Tuct Side - 5. Chapter 4

Saturday, June 2^nd, 2012

“I swear, dude. You’re too nice for your own good. How the fuck do you see this ending well?”

For the past five minutes, as the Jiving Four drove towards Bradvons Park, Kaspar had been chastising his cousin, trying to get him to turn the car around. It was why the latter insisted on taking his car, since the redhead, who now had his license, would have done just that.

“Simple,” West responded calmly. “Nora. You’ve seen her with Finn.”

He glanced back at his ebony-haired teammate, who was busy play-wrestling with Justin in the backseat.

“Yeah, but that’s just it. With Finn,” Kaspar ran a hand through his red hair. “However, with her other friends…”

There was no getting through to this stubborn hothead. Rolling his eyes, he decided to shift the conversation. “She called me yesterday. She was only able to get Neil to show up.”

“Neil? Isn’t that-”

West pictured the brooding boy he met last week. Jet black hair, pale skin, and…

“The one with the bluest eyes,” he muttered.

“Excuse me?”

The blond blinked and took a sharp breath in, realizing what he just uttered.

“You know, the one who sat next to her,” he attempted to save face. “Barely said a thing.”

Kaspar narrowed his eyes, but let the slip-up go this time. “The ringleader, huh? Some leader, though. Couldn’t’ve made his boys to at least pop up for a quick ‘good luck.’”

“Hey, maybe they were busy or something. People see me as the leader of this group, but I would never force you to do anything you don’t want to do.”

The redhead slouched in his seat. “Because you’re good like that. These guys? Wildwood? I have my doubts.”

West sighed.

It was going to be tough bringing the two groups together. He won’t give up hope, but at this point, he could only cross his fingers. Several moments later, he pulled up at the eastern side park near the basketball court. He immediately spotted two familiar figures seated next to each other at the picnic table, one sturdy and hunched and the other slender and poised.

“Play nice, everybody,” West looked pointedly at Kaspar, who huffed out an annoyed breath.

The blond parked his car, coincidentally in the same spot as last time, and led his three friends out with Justin holding on to the basketball he brought.

Nora was already beaming and waving as the Jiving Four made their way over, getting up from her seat to greet them halfway. From the corner of his eye, West could see the forced smile stretching on his cousin’s face. His twitching eye was a tell-tale sign of his exasperation, but as long as he behaved well, even if it was feigned, all would go as such.

The true hurdle would be the irate fellow narrowing his stony, blue-eyed glare at him.

Nora eyed the basketball for a second before sighing in relief. “Thank God. I totally forgot to bring a basketball with me. Neil over there has plenty at home, so we have no excuses.”

“That’s quite alright,” West looked between the two, forcing himself not to keep his sights on the still-seated male. He looked around for the remaining Wildwood members, who have yet to show, and asked despite knowing the answer, “Where’s the rest of the gang? Are they showing up?”

“Oh, yeah. They’re a bit busy today. I think it’s family issues.”

“Say no more. We can do three-on-three or a free throw game. You play, right?”

“Where do you think I got all my skills from?” Finn tipped his head back and grinned cheekily.

Nora rolled her eyes, though giggling all the while. “Hush, you. I’m not superstar level like you guys, but I can get around without tripping over my own feet.”

That was good. West had a feeling Nora could handle herself. Playing with a group of boys was no issue to her. This time, he didn’t shy away from the glaring figure over at the picnic bench, who was now throwing daggers of ice at one of his friends – most definitely Kaspar – over his shoulder.

“Hey!” the blond called over to him, grabbing his attention. “You wanna join us, dude? We’re thinking about doing teams. What do you say?”

Silence reigned for a moment. Then, it began to stretch into awkwardness, and no one was willing to snap the band just yet. West glanced behind him and, sure enough, caught his cousin in a heated glowering match with his new Wildwood adversary.

Nora was the one to break the silence. “Come on, Ni. Just one game. For me?”

It was quiet again, but only for a tick before Neil’s hard blue eyes locked onto West’s soft green ones. It was a perfect recreation of the connection they had a little over a week ago, and the team captain still felt those flutters in his gut zap to life. He had no name for this sensation, but it could not be ignored.

“You and me.”

The zaps intensified…

West blinked. “Huh?”

“I said,” the statue finally rose in galvanic fashion, maintaining his voltaic glare, “you and me, Flower Boy.”

…and exploded.

West gaped at Neil, the image of the latter becoming much clearer as he got closer, and another sense of familiarity hit him. They were about the same height, Neil being a bit taller, but under that orange hoodie and ripped jeans hid a strong form, the clothes looking tight around his upper body and legs. West was well-built himself, but it appeared Neil was on a level above him.

“It’s ‘Westford’ to you.”

West was brought out of his reverie by Kaspar’s growl, who stood protectively beside him. He found his voice again before his fiery cousin could continue. “You mean… like a one-on-one?”

“Th’ fuck else, tonto?” Neil spat, stopping just next to Nora.

Despite being of equal stature, the blue-eyed boy seemed more menacing and imposing up close. West scratched a nonexistent itch at his neck to hide a gulp.

“Neil…” an exasperated Nora placed a gentle hand on her angry friend’s broad shoulder.

For an instant, West thought the guy would detonate then and there, but he caught the slightest deflation in stiffness when she made contact. Still, though, he remained unyielding, even tilting his head back in a cocky and indifferent gesture.

“I wasn't there when we played them earlier in the season,” he shrugged and looked down at Nora. “Ya remember seein' me there?

“Did you even play?” Kaspar cut in indignantly. “You might as well have been bench-warming.”

“Just said I wasn’t there, fire-crotch,” the Wildwood teen snarled back. “Though, if I was, nobody would be talkin' 'bout yo' goddamn smarmy fuckin' asses all day long.”

“Wow,” Justin muttered, seeming more surprised than outraged.

Finn gazed towards Nora, the expression on him expectant and slightly pleading. A sad look crossed the latter’s face as she shook her head, causing the former to shake his in disappointment. West caught the silent interaction in his peripheral as he kept his eyes on a reddening Kaspar and made a note to question his ebony-haired friend later.

“So, ya said you wanted t’ play, Flower Boy?” Neil crossed his arms, his lips curling up a tad. “Then, let’s get this shit started an’ settle this for real, yeah?”

Kaspar hit his limit at last, but instead of swinging a fist Neil’s way, he spun around and snatched the basketball from Justin’s grasp. “Get in there, West! Kick this loud-mouthed bitch’s ass to the curb!”

West looked down at the basketball in his cousin’s arms, then at the scowling boy ahead of him. He’s played against teams with aggressive players, but there was so much animosity oozing from this one that the team captain wasn’t sure he would walk away without a bruise or two. And if Kaspar or Justin noticed, it would start an all-out war. However, Nora was present, so hopefully, she’d play as a buffer.

“Yeah, okay, but…” he stared uncertainly at Neil, “this is just a friendly match, alright? No hard feelings after, capisce?”

Neil smirked condescendingly as he backed up. “No worries, bruh. Just mad curious if the championship was a fluke or some shit.”

“Arschloch-” Kaspar mumbled with clenched fists.

“Oh my god, Ni!” Nora glared at him before turning to the other four. “Okay, just so you guys know, Neil’s full first name is Nigel. Just wanted to point that out.”

A beat of silence passed before Kaspar and Justin burst out in laughter. West let out a low, relieved chuckle while Finn’s cheeks bubbled in trying to hold back his mirth. Neil’s arrogant stance, on the other hand, faltered and turned an accusing scowl toward the girl.

“The fuck, No!?”

Nora just looked back, remorseless amusement dancing in her eyes. “Friendly, Nigel.”

“I bet he’s hiding a pair of glasses on him,” Justin snorted. “Make sure to pat him below the waist while you play, West.”

“Stop,” West shook his head while he got into position at the midcourt circle, a leering Kaspar following behind him with the ball in hand.

Neil growled low in his throat before doing the same, now closer to West than ever. The blond could smell the cologne on the noirette. It was a pleasant scent for such an ireful guy.

“Touch me like that an’ I’ll fuck your ass up, puta!” he sneered.

A sudden grin split West’s face as he watched his opponent’s eyes narrow. “It’s a non-contact sport, Nigel. Keep your cool.”

Kaspar dribbled the ball three times before tossing it up in the air. West leaped to take the ball, the tips of his fingers millimeters from it…

…then felt a sharp jab in his stomach that sent him reeling back on his ass.

“Hey! Stop!” Kaspar shouted as he stomped up to Neil, who ignored him to take his shot. However, the redhead was able to shove hard at the noirette’s side, causing the ball to tumble toward West. “You fucking hit him, you piece of shit!”

“Hey! Break it up!” West grabbed the basketball out of the air and used it to pick himself up.

Meanwhile, Justin was holding a fuming, German-swearing Kaspar back by his waist while Finn and Nora were attending to Neil, the former’s hand on his shoulder and the latter berating him.

“You can’t do that, Ni!” she pointed a ruby nail at his chest.

Neil narrowed his eyes as if he was confused, but that self-satisfied smirk plastered on his face betrayed any notions of perplexity. “Why you grillin’ me for? Everybody throws fuckin’ elbows all the goddamn time!”

“Not in a friendly game, loco!”

Kaspar sneered angrily at the aggressor. “Dumb bastard wouldn’t know the meaning of friendly if it slapped him upside his empty skull.”

“What was that, fire-crotch?” Neil turned his attention to the redhead, taking a threatening step forward.

“It’s okay! It’s okay!” West intervened before the argument escalated any further, raising his arms to show off his uninjured self. “I’m alright. It’s fine.”

Kaspar glared at him incredulously. “It’s not fine, West-”

“Kas! Let’s just drop it, okay?” the blond adopted a smug expression of his own. “He can throw the elbows and jabs all he wants. I can work with that.”

That haughty grin on the cold-eyed boy’s face quickly faded into an annoyed scowl as he shook his head. “Fuckin’ trippin’, this guy. Still think you can win when I’m on your shit, Flower Boy?”

West beamed at the taunt. It really wasn’t a bad nickname knowing he’s certainly been called worse. On and off the court. “I actually like going up against guys like you. Shame you weren’t there when we faced Wildwood. Maybe we wouldn’t have gotten that easy win.”

“You dead-ass right now?”

“Do what you want, man.”

Justin chuckled mischievously before wrapping an arm around Kaspar and tugging him away.

“Gottverdammt…” the irate point guard cursed, giving his cousin that look that delivered the message without spoken narration.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, stupid.”

West winked and mouthed, “I got this.”

“Aight,” Neil shrugged, the arrogance seeping back into his demeanor. “Shit, man. Someone really wants t’ get their ass beat today.”

He roughly shook off Finn’s hand, casting a disgusted glower over his shoulder. The smaller noirette only smiled back sheepishly.

“Nobody’s ass is being beaten,” Nora breathed, narrowing her eyes at her companion, daring him to test her. “Right?”

Neil snickered lowly, his gaze unexpectedly softening at the sight of her challenging stance. “Chill.”

West stared in fascination, those electric orbs losing a bit of voltage. Initially, he thought Neil and Nora were just close friends. However, the way he was ogling her form and the tiny upward curl of her lip suggested more. Shockingly, he didn’t know how to feel about that.

The two opponents got back to midcourt with Finn taking place as ‘referee.’ The short teen glanced at both boys before tossing the ball in the air and backing up. This time, there were no sudden strikes, and despite being slightly shorter, West was able to tip the ball onto his side.

Neil swung himself forward. Hard. However, the blond was prepared for the rough treatment, only stumbling a couple of steps from the shove. He split his attention between steeling his back against his opponent’s assault and dribbling the ball to a safe spot. With the way Neil was on him, it was difficult to gain a substantial amount of distance so he could try for a score.

Regardless, they didn’t call him Double Clutch for nothing.

West raced up to the basket with Neil hot on his heels and his teammates' cheers in his head.

“Fuckin’ hell,” the latter grunted as he shuffled in front of the former.

The Pioneers’ captain just smiled as he slapped a firm hand onto his angry foe’s shoulder and used it to propel himself upward, his other veering over his head and flinging the basketball toward the goal. It bounced right off the backboard and fell straight through the hoop. The resulting hoots and hollers of his crew were euphoric, sudden nostalgia taking him back three months to the best night of his life…

…but the memory was cut off by a stinging slap on the arm that had him flinching away. Fortunately, the attacker was backing up as well.

“Get off me!” Neil roared, his blue eyes alive with violent static. “You wanna play like that, Flower Boy? Let’s go!”

West chuckled, raising his hands in mock defense. “Just going with the flow, dude.”

“If ya can’t stand the heat, baby, get outta the kitchen!” Justin yelled out gruffly, inciting a round of whoops from his friends and a gathering audience.

Since the one-on-one began, other teenagers and basketball-loving adults amassed around the court to watch the match. As expected, West and his teammates have been recognized as the Jiving Four, seeing as how the younger kids clustered around Justin, Kaspar, and Finn, attempting to engage them in small talk or ask them for a picture.

West heard his name being chanted, which filled his chest with pride and self-gratification. He knew he should watch his ego, but being one of the more popular figures in a small town would be intoxicating no matter how modest one was.

Across from him, Neil rolled his eyes as he took up position at midcourt.

The game was probably one of the toughest West had ever played, and it wasn’t even official. It was a back-and-forth contest. One round, Neil scored a point. Then, West would get the next. The Wildwood player was a brute throughout, resorting to shoving and tripping that the blond had to keep a third eye on for. A fourth one had to be kept on Kaspar, too, who blew up whenever his opponent pulled something. The team captain had nearly exhausted all the tricks and maneuvers up his sleeve, and by the eighth turn, which was fifteen minutes later, both were beacons of sweat and labored breathing.

And tied four to four.

Luckily, it was the last bout, and whoever made the shot this time would win. By the perceived pattern, Neil was to come out on top. The blond had never felt more excited and anxious. Sure, he might lose in front of all these people and be left with bruises that he’ll likely feel in a few hours, but the enjoyment it brought him was worth it.

“Fuck, you’re good,” West complimented through short puffs.

Neil, hands on his knees, shook his head and sneered. “You ain’t better than me.”

“No, seriously. This is the most fun I’ve ever had. You’re like… really good.”

The blue-eyed boy continued to glare at his enemy, but no retort came this time.

“Where were you that night we faced you guys?”

“None of your business, lil’ boy,” Neil quickly stood up and walked back to midcourt. “Focus on the damn game.”

West followed him. “Hey, I’m just saying. You’re the best I’ve played against and I’d like to do this again some other time.”

It was quiet between the two once more, the noirette staring back at the blond with a slightly surprised expression. There was that strange connection again. Lightning striking down at the green grass below. Although, this time, there wasn’t much of a negative charge in those blue eyes as in the last two instances.

He shook his head yet again, breaking the link. “Fuck outta here…”

“You got this, Double Clutch!”

“Go with the Flo, bro!”

The encouragement came left and right, bringing the bitter aggravation back to Neil’s face until…

“I see you, Morterero!”

The noirette blinked and looked back at Nora, who smiled cheekily but shook her head.

“Got your last name, now,” West grinned.

Neil Morterero.

Said teen grunted dismissively and readied himself. “Whatever. Let’s finish-”

Suddenly, a black minivan blitzed across the street and skidded to a loud stop on the grass surrounding the court. Everything immediately went silent. It was fortunate no one was near that area, but it still made everybody flinch back in shock.

“Shit.”

West turned to look at Neil, who was paler than usual, slightly gaping in what looked to be terror at the unexpected arrival. Nora had her eyes on the noirette as well, glancing between him and the minivan with increasing worry. The blond was so transfixed on the unfitting dread on his opponent’s face that he yelped when the unknown driver honked, an ear-piercing noise that sent a portion of the crowd away.

Nora sauntered up to Neil, placing a hand on his arm. “Ni, are you sure-”

“Gotta go,” he cut her off before speedily walking toward the minivan, shoulders tense.

West squinted his eyes, trying to get a good look at whoever decided at the last second that nearly running over a crowd of young kids was a bad idea, but the windows were too tinted. The only thing he could make out were broad shoulders.

“What the hell is going on?” Justin, who trudged up behind West with Kaspar and Finn, asked.

Kaspar snorted. “Probably called his parents beforehand.”

West shook his head slowly, gazing on as Neil hurriedly climbed into the car. “I’m not so sure about that.”

The second the noirette disappeared inside, the vehicle haphazardly backed up and shot down the way it came, leaving behind a perplexed and disgruntled audience.