Waging War with Reason and Rage
#11 of New Kid
Part Eleven: Waging War with Reason and Rage
I really do love alliteration, I don't know why. This chapter holds a fwe insights into Zeke's past and personality as well as showing a bit more about Jarrod and his life. One more chapter to go after this people, it's been a looooong time coming but we're finally coming to an end. Enjoy it while it lasts and I'll start getting the next part ready to get posted. As one last thing to say though, I will tell you all to pay attention to the details, as you never know what might be brought up again later. Enjoy and comment at the bottom please.
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I spent my weekend reading and researching as much as I could find to be prepared for what was to come Monday after school. It took me a long time but I had finally managed to compile a list, create some forms, and start thinking on what needed to be done for this thing to be gotten off the ground. After the basics I also looked into other fight clubs in areas around the state and found that there were actually quite a few. If this thing actually got off the ground the club could have some meets and competitions come fall when they were actually ready for such things, not that I'd likely be around for it.
The whole thing weighed heavy on me through Saturday when my dad and I drove around for some groceries and things. We found a church to go to as well, and Sunday I managed to go there and lit a candle as I said a prayer for patience and good luck. I hadn't actually been to church in ages and it felt good to be back in such a serene atmosphere again. I got a few looks from a few people who didn't recognize me but I was only there for about ten minutes before I left for home.
Through the day I collected more information, gained insights, and readied my mind for the coming week. On the surface I was calm and collected as always, but beneath that calm surface was a raging torrent that was full of chaos. I practiced my moves, exercised, baked some, and just did anything and everything I could to keep calm.
Nothing really helped calm my nerves, though. It mainly just kept me from being more worried. The evening came and with it my eventual slumbers which lead me to the next day. I woke up, made my breakfast and packed somethings I might need before I said goodbye to my dad and left. I moved to my homeroom and sat in the back and started to draw some random doodles. Nothing really good came from them though and eventually Jarrod came in looking like the proverbial 'cat who swallowed the canary'.
"Hey, tiger. I'm feelin' great today, man, I am so psyched to get this club started and start teaching man, I haven't been this stoked in years!"
I raised my eyes at him as he sat down next to me and grunted. He was being beyond perky today and I was already not feeling well so this didn't help ease any of the tension I was carrying around on my shoulders.
"Would you please calm down before you start waggin' your tail around, dude, I'm stressed out enough as is with this damn thing and you're not helpin'!"
I grumbled as I shot him an angry look which caused him to back off a bit, though he did move his tail down and stare at it a bit. I guess I had pointed out something that he was self conscious of even if I didn't know if he could actually wag it like a canine could. Whatever the case was after making sure his tail was calm he leaned in closer to me with a look of concern on his face.
"Listen, I know you don't want to be there, and to be honest I don't really want you there that much. You're hot headed, ill-tempered, and a wild card, but the principal wants us to do this sense it will balance the thing or something. I know we're working on the whole 'friends' deal but right now I need you to be a pal and just come here and try to keep calm. I know you're nervous what with already being thrown into something not even 2 weeks into school, but just take some deep breaths, and after school we'll go and meet the club and start on some things, Ok?"
I grunted again and laid my head down on the desk that I was sitting on. "Fine, just so long as you know as I don't want to be there any more than you I'm fine. I'll do this for you since we share some things in common, but don't push my buttons today, Jarrod, I'm already tense and I'm not feelin' that great."
"Well gee... So-rry didn't know this was such a problem for you, dude." Jarrod looked a bit insulted by what I said, but what I had said was the truth.
"Listen, I didn't want to do this, but I'm being forced to be a leader for this thing. I'm a shy person, I don't like people and this sort of thing really freaks me out. This is like making a person who is afraid of planes take a flight to Australia. It's going to be nerve wracking and a bit hard for me, but I'm going to help you out how I can and do my best. I just want to get through this with as few problems as possible."
"Well ok man, just know I appreciate it, and it's gonna be fun, I bet before school lets out that we'll have a bunch of people joined up and a lot ready for a compitetion next fall"
"Listen, man..." I sighed and shook my head, "I really doubt..."
I couldn't say any more as the announcements for the day started to play over the intercome and they were too loud for me to talk over without yelling. They went through the basics: birthdays, things going on, the pledge and all that good stuff. What really got my attention though was one of the last announcements.
"And if anyone is interested in learning self defense or joining the new fight club, please see Jarrod Oswald or Zeke Thomson for details."
I propped my ears up in surprise from hearing my name and looked over at Jarrod to see what was going on. He of course looked excited to hear his name and that this club of his was starting up at last. I on the other hand was wondering why they'd used my name when: 1. No one knew who I was and 2. I didn't know anything to begin with anyway.
"Oh man this is gonna be great!" Jarrod hit his palm with his fist in excitement and I just sat there looking at him.
"But why did they say my name? I don't know anything about this I don't even know where all the bathrooms are, man."
"Ahh quiet, emo, if anyone asks just tell them we're meeting in the wrestling room after school for our first meeting, that's all ya need."
I blinked and looked at him unamused, "Ok, I'm not 'emo' so don't call me that, and fine if anyone actually talks to me I'll tell them that, but I don't think anyone even knows me that much."
That was pretty much the last word we had in the conversation and with that we just sat around until the bell rang and we had to head to our first period class. This was already looking to be a long day. Jarrod was acting like a pup on Christmas morning, Matt was still trying to get close to me, I was being forced into something I really didn't want to do, and I just couldn't shake this nagging feeling that something was not going to go well today.
Jarrod :
I was so totally stoked about this! After working out the forms, papers, and all the rest of that buerocratic crap the martial arts club that I'd wanted to start for 2 years was finally becoming a reality. Only bad thing about it was that I had to share the captain position with Zeke, but since he was another hybrid I could understand a bit of why he acted the way he did. He came across as a guy who wanted to seem tough on his first day because he didn't look it, but after that fight we had I could tell that his tough act wasn't an act at all. In fact the way I saw him act in school seemed downplayed compared to how he fought with my guys and me.
Besides being a tough bastard, he was also incredibly keen and observant. He had managed to figure out in less than a week that I was a hybrid when no one else that I had known for years had. I'll admit that when he first called me on it, it took all I had in me not to go off on him right there in our homeroom. I wasn't going to let him out my secret that I'd hid for years to keep from getting hurt after all, but he just surprised me again by saying that not only did he not was to blackmail me but later that he was also a hybrid, too. When you think about it the whole thing was unusual; at first I just wanted to take the new kid down a peg and then we start to become friends because he was keeping my secret and also helping me with my club.
It had been crazy ever since I met this guy, but hell; strong, smart, quick, and helpful; he was everything I could use for a co-captain, even if I didn't want one. I kept on thinking about his personality and mine and how we'd be able to coach this team together without butting heads too much. He seemed more defensive and serious about fighting, and I was more offensive and while I'm serious about how I fight, I'm nowhere near as intense as he seemed to be. I figured I could help instruct on how to attack and work on the physical aspects of the martial arts and he could focus more on the spiritual and mental parts of the task as well as teaching them the fundementals of defense.
Regardless of what we'd do it didn't really matter, after all today we were just going to be setting things up and talking to the other people who wanted to be part of this group. I had found out over the course of setting this up that several people were interested in something like this so I expected a fair turn out from that. But through the day I didn't try to think on it to much. Classes were boring and the only time I could actually think clearly on the club was after lunch when I had weight training with that Matt guy that had been hanging around with Zeke a lot since he came around.
Matt was a blue blood, he came from good money and his family was well to do. I didn't hang out with him a lot though even if we did share classes. He was an upper class guy and I was middle class. He had his own friends and I had mine, but what I didn't understand was why he hung out with Zeke so much now. From what I knew, Matt was a nice guy and all, but he was part of the upper crust in the area. Me and Zeke weren't exactly on his level so it didn't make sense to me that they were hanging out so much so quickly, but it wasn't something I was going to dwell on.
So anyway I was working out in our weightlifting class and I was currently spoting my pal, Tory, who was the rhino that Zeke had tossed aside so easily in that fight he'd started. Tory was a rough sort of guy but he'd been my friend for years now so we were pretty tight, he didn't know what I was though, and sometimes that made me feel like a heel but that's just a secret you don't let many people know even in places that it might be ok to tell.
"So I 'eard you finally got that club a' yours up and ready, Rod. 'Bout time too, I can't wait to try it out and get to training. I figure we'll be able ta make a big thing outta it, right?" Tory looked up from the bench he was on, pressing out 340 pounds of weight like it was nothing while he talked.
"Yeah, thanks to the help I got, me and my "co-captain" will make this a good club and, who knows, maybe this fall we can compete with other schools like they do with wrestling." Once Tory had finished with his sets, I set the weight down to 200, because I was nowhere near as strong as my pal before I started my own set.
"Co-captain? Who's this 'co-captin' a' yours and why do ya gotta have a co-captain an' if you gotta have one why can't I be it?"
I looked up at Tory from under the bar; I was surprised he hadn't heard already, "You mean you didn't hear the morning announcements?"
"Nah man I had ta take Megan ta school because she missed the bus and I got here late. Only reason I know about the meeting taday was because someone told me 'bout it. Why what was announced this morning?"
I gulped and flinched inwardly as I sat back up. I thought he was taking the news awfully calmly but now that I was going to have to tell him I knew it wouldn't go over well.
"Well, man... ya see the thing is... Since I got some help from a friend's grandfather in finally starting this up, Mr. Potts decided, on his own now, that he should be my co-captain."
Tory just scoffed at that, "Damn that pot-head, 'e oughta mind 'is own business. You been workin' on this for months now and he goes and does this? But c'mon, man, don't leave me hangin'. Who's the guy who he made be your co-captain now?"
I sighed and looked away at the wall before I looked back at him, "It's Zeke Thomson, his-"
"WHAT!!" I was taken back at his loud voice nearly screaming at me as he looked at me shocked beyond description. A few of the other guys looked over at us wondering what had happened but I just shushed him and he snorted, looking angrier by the second.
"Why the hell is he gonna be your co-captain? That punk ass newbie ain't worth shit. He's an emo punk that got lucky and is more bark than bite!"
I shook my head and looked at him with a disbelieving look, "More bark than bite? Didn't his "bark" get you laid out on your ass when we fought him, and wasn't that also four on one, since Matt didn't fight any and you knocked him over to the side anyway?"
"Phht... That otter's lucky I didn't break his pretty nose. Damn rich boy shouldn't stick his nose where it don't belong."
"He was just tryin' to keep us from fightin', Tory, cool it will ya? But anyway the club is set to meet after school in the wrestling room so be sure to be there, ok?"
He just looked at me and rolled his eyes, "Fine...! I'll be dere but I still don't like the fact that e's gonna be dere... I don't trust dat punk, somedin' ain't right about 'im."
'If only you knew, man,' I thought to myself as we went back to working out.
The rest of the day went easy from there; after my weight training came my psych class with Zeke and as I walked into the room I kept thinking about how eager I was for this day to end. I guess I was just real anxious and excited about the first meeting of the club that made me feel this way. Zeke on the other hand didn't seem to share my enthusiasm since the moment he stepped into the room I saw that he wanted to avoid my sight. If he thought I was just going to let him leave the second school was out, though he had another thing coming. He could try to blend into the background as much as he like but I wan't going to let him.
After the Final bell rang, he tried to get out of the room but before he could get away, i rushed after him and grabbed him by his tail. It wasn't the best way to stop a failrly aggressive guy, but it was the only part of him that I could reach
"And where do you think you're going so fast there, dude? You wouldn't be trying to skip out and go straight home now would you?"
"I wouldn't have to try if you just LET me now would I?" He grunted and pulled his tail out of my grip. "Does it really matter if I be there, it's not like I'm going to have to do anything anyway, right?"
"It does matter, if Mr. Potts comes in and sees you're not around and cancels this on day one. Come on what's it going to take to get you to just do this, do you really have anything better to do at home?"
He gave me a serious stare for a moment and rolled his eyes, "What I consider better isn't what you'd consider better, so I'll do it if only so I can at least see what chumps you're going to try to whip into the same fighting shape that you're in."
"Ya know...," I sighed and rolled my eyes as we started to walk towards our respective lockers. "You really make it hard to be a friend to you."
"So what?" He stopped and got his locker open and I waited for him as he stored his books. "Like I tell everyone who trys to be my friend, I don't bother with them anymore. I move around so much and so often I don't really get a chance to make any worth wile friends so what's the point this late in life. Besides after graduation I'll be off to college and loose touch with anyone anyway, so you really can't tell me otherwise now can you?"
I looked at him and though his words were sharp and harsh, it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself what he said more than he actually did.
"Do you actually believe that load of crap, Zeke? Cause it sounds like you really don't."
He slammed his locker shut and we started to walk down the hall to mine as he thought of something to say again.
"In all honesty I'm just tired of trying. I promised someone important to me that I'd keep trying to make friends but I'm just so tired of trying and just want to go along with the flow and just let things happen until I can finally settle into a place of my own. I hate moving so much and I just want to find a steady place to live one day, get a job doing something I like, and just live my life, but with how my dad's work has gone we've moved all over the eastern time zone and so it's left me a little jaded about making friends. I wouldn't mind not being alone but I know it's just a matter of time before we move again, we rarely stay anyplace for more than 8 months anyway."
I couldn't really say I knew how he felt from what he had just tole me, but I did know that I should say something considering he'd just said something really personal to me. I mean the guy moved all the time it seemed, so it wasn't that he wanted to be distant and come off as cold, it was more that that was the only way he knew to be since he'd just move again soon and lose any friends he'd make where ever he went.
"Well man... I can't really say I understand a lot of what you just said, but hey... as one mutt to another... At least we can be friends and watch each other's back. In all honesty it's a huge load off my shoulders to have someone know my secret at last and be able to relate to me a bit. And at least with the internet we can always chat and maybe one day meet up again in life. Hell with the internet the world is pretty much all at your fingertips, so now you got me, dude. Whadda ya say, friends?"
I held out my paw to him and he just looked at it before he offered his fist and we bumped them and he smiled.
"Thanks, Abe, that actually makes me feel a lot better. I think I can actually get through this afternoon now, though saying that has most likely screwed it all up now..." He sighed at that and I just looked at him wondering why he was calling be 'Abe' now. First he called me 'Dog-wood' which I could get, then he called me 'Candy', and now he was calling me 'Abe'? I really didn't understand where he was getting this stuff from.
He must've seen the confusion on my face from that, because as we walked to the wrestling room he started to explain.
"Your last name is Oswald, which is a lot like Waldo, and he was known for that weird red and white candy cane look he sported. Followin' me so far?"
I nodded and he continued, "So that's where I got 'Candy' from, and from that Cane was the first son of Adam and Eve in the Bible and was eventually the brother to Abel. From that 'Abe' can easily be taken from that. Understand?"
I looked at him like he was crazy and just shook my head, "You always think like that, dude? Cause in all honesty it's a little bit weird."
"Hmph... I like to think of it as a unique way of thinking and branching out your mind to think 'outside' the box. It's not weird or crazy, it's just different, just like we are."
Well he had me there, we were both two canine/feline hybrids and that was never something you saw a lot of even in this day and age, but I had to give him props on how he put it. He really was a unique guy and I had a feeling things would be interesting around him, but I had to put that matter aside as we went into the wrestling room and waited for everyone to show up.
It didn't take that long though, and pretty soon one person after another started to come in. I knew people would be interested in this sort of thing, learning martial arts was something that had appealed to people for years. Back when I was a kid, I'd watch Kung-fu flicks and want to be just like the guys in them. After waiting a few minutes it was time to get things started. Zeke stood beside me wearing his trademarked blue jacket as we both took stock of those that had assembled before us. Some of the kids I knew, but most of them I didn't.
"Ok, everyone I guess this is all that's going to be here today so let's get started. As most of you know I'm Jarrod Oswald and for those of you who haven't met this guy here," I gestured to Zeke who just held up his hand, "This is Zeke Thomson and we'll be your co-captains in this team. Now I know we don't have a lot of time before the end of school, but what I'm wanting to get out of this before then is for us all start to train and work for some matches with other schools later this fall. It'll be a lot of work and a lot of hard training but I think that with lots of practice we can make something great of this small team of ours."
And with that I looked over to Zeke to see if he had anything he wanted to say, he shook his head and just said that he hoped he could help some and so I got things started. I told every to take off their shoes and to start doing some stretches to get warmed up for the lesson and after a few seconds of getting ready things seemed like they'd be going smoothly. That however pretty much ended the second Tory came in.
"Hey, man, sorry I'm late an all, I had ta go to my locker and ya know it's all the way on the other side of the school." Tory then looked at Zeke with an evil glare as Zeke looked back with an annoyed look of his own.
"What's the Ivory horned block head doing here, Jarrod?" Zeke stood near me as Tory stepped up to him, and loomed several inches over his head.
"What was that, you emo freak?!" They stared each other down and I could almost see the lightning crackle between the two of them. Needless to say that this wasn't going to end well but I tried to make the best of it.
"I called ya an 'ivory horned block head' but now I'm calling you a deaf idiot for not being able to hear me from so close."
I got between them but even as Idid, they glared at each other. If i didn't fix this quickly it would go far beyond a simple staring contest.
"C'mon guys, calm the hell down. There's no need for this sorta thing. Zeke why don't you just go sit on the bleachers and calm down and Tory you go stretch and get ready, and neither of you have to get near each other, ok?"
Zeke shrugged off my hand and turned to walk away, but Tory being the stubborn fool that he has always been just had to get the last word.
"Yeah you just walk away, freak, but watch your back you won't be so lucky next time we fight."
What happened next is something that still haunts me to this day. I was about to tell Tory to knock it off but I saw that Zeke had stopped dead in his tracks and his tail was stiff. He turned around in an instant and before I could even move he was tackling Tory right into the side of the building which was made from some aluminum coating as it was just a big storage building when you got down to it.
"NEVER THREATEN ME, YOU BASTARD! I WON'T LET ANYONE THREATEN ME AND NOT TAKE IT SERIOUSLY AND IF YOU EVER SAY THAT I SHOULD WATCH MY BACK I'LL TAKE IT AS A THREAT AND DO WHATEVER THE HELL I NEED TO KEEP IT FROM HAPPENING!"
Zeke was all but screaming at him, he somehow had gotten his arm under his chin and had raised the 240 pound rhino 6 inches off the ground and was choking him. I ran over to him and as I tried to pull them apart I saw that Zeke had a glazed look in his eyes and was crying slightly. He looked like he was so mad that he was upset but I eventually pulled him back and he blinked trying to find out what had happened as Tory fell to the floor and started coughing.
Everyone was looking at us now wondering what was going on and I for one couldn't blame them. Zeke looked like he was about to break, he was shaking and breathing hard and when I looked at Tory he was coughing and rubbing his throat. Zeke just took a step closer and before I could ask what he was thinking he punched the wall and panted hard. He looked extremely frustrated and now from that punch it looked like his hand was bleeding.
He started to walk out the door and said that he needed some air. He sounded like he was on the verge of tears and I was worried about him but I had to make sure everything was ok first.
"What the..." Tory coughed and rubbed at his throat, "The hell is wrong with that guy? He coulda killed me."
I looked to where Zeke had gone and thought for a moment, "The guy is complicated, Tory, he's had a lot of pain in his past and I guess he's just really defensive... You really shouldn't have threatened him like that, I think he took it more seriously than you intended."
"Well how the hell would I'da known dat? The lil' freak's new, comes off all arrogant and crap, and is like the freaks from Columbine and he goes off and attacks me over that?! Who's side you on 'nyway? It ain't like you to defend a punk like 'im."
I sighed and rubbed my head a bit, "Let's just say we have a common problem and leave it at that, you gonna be ok for a bit while I go and talk to him?"
Tory got up slowly and popped his back and rubbed his throat a moment before he nodded, "Yeah, I'll be ok, you just go and calm da dude down, I'll watch dese guys for a bit make sure dey don't get inta any trouble."
He walked off to the group and snorted at them and told them to get ready for some light exercises while I went out to find Zeke. Being part dog I had a pretty good sense of smell and after taking a slight whiff I found the scent of wolf and salt water and followed it to the courtyard. When I got there I looked up into a tree and saw Zeke sitting on a branch and he looked like he was trying really hard to not bust into tears as he talked on a phone.
"I just... I just need to talk to you soon, Skye, I screwed up real bad today and I think I'm messing up again. I'm still suffering from the PTSD and I think it's getting worse... Just... just call back when you can, ok? I really need to talk with you." I saw him hang up his phone and then he pulled his legs to his chest as he sat there in the tree about 15 feet above my head.
"Hey. You mind explaining to me what the hell just happened in there? I didn't think you the type to start a fight let alone go off and choke someone."
He just sat there for a minute and I almost thought he hadn't heard me when he looked down and sighed.
"It's complicated but it has a lot to do with something that happened to me when I was 11 years old."
I kept looking up at him and he sighed again resigning to the fact I wasn't going anywhere and climbed down to talk with me.
"Let me see your hand." He walked over to me and took it in his and then guided it to his neck and placed my fingers under the shirt to feel his left shoulder.
"You feel that straight line there?" I nodded, it felt like a scar that was about two or maybe three inches long and fairly thin.
"When I was 11 I was attacked by someone as was my brother. The guy put a knife there and stabbed me pretty hard, but my brother was hurt worse by the guy. Ever since then I've suffured from a Post-Tramatic-Stress-Disorder and whenever I get really scared or when someone threatens me and it sounds serious I kind of black out and attack the person who started it. Sometimes it's just a punch and I calm down, but lately it's been getting to the point that when it happens I actually feel the need to make sure that they can't ever hurt me. I've been seeing a doctor every time I move to get medicine for it and try and work on things but I haven't been in a few months and I guess I need to start looking again. Is he ok?"
I nodded, "Yeah, Tory's a lot tougher than that. You knocked the wind out of him and all but it'll take more than that to keep him down. You gonna be ok though?" He nodded and I pat his shoulder that he still had my hand on.
"Good, then let's get back, ok, man?" I started to pull away when he squeezed my paw and looked away from me.
"Also... don't tell anyone about what I just told you... I don't want people thinking I'm some psycho that's going to kill everyone or something. I may have issues but I'm not a violent person... Just defensive."
"Hey, man I understand, ya got a lot of baggage on your back and you don't know how to deal with it so it sometimes just blasts off and goes wild. Just try to keep it in check better ok?"
I pulled my arm back along with Zeke and headed back into the building. Sure he had blown up, but he needed to set things straight. As we walked back, I was sure I saw someone running away, but I dismissed it as nothing. It was probably just someone rushing to their locker or something.
By the time we got back I saw that Tory had the group warming up with jumping jacks. When he saw us he waved at me and grunted at Zeke.
"So I see you got 'im back... I'll alert da media..." He turned and looked at him crossing his arms, and then something really unexpected happened. Zeke stood right in front of him and looked up right into his eyes and bowed his head in a gesture of humility and sincerity.
"I am very sorry about what I did. If you wish I'll let you have one free punch at me as hard as you like to atone for trying to cut off your air and blood." I blinked and shook my head. He was serious about this and Tory was trying to read him to see if this was a trick, but he wasn't that good at that sort of thing, and even if he was this guy would still be hard to read.
"You tryin' to get me in-ta trouble? I ain't gonna punch ya just so you can get me into trouble..."
"I'm not trying to pull anything, I hurt you and you deserve retribution for what I did. Besides it's the best way I can apologize for going off the handle. So if you want I'm giving you a free punch; I won't move, I won't dodge, I won't defend so you may do what you like."
He stood there for a moment and Tory brought his arm back and threw his fist right beside Zeke's head. True to his word, he didn't move or even try to dodge, he kept as still as he could and looked at him.
"You wasted your free punch, big guy. But glad you didn't take it in all honesty, shows a nice side to your character."
Tory smirked and pulled it back, "I don't need a freebie, and I'm not gonna just punch ya when you won't defend yaself, it ain't right. But I will say this, you are pretty strong to be able to restrain me."
"You're wrong." Tory looked at him in surprise and I looked at him too.
"Being strong and having strength and power isn't the same thing, nor is it something that you use to restrain or harm someone. It's something you use and have to protect what is important to yourself. What's important to me is my safety and the wellness of those who can't defend themselves. I fight to protect myself and protect those who can't defend themselves. That is what I fight for, defense. What is it you fight for?"
By this point everyone had gotten closer and as Zeke looked calmly at Tory he blinked confused for a moment and thought for a second, I think everyone was thinking about what he'd just said and what they were doing here.
After a moment though Tory looked at him and with a strong resolve to his voice answered the guy's question, "I fight to get stronger, I want to learn to fight to get stronger so that no one will mess with me."
"I want to improve myself and learn to keep myself safe so my parents won't worry about me so much," a female wolf looked at us as she spoke.
"The respect of my family."
"To improve my health and well being."
"To get stronger."
All of them said similar things as what was important to them, it was weird to see them all talk and speak to Zeke like he was the one in charge. I almost envied him for it but it seemed that he just had a natural quality about him. Beneath the gruff and cold exterior there was a real nice guy that you could go to with your problems to get help.
After a half hour we dismissed the others and Zeke and me were heading for my truck. I looked over at him as he acted all somber and cold as usual when I stopped and looked at him.
"I just don't get it."
"What don't you get? I told you that we have to start from the basics and teach them the foundations before I figure out how we can teach them."
"No not that... I meant... the thing with Tory. I don't get how that happened."
"Oh that...," He shrugged and didn't bother to look at me, "I earned a bit of respect by not backing down and manning up to what I'd done and I guess in his book that took some guts. It's nothing major I was prepared to get hit in all honesty, I didn't think that he wouldn't actually do it, though."
"You're crazy, man, you do realize that right?"
He smirked a bit and chuckled, "I take that as a compliment."
I rolled my eyes and chuckled deciding to change the subject at that, "So who were you talking to when you were up in that tree?"
"So you heard me talking on the phone huh?" I nodded and he just looked forward as we reached my truck.
"I was calling my brother, Skye, he's not my blood brother but he's like a member of the family. We met several years ago and my dad asked him to talk to me because I was going through some tough times and after some initial problems from me being what I was back then and Skye being an unfamiliar person to me that I couldn't initially trust at first I started to like him, and he became like a member of our family. He'd watch me and my brother when my parents wanted some alone time, he'd take us places, he'd train with me, he'd help my little brother with his projects, and he was just a great guy and I respect him as a big brother to me. So I was calling him because I was upset and wanted to talk to him but I guess he was busy or something, I'll call later and tell him not to worry about it."
I nodded and drove him the short distance to his house before I headed towards mine. I noticed that my dad wasn't home yet so I went to the kitchen and started to fry up some steaks that we had. After I'd finished cooking them and getting some sides I made myself a plate and sat down in our living room. It wasn't long after that that my dad came home looking sweaty and like he'd had a hard day at work. He was a forman with his own construction site so it could be stressful and hard work at times but he still always had plenty of time for me.
"Hey, sport, how'd school go today?" He ruffled my head and smiled as he went to the kitchen to get the steak he obviously smelled.
"It was good, dad, had our first meeting with that fight club, that new kid Zeke went off on Tory but he deserved it in a way, and as you can tell I made us some steaks tonight."
He came out a moment later with the steak, and some green beans on a plate. "You mean that hybrid you were telling me about? He went off on a rhino? What is he like 250 pounds and linebacker material or something?"
"Nope, the guy's barely 5'9" and looks about 160 at the most. He's just that good of a fighter." I chuckled and my dad let out a whistle.
"Wow, sounds like your boyfriend has a lot of skills, hope he's good in the sack as well."
I just about choked and had to really swallow to get the meat that was in my mouth down my throat before I could talk.
"For the last time, dad, I'm NOT gay! Why do you keep thinking that?!"
"Maybe because you don't date anyone, show no interest in doing so, and the fact you've got posters of all those martial artists in your room."
"Ok firstly, I don't date because I have several quirks about me that would tell them I'm a hybrid and I'm not about to out that secret this close to graduation, I have no interest in doing so either because of that and because there's no one really there who spikes much of an interest in me, and lastly those guys are awesome and are like role models to me. They're some of the best fighters in the world and I want to become like them someday, and none of that makes me gay, so stop thinking I am."
I looked at my dad angry that he'd keep thinking that about me, but I saw him smile and I knew it was just his way of playing with my head. I guess it was some sort of feline thing that I didn't really understand. We talked and laughed about the events of the day and after awhile he went to bed shortly followed by me. It had been a long day after all and we had another meeting tomorrow so I'd need my strength and energy.
Zeke:
Well yesterday had been hellish, but after a good night's sleep and a bit of relaxing I was ready for a new day that hopefully wouldn't end as badly as yesterday had. I didn't manage to get ahold of Skye but I had called him again and left him a message telling him I was ok now and not to worry about me any. I doubt he wouldn't though; Skye was as close to a big brother I ever had and he worried about me and my little brother almost as much as our own parents did.
As the day went on, Matt kept on glancing my way and asked how I was doing. I had started to feel like I was probably too harsh on him, so instead of pushing him away and being distant I apologized and tried to be more friendly an open. It wasn't exactly easy for me and while I saw some hesitancy in his eyes he agreed to still be friends. I asked if everything was ok with him but he insisted that nothing was going on so I left it at that. If he didn't want to share some kind of secret in his life it wasn't going pry since he didn't pry into the secrets of my life.
"So how was your first meet with that club of Jarrod's?" We were now in our anatomy class writing down definitions as part of an assignment when I looked over at Matt.
"It was ok I guess, I nearly went postal and choked that rhino that hit you and then had to get some fresh air, but other than that it went pretty good."
He stared at me a moment and so did those two pals of his. I guess I was going to have to work on how blunt I tended to be.
"You nearly choked Tory?!" Matt groaned and shook his head, "Geeze, Zeke, what is the matter with you?"
I rolled my eyes, "It wasn't all my fault... he threatened me and I lost it and pinned him against a wall. It wasn't that bad and we both apologized after a minute of calming down. I think he sort of respects me now too."
That got me some more stares from these guys and I sighed. "It's how things work for me, it's nothing special."
Matt shook his head and rubbed his eyes a bit, "You're the weirdest person I've ever met, Zeke."
I just shrugged, "Maybe but if you don't believe me come on by the wrestling room after school and take in a session, I've been thinking about how to teach and instruct this and I think stretching and meditation should be incorporated into it, but I have to run it by the captain before I institute it."
"I thought you and Jarrod were 'co-captains' or something?"
"I don't like to think of it that way, it's his thing, he started it, and far as I'm concerned I'm just along for the ride. Besides I never really liked labels that much anyway so it doesn't matter to me."
He rolled his eyes this time and agreed to come after school as did Chris and Salem. These three would make a good addition to the club. If Jarrod could find any more then the club might start gaining more recognition. I didn't know exactly how that would go, but it wouldn't be my problem for long so it didn't really matter to me, plus Jarrod seemed the type to be able to take on big challenges like that anyway.
After school I walked into the gym, I guess you'd call it, with Jarrod and saw everyone assembled already including several new faces.
"Guess word is getting around that this is a good club to join." I looked at everyone around and took notes on things that I noticed.
"More likely people heard about what you're capable of and are interested in seeing the new kid beat up someone over twice his size."
I groaned and snorted at that, "I'm not going to beat up people on a meet to meet basis and if it starts to get like that I'm out of here, I have no intention of having to fight for show and not get anything from it."
"Yeah, yeah, just help me out and try not to go all aggro on us, dude."
I nodded and said I'd try and keep calm so long as no one pushed my buttons. Lord knew I had enough of those as is, though. As I stood next to Jarrod, I examined the new recruits that had assembled and said I was ready.
"Ok, everyone, it's time to get started on our lesson."
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GAH this chapter took so much work to read through and fix so many weird sentences and get help to make things better! Oh well this is the second to last chapter people meaning the end of New Kid comes with the next chapter. Will things continue, will Zeke do something else crazy, will someone close to Zeke die, will Salem and Chris admit their lovers and have crazy hot sex in the locker room...? Well if you think that last one is going to happen please check your head to make sure your brain hasn't left. This has been a long time coming people so enjoy it and comment to psych me up for working harder!