Chapter 20
I awoke the next morning and discovered that Shannon had already left for school. This was a big day because the first football game was tonight and she had to be there early for a cheerleading meeting. At the breakfast table Stacy gave me an envelope. I noticed she seemed irritated as she handed it to me.
"Shannon asked me to give this to you," she said, curtly. As I opened it, the smell of 'Falling in Love' perfume gently wafted out. Inside was a note that said; If you're going to let a girl get your motor running, make sure you know how to turn it off and maintain control of your car! She had signed it with a smiley face. I laughed. Stacy gave me a harsh look and so I quickly put the note away in my pocket.
After exiting the bathroom from having brushed my teeth, I bumped into AJ. "Why's your mom in a bad mood this morning?" I whispered.
"You seriously don't know?"
I shook my head no.
"My sister's in love with you! Tonight she's going to ask you to beg my mom to let you live here for the rest of the school year. She told me she's going to do whatever it takes to make sure you can stay. She's also planning on breaking up with Keith as soon as he comes back from New York. My mom is really ticked off about what she sees Shannon doing. Don't mention this to anyone else."
An incredible feeling of jubilation shot through me. Suddenly, I was on top of the world! I gave a fist pump, smiled a huge grin, and hugged AJ. She laughed.
Stacy continued to look perturbed as she drove AJ and me to school. I tried to ease the tension through conversation with her. "It looks like Keith is going to miss the first game. That's too bad."
"They have a talented back-up quarterback," she replied. "I'm sure they'll do fine without him for one game."
"Yeah, I'm sure they will."
Once in homeroom and upon seeing Reina, the passionate feelings I had experienced with her last night began to replay in my mind. I forced them out as I sat down. Shannon walked in and flashed me a huge smile. I returned it. In biology class, Reina sat down beside me. Before I had a chance to say anything to her however, Shannon came over to me.
"Last night you asked me out for a walk. Would you like to do that tonight after the game?"
"You bet I would!" I enthusiastically replied. She smiled and walked back to her desk. Reina stared at her with a look of hatred and contempt. The same look she had directed at Shannon last night.
"Reina, we need to talk. I'm sorry about what happened last night."
"Why did you leave me? Were you not enjoying yourself and having a good time?"
"I didn't want to leave you but you forced me to. You ran into the restroom and wouldn't come out. Neither would you answer me when I called to you. I was having a good time, but, ah… you're moving a little too fast when it comes to getting… ah, you know… physical in a relationship. I like you, but I hardly know you. Right now I only want to be your friend. I don't want to get physical with you anymore. Is that Okay?"
She looked over at Shannon, cursed her in Japanese, and said, "I was also enjoying myself until she interfered."
"Hey, don't talk about her like that! She was just looking out for me. She… you know… cares about me."
"It is more than just caring," she replied sarcastically. "Are you deliberately trying to play dumb? Do you not see that she is in love with you?"
"Can I make up for last night before I leave?" I asked, not wanting to discuss her last comments.
"Yes," she replied while squeezing my arm. "I am sorry for coming on to you the way I did at the dance. I did not mean to offend you. I will not do it anymore. What would you like to do?"
"I'll think about it and let you know."
"Okay, Lance-san."
Morning classes came and went, but I wasn't paying attention to what was being taught. I was analyzing all probable scenarios as to how I could stay and what I could say to Stacy to convince her to let me live with them. Those thoughts were still running through my mind as I made my way over to the cafeteria. The next thing I knew, Shannon was walking beside me.
"I get to sit next to you on this lunch period," she said while grasping my hand.
"My treat today," I replied while smiling happily. "What's on the menu for Fridays?"
Before she could answer however, we walked in to see Reina sitting at one of the football team's tables! What is she doing here? I thought. This isn't even her normal lunch period.
"Lance, on game day the players are given permission to all eat together," remarked Shannon with concern. "She shouldn't be sitting there because they'll be here any moment."
But her warning came too late! Greg Schulman and another boy had come into the room and they immediately strode over to where Reina was sitting. They sat down on each side of her. Greg began to play with her hair while the other boy began to play with her food. I heard Greg say, "You know, you're a steaming hot brunette and you can sit here on one condition. You have to meet us in the locker room after tonight's game. We'll show you our trophies and let you clean and polish them. Agreed?"
Reina looked upset and disgusted. My fists clenched in anger! I had enough from these prima donnas. "LEAVE HER ALONE!" I shouted. Instantly the cafeteria became silent and heads turned in my direction.
"No, Lance!" implored Shannon. She tried to grab my arm as I strode over to the table where they were sitting.
"Get away from her, now!" I angrily commanded. Greg stared at me as if I was insane. He stood up and then cockily approached me.
"How many times do I have to punch out your lights before you'll learn to mind your own business, bench-warmer?"
"I'm giving you fair warning," I cautioned. "I know martial arts. If you attack me, I guarantee I will destroy you… completely. After I'm done, you won't be able to play checkers, let alone football!"
I heard Shannon behind me plead, "Please, Greg. Leave him alone. Don't hurt him" He looked over at her and while shaking his head in affirmation, replied, "Okay goddess, I won't hurt him."
As he turned to leave, he then quickly turned back around and swung his fist at my head! But having read his body movements, I was fully anticipating this. I intercepted his punch and grabbed his wrist while forcing it downwards hard until it finally snapped. A look of shock came over his face. Before the pain had time to register in his brain, I grabbed his other arm in a lock while quickly applying pressure until with a loud popping sound, it also broke. Finally, I grabbed the back of his head and slammed his face down into the nearest tabletop—breaking both his nose and jaw. I saw students wince when I did this. Others sat there silently gawking in surprise with wide eyes and mouths hanging open. This whole counter-attack had taken about six seconds. While moaning and with blood streaming down his face, he collapsed in a heap onto the floor.
His buddy, with an enraged expression, picked up the chair he was sitting on. While brandishing it like a club, he came charging at me swinging wildly. While sidestepping his blow and at the same time grabbing him by the throat, I followed through on his momentum and hurled him into the cafeteria wall so hard the wind was knocked out of him. He groaned and gasped for air as I locked his right arm and forced it back until his shoulder dislocated. Lastly, I kicked him hard in the side of his left leg at the knee—breaking it. He too, crumpled to the floor. This second counter-attack took all of about seven seconds. I walked to the center of the room and turned to face the students who were sitting at their tables. Every astonished eye was now fixated on me.
"Starting right now there's a new law in this school," I proclaimed, "My law. My law says that all tables are available to anyone and that any student can sit wherever they want with no fear of reprisal. My law says that if anyone steals food from anyone else they're going to end up like him," while pointing to Greg's crumpled body on the floor. "My law says that football players cannot do whatever they want and will get no special favoritism or privileges, just because they're football players. Any and all bullying in this school has now officially come to an end. Violators w
ill face the consequences. From this day forward you are all free!"
It was a magnificent, albeit short speech in my humble opinion. But the reaction from the student body was completely opposite from what I expected. Instead of rejoicing or expressing gratitude, all they did was quietly stare at me. Maybe they had all heard I was leaving tomorrow and I would not be around to enforce my new law, I thought. As I puzzled over this it finally dawned on me that they weren't staring at me, but past me. I slowly turned around to see the other players lined up against the wall and leering at me. And they looked fighting mad! They must have all come in during the fight and my little emancipation proclamation, I thought. I counted 25 of them. I immediately went into combat mode. Then I glanced over at Shannon and asked, "How important is the football program to this school?"
"It's… everything," she stammered with an expression of shock and awe on her face.
"Not this year. Say a prayer for them."
As they advanced toward me, I cautiously retreated to the open space provided by the construction renovation. This area would provide me more room to maneuver. Maybe they will honorably fight me one at a time, I thought. As I was being surrounded, Ron Boyle sarcastically remarked, "Welcome to Hell Town, US of A, Canuck! When we're finished here, there won't be enough of you left to scrape off of the floor and mail back to your igloo!"
I smiled and raised my hands, and then beckoned them to come get me. They complied with an all-out gang rush! Well, so much for an honorable fight, I thought. If it was a street fight they wanted, it was a street fight I would provide! After piling on top of me, they began to blitz me with a vicious flurry of punches and kicks. Most of these blows were landing, but they weren't landing on me! Before crouching down, I had quickly snatched the smallest and lightest player, Ron Boyle, and was using him as a shield—holding him wrapped around my body like a poncho. As they unknowingly pummeled him, he screamed in agony. The players must have thought it was me, because they immediately increased the intensity of their attack! He shrieked, sobbed, and pleaded with me to release him. After about a minute, I forced myself up to a standing position while driving them back off of me. Then I dropped Ron onto the floor—a crying, battered, and bloodied mess. Now it was my turn!
They were football fast as they attacked, but I was a blur as I twisted and sidestepped my way through them—blazing a trail of pain, suffering, and retribution. While moving like the spinning Tasmanian devil of the old Bugs Bunny cartoons, I broke arms, legs, ribs, noses, and various other bones. As their numbers quickly thinned, I could tell by their facial expressions that they now had serious misgivings about having assaulted me. But it was too late. They had sown the wind; now they would reap the whirlwind! Even those who tried to attack me with chairs and other items that they found lying around were ineffective. I was too agile and they often ended up striking each other in all the chaos. At the end there were only two of them left; the guy who somehow had managed to get me in a bear hug and the one who stood in front of me with his knuckles lined up with my face. As he drew his fist back to punch me, I kicked him hard between his legs. His feet lifted a half inch off the floor! With a high pitched shriek and a look of death in his eyes, he clutched his groin and slowly toppled over.
I grabbed a middle finger of the other player and pulled it back until it snapped. Then while using a solid, devastating, back kick, I drove the heel of my right foot up into his groin as well. He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. As he crumpled to the floor with bulging eyes, I struck and broke his left collar bone—just for safe measure.
The brawl was over. I had done my best to protect myself while making sure no one had been permanently maimed, or killed! I turned to face the spectators and as I did, I was struck directly across the chest by Coach Pernell wielding a one by one inch wooden rod about four feet long! The blow snapped the club in half and ripped a tear in my shirt. My body was driven up and back to land on the condiments table; breaking it in half and scattering little packets of mustard, mayonnaise, and ketchup in all directions! I heard Shannon scream as well as many others. I lay on the floor—stunned. My ribs were bruised and a long red welt began to form across my chest.
"He killed him," I heard someone worriedly remark. After a few seconds I shook my head to clear it, and then I slowly stood up. "No he didn't," replied someone else. "The guy's freaking Superman!"
I clenched my fists and began advancing towards Coach Pernell. He stared at me with fear and regret, and then turned and bolted out of the room. Now in pain, I slowly trudged across the room. As I did, students began to circle me. I glanced over at Shannon. Her eyes were full of awe. Some kids began to clap and others joined in. In an instant; loud, tumultuous applause and cheers erupted from the crowd. Not since Moses freed the Hebrew slaves from Egyptian bondage had people experienced this much joy and freedom from tyranny! Everyone now approached me and while patting me on the back, remarked, "Way to go, that was totally insane, that was incredible, and so on." One student said it was better than a Hollywood martial arts movie. Another asked me how, when, and where had I learned to fight like that. Shannon compassionately came up and gently touched the welt that ran across my chest. I noticed neither concern nor sympathy for the groaning, shattered bodies of their former tormentors that lay strewn across the floor.
The students were about to lift me up on their shoulders and carry me around the room in a victory celebration when Coach Pernell, upon re-entering the cafeteria, screamed, "THERE HE IS! ARREST HIM!" Several S.W.A.T. Police Team members came charging into the room while brandishing assault rifles and began shouting, "GET DOWN, GET DOWN!" They then grabbed me and forced me to my knees. Everyone scattered out of the way. I thought it best to offer no resistance. They handcuffed my hands behind my back while reading me my rights amidst much booing from the students. Then after yanking me to my feet, they pushed me toward the exit. Reina stepped in front of me however, blocking my path. While staring intently at Shannon she remarked, "What do you know? There are real men still left in this world. Thank you my Paladin, for rescuing me!" She tenderly held my face between her hands and kissed me with a long, passionate kiss! The crowd vocalized their approval. One of the police officers finally said, "That's enough, miss; out of the way." Another officer took her by the arm and pulled her off of me. I don't know what shocked me more—the kiss or the words lifted straight out of Shannon's diary that had preceded it! With my head spinning in a daze, I glanced over at Shannon. She now looked confused and upset—like she was about to cry!
We continued out of the cafeteria and down the hall to the main entrance while passing by Emergency Medical Technicians. I could hear the wail of sirens outside. Principal Taylor was talking to police officers. As we passed by him, I yelled, "Principal Taylor, I need to talk to you!" He walked over to me and I said, "I'm going to ask you to set me free. This is an open and shut case of self-defense. There are over a hundred witnesses in the lunchroom that will support my claim that I was attacked and simply defended myself. There are also probably a half dozen pictures taken by smartphones that will also support this assertion as well. The most that you can do to me is to have me deported, and I'm leaving tomorrow to go back to Canada anyway. Save yourself unnecessary paperwork and drop the charges against me. Let me go."
"Young man, you have just destroyed this school's football program for the entire season while seriously injuring 27 students and you expect me to let you go—just like that? Take him away!" he commanded the officers holding me.