Tuct Side - 24. Chapter 18

West: Hey. Txt me back f u get this

West: It was nice talkin to u today. I enjoy our time 2gether

Tuesday, September 4^th, 2012

West: That came out weird. I meant I like talking 2 u

West: Like about stuff

West: Ur prolly sleeping. Sorry 2 bother

Wednesday, September 5^th, 2012

West: Im gonna go listen 2 ur band on repeat

Neil: Christ!!! Stop Flower Boy! I got it now fuck off!!!!

West: ok. Was worried u weren’t getting my mgs

Neil: Iam. U don’t need to be txting me every fuckin minute u creepy fuck

West: Srry. Just like talking 2 u

Neil: U said that already.

Neil: We ain’t friends man

West: I know but I’d like 2 be

Neil: Ur boys would love that

West: I meant friends w me. Only

West: Neil?

Neil: Why?

West: Friends w me?

Neil: Friends w me

Neil: Im no good man. No good

West: Doubt that. Nora n ur buddies like u so there must b some good

West: I rlly do like talking 2 u evn if ur just angry at me

Neil: That’s kinda fucked up

West: Guess so.

West: I try not 2 b

West: not if Im supposed 2 b Friedrich Kuttner V

Neil: [video link to "Perfect" by Simple Plan]

West: yeah yeah. Basically the story of my life

West: or rather, it might b at some point

West: See u at school

“Colluding with the enemy,” Kaspar said as he and West strode into the school building that morning. “You know they sentence people to death for that crime in wartimes.”

The blond shook his head. “This isn’t wartimes, though, man.”

“Of course, it is. You’re just too into your fantasy romance to see it.”

“You know what they call people like me. I’m a lover, not a fighter.”

“We don’t need lovers or fighters. We need soldiers.”

West shook his head again. “So paranoid.”

“If you were me, you would be,” Kaspar shrugged.

It was at these times that West wondered how Kaspar didn’t realize he sounded like a veteran grandpa. Another thought hit him as they reached their lockers.

“You’re a lot less angry than I thought you’d be about this.”

A tight smile graced the redhead’s lips at that. “Oh, don’t mistake. I’m fucking livid. But it’s a wedding week, so I’m trying to spread as much positivity as possible for the next three days.”

He nodded his head toward something behind his cousin. West turned to spot Neil trudging down the hallway. The former waved happily, and, as expected, the latter just rolled his blue eyes before opening the door to the administration office and heading in. West noticed that some others caught the brief interaction, their jaws hanging slightly agape, but the team captain couldn’t care less. He was feeling just a bit smug from somehow obtaining the brooding boy’s number. And so soon, too. A feat even he didn’t think was possible.

“Why the hell did you do that!?”

West smirked teasingly at his irate cousin. “What? Spread positivity, right?”

Kaspar clenched his fingers around his head and grumbled, “I swear to God…”

Finn and Justin showed up a minute later, the tall brunette looking a smidge worse for wear with a blue t-shirt that was on backward and ruffled hair. He was, too, grasping at his head as he leaned against the locker beside Kaspar’s.

“God, my head hurts.”

“So, who are you angrier at, dude?” Finn asked Kaspar as he reached inside his bookbag for a bottle of water and pills. “In my defense, I only pointed him in the right direction.”

He handed them over to Justin, who beamed and leaned over to plant a small kiss on the ebony-haired teen’s cheek. West blinked in surprise as Finn blushed, a shy smile accompanying it. Kaspar was oblivious to the whole thing, his eyes on the office door as he answered.

“I’m saving my wrath for later dates, so consider yourselves lucky.”

Abruptly, the chatter in the hallway began to quiet down, students cutting off their conversations to heed the growing noise coming through the administration office door.

“You guys hear that?” Finn questioned.

Justin didn’t seem intrigued in the least. “Another soccer mom?”

West tuned in his hearing. He recognized Murray’s voice taking on a defensive tone, but what was strange was the female squealing he was arguing against. One that was totally not Neil’s low baritone. Students began to surround the door, wanting to eavesdrop.

“Neil went in there,” West mentioned aloud.

Finn’s eyes widened in what appeared to be recognition. “Is that…”

“Who?”

However, before he could respond, West’s attention pivoted toward a familiar figure strutting down the hall with a blank expression.

“Hangman?” West called to him as he got closer. “How’s it going, man?”

“Double Clutch. ‘Sup, bro,” Jorge’s face barely emoted as he locked eyes with the four boys. “You guys. I’ll be back. I just gotta…”

As he moved through the crowd, the others also seemed to identify him.

“Dude! You’re-”

“Hangman Rabellino?”

Excited babble arose once more, but Jorge did not stop for any one of them, pushing on until he got to the office door. Opening it, the woman’s voice became much clearer.

“…you got some, baby! I just need a couple hundred-”

Then, the door shut.

“Yup,” Justin nodded and closed his eyes. “Angry soccer mom.”

West pursed his lips. “I don’t think so. She sounded… desperate. For money, I think.”

It was the strangest voice he ever heard, the farthest thing from a lady’s typical silvery pitch. It was extremely raspy and thin. West almost thought he was listening to nails on a chalkboard.

“Of course, it’s money,” Kaspar spat in distaste. “Those are the words of a junkie. And who does the junkie mom belong to?” He turned to Finn expectedly, who sighed.

“Yeah, it’s… probably his mom.”

Justin’s eyebrows rose but kept his lids shut. “No shit?”

“I’ll just say that for now. I don’t want to air out his business in front of everyone.”

“What is she doing here, though?” West eyed the door again.

At that moment, Justin suddenly sprang to life, easily swimming through the crowd and toward the door. Carefully, he placed a hand on the knob and slowly turned, opening the wooden entrance centimeter by centimeter.

Soon, it was open enough for the voices inside to carry out into the silent corridor.

“Ms. Morterero,” Principal Murray sighed, frustration evident in his tone, “your sudden appearance is highly inappropriate, much less this conversation. We would have had to call a drill had I not known you-”

The unpleasant scratchy voice squawked in that New York accent West has come to appreciate. “Oh, just fuckin’ say it, Joey-boy! I look like a fuckin’ whore! Pfft! As if I consider that an insult anymore. I’ve been a whore for the last nine fuckin’ years! And I’m proud of it, too!”

“Please, Adara. Let’s calm down and have this discussion in my office-”

“No, it’s alright, Joey,” Jorge spoke, sounding calm and patient. “I’ll get her outta your hands.”

There were a few thumps before Adara’s voice reached a higher pitch. “I ain’t leavin’ without my money! Come on, Neil, baby! I’ve stayed outta your way like you said! I know I haven’t been the best, but you don’t want your momma t’ do without, do ya? Huh?”

West waited to hear the noirette’s deep tenor, but it never came.

“Nope,” Jorge stepped in, the kindness gone when he addressed her. “He ain’t doin’ anything for you no more. Get up, Auntie Ads. Now.”

The last word was practically growled out. Adara’s last-gasp attitude promptly vanished into hostility, her screams cutting her voice out like a bad connection.

“Oh, fuck you, Rabellino! If it weren’t for you whole fuckin’ family, I wouldn’t have t’ do this shit! My Jaime is dead ‘cause of you bastards! Do you fuckin’ hear me! My Jaime is dead ‘cause o’ you!”

“Used up th’ rest of our stash, did you?” Jorge muttered bitterly.

The thumping increased to thrashing. West pictures the woman being wrestled out of her seat.

“Please! Please!” she reverted to begging again. “Just a few bucks! It’s been a while since I’ve seen you! My man just walked out on me for that Cynthie bitch an’ I don’t have anywhere to go! Please, son!”

Catching that, everyone, Justin especially, froze in complete shock. The tall brunette nearly slammed the door shut, his hand tightening on the doorknob.

There was no sound for five seconds, Neil refusing to reply. The rage returned.

“You stupid, little shit! After everything I did for you!? Raised you!? I should’ve aborted you like Jaime said! You an’ your piece of shit fuckin’ brother!”

Jorge had enough. “We’re out. See ya, Murray.”

Justin barely made it out of the way as the Wildwood alumn burst through the door with Adara on his right side. Neil’s mother was what you expected a person with her voice to look like. While she had the same pale skin and jet-black hair as her youngest son, her face was basically a poorly done cake with a rat’s nest on top. Her red, sleeveless blouse was discolored with a yellow-green stain covering the majority of it and her denim shorts were so torn that West caught a hint of black panties. Her muddy brown eyes were red-rimmed, frantically glancing at the stunned crowd watching her shame.

Jorge tightened his arm around her shoulders, his mouth close to her ear. However, West caught the roughly hissed words.

“Calm th’ fuck down, you stupid cunt!”

The blond had to take a step back for that one. As Jorge and Adara disappeared out the front doors, he looked over at Kaspar and Finn, who were both just as speechless. Justin was still as a statue. The silence was broken when Shaun, Enzo, Nora, and Via turned the corner, the dyed-blond leading the march.

“Hey! Th’ fuck y’all on peepin’ into somebody else’s business!? Get lost!”

“Move assholes!” Enzo glared, using his bulk to shove several people away. “Or I’ll beat you to it!”

The crowd scattered like flies. Neil moved out of the office a moment later and stomped down the hallway, his neck reddening and his broad shoulders trembling with rage.

“Ni, wait up!” Nora exhaled and ran after him, Via hot on her heels.

Murray stepped out as well, nodding to Shaun and Enzo. “Thank you, Mr. McMann and Mr. Ramírez. In more pleasant terms, please make your way to your classrooms. You guys are blocking the hallway.”

As the hallway cleared out, the principal’s eyes found West, who has yet to move from his position in the middle of the road.

“Mr. Kuttner. Some start to the day, isn’t it?”

West slowly nodded, his mind trying to recover from the previous event. “Sure, I guess. You all know each other?”

“Hmm…” his brows furrowed, “not really. Only became an issue since the start of the term.”

He’s lying, West realized.

Why? He didn’t know. West wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that they snooped in on the dispute. It definitely sounded like the two knew each other for quite some time. Why else would he suddenly use the woman’s first name in a mollifying tone?

“You shouldn’t worry yourself over those people, West. You have a good head on your shoulders.”

West was confused now. “Oh… thanks, Mr. Murray.”

Why was he telling him this?

Murray smiled down at him, patting his shoulder awkwardly. “Just study, pass your classes, and play ball. There’s a motto for you.”

And before the blond could respond, the man was back in his office.

“Took the words right out of my mouth,” Kaspar came up behind him.

For the third time that day, West shook his head at his cousin. “Shut up.”

West: Hey. Saw wut happened at school today. U ok?

West: u don’t have 2 say anything. Just want to know if ur alright

West: wut your mom said was shitty. Prolly not true

West: Ur a good person

West: At least from wut I’ve seen. Gia would say the same thing

West: Let me know if u need anything or just wanna talk. I really do like talking t u

West: [video link to “For You” by Staind]