Wrestling Against Myself (37 page)

“I wasn't saying she was,” Dave explained. “That's the word they use, not me.”

“It's starting to get old,” Ted lamented.

“Just stay the course,” Carl said. “It'll get better.”

“But what is the course,” Tracy said as she brought the conversation back on topic. “Tiny?”

“Courtney is our friend, plain and simple. We stick by our friends, just like I stick by each and every one of you and I hope that you would all stick by me.”

“But you're not causing all the problems,” Dave said bitterly.

“Yeah, we never once heard 'how can you hang out with Tiny,'” Ted said.

“Maybe not,” Tony replied. “But I have heard 'how can you hang out with Dave and Ted'.”

“Hey, we never did nothing” Dave and Ted said in unison.

“Neither did Courtney, and that's my point.”

“So we just be her friend,' Tracy reiterated.

“Exactly. It's as easy as that. I'm not expecting anything more or less out of any of you. The way things are going; Courtney could use all the friends she could get.”

The table grew silent as each pondered what Tony said and ate their meals.

“Sorry I'm late,” Courtney said as she finally arrived. “I had to see the principal.”

“Ooh, someone got in trouble,” Carl teased.

Courtney pouted.

“What did you do?” Tracy chimed in, “Did you glue someone to their seat?”

“No.” Courtney laughed. “It was just talking and stuff, nothing bad.”

“Good to hear that you're not in trouble,” Tony said. “I would hate for you to stay after school and make me wait for you.”

“I never get in trouble at school,” Courtney said, causing everyone to look at her in suspicion.

“Give it some time,” Carl finally spoke. “Everyone gets in trouble eventually.”

“I heard Tiny got sent to the vice principals office as well,” Courtney said.

Tony cleared his throat.

“I mean Antonio,” Courtney corrected herself. “Did they make you write I will not beat my wrestling partner to a pulp a thousand times?”

“That wouldn't be a bad idea,” Carl said.

“Yeah,” Tracy chimed in. “Then poor Carl wouldn't get so bruised.”

“I don't bruise anyone,” Tony said defensively.

“You haven't seen my upper arm,” Carl said.

“Tiny must be part hulk,” Dave said as an observation.

“Nah, he's a cyborg,” Ted countered.

“Could you at least once not correct me,” Dave got testy.

“Guys, please,” Tony stopped the argument before it got started.

Courtney looked around the table and noticed not everyone was accounted for. “What happened to Shannon and Stephanie,” she asked.

The table got uncomfortably quiet.

“Shannon decided to sit with the football players,” Tony finally spoke up. “Probably a team building thing. And Stephanie, I don't know. Knowing her she is trying to get close to a boy.”

“Okay,” Courtney said solemnly. “It's a shame, they make things more fun.”

“Definitely a shame,” Tony said. “But we're fun enough.”

“We can always discuss which is better, Star Wars or Star Trek.” Dave suggested.

“Or what technology from the future we wish we had available today,” Ted offered.

“Or we could not discuss science fiction at all,” Tracy stepped in. “Since I think I've had each of those conversations a dozen times last year.”

Courtney leaned over towards Dave and Ted and whispered to them. “I wouldn't mind having a teleporter or a holodeck.” 

“Told you she was a Trekkie,” Ted said to Dave.

“One point for you. It's now five to three in my favor.”

Courtney gave Antonio a confused look.

“They make bets between themselves. We never know what the bets are, but sometimes we get an update on the score.”

The day finished without incident. Antonio was surprised that after he was made aware of the fact he noticed Courtney throughout the day, usually in passing. No matter where he was heading, Courtney was always around on the periphery, all he had to do was pay attention. He noticed most people left her alone, but occasionally he could tell someone made a snide remark in private by the look on her face. If he had trouble wearing his emotions on his sleeves, the girl broadcast them on a billboard.

After the final class was over, Tony was eager to get home. He came to school early in order to talk to his group of friends and it didn't go as planned. While he busied himself with school work, he couldn't help but think about how to deal with Shannon and Stephanie.

He would put more thought on the issue when he got home and had time away from people. In silence he would be able to process his thoughts and without distractions he could delve into things a bit deeper. All he wanted to do was get to his car and drive home.

From a distance he could see his car window was rolled down and Courtney had beaten him there. He strolled toward the Firebird, watching as the parking lot emptied of the few remaining cars. He was glad most of the students already left, he disliked waiting for the bottleneck out of the parking lot to clear and made sure he lingered around long enough for it to take care of itself.

“There she is,” Antonio said as he got into the driver's seat.

“Yep, here I am and there you are,” Courtney said in a cutesy way.

“How was your day at school?”

Courtney laughed.

“What?”

“You sound like my mom,” Courtney said through her giggling. “Except she adds sweetie or dear at the end.”

“Great. Now I sound like a woman.” Tony tried to feign being offended.

“I didn't mean it like that.”

“I know.” Tony smiled. “I was just messing with you.”

“That's not very nice.” Courtney playfully slapped the large teen on the arm.

“What are friends for?”

“But, to answer your question, today wasn't bad. At least they stopped singing that stupid song every time I walked by.”

“Thank goodness for small victories.”

“I guess I have you to thank for that.”

“Me,” Tony was surprised. “What did I do?”

“I don't know. I figured you threatened to beat everyone up if they didn't stop or something.”

“Nope. I didn't do anything of the kind. People probably forgot about it. You know most teens forget what happened at school after a long weekend.”

“You think they forgot to make fun of me.”

Tony shrugged and then started the car. “There are worst things to happen.”

“I didn't think the song would be so short lived.”

“How long did you think it would last?”
 

“Until the day after I graduated.”

Tony laughed as he backed out of his parking spot. “I don't think things will continue that long.”

“Why not? The whole school hates me, doesn't it,” Courtney sounded bitter.

“Not the whole school,” Tony corrected.

“Okay, minus you and the others that eat lunch with me the rest of the school hates me.”

“I don't think anyone at the school really hates you,” Tony tried to sympathize. “They just don't know you and it's a situation they've never dealt with before.”

“They don't want to know me,” Courtney sulked in her seat.

“In time they will. My thinking is that it will go in steps. You'll take a step, and then they'll take a step, and you'll take another step and so on and so on.”

“What step do I have to take to get this ball rolling?”

“I think you've already done that,” Tony said as he drove towards Courtney's home.

“How?”

“You are opening up. I can't talk about how you behave in class, but you aren't walking around the halls like you're expecting someone to leap out of a locker and kill you.”

“I was not.”

Tony raised his eyebrow at the small girl.

“Maybe I was a little afraid when school started,” Courtney admitted, “but I had good reason to be.”

“You're probably right.”

“But now I know that if anyone bothers me I got someone who would make sure I don't get killed or worse.”

Tony laughed. “Worse than killed, huh? I think once you and the school get use to each other, things will be fine. People are always afraid of new things.”

“And I'm a new thing?”

“You're a unique situation that I've never heard of. Not that it's a bad thing, just that when people come across something they aren't use to, the usual reaction is fear. The more they know you, the more comfortable they will get and the less they will be afraid of you.”

“I doubt anyone is afraid of me.”

“Maybe not you directly. But you challenge people's perceptions of what makes a boy a boy and a girl a girl.”

Courtney pouted.

“I meant no offense. I figured you already knew what I was saying.”

“I know. But I'm not trying to challenge anyone's perception. I'm not trying to make a statement about anything. I'm trying to be me and live my life.”

“In time people will realize that, like I did.”

“How did you figure it out?”

Tony grinned as he navigated around Courtney's community. “I look at the person first before I classify them as something. Makes it easier to get around prejudices.”

“I find it hard to believe you could be prejudice.”

“I try not to be. That's why I look at people as individuals and not put them in a group right away. It's taken some practice and I'm not where I want to be, but it does work out better the way I do things. Keeps me from judging people before I get to know what they're all about.”

“I wish more people would be like you.”

“I don't.”

“You don't?” 

“It would make wrestling season much harder.”

“You're a nut.”

“Trust me. Things can only get better.” Tony pulled into Courtney's driveway and put his car into park. “I think I see your mom peeking through the blinds again.”

“You do not.”

Tony laughed at how easily he got a rise from the girl.

“Speaking of my mom,” Courtney turned serious. “My mom wanted me to invite you home after school Friday and have you stay for dinner. She figured you like steak and my dad likes to grill while the temperature allows for it.”

“Steak sounds good. Sure, tell your mom I'll come over Friday and stay for dinner.”