|{TJ James}|
Ever since that scene a few days ago TJ had started to get more attention than he wanted, whispers here and there about him being gay or whatever were going around, but he didn't care about that, mostly because they weren't going to say it to his face no how.
A bunch of spineless bitches.
Prior to now he'd easily flown under the radar compared to the rest of his siblings, people had mostly dismissed him as the weirdo who never spoke and he was cool with that. Now this, all these unnecessary attention for what?
He was sitting under the bleachers with Amaru, Sia and Nakim, his usual squad, passing one large joint around.
"I took your girl, now what? it ain't my fault you ain't got no game nígga, sit this one out." Sia said to Nakim.
A small smile played on the corner of TJ's lips, he liked watching them banter over unnecessary shit, it was oddly therapeutic to him.
"Ooouu that one gotta hurt! Damn nigga, you just gon let her do you like that? Tsk tsk, that's sad bro, you gotta avenge your pride or sum." Amaru commented, laughing his instigating ass off.
"Man shut the fuck up, me and my pride is A-okay, thank you very much. At least we getting some, anyone who's in a exclusive relationship with their right hand shouldn't be talking." Nakim fired back. Sia busted out in laughter, tears falling outta her eyes.
"Wow, that's cold bruh, ice cold." Amaru commented, shaking his head.
They continued back and forth like that for a while, TJ didn't say a word, which was normal so no one batted an eye.
"So uh... is it true though?" Nakim asked TJ out of nowhere, changing the subject and ruining the energy of the place.
"Wah?" TJ asked.
"That you gay or whatever. I mean all that shit Harlem was talking about before, that ain't true right?"
TJ looked at his friend, he didn't have the energy to start explaining what was what to him, that was only gonna birth more questions. So instead he shrugged and said, "so?"
"So it's true? And you never said nothing to me?" Nakim visibly cringed.
"Why should he have to tell you anything dimwit?" Sia chimed in.
"Because I been changing in front of this nígga for ages, the fuck?" Nakim retorted, then turned to TJ and said, "I hope you ain't been checking me out ina locker room or none?"
Amaru groaned loudly at that. "Man shut your pitbull looking ass up, don't nobody want you." Amaru fired at Nakim.
"You wish moron," Sia said to the male at the same time.
TJ merely shrugged and walked away.
"Yo wait up! Amaru yelled, running after TJ. "You ain't leaving cos of what Nay said is you? The last original thought that nigga had died of loneliness, you can't take him seriously."
TJ smiled. "Nah I don't care about that, I gotta go talk to the principal. Can't avoid her forever."
"Aight then, hit me up so we can do something afterwards yeah?"
"Sure." TJ answered, then dapped Amaru up and left.
——
Now at the principal's office TJ stood next to Harlem, wearing a matching grim expression as the other male. "I didn't even raise a finger though." TJ stated, moving backwards to lean by the door.
He was tempted to just say 'fuck it' and bounce, but his grandpa's words gonged in his head loudly —you can't be dumb and running shit out in these streets, you need a education—. Gramps was of the believe that one needed a copious amount of intelligence to run shit, and he also made TJ promise to graduate.
So he reluctantly stood still and listened to the principal bask in her power.
"Regardless..." Principal Mackintosh continued. "According to bystanders, that brouhaha started with the two of you." She turned to Harlem. "Now you mister Bell, you're a very good athlete, no one can argue with that. But you're also failing English, and math, and history... you're failing everything really."
TJ smirked and glanced over at Harlem's angry face smugly.
"...so if you stand any chance whatsoever of graduating with your class, some type of miracle needs to happen. Either that or some steep tutoring. Lucky for you, mister James here is the second smartest person in your class. Long story short, since the both of you feel like fighting and breaking the school 'no fighting' rule was the way to go, you're going to spend the next month in each other's company." She then pointed at TJ and said, "You're going to tutor mr D-minus here for a month, no arguments."
"No the fuck not he ain't!" Harlem barked stubbornly, which sparked a scolding from the principal.
TJ's smug smile had completely disappeared at this point. As he watched the two of them argue, the only thing that kept dancing around in his head was. 'FML bruh'.