On a Leash

Chapter 2 ─ Ruff Punch

CHAPTER 2 ─ Ruff Punch

“Leave me alone, Harrison,” I moaned. Slumped on the canteen table, my head was on top of my crossed arms and whilst I sat in my own pile of misery, my friends sat around eating and talking, ignoring the fact that there was a depressing cloud floating above my head. “Harrison!” I snapped as again he pulled my hair.

He stood behind me and laughed , tugging at the curl once more.

It was okay for him, he wasn’t the one with the word Fail written across his mechanics paper. He got away with a B and hadn’t even put an ounce of work into it. Not that I had, but I was a trier and to have one of the worst marks in the class… it sucked.

“Oh come on, Ross; it was only a class test. No big deal.” I bottled enough energy to straighten my back and turn to Harrison. Wrong idea.

“Bloody hell, Harrison!” I yelped as I held to my roots. Harrison let go of my hair and I watched in horror as the strands that were in his grip fell to the ground. My hand went to caress my head and pouted as I willed the heap to magically levitate off the lino and thread back into my scalp.

“Harrison!” I looked up at him pleadingly.

He sighed and squatting in front of me he placed his hands on my knees. Looking up at me he smiled softly. “I know what would cheer you up, Ross.” I raised my brows at him and he played with the fraying fabric at the knees of my jeans. “There’s a party this Friday, at Katie’s – it’d get your mind off things.”

“I’m not going to that cow Katie’s—”

“It’ll get your mind of the mechanics thing.”

I glowered at him. “What about my hair, Harrison?”

“Don’t blame that on me, Ross.”

“Who the hell am I supposed to­­—?”

I was drowned out by someone screaming the fatal words that would have the whole room on their feet and running to the scuffling and shouting out the door. Fight. I groaned as Harrison straightened and bolted for the door, Jake and all right behind him. I glumly pulled myself to my feet getting ready to intervene if my hot-headed, pick-on-someone-your-own-size, best friend got involved.

And it was good I got there when I did because Harrison was stepping forward, fist back and ready to swing. I glowered at the scene; Charlie Cuttings was holding a year seven in a head lock as the victim swung wildly hitting Charlie on the shoulder and ribs. He was never going to cause enough damage.

“Is that honestly how you feel like the big-man, Lee?” Charlie looked up at Harrison, loosening his grip on the kid. Harrison took his chance and brought his fist forward. I huffed and stepped forward as Charlie blinked, registered and let go of the kid, levelling up to Harrison.

Here we go.

“Harrison, just leave him; he’s being an idiot as always,” I tried, stepping into his way. Harrison didn’t even give me a glance – moving me out of the way – but Charlie did and my friend took that second of distraction to smack Charlie again – in the jaw this time.

Charlie shook his head and I couldn’t help but think about last week when I did the exact same to get blood back to my brain. “You’ve been waiting for that for a long time, haven’t you buddy?” His words were spat at my friend and I couldn’t help but gulp. As much as Charlie Cuttings had been a gentleman last week, his anger was always at the forefront of things and I couldn’t ignore the fear blossoming in my stomach.