The Bad Boy Ate My Shirt

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OK BACK TO THE FUN CHAPTERS

ROCKWOOD's POV

DAMN, I CAN'T BELIEVE I GOT SUSPENDED! NOT THAT I CARE ANYWAY SINCE I BARELY EVER GO. BUT NOW I CAN'T CONTINUE MY SEARCH FOR MORE DELICIOUS SHIRTS TO EAT! MY ORIGINAL GOAL WAS TO FIND ONE OF THAT DU BOIS PIPSQUEAK'S SHIRTS AGAIN SINCE THE LAST ONE TASTED SO GOOD, BUT I REALIZED THAT I MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO GET MY HANDS ON ONE, SO I RESORTED TO MY PLAN B: FINDING A REPLACEMENT SHIRT THAT TASTED ALMOST AS GOOD.

AND I PROBABLY WOULD'VE SUCCEEDED AND GOT AWAY WITH IT IF IT WASN'T FOR THAT GIRL AND THAT DAMN DU BOIS!!

NOW I HAVE TO TELL MY POOR GRANDMA THAT I'VE BEEN SUSPENDED!! WAIT, UNLESS!!

I COULD JUST DO WHAT I ALWAYS DO: LEAVE THE HOUSE SO SHE THINKS I'M AT SCHOOL AND THEN GO MESS AROUND SOMEWHERE ELSE INSTEAD.

IT'S THE PERFECT PLAN!!!

"BYE HALMEONI, I'M GOING TO SCHOOL NOW!" I TELL HER. I WAVE GOODBYE AND HEAD OUT THE DOOR. IT'S LIKE 10AM BUT I'M ALWAYS LATE ANYWAY SO SHE'LL NEVER NOTICE ANYTHING'S WRONG. I KICK A ROCK WHILE I WALK DOWN THE SIDEWALK. WHAT SHOULD I DO TODAY? I CAN'T GET MY MIND OFF THAT SHIRT. BUT NOW THAT MY PLAN'S BEEN FOILED I CAN'T GET ONE ANYMORE...

MY OWN SHIRTS JUST DON'T DO IT...THEY TASTE LIKE BLAND UNSEASONED LETTUCE OR SOMETHING. AND BRAND NEW SHIRTS ARE COMPLETELY TASTELESS. THAT'S WHY THEY HAVE TO BE WORN SHIRTS. YEAH, IT DOESN'T FEEL THE GREATEST HAVING TO STEAL THEM, BUT STEALING IS NOTHING NEW FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME, AND WHAT OTHER CHOICE DO I HAVE?

I ROAM THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND MAKE MY WAY INTO TOWN, HOPING MAYBE THERE WILL BE A STRAY SHIRT ON THE GROUND SOMEWHERE. AS I WALK, I FIND IT KINDA FUNNY WATCHING PEOPLE COWER IN FEAR AND RUN TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THR ROAD WHEN I PASS BY. I HOLD BACK A SMIRK.

A CAT HISSES AND RUNS OFF. AWW, IT WAS KINDA CUTE....NO, I'M SUPPOSED TO ACT COOL AND TOUGH!! I CAN'T BE GOING AROUND PETTING CATS! JUST THEN I HEAR FOOTSTEPS AND A VOICE.

"WHERE ARE YOU, YOU DAMN CAT?" THE VOICE SOUNDS HOSTILE, AND I NARROW MY EYES. A MAN COMES FROM AROUND THE CORNER HOLDING A SPIKED BAT. LOOKS ABOUT 5'10"...HMPH, I CAN TAKE HIM. I LET LOOSE MY SMIRK AND CROSS THE STREET, CUTTING OFF A SLEAZY LOOKING ASSHOLE. HE IMMEDIATELY STRAIGHTENS UP, GRABBING THE BAT EVEN TIGHER.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" I SAY, USING THE SCARIEST VOICE I CAN MAKE

"NONE OF YER BUSINESS! GET OUTTA THE WAY SO I CAN CATCH THAT, UH, MY, CAT!" THE MAN TRIES TO PUSH ME OUT OF THE WAY, BUT NATURALLY I'M TOO BIG. THEN HE TRIES TO MOVE AROUND ME, BUT I JUST SLIDE TO THE SIDE.

"I MAY BE DUMB, BUT I'M NOT THAT DUMB," I SAY THREATENINGLY, GETTING CLOSER TO HIM AND GRIPPING HIS SHOULDER. NORMALLY, THIS IS THE POINT WHERE PEOPLE RUN AWAY, BUT THIS GUY STANDS STRONG, GLARING AT ME EVEN HARDER. I SMIRK. "YOU'VE GOT BALLS, SIR." I HOLD BACK A WINCE AT THE "SIR" THAT SLIPPED OUT. MY GRANDMA ALWAYS TAUGHT ME TO RESPECT MY ELDERS AND I GUESS SOME HABITS DIE HARD. HOWEVER, A DICKHEAD LIKE THIS DESERVES NO RESPECT.

"HOW ABOUT YOU GET OUT OF MY WAY, PUNK?" STILL NOT PICKING HIS BATTLES WISELY, I SEE. I GIVE HIM A THREATENING SMILE, AND HE BACKS UP A BIT, BUT HE STILL SEEMS DEFENSIVE.

"WHAT'S THAT BAT FOR?" THE MAN LOOKS ME STRAIGHT IN THE EYE AND GLARES AT ME WITH AN EVIL SMILE.

"THAT-MY CAT'S BEEN CAUSING ME LOADS OF TROUBLE LATELY. FIGURED I NEED TO TEACH 'IM A LESSON." AS HE SPEAKS, HIS GRIP AROUND THE BAT TIGHTENS, AND I HAVE MY ANSWER.

"YOU TAKE ONE STEP TOWARDS THAT CAT, YOU'LL BE THE ONE BEING TAUGHT A LESSON," I GROWL. HE LAUGHS COCKILY. APPARENTLY HE STILL HASN'T TAKEN THE HINT THAT HE SHOULD BACK OFF IF HE CARES FOR HIS SAFETY.