Kaimoana Tales, Virgil again 2

Virgil was walking down the hill with Mac and Joyce. Mac wanted to know all about the great classic car he’d seen outside Virgil’s house.

“That’s the Chevy. It’s my friend Joel’s car. And, yes, it’s a great old car.”

“It is! It’s a classic. It’d make a great pashin’ wagon!”

“It does that,” Virgil grinned widely.

“Yeah, it’d have so much room to move inside and it’d be a chick-magnet. Tell us more!” Mac demanded, and then he gasped when Joyce poked him in the ribs. “Ow! Damm, Joyce. Keep your hands to yourself.”

“You’d better keep your hands to yourself too! You go picking up any girls and you’ll be no use to them, I’ll cut your dick off!”

“See? I knew she loved me. Hey! What the fuck? Watch it, Griffin!” Mac fell to the side as Joel’s cousin, Stephen Griffin, plowed through them on his bike. He stopped and looked back with a sneer.

“You’re the one who needs to watch it, MacSweeney. Hang around with queers and people’ll start thinking that you’re one too.”

“What’re you talking about? I’m no queer.”

“Not yet. Give it time. The sweet little Virgin Pansy there’ll be working on converting you.”

Virgil sighed as he looked at the big lug standing there astride his bicycle. He so did not need this. Who was it said that the best defence was to attack?

“What would you know, Griffin? No-one around here’s into sex with apes – though it looks like your mother was. Poor ape.”

“Fuck you, Faggot!”

“Not in this lifetime, Monkey-Boy.”

“You’re dead, Faggot. You are so dead!”

The goon dropped his book-bag and, completely forgetting that he astride his bike, lunged at Virgil. Virgil stepped back, and then cracked-up laughing as Griffin fell over in a tangle of arms, legs, and bicycle.

They were all laughing at him, even his own friends were. Virgil did think of rubbing it in, but that’d be like kicking someone when he was down, so he just walked away. He was very pleased when Mac and Joyce hurried to catch up to him.

“Wait up, Virgil!” Joyce was still laughing. “What a total idiot!”

“Yeah,” Virgil grinned. “Looks like the gene pool is pretty shallow in places.”

“It is!” Mac said. “That couldn’t have gone better if you’d planned it.”

“I did, kind of, plan it. No-one thinks straight when they totally lose their rag. Never dreamed it would go that well though,” he grinned.

“No? Classic! You’d better watch yourself though. He’ll out for revenge.”

“Probably. But, I’m not scared of idiots.”

“He’s a total idiot,” Joyce agreed. “But he’s a big one. Just be careful, and if he makes trouble, we’ve got your back. Right, Mac?”

“Of course! Never did like the wanker anyway. You’re okay, Virgil.”

“Thanks, Guys. You’re okay too – more than okay.”

“No probs, Friend. But it’s going to cost you.”

“Cost? What’s it going to cost me?”

“It’ll cost you a ride in the Chevy.”

“That can probably be arranged. Joel might drive us to the hospital after the fighting.”

“Hospital? I was thinking more like a romantic drive down the coast on a moon-lit night.”

“Romantic?” Joyce smacked him one. “You’d better be thinking about with me, Boy!”

“Of course, Joycey, of course! I wish you’d stop hitting me. I’m going to be black and blue on our honeymoon.”

“If you live that long.”

“Oh, I plan on it, if only to get my own back – as the old man said when he peed into the wind.”

“You’re bloody disgusting, Mac. You know that, don’t you?”

“Yeah. But you love me anyway.”

Joyce just grinned and rolled her eyes. They went to school.

They went through the locker-room routine and met again outside room 9, where they had to wait for the teacher’s arrival – he was late again.

“Hello Joycey. Did you miss me?”

“Yeah, like a hole in the head. Shut your cake-hole, Mac. Virgil, you watch your step with Griffin. You’ve made an enemy there and he can be nasty.”

“So can I, Joyce. So can I. what’s with that Douche-bag anyway? I don’t even know him. Sally is his sister, isn’t she? Sally’s not like that, she’s a great person.”

“Yes she is, Sally’s okay, but her brothers are jerks. There’s only one more obnoxious person around here and that’s the other one; his brother, Dougie.”

“Obnoxious is it? Oh well.”

Missy walked past, still wearing the same attitude. She glared at them and Virgil smiled.

“Good morning, Missy. Great day, innit?”

“Shut up, Fool!” She growled and kept walking.

“Ah, she’s so nice,” Virgil sighed as they watched her go.

“She is!” Mac agreed. “All sweetness and light. You should try putting a bit of bread on a stick and poking it at her – she’d toast it for you.”

“Yeah right, probably,” Virgil laughed. “I wouldn’t want to mess with that one, but I’m sure that her mother loves her.”

“Well, maybe,” Joyce said.

There was one difference with Missy today. Virgil was pleased to see that she was no longer alone; she now had a small group trailing along behind her, 3 girls and 1 boy, all maori. That had to be good. It looked like Missy was a leader, despite the attitude.

Sally caught-up with him, later in the morning. “Hey Virgil. How’s it going?”

“Going good, thanks Sally. You?”

“I’m doing okay. Well, mostly. I’ve got all the teachers where I want them, all except one. Damm, your mum can be staunch!”

“Yeah, that’s my mum. Don’t fight her, you can’t win.”

“I think you’re right. Speaking of families, I hear that you had a run-in with my idiot brother. Both of my brothers are bone-heads and they’re bullies. Don’t let them push you around.”

“I won’t, thanks, Sally. You sure that they are your brothers?”

“Unfortunately, yes. Anyway, let me know if they gang-up on you, I’ll deal with them and, if I don’t, I’m sure that Joel will.”

“He would, but I’d rather deal with it on my own. I’m not a wimp.”

“Good for you. You’re okay, Virgil.”

Later, Virgil was in the Manual Training Block, doing metalwork which was not his favourite subject. The work itself was okay, he could handle that, but the teacher could be difficult, she was his mother. He finished the piece he was working on and stood back looking at it.

“Think you’re pretty hot shit, don’t you, Virgin?”

He looked around, Stephen Griffin stood leering at him. The other goon with him had to be his brother, they looked alike and they both had the same attitude.

“Exactly what is your problem, Griffin?”

“The only problem around here is you.”

“Yeah”, the other one agreed. “We don’t like pansies – can’t bloody stand them.”

“Maybe they can’t stand you two either. Fuck off, Griffin. Fuck off and take your boyfriend with you.”

“I haven’t got no boyfriend. It’s not us who are the pansies.” Griffin looked around and frowned at Virgil’s mother who was across the room talking to someone else.

“One of these days, you’ll find yourself somewhere where mummy’s not around and looking out for you. Then you’ll see what we think of creeps like you.”

“Oh, Gee! I’m so scared. Fuck off, Idiots.”

“Just wait, Virgin. Your time will come.”

“And stay the hell away from our cousin.”

“From Joel? Like that’s going to happen! Again, Fuck off!”

Dougie looked around and saw that Natasha had left the room. He swung a fist, which Virgil easily dodged.

“Oi! Maggot!” All 3 of them froze and looked at Missy striding towards them.

“Try that again and I’ll rip your fucking head off!”

“You and whose army?” Stephen replied, a bit nervously.

Missy grinned and waved around the room. About 6 people waved back. “Me and my army. Now fuck off and leave my friend alone. Hassle him again and you’ll see what happens.”

“Hard up for friends, aren’t you? C’mon, Dougie, we don’t need this.”

The Griffin brothers backed off and walked away, muttering. “Black bitch!”

“Bloody pansies and their hags!”

“Fools!” she snorted. “I’m hard up? They must be desperate.”

Virgil grinned, “Wow, Missy. I’m not scared of those jerks, but thanks!”

“Anytime,” she smiled, but then the grin turned into a frown. “Stop grinning at me, Fool!”

She went back to her work-station.

School finished for the day. Virgil, with Mac, Joyce, Fern and Dylan, walked out of the main gates. Joel was there, in the Chevy, parked across the road.

“Cool. I think I’ve got a ride home, Guys. See you later.” Virgil ran across the road and slid into the front passenger’s seat.

“Hey, Handsome. Waiting for me? Or are you just looking to pick-up a schoolboy in your very cool car?”

“Yea, I was hoping to pick-up a schoolboy,” Joel replied. “I could do with some loving. But I think you’ll do, there’s none better.”

“Shut up, Fool.”

“Fool?”

“Long story. C’mon, Joel, let’s get out of here. Everyone’s looking at us.”

“Your wish is my command.” Joel started the car. “Buckle-up, Kid. We’ll go for a drive up the coast.”

“Sounds good, but shouldn’t you be at work?”

“Not today. Uncle shut down early because he’s gone out for drinks with some people. So I’m free, my time is yours.”

“Cool. Let’s find a private place somewhere out of town.”

They drove away, north. More than a few envious looks, and a couple of baleful stares from the Griffin brothers, followed them.