Impractical Jokers, Practically

Chapter Two

As I look around at my friends and this stranger, Calvin, I wonder if I'm in the twilight zone. It sure feels that way. Sure, Joe, Q, Sal, and Murr have stood up for me before, but never like this. This is different. Murr looked like he wanted to punch Calvin, Joe and Q looked tense, but Sal. I've never seen him look this way before. He had his arms in fists at his sides and looked like he was turning red. I've never seem him this way before.

"Ha, ha is this your army or something?" Calvin asked with a chuckle. He folded his arms together in an effort to look more menacing. His clearly defined muscles were showing in an obvious attempt to look more buff.

"Why would you even say those things to Alexa, man? You don't say that, you don't ask someone you don't know if they liked to be tied up, uh, sexually." Murr asked. Calvin turned to me and said, "Oh, you're name is Alexa huh? Nice name. Nice." As he said that, I felt chills go down my back. I felt seriously creeped out.

"Don't fucking change the subject! And stop looking at her like that! Look at me." Sal said in a fit of anger. Sal looked like he was about to explode. I'm surprised there wasn't smoke coming out of his ears. As I looked up at Sal, he wouldn't look at me.

Calvin looked at my friends and said, "Look, she came up to me first and started talking to me first. I only engaged in conversation. But, I must say all 4 of you guys running to her defense is so cute." Q said very calmly, "Dude, just get the f out of here. We were the ones who dared her to go up and talk to you which was obviously a mistake." Joe chimed in and said, "Can't you tell you're creeping her out?"

Calvin smiled at the jokers then looked at me and tilted his head, "I get it now. I see. Alexa wouldn't answer my question about if she liked bondage because she already has you guys to take care of her if you get what I mean."

One second Calvin was sitting there with a smug expression on his face, the next he was knocked over with blood all over his face. I looked up in confusion and realized Sal had punched him. And punched him hard. Because Sal's knuckles were bleeding. Oh, that must have hurt. I looked at Sal's face, but instead of seeing pain I saw anger and determination. He wanted to hit Calvin again.

Joe and Murr held Sal back while Q yelled to Calvin, "Go, just go! Before I knock you out myself."

Apparently he left. I didn't see him leave, I was took busy looking at Sal, but all of the guys seemed to calm down a little bit so I figured he left. I got off the bench and said, "Thank you guys so much. I don't know what I would have done if you all weren't there for me." Murr and Q said, "Don't mention it." and Joe said, "Glad you're alright." As I looked at Sal, he wouldn't look at me. He looked at anything but me. I wondered if I did something wrong? Maybe it was my fault? Maybe they were tired of taking care of me. I shouldn't have talked to Calvin in the first place.

In an effort to fix things I said, "Sal, I'm so sorry about your hand. I mean, I didn't know you were going to punch him and I didn't know it was going to be that hard, but I'm sorry. I shouldn't have even talked to him. I should have gotten up and left right away. The moment things got creepy. And then you guys didn't have to come and rescue me like I was some damsel in distress and you wouldn't have gotten yourself hurt. Are you okay?" I was rambling. When I'm nervous, I either ramble on and on or I'm silent.

"Alexa, it's fine. Sal's going to be okay. None of this was your fault." Joe said. Q nodded his head in agreement and Murr smiled. I felt relieved. As were were walking back towards our set up and away from the bench where the incident took place, I heard Sal mutter very quietly, "We'll always be here for you."

~~~

We decided we were done for the day and packed up and left. We went back to our apartment and that's when Joe said, "Let's order a pizza!" We all agreed. As the boys went to their rooms to change and I waited in the living room for the delivery boy to come, I went over what happened today. The thought of Calvin still scared me, but I smiled when I thought of how the jokers had my back. I felt like as long as I was with them, I would always be safe. Thinking about how angry Sal looked and how he punched Calvin, I felt confused. Why would he be that angry? All the jokers were mad, but Sal was furious. My head was swimming. It was almost like Sal was...Nah. Nope. Not going there. Sal was simply defended his best friend and that's all there was to it.

With that thought, I heard the doorbell ring followed by a knock. "Pizza guy's here!" I exclaimed as I went to open the door. The first thing I saw was the big pizza box. "Hey, thanks, how much do we owe---" I was cut off when the delivery guy's face came in focus.

It was Calvin.

"You owe me plenty. But I can think of a way that you'll make it up to me." Calvin said with a grin, dropping the box of pizza.

I took a step back and was about to scream for the guys when Calvin grabbed my wrist, hard. Like "that's going to leave a mark" hard. He started pulling me towards him and made an effort to leave. Panicking, I started shouting, but my words weren't making sense. I was so distraught, I wasn't even able to scream properly. Instead of coherent words like, "Help! Calvin's got me! Call the police." I was simply making loud noises.

Calvin, while shaking me, said "Shut up!" and continued to grab me out the door.

All I could think was, he got me. The Jokers are inside and I'm outside with Calvin and he got me.

How was I going to save myself?