Schoolyard Blues

Chapter Two: Get Well Soon

"Good morning, class," My algebra teacher, Mr. Moore stated from the front of the classroom, "I know you hate algebra as first period so I'm going to go easy on you since it's a Friday."
"Does he ever shut up?" Slim whispered to me, before I giggled.
Slim and I were in every class together, but M.C. only had algebra, science and U.S. history with us as he was in mostly honors classes while we were in only standard ones.
"Xavier," Mr. Moore said in a stern tone, "Quit talking while I am speaking."
"Got it," I replied, before resuming my conversation with Slim.
"Should we get M.C. tonight?" I asked Slim, before he told me, "That motherfucker is a buzz kill, but let's see if he wants to chill. This passing period is longer than the others, we can find him in P.E. probably."
As class dragged on, the bell eventually rang and we all dashed out of our seats to the hallway.
As we strolled down the hall, I told Slim, "M.C. is a buzz kill sometimes, but he's smart. We should hear him out more."
"He's smart with schoolwork," Slim attempted to explain, "But he ain't street smart."
When we walked down to the gym, M.C. came out looking like he was out of breath.
M.C. had medium length light brown hair, and he was wearing a tie dye shirt over his school polo, with khakis and glasses to top it all off.
"What are you doing here?" M.C. asked, before I replied, "Wanna hang out later?"
"Yeah," he responded as he glanced around himself, "Do you have any gas?"
"Not much," Slim told him, "But I know how we can get some."
"Not this shit again," M.C. groaned, "We ain't robbing Ajax, that's what made him hate us in the first place."
"No, no," Slim explained, "Not Ajax, we're robbing his friend. You know Clinton, right? Clinton Johnson? Everyone calls him CJ."
"Yeah," M.C. answered, "CJ and I aren't on too good of terms."
"That's great," I chimed in, "Means we won't be breaking any friendships."
"Where's he at, anyways?" M.C. inquired, "I just wanna get this over with."
"He's in French next period," I told M.C., before I began walking towards the French room, "We should be able to catch him before class if we hurry."
I speed walked to the room, before I got a glance of CJ walking into the restroom.
CJ was white, and he had a bit of facial hair as well as a buzz cut.
Slim followed him into the restroom, and behind him came M.C. and I.
When he got in the restroom, CJ pulled out a vape and began to hit it, before Slim suddenly snatched it out of his hand and held it above him.
"Give that back, you dirty fuck!" CJ shouted at Slim, before Slim replied, "Oh, I will. As soon as you give me your wallet."
CJ made a noise of anger, before throwing a punch at Slim.
Slim laughed, before throwing the vape and reaching into my pocket, taking the knife out and putting it to CJ's throat.
"I'm not gonna fucking say it again," Slim stated in a threatening voice as he pushed the blade against CJ's neck.
CJ fumbled with his pocket, before Slim grabbed his hand and pulled it out, revealing the wallet in his palm.
"Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" Slim said, before taking his wallet and pushing CJ back against the wall, hitting CJ's vape, then tossing it back to him.
"He's gonna tell Ajax, you know," I told Slim, before he turned to me and said, "Then let him. I ain't scared of Ajax, and M.C. is only a little scared of Ajax. You the only one scared of Ajax here."
"Nah," M.C. chimed in, "X is thinking rationally right now. CJ is gonna tell Ajax and Ajax will be all over our dicks. I'm not sayin' I'm scared of him, it's just facts."
"So be it," Slim replied, before checking how much money was in the wallet, "Forty bucks and a food stamp card."
"Was it worth it, Slim?" M.C. sarcastically asked, "Was robbing CJ and getting Ajax to hate us even more than he already does worth forty dollars and a fucking food stamp card?"
"It wasn't," I replied, before glancing at Slim, "It wasn't worth it."

The bell rang for us to leave school, so Slim and I bolted out of our seats and raced down to the front door.
When we burst through to the outside world, we waited for M.C., but we couldn't find him anywhere.
I began to get worried, so I decided to go back inside and look for him.
Inside, I searched in the hallways but saw nothing, so I looked in the restrooms.
Restroom on the first floor?
Just some kids vaping.
Second floor?
A fight, unrelated to us.
Third floor?
Bingo.
There M.C. was, getting thrashed around by Ajax who was yelling at him for robbing CJ.
Ajax slammed M.C.'s head against the mirror, before M.C. spat in his face and Ajax punched him in the nose.
"Hey!" I shouted at Ajax, and he proceeded to drop M.C. in pursuit of me, "Get the hell off of him!"
Ajax walked up to me, before grabbing me by the shirt collar and tossing me onto the dirty bathroom tiles.
"Where's your little friend, white boy?" Ajax asked me in a menacing voice as he pulled out a small pocket knife, "Tell me right now before I put this blade in your fucking kidney."
"He's outside," I told him, "I'll take you to him."
"Get up," Ajax threatened me, "Don't make me think twice."
I lifted myself off of the ground, before I helped M.C. up.
His nose was busted, and he had a dazed look in his eye.
"Th-thanks," M.C. stuttered, before I replied, "Not a problem."

"Slim!" I shouted as we got outside, "Ajax-"
I was cut off by Ajax pushing me to the ground, as well as M.C.
"It's me and you now, Slim," Ajax warned Slim as he went up to him, "Why you robbin' my dudes?"
"Nunya fuckin' business, A-fag," Slim replied, before pulling his own knife out, "I'll pay you back, let 'em go."
"I don't think I can do that," Ajax responded, pointing his knife at Slim, "Give me the money right now."
"That's not how this finna go," Slim told Ajax sternly, "Keep your hands off my boys I'll keep my hands off yours."
"Fuck you," Ajax muttered, before yelling, "Fuck you!" and charging Slim with his knife in hand.
In a quick decision, I bolted up and swung my hand forward, tripping Ajax and causing him to slam his face into the pavement.
"God damn it!" Ajax shouted, before getting up and grabbing me by my shirt, then digging his knife into my stomach.
I felt the cold, sharp blade invasively enter my body, before the bleeding began.
Slim dashed up to Ajax, proceeding to stab him once in the back then choke him out from behind.
"What's going on over there?!" A guard shouted at us, so Slim grabbed me and dragged me along as M.C. followed behind.

When we got home, Slim took rubbing alcohol and tried to tend to my wound, though it hurt more than it helped.
"I don't know what to do," Slim admitted to me, "We might gotta go to the ER."
"Here's hoping Ajax bled out," M.C. remarked, "One less shit stain on Earth."
"Yeah, let's hope we get charged with murder for fucking killing someone," I responded sarcastically, "Sounds like a great time."
"You know what I mean," M.C. replied, "Well, Slim, did you even get weed?"
"Not yet," Slim informed M.C., "I've gotta help X out first."
"What about a ciggy?" M.C. asked as Slim pulled out a cigarette and lit it, proceeding to drag it and hand it to M.C.
"Pass it to X," Slim told M.C., "That's my last one."
"Thank God its a weekend," I remarked, before Slim said, "Yeah you don't gotta go to school with him tomorrow but I live in the same fucking building with him every day, plus I stabbed him."
"Sounds like a you problem," I joked as I watched Slim get frustrated.
Slim looked me in the eye then sighed and replied, "That's my boy.
Get well soon."