Kelling Academy: Fighter

Chapter Five JAMES

I watched Jed tilt his head, eating the other half of his sandwich and swallowing it. How can he eat that fast?

"You're gonna choke," I said helpfully.

He grinned at me. "I ain't gonna choke. Promise." He turned back around to Sammy. "What group?"

Sammy's lips twitched and he bit his apple. "This school's corrupted. There's the Reds and the Purples. We, the delinquents, are Purple, the scum of the school. Teachers and Reds need to keep us in our place. Hit us with their words just as hard as their fists. Make sure we stay scared."

"Do we git ta hit 'em back?" Jed asked, perking up and eyes shinning.

Micky's fork paused halfway to his mouth, Cameron leaned away a little bit, I blanched, and Sammy raised an eyebrow.

"No."

Jed deflated like Sammy told him his house was lit on fire.

"Dat don't seem fair," Jed mumbled, shoving all his fries in his mouth.

Sammy nodded. "It's not. That's why we're trying to stop it."

Jed swallowed his other half of the sandwich and started on his fries. "'N' ya want mah? I got anger issues, no social skills, and everybady I ever met says I'm crazy."

Cameron snorted. "We can see that."

Micky slapped her shoulder. "Cameron! Don't say that!"

"You said it earlier!" Cameron yelled.

"Yeah," Micky yelled, eyes flickering over to Jed. "But, but...we were alone!"

Jed licked the crumbs off his plate then grabbed the paper boat the fries were in and licked that too. "I know I'm crazy. Y'all don't gotta pretend otherwise."

Micky shook his head. "That's not the point. It was rude to say and I'm sorry."

I leaned over to Micky from across the table and whispered; "Jed seems stubborn. If he doesn't think it matters he won't change his mind."

Jed looked on his tray sadly. There was no more food on it. He seemed to be hungry so I handed my apple to him. He looked at it then at me and just held it for a bit.

"He wants you to eat it, Jed," Micky said.

Jed's face split into a huge smile and he ate half the apple with one bite! He put it on his tray and pulled me into his chest, squeezing the life out of me.

"He's my new best friend. If anybody touches him I'm ripping their hands off and making them eat them."

I looked up at him and then looked over to my friends. Micky was torn between looking concerned and amused, Cameron looked like she knew something I didn't, and Sammy had on his usual bored face.

Jed looked down at me and said, "I'm going to eat my apple now."

He let me go and took another giant bite. I sat up straight and adjusted my clothes. That's odd. I don't feel like I'm covered in germs...weird. 

Sammy cleared his throat and we all looked back at him. "What do you say Jed?"

Jed tried eating the core of the apple before Micky took it away and Jed tried to pout, but he looked more like a pissed off tiger. "If James is in it I'll do it. Gotta keep mah promise, don't I?"

Sammy did his "business smile" as the bell ringed. "Perfect. Now lets get to class."