• I am a junior this year. In high school I mean! And it hasn't been a particularly fun year. Everybody has grown, personality and appearance wise. I, on the other hand, have barely changed. Now, my hair is a bit darker and longer. I have gotten a bit more muscular around my biceps and I actually have abs worth boasting about but anyone who knows hard work on a farm would know those abs are like a hundred dollars in body money. I earned them but enough about my rant about my body. I think it's time I tell you why I am writing; I am in a new school with different people. So far all I have gotten is a bunch of weird looks and girls staring at me but I wasn't quite sure why. I was an average looking fella. I mean the only thing that is worth talking about, something I hardly do, is my position last year on the Lowville High Ranger's football team. So why are people giving me these funny looks...

    I looked up from my notebook and saw my new English teacher, Mrs. Tamitha. She was in her late-twenties and she was attractive for a teacher. She had curly, long black hair and her skin was tanned, obviously from swimming. She was different from my old teachers. She spoke in some kind of Star Wars Yoda manner. Everything was a riddle or puzzle with her. She was interesting. "Keith, you seem to be staring off at your notebook and yet it's plains are desolate and flat? Why is that?" she asked putting her hand on her chin.

    "Uh, I thought this was...English class?" I asked confused looking around. Why was she talking about geography? Or was I missing something. I heard people begin to laugh but in the corner of my eye, I saw the most beautiful thing ever. A blonde girl with amazing blue eyes and soft, milky white cream skin. She was gorgeous! She also had this pretty cool lip ring. And the best part was, she was staring right at me with a cute, broad smile.

    I smiled back but I felt my desk shake and I heard a loud thump. I looked up at my desk and I saw her hand placed right on my notebook. "Mister Irvin, you might not know this but I am not the teacher you wish to fool around with-" she was cut off by the school bell. It was time for lunch. Time had just flew by so quick, I hadn't even bothered to notice anything of importance in the other classes. She sighed and waved her hand at me and the other students and walked back to her desk. She sat down and took a drink from her coffee then began to rub her head.

    I wasn't going to hesitate. I left as soon as I could!

    As I was walking out the door though, I saw that girl from before walk outside to the area where the baseball team practices. No one was out there right now, so maybe she was just going to relax by herself. Maybe I could go say hi?

    As I pushed open the door, I felt something hard and metal collide with my shin! I fell onto my side holding my shin and looked up. The sun was gleaming in my eyes but three guys stood over me. One with a Rangers hat on, had his steel bat pointed right at my head threateningly. I couldn't see their face but that bat was enough to tell me not to fight. "What the hell do you think you're doin' out here farm boy? This is our part of the school and you better get that through that thick skull of yours. We clear?" he warned, spitting some chewing tobacco out of his mouth.

    This guy was a bigger hick then I was and he had the nerve to call me a farm boy. How the hell did he even know I was from the farm. "What the hell is your problem, I came out here to,uh, try out?" I lied.

    The bat was lowered and the hick put his hand on his hip. "Really? Oh, I'm terribly sorry, fella. Here, let me help you up?" he said apologetically as he offered out his hand.

    With a smile I grabbed his hand softly and pulled my self up with his assistance. As I stood up, a fist collided with my cheek! I was back on the ground confused at what just happened. "Boy, this is my school, ya here? And if you ever, EVER lie to me again, I will beat the holy hell outta you and send you back to whatever southern, rebel state you came from!" he threatened, stomping on my chest before he walked away with his two pals grinning back at me.

    As I rubbed my cheek, I heard shuffling footsteps nearing. Were they coming back for more? I rolled onto my stomach and quickly popped onto my knees with my arms in a fighting position. "Woah, woah cowboy. I came to see what all the ruckus was." a cheerful, feminine voice said. I gazed around for a few moments then I felt a tap on my back. I turned around and I saw her...the most beautiful thing to ever grace this Earth, that snow haired beauty from glass. She was crouched down in front of me. "Are you OK? Your cheek looks a bit swollen." she asked putting her hand on my cheek tenderly feeling for a lump.

    I looked over at her hand. I was tempted to take her hand in my own but that'd been a bit awkward. "Uh, yeah. I'm fine." I replied with a smile.

    "Oh really. OK, well I was about to head to lunch. You feel like joining me?" she asked giving out a cute smile. Before I could reply though she had put her hands over her mouth in shock. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I forgot to tell you my name. How ditsy of me. My name is Dawn." she said with a grin offering out her hand.

    Last time at this school a hand was offered to me, I got decked. This hand, though, had already comforted me from that unfortunate incident. "Uh, I'm Keith." I replied. I had trouble getting the words out, at first, but after her giving me another friendly smile it pushed the words right out of my throat.

    I grabbed her hand gently and pulled myself up with ease. She stumbled back a few steps clumsily and with a grin she walked back over to the door and opened. She put her hand out and bowed, as if trying imitate the usual southern gentleman. I laughed at Dawn. She was beautiful.

    ---

    As we walked into the lunch room, I looked around for that guy who had knocked me over but I couldn't find him in the mass amount of people. It'd be like searching for a needle in a haystack. As I stood there, still searching, Dawn called for me. "Keith, over here!"

    I looked around then saw her sitting at the very last oak table with five, or so, people. I nodded and walked over. I took a seat next to her right after I scanned each person at the table.

    "He's cute!" piped a freshman with raven hair and heavy eyeliner. Dawn and the girl beside her both nodded, except Dawn did it slowly as if she was embarrassed. I smiled bashfully and sat down. The girl beside Dawn looked exactly like her! "Keith, this is my little sister, Wynter. And the loud freshman over there is Brittany, she is very forward." she introduced. I nodded and waved. I never had much to say even to people I have known my whole life.

    "Not much of a talker, are you buddy?" I turned around and saw a guy with brown, curly hair in a gaming shirt. He offered his hand out. "Dennis. My g's call me Buzz." he proudly said as I shook his hand. He was odd, but he seemed like a guy I could get along with.

    As I looked around, I saw a guy with sleeked, jet black hair in a long sleeve button up and leather pants. He glared right at me. He looked like he'd tear me or whoever up but right now , it seemed like I was the center of his attention. I raised my left eyebrow in confusion and shook my head.

    In that fluid motion, that guy had leaped across the table and tackled me straight to the ground with a butter fly knife to my neck. People from every table turned around and I saw Wynter begin to shake, while Dawn and Buzz reached to pull him off! He wouldn't budge as Buzz tugged at his shoulder but in anger the guy retaliated and elbowed Buzz right in the nose, knocking him back.

    Dawn gave it a try but this time, he pulled off of me and raised his hand as he was about to slap her. Everything was happening so quick. Everything right now was so ******** chaotic that I didn't have a clue at first, what was going on. So I acted on pure instinct.

    I grabbed his raised arm and turned him over. With amazing agility and a solid right hook, he went sprawling to the ground back first. His knife went sliding away under a few people.

    I heard Dawn, Wynter, Brittany and Dennis all screaming for it to end but I could tell after that blow I just delivered, this wouldn't be over until several people pulled us apart but it was obvious none of the students were going to do so.

    He got to his feet and wiped his lip. His sleek black hair had came down and now all hung in his face messily. He stared at his hand and then caught me off guard with a right hook of his own. Unlike him, I knew how to take a punch and just stumbled back a few feet. With a smile, I threw a jab but he caught my arm and began to knee me in the ribs! It was painful but it wasn't the worst pain in the world and I sure as hell wasn't going to lose to no city boy!

    As he continued to knee me, I punched him in the nose two times until he finally let go to tend to his nose. Our little breather didn't last long though, he charged at me, ramming his head into my gut! I yelped loudly as I fell back but I didn't have time to be surprised that some guy took me to the ground. I had to fight back!

    I guarded as he threw punch after punch! Only a few had gotten through though, he had caught my swollen cheek and my now busted lip but I'd ignore the aching pain for as long as possible, at least until he was knocked out!

    The pace of punches slowed down and began to get sloppier so around his tenth punch, I threw my elbow into the side of his cheek knocking him onto his back. I smiled widely, showing my bloody teeth proudly. I fell on top and began to punch him with all my might but when I looked down, his eyes were shut and his face was bloody. He was finally out cold. That b*****d had put up one helluva fight but it looked like, he couldn't handle the fight of a southern boy.

    I put both hands on his chest and pushed myself up. People began to cheer 'redneck' as if it were to show respect for me. It didn't though. It made me sick that all of them were getting kicks out of me kicking the hell out of some dude, I've never met before.

    Brittany pushed passed all of the people and fell to her knees right beside the poor guy and wrapped her arms around his head, rocking back-and-forth while crying. She made it look like he was dead but I found it why...
    ---

    "Dude, you beat up Brittany's older brother!" Buzz hollered as if I had just made a huge mistake. "I can't believe you did that. That dude is the captain of the baseball team, man. You know you're gonna have to fight most of them now!?" he yelled as Dawn wiped my face with a wet rag.

    She was doing it softly with a stern look but when my eyes locked with hers, she smiled sweetly and finished wiping all the blood from my chin. "I don't care. One of them bastards cold cocked me earlier around the baseball diamond." I replied seriously, taking a seat on a bench. As I began to get comfortable the principal, along with a few teachers, waved his hand at me and escorted me to his office.

    ---

    "Now, now Mister Irvin. You put up quite a show. I assume you box?" he asked, watching a small TV. It was showing the fight from a camera angle.

    "No sir, I've never done any of that kind of stuff." I answered, shaking my head.

    "Really? Well you throw one hell of a punch. Well, you and I both know, I brought you in here to compliment your fighting. You're in here because you beat another student so badly, we had to rush him to the hospital!" he yelled.

    "Sir, he leaped over that table with a knife to me throat." I replied angrily. This was pissing me off. First, he compliments how well I decked the guy! Now, he is trying to pin the whole thing on me!

    "Well that maybe, but what gave you the right to continue hitting him after he went unconscious?" he asked resting his chin on his fist.

    That didn't make no sense. I knocked him out with all of those punches, I hadn't knocked him out any other way. It took me a few good hits to get him out. "Sir, I didn't keep on attacking him. Maybe one punch or two, and that's it." I argued.

    "Is that so? This video says otherwise." he said in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone. He clicked on a button below the screen. It began to rewind right to when I had elbowed him in the face. He paused it and looked at me. "Take a good look at his face and tell me what you see." he said pointing to Brittany's sister.

    His eye's were closed and his head bloody. He clicked another button and the video resumed. His eyes were still closed when I began punching him. How was I supposed to honestly notice if he was out already.

    My eyes locked with his and he leaned forward with a paper in hand. This couldn't be good...

    ---

    I got suspended from school but I spent the whole free week after school with Dawn and Buzz. It was pretty fun but this was the beginning of a hellacious year.