Tales of the Underground: Crestfallen - 6. Aidan Taylor, Modern Day Spartan

I looked into my now mentors dull blue eyes and couldn’t help but catch his anger. I don’t know what he wanted from me. Why in the world would I want him as a mentor? I want to actually learn. Sure he’s good at hockey but just look at him. He’s got 0 personality or sympathy. He’s clearly in it for himself.

I rolled my eyes and pushed him aside “I didn’t do anything Elijah. In fact I told my coach specifically that I didn’t want to be with you”

“My name’s Eli” he corrected

“What?” I said taken back by correction

“Eli” he repeated slowly

“Why does that even matter right now?” I said starting to grow tired of the conversation “You’re the last person I want as a mentor”

“Then why did you ask for me?” he demanded

“I didn’t. Why are you being such a jerk about this?” He narrowed his eyes, putting more pressure on me. I took in a breathe and let it out in the form of a deep sigh “Alright, let’s go talk to my coach”

“Fine” He spit letting me lead the way.

The closer to the offices we got the angrier Eli seemed to get. Every now and then I would hear him curse to himself, or catch him making a face.

I felt my heart begin to race as we approached the wrestling offices “Coach” I forced out, lightly knocking on the door

“Well if it isn’t my favorite varsity mentor group, please come in” he said clearly pleased with himself

“That’s actually the thing, I thought we agreed that Eli wouldn’t be my partner” I said taking a seat

Coach pushed his chair back, clearly sensing the tension that was quickly filling the room “We did, then Eli’s coach and I got to talking and we decided it would be the best thing for both of you”

“How is this better for me? You’re gonna stick me with a rich brat” Eli growled “Just look at him, he’s so fucking new* it hurts to look at him”

I leaned back and opened my mouth but coach slammed his fist on the desk before I could speak “An undisciplined statement like that is exactly why. You need to clean up your act, we all get that you’ve experienced hardships over the past year, but you’ve let yourself get way too far out of control” I opened my mouth to plead my side but coach turned towards me “Don’t even start Aidan, you know exactly why your paired with the figure skater. He’s the only athlete in this school other then you who knows the pressure of being a freshman varsity athlete. He can teach you how to handle it. Not to mention you could learn to toughen up your act a little bit.”

“Toughen up? I’ve got 13 stitches in my eyebrow right now. I knock kids out with a swing of my fist. I’m plenty tough.” I argued

“Yeah that’s very impressive” coach retorted tired of fighting with us “But guess what, you still look like a 10 year old, he’ll teach you how to carry yourself. Not to mention both of you need to learn how to work with people you don’t like. Welcome to the real world, you don’t always get what you want. Now both of you stop being such brats, I expect the reflections on your weekly meetings in my office every Monday, no exceptions, no excuses, no bull shitting, or your both sidelined for the following week, is that understood?”

“Yes” we both mumbled

“Is that understood?” he repeated in a booming voice

“Yes coach” we spit in unison

Coach stood up and slammed his chair into the desk “Good, now get the hell out of my office.”

We both jumped up and scurried out into the lobby.

“See what you did” Eli growled

“What I did? You’re the one who camped outside my locker.” I spit back

He stared me down with his dull blue eyes “Shut up rookie, How about we pretend we meet, and you can just write the reports for us.”

I met his stare with one of my own “Hell no, I’m not risking my wrestling career because you’re too lazy to meet”

“I’m your mentor you have to listen to me” he smugly let out

“That’s bullshit…Actually to hell with it. I don’t care about my wrestling career. I still have the cage, getting suspended from wrestling only give me more gym time, but getting suspended from hockey screws you completely” I said with a smile

Eli began to grind his teeth “Don’t you dare”

“So should we meet at my place or yours?” I asked with a growing smile

“You’re such a brat…my place” he mumbled beginning to walk away

“Okay, what day? I practice until 7 everyday, any time after that works for me.” I shouted but was only met with a middle finger. I sighed as the bell rang, and made my way to class. It was another typical school day, except this time news of the fight near the field had spread. Kids either looked at me out of fear or admiration. The truth is I didn’t care for either. I was doing what was right…what any other descent person should do. Lunch was a welcome change, as I approached the table I realized how lucky I was to have Henry and Ivy. They weren’t afraid or impressed, in fact they often saw right through my act.

“Do you think I could get with her?” I heard Henry conspiring as I took my seat

Ivy rolled her eyes and gave him a good punch to the arm “For the last time no! She’s so far out of your league, stop being a pig!”

“Fuck!” he squealed rubbing his arm “You don’t have to be so mean about it. What do you think Aidan?” he looked over at me and I shrugged “Ughhh I need more guy friends.”

“I’m a guy” I muttered

“Yeah but not like a guy guy, your…Aidan.” He shrugged

“Gee thanks” I mumbled. Suddenly I felt a light tap on the back of my shoulder and almost flew out of my chair.

“Oh sorry…I didn’t mean to scare you” a light voice let out

“You didn’t scare him” Ivy butted in “He just hates being touched”

I fixed myself back into my seat and turned to see the kid who was getting beaten on yesterday “Oh hey…” I droned on realizing I had never got a name

“Jayden” he finished

I reached out and shook his hand “I’m Aidan” I said with a smile

“I just realized I never thanked you for yesterday, so uhmmm thanks” he uncomfortably squeaked. I looked up in Jayden’s soft brown eyes and felt my heart begin to race. Light freckles covered his soft featured face, as his straight brown hair lightly covered his forehead.

“Don’t worry about it” I answered with a smile

I saw Henry jump in his chair “Ooooo what’d you do?”

“He beat up another bully” Ivy answered rolling her eyes “How have you not heard this yet? He like knocked out some kid”

Henry slumped back down and returned to his food “That’s no fun, he always does that”

I looked over and gave him the evil eye “Always?” Jayden quietly echoed to himself

I discretely wiped my sweaty palms on my shorts “Hey Jayden, why don’t you join us for lunch?”

“No I should…ugh get back to my table” he stuttered “Thank you again though”

As he left I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. Why? I don’t even know him. He’s just some kid I helped out.

“Hey hero of the day” Henry mocked “Your damsel in distress is sitting alone”

I looked at him confused “What?”

“Jayden, he just went to go sit by himself” Henry said standing up “Don’t worry I’ve got this”

“No…wait…Henry!” I shouted but he was on a mission. I watched as he walked up to Jayden and without a word grabbed his lunch tray. He wondered over and slammed the plastic down in front of the empty seat next to me.

Jayden slung his heavy bag of his scrawny shoulder, and mopingly made his way over to the new seat.

“What did I say about taking shit from people?” I teased as he sat down. Jayden looked over at me and shook his head.

Henry smiled satisfied with his actions “Oh relax newbie, we want you to eat with us, that’s not the end of the world. We were all strangers to one another once too, in fact we met Aidan because he couldn’t stop getting his ass kicked” I looked over and discretely gave him a good kick to the leg. He let out a short yelp in pain “Isn’t it like illegal for MMA fighters to hit people without a warning or some shit?”

“Don’t know” I shrugged

“MMA?” I heard Jayden repeat to himself

“Geez new kid what are you a parrot?” Jayden looked over at him with a red face “Yeah we heard you before too. Stop repeating shit!”

“Henry!” Ivy shouted “Give him a minute to adjust. You practically just bullied him anyway. I’m Ivy” she announced with a smile “This moron is Henry”

Jayden shook his head “Sorry, It just caught me off guard, Aidan doesn’t look like an MMA fighter. I guess that explains the stitching though.”

“You should see the other guy” I joked. Henry looked over at me and made a face, knowing full well I hated that line “But yeah I’ve been fighting since I was like 9”

“Woh” he let out “So you’re like a modern day Spartan?”

I thought it over in my mind “Yeah like a warrior?”

Jayden’s face began to turn red “Kinda, like in Sparta they used to train boys from birth to become Spartans. I’m sorry that was nerdy… I shouldn’t have…”

“Like a Spartan” I interrupted “I like it” I flashed him a smile, and he shyly returned it before turning away.

Before I could say anything else a medium sized figure slammed a stack of papers in my face “Here rookie, you get to be the book keeper. We’ll meet tomorrow at 8 since you have to “Practice””

“Shut up Eli” I mumbled “If we’re going to work together, we could at least be nice to one another“

“So naïve” he mocked “but that’ll change”

I forced out a fake smile “Anything else I can help you with mentor?”

“Nope, that’s all rook” he spit returning the fake smile.

“I freakin hate him” I muttered as he began to walk out of ear shot

Ivy’s eyes scanned from him back to me“I heard he was your mentor”

“Yikes that crush is burning so hot I think I just got burnt” Henry teased

I looked over and stared him down “I don’t have a crush on him…it faded the second I realized what a dick he is”

“Oh that’s such bullshit. You love hard to get and rough.” Henry began “Remember Jonny in 7^th grade, you couldn’t get enough of him.”

I picked apart bread from my sandwich and threw it at him “Shut up, he was straight”

“Your biggest kryptonite, straight guys”

“Ain’t that the truth” I sighed

“Wait” Jayden said speaking up “Your gay Aidan?”

I nodded my head “Out and proud” Ivy exclaimed

Jayden’s posture begin to shift, as his face turned red. It was becoming very clear how uncomfortable he was growing “Oh cool” he nervously laughed. He quickly checked his watch “Well I gotta go”

“What?” henry said laughing “we’ve got like another 10 minutes of lunch, where the hell are you running off to?”

“I…ugh…need to stop at my locker and grab a book beforehand” he jumped up so quickly he almost knocked his tray off the table “Thanks again” he stammered as he ran off

“Homophobes man” henry shook his head “You’d think they’d be gone by now, but then one shows up at your lunch table”

I let out a deep sigh “Yeah I guess so. He seemed pretty cool too”

“Pretty cool or pretty cute?” Ivy pressed

“Both” I shrugged out of disappointment.

I shoved the varsity paperwork into my bag, as the lunch bell rang. My next few classes were blah. I really did hate school, but it’s just something you gotta do ya know? As I walked into my last class of the day I caught Jayden taking a seat and let out an involuntary sigh. The way his scrawny frame slyly moved really did drive me crazy. He lightly played with his thin hair before falling back into his seat. He quickly looked over, and caught me staring. I closed them in on him before turning away. That cycle repeated for the first half of class, I wanted him to know I was onto his homophobic behavior. Finally he stopped looking and seemed to begin doodling. I zoned him out for the rest of class and began paying attention. As the last bell rang I watched him run towards the door, but right before he got there he dropped a folded up sheet of notebook paper on my desk. I shook my head and slowly unfolded it to expose a drawing of an old style Spartan. My smile grew wider as I read the words above it “No retreat, no surrender, we don’t ask how many there are but where they are.” I laughed to myself before putting it into my folder.

Homophobic is a strong word after all.

*New- a slang term used in new jersey that refers to rich kids who either don't appreciate what they have, or aren't aware of what the real world is like.