“Excuse me,” he said before even knowing who it was. It was Roger.
“Sorry Tiny,” Roger said apologetically as he backed away. “wasn't talking to you.”
Antonio lowered his brow as he stared the guy down. In a low, even voice, he issued his warning. “I don't care if I'm around or not, you are not going to say that word again or we'll have serious issues.”
Roger gulped and simply nodded before making his escape.
Tony returned to his seat. “What is it with people?”
“You didn't have to do that.” The worry was written all over Courtney's face. “I get that all the time.”
“Get what? People calling you names?”
Courtney nodded her head yes.
“It doesn't make it right.”
Courtney shrugged. “It is what it is.”
“And it's wrong. Plain and simple. You don't deserve that. Nobody does.”
“It's not like I can stop them.” Courtney frowned as she returned to eating her meal.
'But I can,' Antonio thought to himself.
The rest of the meal, until the first warning bell rang, was eaten in silence.
Chapter 11
Another day of school was finally over. Tony was standing at his locker, trying to figure out which books were to be kept there the rest of the year and which ones he would keep at home. Only one text book, American government, was needed at both. He wouldn't have bothered with the books, but he was wasting time, hoping that since he had extended contact with Courtney she wouldn't delay getting to her own locker.
“Tiny,” a voice called out from down the hall.
Antonio looked over and saw John Sharp making his way towards him. “What's up? Not like you to hang around after the bell.”
“Got to wait on my sister, she got detention and she's my ride home.”
“I could give you a ride if you want.”
“Nah,” John said as he leaned against the wall. “If you gave me a ride my sister would be waiting around wondering what happened to me. Then she'd tell our parents and I'll be hearing it all night.”
“Weight room is open,” Tony suggested.
“Easy, big fella,” John said with a laugh. “You might be addicted to working out, but I'll wait until coach makes us do all that preseason stuff.”
“Suit yourself. Coach wants me to cut back on the lifting, something about getting burned out.”
“You should make him cut back on the sprints; you're almost not a heavyweight anymore.”
“This is as low as I'm going to get. I got to make sure I keep my fat percentage up. It's at ten percent now, I don't want to chance getting below seven and forfeiting the season.”
“Funny, isn't it? Last year you were worried about keeping the weight off and this year you're worried about keeping it on.”
Tony grimaced. “Yeah, real funny.”
“Saw you at lunch sitting with that girl up front. Tiny got a new girlfriend?”
“No.”
“She an old girlfriend?”
“John,” Tony said sternly.
“Want to tell me to fuck off?”
“John!”
“Sorry Tiny.” John was pleased that he got a rise out of his teammate. “I thought since you weren't sitting with the Bible thumpers you got cured.”
Antonio looked sideways at the smaller teen. “Cured of what?”
“You know, Holier Than Thouness.”
“You're too much. I don't think I've ever been the holier than thou type.”
“You've come close,” John said with a smirk. “But people love you anyway.”
“Speaking of the girl, you find out anything else? Like why people want her to drop out of school?”
“I tried talking to Peter about it at lunch, but he was pissed off.”
“He needs to relax.”
“Maybe. But, I'll find out something and let you know what the big deal is.”
“Want to walk me out to my car; maybe I'll let you drive it around the parking lot once.”
John looked up and down the hall. “Let's stay here, in the air
“Sorry Tiny,” Roger said apologetically as he backed away. “wasn't talking to you.”
Antonio lowered his brow as he stared the guy down. In a low, even voice, he issued his warning. “I don't care if I'm around or not, you are not going to say that word again or we'll have serious issues.”
Roger gulped and simply nodded before making his escape.
Tony returned to his seat. “What is it with people?”
“You didn't have to do that.” The worry was written all over Courtney's face. “I get that all the time.”
“Get what? People calling you names?”
Courtney nodded her head yes.
“It doesn't make it right.”
Courtney shrugged. “It is what it is.”
“And it's wrong. Plain and simple. You don't deserve that. Nobody does.”
“It's not like I can stop them.” Courtney frowned as she returned to eating her meal.
'But I can,' Antonio thought to himself.
The rest of the meal, until the first warning bell rang, was eaten in silence.
Chapter 11
Another day of school was finally over. Tony was standing at his locker, trying to figure out which books were to be kept there the rest of the year and which ones he would keep at home. Only one text book, American government, was needed at both. He wouldn't have bothered with the books, but he was wasting time, hoping that since he had extended contact with Courtney she wouldn't delay getting to her own locker.
“Tiny,” a voice called out from down the hall.
Antonio looked over and saw John Sharp making his way towards him. “What's up? Not like you to hang around after the bell.”
“Got to wait on my sister, she got detention and she's my ride home.”
“I could give you a ride if you want.”
“Nah,” John said as he leaned against the wall. “If you gave me a ride my sister would be waiting around wondering what happened to me. Then she'd tell our parents and I'll be hearing it all night.”
“Weight room is open,” Tony suggested.
“Easy, big fella,” John said with a laugh. “You might be addicted to working out, but I'll wait until coach makes us do all that preseason stuff.”
“Suit yourself. Coach wants me to cut back on the lifting, something about getting burned out.”
“You should make him cut back on the sprints; you're almost not a heavyweight anymore.”
“This is as low as I'm going to get. I got to make sure I keep my fat percentage up. It's at ten percent now, I don't want to chance getting below seven and forfeiting the season.”
“Funny, isn't it? Last year you were worried about keeping the weight off and this year you're worried about keeping it on.”
Tony grimaced. “Yeah, real funny.”
“Saw you at lunch sitting with that girl up front. Tiny got a new girlfriend?”
“No.”
“She an old girlfriend?”
“John,” Tony said sternly.
“Want to tell me to fuck off?”
“John!”
“Sorry Tiny.” John was pleased that he got a rise out of his teammate. “I thought since you weren't sitting with the Bible thumpers you got cured.”
Antonio looked sideways at the smaller teen. “Cured of what?”
“You know, Holier Than Thouness.”
“You're too much. I don't think I've ever been the holier than thou type.”
“You've come close,” John said with a smirk. “But people love you anyway.”
“Speaking of the girl, you find out anything else? Like why people want her to drop out of school?”
“I tried talking to Peter about it at lunch, but he was pissed off.”
“He needs to relax.”
“Maybe. But, I'll find out something and let you know what the big deal is.”
“Want to walk me out to my car; maybe I'll let you drive it around the parking lot once.”
John looked up and down the hall. “Let's stay here, in the air
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