None of the three of us was happy when we made it out of the pepper-spray bomb area. They were both beating on me to let them go and allow them to finish him off. I now had Tommy’s puke on my jeans, too.
“Enough!” I finally said.
“I hate that S.O.B.!” Pam screamed.
Tracy actually growled at me.
Brad Hope came storming up with a couple of his ass-hat buddies. Brad and I had forged an uneasy truce over the last year, but we still didn’t like each other.
“You’re not treating our friend like that!” Brad yelled at the girls.
I pulled them behind me and faced Brad. I dropped down into my stance.
“DAVID, NO!” Cassidy screamed.
She ran up to separate her brother and me. I had a deep desire to kick his ass. Ever since he’d moved here, he’d been a pain in my butt. I owed him payback for far more than I could list. I’d always tried to take the high road and do the right thing, but Brad and his bunch of ass-hats had gotten on my last nerve. I was not in a very forgiving mood at the moment. My only problem was Cassidy. I owed her, and I couldn’t turn my back on my obligation for what she’d done. She had gotten me and the rest of us in shape. She never gave up on us. She was there every day to make us better.
“Stay out of this!” Brad yelled at his sister as he slapped her.
There was stunned silence. You could see Cassidy’s heart break. Her big brother had just slapped her. I hated to see the innocence robbed from my friend. I looked at Cassidy as she turned to me. She gave me a little head-nod. She wasn’t going to protect her big brother from his idiocy.
Brad assumed a fighting stance and bounced on his toes. Cassidy had taught me not to hesitate, and if I ever did fight, to end it quickly.
Brad was about to make some stupid taunt when I moved, using the front kick Cassidy had taught me. I reached out with my lead foot and hooked his front calf, causing him to stumble towards me. I continued in one fluid motion and kicked up, catching his chin with the side of my foot. When I kicked a speed bag, it sounded like a gun had gone off. When I kicked Brad, I felt something give as my foot connected with his head and I pulled back, not finishing the move. Brad dropped like a rock.
Brad’s buddies decided it was time to leave. Cassidy and I knew Brad was hurt. I ran over and checked to make sure I hadn’t just killed him. I thanked God he was still breathing.
Nothing clears out a teen party faster than the prospect of the police and ambulances showing up. I had firsthand knowledge from when Lily needed help. I just hoped I wasn’t in as much trouble as last time.
Chapter 20 – Babies
Sunday May 3
I woke up in the same cell I’d occupied almost two years ago. I wasn’t happy to be still in my jeans with puke on them. I was told Brad had a dislocated jaw. They had fixed him up and his dad was able to take him home last night. He was lucky it wasn’t broken. He would have had some serious issues if that were the case.
Tommy had been treated by the paramedics at the scene. They flushed his eyes. He was lucky Pam hadn’t caught him flush in the nuts or he wouldn’t ever have children. His balls would just be sore for a few days.
Officer Billy Delaney came and pulled me out of my cell.
“You have a visitor,” he told me and took me to an interrogation room.
I was surprised when Coach Hope was waiting for me. I sat down across from him and waited until Billy left the room before talking.
“How’s Brad?” I asked.
“He’s hungover and complaining about his jaw hurting. I need to know what happened last night. Cassidy won’t talk to me and Brad claims he doesn’t remember.”
I told him about Tommy and breaking up the fight between him, Pam and Tracy. I explained how Brad and three of his buddies looked for a little payback for what happened to Tommy. I admitted to wanting to kick Brad’s butt, but Cassidy had stopped me.
“So why didn’t you listen to Cassidy?” he asked.
“Brad slapped her.”
“Excuse me?” Coach said with a look that told me I was very close to crossing a line.
“Brad told Cassidy to keep out of it and he slapped her. I’m afraid she may not forgive him anytime soon. She took it pretty hard that her big brother would hit her.”
“Then what happened?”
“Cassidy let me know she wasn’t going to interfere. Brad dropped into a fighting stance and I acted first. I hooked his lead leg to take him off balance and followed up with a front kick to his chin. I felt something give and Brad was out before he hit the ground. I then made sure I hadn’t really hurt him.”
I waited for Coach to say something.
“I’m not happy with you, but I understand why you did what you did. Frankly, I’m surprised this hasn’t happened sooner. I thought you and Brad would come to blows during two-a-days last fall. I think I should also be thankful it was you and not someone else he got in a fight with. If it had been me in your situation, I would have hurt him.”
With that, Coach Hope got up and abruptly left. Billy came in after several minutes.
“You’re free to go. Brad Hope isn’t pressing charges, and we have no desire to mess with this if no one was seriously hurt. Do me a favor and don’t make us arrest you again. You’re one of the guys I like, and I hate having to do it.”
“I’ll seriously try. Thanks, Billy.”
I came out front to find my dad waiting for me. He gave me a hug and I looked around. I didn’t see Mom. Dad saw my worry.
“Your mom is at home taking care of everything.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“It was either let everyone come to the police station, or have them all wait for you at the house.”
AS DAD AND I WALKED into the kitchen, Mom came up and checked me over to make sure I was okay.
“David Allen Dawson, you will not get into any more fights. Is that clear?” Mom said while giving me a hard look.
“Yes, ma’am.”
She then took me into her arms and gave me a fierce hug.
“You did good, kid,” she whispered in my ear.
She then turned and disappeared into the crowd in our kitchen. Sarah, Pam and Tracy all grabbed me and put me into a group hug. They all seemed to be talking at the same time. I just let it roll over me because I couldn’t follow what they were all saying. The funny thing was they all stopped at the same exact time and looked at me expectantly. Thank goodness, Angie was there to translate teen girl for me.
“Kiss them, ‘stupid boy,’” she ordered.
This I could do. It seemed to make them all happy and they let me go to my apartment to shower and change clothes. I came back and talked to all my friends. Hanging back were Jeff and Cassidy. When I saw Cassidy, I broke off my conversation with Wolf, Jim and Tim, went right to her and gathered her into my arms.
Cassidy broke down and cried in my arms. She would have collapsed if I hadn’t been holding her. Jeff gave me a grateful, pleading look, which told me he wasn’t sure what to do. I picked her up and took her to the office so we could have some privacy. I wasn’t surprised when my mom followed me in and kept everyone else out. I sat down in a big comfy chair with Cassidy wrapped around me. I gently rocked her and stroked her hair. Mom looked on with worry and compassion.
Cassidy finally stopped crying and then looked at me, embarrassed.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“I think you needed to get it out. I’m always here for you, Baby,” I assured her.
“He hit me. My own brother hit me,” Cassidy moaned.
“I think David hit him back,” Mom said.