around and got up smiling. Jeremy stood back up and checked the damage to his mouth. His lip was bleeding, but his teeth were all accounted for.
Another jock appeared from the crowd and started toward Jeremy, but he was intercepted by someone. “Move out of the way, Murphy.” The jock said.
Ronnie Murphy was a cop’s son. He wasn’t the biggest kid in school, but he was tough. He was also popular - president of the student council and captain of the baseball team. Why Ronnie Murphy was standing up for Jeremy was a good question, but Jeremy wasn’t turning down any allies at the moment.
“Yeah, because four-to-one odds isn’t unfair enough.” Murphy said.
The jock who had hit Jeremy came at him again. As the boy swung his fist, Jeremy dodged it and threw a fierce uppercut, knocking the boy dizzy. The boy tried to say something, but he had obviously bit his tongue with that last hit. “Yeah... shut up.” Jeremy said as he threw a jab to the boy’s nose. As blood shot out of his nostrils, the boy went down to the ground and started backing away, holding his face with both hands.
Jeremy looked over and saw that Murphy was holding his own with the other jock, so he addressed Ford. “I’m done playing now Ford.” he said as he narrowed his eyes and walked quickly over to where Ford and Jamie were standing.
Ford pushed Jamie away and raised his fists. “I’m not afraid of you, Bonds.” he said.
“That’s because you’re stupid.” Jeremy responded.
Suddenly the two began trading punches. Ford was bigger than Jeremy by about forty pounds, but Jeremy was quick. While Jeremy could dodge the brunt of Ford’s hits, Ford wasn’t quick enough to avoid Jeremy’s. Eventually, Ford realized that he was getting the worse end of the deal, so he lunged forward and grabbed Jeremy by the waist to tackle him. But Jeremy used the force of the attack to roll backward and flip Ford in a somersault onto his back - landing on top of him in the process. A wicked smile crept across Jeremy’s lips, and he began pummeling Ford relentlessly. Soon enough, Ford was begging for relief, unable to even protect himself anymore.
As Jeremy raised his fist again, he felt someone grab it. Looking up in a rage, he saw Murphy. “That’s enough.” Murphy said. As Jeremy looked at Murphy, he saw a black eye and a busted lip, but he also looked over to the jock Murphy was fighting and saw him knocked out cold on the ground.
Jeremy got up off of Ford, and looked back at Murphy. “I owe you one.” he said.
“I was just trying to even the odds.” Murphy said.
“Well, thanks.” Jeremy returned.
Jamie came running over to Jeremy and held on to him, crying.
“What were you doing with Ford?” he asked.
“I was trying to get a ride home,” Jamie went on, “Ford said he would give me a ride home. But then he started getting all ‘handsy’.”
“C’mon,” said Jeremy, “I’ll give you a ride home.”
“You’ll need to drop me off at that gas station on the corner of my block.” Jamie said. “If you pull into my neighborhood, you’ll wake everybody up.”
Jeremy nodded. As they got on his bike and Jeremy started it up, he noticed that Jamie was holding on pretty tight. “Poor kid.” he thought. “That’s a rough night for a sophomore.” But as he drove down the road, he realized how similar his sophomore year had been. Alcohol, fights, drugs… Jamie wasn’t just a kid. She was searching for something she wasn’t getting at home, just like he was two years ago.
As they pulled into the gas station on the corner of Jamie’s block, Jeremy shut the engine down and told Jamie, “You can let go now.”
She got off the bike and looked at Jeremy, with his busted lip. Jamie had a pained look as she held her finger out to touch it. Jeremy smiled a little and said, “It’s not as bad as it looks.”
Jamie leaned in, as if to get a closer look at Jeremy’s lip, then quickly kissed it. Jeremy drew back.
“Jamie…” he started to say.
“I know,” she said, looking down at the ground. “I’m too young... just a kid with a crush. I’m definitely no Jenny Mahoney.” A tear started rolling down her cheek, as she crossed her arms and turned away from him.
Jeremy sighed and looked up at the sky. After a moment to collect his thoughts, he began, “You know what I see when I look at you?”
“Ugly?” Jamie said through the tears.
“No,” Jeremy laughed a little. “I see me… two years ago.”
Jamie turned back around to face him. “Really?” she said, sniffling.
“Really,” Jeremy assured her. “I see someone who’s strong and determined to make her own way. I see someone capable and driven and beautiful.”
“You don’t have to say that.” said Jamie.
“I’m telling you Jamie,” Jeremy went on, “if I wasn’t worried about getting arrested, I’d totally make out with you right here.”
At that, she smiled. Looking up at him, she said, “I promise I won’t tell…”
Suddenly Jeremy remembered Jenny Mahoney and the ice cream date. He looked around to see if