The First Love Of Alipang Havens

One of Leopard Man's classmates--or more accurately, loafing mates--in the troublemakers' component of Special Ed was a massive hillbilly type nicknamed Rocknose. On his second time through junior year, he had tried out for the varsity football team. Coach Tito Escobar had thought Rocknose had potential; but the stupid goon had ruined it for himself by demanding to be made captain of the team. This, of course, had only earned him the distinction of being the very first boy rejected.

He preserved the habit of not playing well with others; but even he was not so stupid as not to have heard about a new tough guy showing up at East. So, although he and Leopard Man had never been friends, Rocknose listened when the black student brought up to him the subject of Alipang Havens.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


Though not required to stay beyond fourth hour, Chilena ate lunch with Dan again. Al had soothed her enough last night that she felt no guilt about having another date with her new boyfriend, provided her parents decided it was safe. Today was, after all, Chilena's actual seventeenth birthday.

A mocking greeting, filled with cusswords, rudely shook her out of the pleasant conversation. It was uttered by Leopard Man, who then faced Dan and jeered, "Wassa matter, weenie? Got no guts to stand up for your chick?"

Chilena was first to react. "SOME people are busy doing WORTHWHILE things!" she snapped at the bully, her indignation on Dan's behalf preventing her for the moment from being frightened. But she did notice that several other boys in the cafeteria were looking on...as if they were friends of the delinquent and enjoying his performance.

"Well, he don't haveta be scared anyway," Leopard Man continued. "He ain't WORTHWHILE for me to bother about. But you better tell your ________ brother that HE needs to be watchin' his back, 'cause WE gonna be watchin' it. Your back too, blondie."

At the last threat, a late delivery of fear arrived on Chilena's front porch. But the cavalry was coming right behind it. Instead of a trumpet sounding the charge, the most beautiful accented voice in the universe was heard, saying:

"Hey, Lame-Alley-Cat Man, you're looking the wrong way! If you have something to discuss with me, I'm not hard to find;" and Alipang came into view. Alongside Alipang, and looking more than willing to back him up, was his new friend Brendan.
 
Last edited:
Trying to conceal his fear of Alipang with swagger, Leopard Man made a sauntering movement of his retreat toward his friends. Not that any of them were in a hurry to confront Alipang either, still less so when he had a tough-looking friend with him besides.

Alipang pointed at the leading trash-talker. "You see how far you are from my sister now, Lame Cat? If you know what's good for you, you'll never come closer to her than that. Or to her boyfriend! Consider it a restraining order. And it goes for all of your--"

"Mister Havens!" interrupted Principal Flora Lewiston, coming up just then behind Alipang and Brendan. "Are you creating an atmosphere of hostility, badgering Mr. Mannering?"

Alipang thought fast, then brought forth his camera-capable cellphone. "Actually, ma'am, I've gone _easy_ on Mannering these first days, because I _didn't_ want to create an atmosphere of hostility. But since HE just now spoke in a demeaning and sexist way to my sister, I think it's time to show you something I've been keeping to myself since Monday." He pushed a few keys on the phone, and then: "Please look at this picture, ma'am. Do you recognize who that is taking money by force from a freshman?"

The picture was only too clear. Mrs. Lewiston stared at the ruination of her non-judgmental policies...but again she rallied. "Thank you, Mr. Havens. I appreciate your trying to keep the peace in this matter." It never even crossed her mind to ask whether Sammy Ashford had ever gotten his money back. Turning to her pet, she said, "Mr. Mannering, you are going to have to attend some special counselling. You need more help than I thought, to reach a healthy level of self-esteem. Come along."

As Leopard Man departed the cafeteria with his patroness, tossing an obscene gesture at Alipang behind her back, Brendan made a point of letting the troublemaker's friends see that he was memorizing their faces for future reference. Then Brendan was joined by his own new girlfriend Jennifer, and they joined Alipang and other friends to get their lunches before it was too late.

Kim Tisdale did not happen to see this confrontation; she had brought her lunch today, and was eating it outside with her friend Peggy, talking about their ultra-invincible online-roleplay identities.
 
Last edited:
The next move in the game of highschool chess was not long in coming.

From lunch, Dan headed for his locker. Chilena, though free to go home, stayed with him on this walk, trying to assure him that she considered it only sensible, not cowardly, for him not to have gotten into a fight. Of course, the more she talked about it, the _less_ reassured he felt; but he controlled his emotions. Living through his parents' divorce had given Dan plenty of practice in mastering his feelings.

They agreed on the local Italian restaurant as their date location if Chilena's parents okayed their going. Then they said goodbye for now, daring to go so far as hugging in parting. But Chilena hadn't gone far before she heard a banging noise, a grunt of pain, and the thump of someone falling in a heap.

Whirling, she saw that Dan was on the floor beside his open locker. Standing over him was the big jerk Rocknose, who was shouting something at Dan. It seemed to include misnaming Alipang as "Apple-Gang."

More fully forgetful of her own safety now than in the lunchroom encounter with Leopard Man, Chilena cried out and ran up to crouch by Dan, lifting him in her arms and calling his name. Stunned only momentarily by his head hitting the locker door when Rocknose had violently shoved him, Dan groaned, "Look out, Chil, get away!"

"What's goin' on here?" shouted Jason Katon, coming up just then. Though he had been keeping bad company in the evenings, Jason still was not about to side with bullies against his friends.

Alipang was not far behind, having heard his sister's outcry. "Hey, hillbilly!" came his own shout. "You looking for me? I'm over _this_ way, and you can--!"

Before things went any farther, another figure intervened: Kim Tisdale, wearing her combat boots but not seeking combat. Paying no attention at all to Dan lying on the floor, nor to Chilena being vulnerably placed within the bully's reach, she turned all her attention upon Alipang and Jason.

"Cool it, guys, cool it! This big-boy macho thing _isn't_ worth getting in trouble. You _can't_ go fighting everyone over everything, it just isn't the answer. Things have a way of sorting themselves out. Let karma take care of it..."

Kim's focus being mostly on Alipang--though _his_ focus was on what Rocknose was doing, which at need would cause Alipang to push past Kim--Jason found an easy opening to dash past Kim and hurl himself on Rocknose. Taken off guard, Rocknose fell on his back, with Jason pouring inefficient but furious punches into him. Kim's reaction to this was to go grab Jason's ankles and haul him off of Rocknose--which left Alipang unencumbered to drag _both_ Dan and Chilena away from the action.

Several teachers now showed up. Fortunately for the innocent parties, there were numerous witnesses to Rocknose having assaulted and threatened Dan without provocation, while not one seemed to remember seeing Jason's retaliation. It appeared that Rocknose, like Leopard Man, was going to face the dreadful doom of extra self-esteem counselling.

As for Kim, her self-congratulations for being a great peacemaker still kept her mind from registering the real bodily assault on Dan, and imminent peril to Chilena, which had stung Alipang into the readiness to fight that she had rebuked. She proceeded to her fifth-hour class pleased with herself.

 
Last edited:
"Besides, my friends tell me that when you start a text-based roleplay, there's always a participant who acts eager at the start, makes you rely on him or her to keep contributing to the plotline...and then _quits_ at the worst possible time, leaving you hanging out to dry."

SO entirely true, Professor. Bravo!
Lol, I understand Dan's reaction. And most of boys think they are coward just for avoiding violence when the truth is that violence is such an inmature way to resolve things most of times...
Keep it going, please.
 
~ ~ Ginny, note that _some_ use of force is both justified and necessary, when the _other_ party has _started_ the violence and laughs at diplomacy. Al is furious right now because he is getting no credit for all the self-restraint he HAS shown...



Not until she saw him again for last-period Biology did Kim catch even an inkling that Alipang was other than delighted with her interference. Coming into the room, he eyed her in a cold fashion that she had never seen from him till now. Saying nothing to her as he sat, he took the first opportunity to slip a note--really, a letter--onto her desk. When she could, Kim read what he had written.

The handwriting was even worse than his usual; he must have been enormously agitated...


Deer Kim,

Befor I sey what I wannt to say, heare is what I fisrt MUST say: nothig Im tellig you needs to hav any efect on you wokring at the retsaurunt, or you coming to Redmeption Church. But before you tel me to be pasive and let thigns just happn, you need to know about my brith sister Espranza. She died at age five, becuase NO ONE intrevened.

My birth mohter in the Phillipins named Yollanda died when I was seven and Espernza was fuor. Never mind for now how Mama died, I cant take telling you abuot her AND Esperanza at the same time. But once Mama was gone, the man who was my fathr in body olny began beeting us both up. He mostly beet me up becaus I wuld stay in betwen him and my sistr and I would beg him to stop. For monhts I did this and no one cared, we wer in a poor neigborhood. Finaly one niht he was having so much fun beating me up that I coulnt keep in between him and Esperaza anymor because he beat me unconsious. Then he wanted mor fun so he beat my sister to death. If someone with the stength to stop him had stoped him, Esperanza would be alve now, on Earth I mean I know shes in Heven with my first Mama but I miss her even though I love the sistrs God gave me insted.

My papa in body only was sentenced to death and he desreved it, but I wish somone had stoppd him sooner. Yuo may think this maks YOUR case because his being excuted didnt help Esperana, but if he had been shot betwen the eys BEFORE he killed her that would hav helpd her a LOT. You see it is not revenje I want but I do want some power to stop evil poeple BEFORE they kil the innosent. And I am not ashamed of that.

Jesus told us to lov our emenies but He did NOT say to giv our ennmies FIRST PLACE ahead of our own lovd ones. When I have to choose if poeple I care about get hurt or the bad gys get hurt, the bad guys lose that toss. Kim I like you more than any girl I ever saw wich isnt saying much becuse I have no social lif, but you cant make me ashamed of defending weaker people from bullies. It was part of the recrod of Job's rightousness in the Bible that he brok the fangs of the wicked and recsued the victims. And if I ever see YOU bieng attacked by punks their blood is on their own heads.

Regrads,
Alipang Havnes

For the rest of the class hour, nothing would induce Alipang to look at Kim or acknowledge her presence. When the bell rang, he was on his feet like a shot, his belongings already gathered, and his facial expression still hard.

Then he did say one thing to Kim: "You're going to find out that I am NOT a crazy brawler with no self-control."

Not waiting for her to say anything, Alipang strode swiftly out, placed his books in his locker, and went outdoors to find the spot on campus where Dan's assailant was said to hang out most often after school.
 
Last edited:
It is a sad irony just _what_ things will sometimes bridge racial divides. There simply were not _enough_ troublemakers of any one race at East High to form a credible faction by themselves; so they made alliances across the color lines, placing their highest priority on the cause of promoting their own selfish pleasures.

Rocknose, accordingly, had not only white boys gathered around him for a conference, but also two black boys who knew Leopard Man, plus one Hispanic named Carlos. All of them were surprised when Alipang marched up to them alone and, ignoring all the lesser punks, addressed Rocknose.

"Yo, Rockbrain, since you seem to have tired yourself out just from blindsiding a guy half your size, I'm going to be nice and give you something easier to do. How old are you--if you can count that high?"

"Nineteen," growled the hulking young scoundrel.

"Okay, nineteen's your lucky--" Alipang had to pause to whirl around, as one of the white boys tried to grab his arms from behind, thinking he would do his pack leader a favor. Seizing the small-potatoes delinquent, Alipang flung him like a pillow to knock two others off-balance. "Lay off!" yelled Rocknose. "Let the Flip name his rules, in case I might feel like following 'em."

Alipang nodded and continued: "Nineteen's your lucky number. I'm going to LET you punch me nineteen times without hitting back. Only, you can't hit me in the ears or mouth or below the belt, or all bets are off. What I'm betting is that you can't even knock me off my feet with nineteen free shots. Come on, show me that at least you can count that high;" and he spread his arms in invitation.

Rocknose, not speaking, did the tediously predictable movie gesture of looking away, as if the younger boy wouldn't foresee him going on the attack from there. The first five punches consisted of left-right-left-right to the stomach, then a left hook into Alipang's right cheek. Hard stomach muscles lessened the effect of the first four, while rolling his head with the fifth punch made the damage to his face minimal. Alipang didn't even stagger back, but stood smiling. "Is that the best you've got?"

Rocknose wasted most of his remaining shots on Alipang's face. He did draw blood from his target's nose, but failed to break the jaw or blind either eye. When he had just four blows left, the bully grabbed hold of Alipang with his big left hand to make his impact stronger, and sent four hard rights into the exact same spot in Alipang's ribcage. That brought a gasp from Alipang as one rib cracked; but he never fell off his feet.

Vice-Principal Fred Warner came running up then, accompanied by Coach Escobar. Rocknose's flunkies shrank back; but Alipang, clenching his teeth and commanding his diaphragm to breathe, spoke before anyone.

"Mr. Warner, Mr. Escobar, I swear we weren't fighting, no one was fighting! I just wanted to show these guys how I'm trained to take punches. Rocknose didn't attack me, I _asked_ him to hit me to demonstrate!" Every boy present now hastened to agree that this was the truth. "And you can see I wasn't even knocked off my feet," he added, shooting a painful but triumphant smirk back at the chief rowdy.

Alipang was brought to the school nurse, who tightly wrapped his torso in case a rib really was broken; this was all that a hospital could have done for a rib anyway. Mrs. Havens was called, and came to pick up her son, who was in for extended lecturing and would miss work tonight.

Afterward, Sammy Ashford, who by quick arrangement with Alipang had hidden behind a bush videocording the encounter with his own picture-phone, transmitted his images to Alipang's phone.
 
Last edited:
I'm only on Page 3 at the moment, but I just wanted to say how great the story is so far :) As usual, your writing style is wonderful and just makes me want to keep reading.
 
The Smoky Lake Police Department was so small that it normally had only four officers on actual patrol in any one shift. They could get by with so few because it was in truth a low-crime town. But such ominous incidents as the loose, unlicensed Rottweiler, and the attempted attack on the Havens boy, had caused Chief Costamesa to ask the county sheriff if the sheriff's police could spare a man to safeguard each of Smoky Lake's two high schools. The sheriff, hearing more about the SEALS veteran who had saved the girl menaced by the Rottweiler, ended up asking Wilson Kramer if he might be interested in being deputized for school-security duty.

Since he could make his own hours in his online business, and since he expected his own son to attend East High eventually, the former Lieutenant Kramer surprised the sheriff by the quickness of his agreement.

The town's Christian radio station, WVVV, had its own afternoon phone-in talk show, hosted by Amy Gordon, elder sister of Alipang's church friend Pete Gordon. Amy's Wednesday afternoon drive-time program was devoted to the issue of crime in small cities. More than one listener called from Shilohsville to express anxiety about the increasing thefts in that town.

But the very news that their formidable friend Mr. Kramer would be actively joining the side of law and order heartened the Havens enough that they allowed Chilena to go out with Dan for her birthday; Alipang, for his part, assured his sister truthfully that he had survived many beatings FAR worse than what he had permitted Rocknose to do. So off to Dan's house Chilena drove, and from there to Amore Casual, the town's only proper sit-down Italian restaurant. Dan insisted on paying for his date's gasoline--she suddenly realizing that this was the _first_ time the tank had been refilled since the car had been given to her--as well as buying the dinner.

Chilena was allowed this time to wear a skirt hemmed at least a bit higher than the unsightly mid-calf length; and from her ears hung the birthstone earrings Alipang had given her.
 
Last edited:
Kaitlyn Katon, fellow ex-homeschooler, came to the Havens house to check on her friend Alipang as soon as she heard he had been hurt. "Where's Jason?" Alipang asked her.

Kaitlyn sighed sadly. "He's gone back to Shilohsville _again,_ even after all the hints he's seen of bad influences spreading to us." She whispered in Alipang's ear, "I think he's been drinking. But pardon me, we'll try to find something better to talk about....Is that rib going to stop you from performing in this year's Labor Day Escrima demonstration?"

"I'm afraid it will. Rocknose isn't half as tough as he thinks he is, but he is a bit stronger than * I * thought he was. If not for those last couple of punches, I'd still be able to spar normally."

Kaitlyn patted his shoulder. "So why did you _let_ that goon hit you?"

Alipang glanced at his feet. "Kim Tisdale is why. She thinks I'm a hothead who fights about everything and can't control his temper. So I wanted to prove to her that I have self-discipline, that I _can_ stop myself from hurting someone even under provocation. I got video of the incident; but I can't send it to her for now, because I don't know her cell number."

"Why didn't you ask her for her number before now?"

"What, a _sophomore_ boy ask a _senior_ girl for her phone number?"

Kaitlyn laughed slightly. "Sorry, I'm still getting used to the social pyramid in public school."

Half an hour after Kaitlyn left, Chilena came home, looking pale. She explained that both she and Dan had begun feeling ill halfway through their Italian dinner. She had managed to drive Dan home and then get home herself; now, she needed to get to bed. It appeared to be the same bug that had been going around since mid-August, the same bug Summer Heron had come down with. Hopefully, Chilena would not miss more than two days of school.
 
Last edited:
(Purple part supplied by Dayhawk in the old roleplay)

Alipang dreamed in the night that he and Brendan were Western gunslingers--Deadeye Alipang and Badlands Brendan--trying to defend Kim and Jennifer against a gang of outlaws, while Kim nagged and criticized her own hero and refused to take the outlaws seriously.

Dressing for school Thursday morning, while Chilena was sleeping her way through her illness, Alipang pulled on a certain pair of trousers. He gave the choice of trousers no thought until Dad let him out of the car at East High. Only after it was too late did he realize that his balisong knife was in a pocket of these pants. And there might be a metal detector set up in the building by now.

His father had driven him here early, due to needing to get to the dental office. This at least gave Al time for a solution to the weapon's embarrassing presence. Walking _away_ from campus, he went to one of his outdoor stashing-places, close to General Longstreet Park, and hid his knife in the shrubbery, to be retrieved at a later time.

He soon learned that Wilson Kramer had begun serving as a sheriff's deputy patrolling the campus. This was a good thing, but did not undo Alipang's existing grievance.

During first-hour English, the boy was able to focus on the day's lesson, because he was taking notes for Chilena's benefit. But in second and third periods, his mind was worlds away from the academic. He imagined himself and his family on a wooden sailing ship, under attack by pirates--and Kim interfering with him, telling him that his _resisting_ the attack was the only real problem. This outplaying of his irritation developed to the point that, when he had vanquished the pirates and saved his family in spite of Kim's obstruction, a _second_ pirate crew boarded the ship from the other side--and carried KIM away. As she screamed for help, Alipang jeered back at her, "Just let _karma_ take care of it!"

His indignation was still seething when he came to fourth-hour Trig. He saw Kim, in her usual "indie" attire, avoiding his gaze. But on the seat of his desk was a neatly folded piece of paper. When he had the chance to read what was on it, it proved to be a return letter from Kim, saying:

Al, I'm sorry about your family. I can't begin to think I can empathize with you and how all that felt. I do agree that the death sentence should be taken out on those who have committed murder. And I do agree someone should have stopped your father from the violence. Lord knows, I wish someone had done that for me when I was beaten up by crowds of kids on several occasions years ago.

Anyways, I didn't want you to get involved with that bully because, one, you and that other kid (Jason, right?) could have gotten in trouble. Violence from words is, and I dont mean to slight you (but I'm gonna be honest) is illogical and senseless. I mean all he did was insult. Yes it was your sister, but retaliation is NEVER a good solution that will have a positive outcome. Don't you see? Granted, Jesus didn't just stand back and watch someone get persecuted, He tried to stop it. By words of wisdom. Now also I don't think that bully today would have listened, but maybe someone around us might have, if you had confronted that bully in a better manner and handled it better.

Unless that bully was going to physically hurt your sister and (I believe) her boyfriend, then walking away would not have been a cowardly thing to do. In fact it would have proven to that bully that he couldn't get to you or your sister's boyfriend.

Trust me when I say, fighting is worthless unless you're protecting yourself or someone else from physical harm. Otherwise it just isn't worth the drama that follows.

When class was dismissed, Kim was looking at him with what seemed to him like insufferable smugness, as if she had brilliantly won a debate. But all she had _really_ proven was that she had not taken in the whole situation yesterday. Alipang's eyes looked back into hers with the cold fury of an aroused cobra, as he hissed:

"ONLY insult? ONLY words? How do you think Dan ended up LYING ON THE FLOOR?"

He almost overturned his desk, then, storming away from Kim. She did not follow him, not because she was completely indifferent to his feelings--but because his last retort had triggered in her brain a belated replay of yesterday's corridor scene, in which she had so blithely convinced herself she was the peacemaking heroine.

Why, yes....that slender boy Dan HAD been sprawling on the floor, hadn't he? As if....struck or pushed?

A crack was appearing in Kim's bedrock presupposition of her own moral and intellectual superiority to all males.
 
Last edited:
Waking up at home around 10 a.m., Chilena felt she was over the worst of her illness; but a phone call to Dan's house ascertained that he was feverish, not better at all so far. Mom and Melody joined Chilena in prayer for Dan...after which Mom got around to telling her eldest daughter why Alipang had done what he did yesterday afternoon.

Knowing that her brother was well enough still to attend school prevented Chilena from worrying too much about him. But learning _what_ had driven Al to subject himself to a pounding, from a boy he could easily have defeated in a fight, did not improve her opinion of Kim Tisdale. She wondered whether Kim, if present on that bygone day in Seattle, would also have insisted that Al not pursue the delinquent who had assaulted her.

==================

Meanwhile, Wilson Kramer was feeling ambivalent about wearing a uniform again--this time a deputy sheriff's uniform. It was good to let the troublemakers know they were being watched; but he didn't want to seem so alien that good kids wouldn't want to tell him about things of importance.

He needn't have worried. Callie, the girl whose life he had saved, appointed herself an icebreaker, pointedly thanking him in the hearing of many other students for what he had done for her at risk to himself. Before the first lunch shift, he was an accepted part of the East High environment. Not until afternoon did he have to apply his authority forcefully to stop violence by the delinquent calling himself Leopard Man.

==================

(The last paragraph above is the setup for an incident which occurred at this point in the old "Homeschoolers" roleplay, centering on the character of Summer Heron. I am leaving it to Nightcrawler_Fan to re-narrate in her own story that incident, which does not importantly affect the action with Alipang, Chilena and Kim.)
 
Last edited:
(Skipping over the part which N-Fan will narrate)

Late in the day, word filtered down to Alipang that his pal Summer had been physically hurt by the punk Leopard Man--who, at least, was NOW under long-overdue arrest, in circumstances which even his pampering enabler Mrs. Lewiston could not argue about.

As soon as he could, Alipang hurried to the school nurse's office, where he was allowed to see Summer. Her face was bruised by a hard punch, and her neck bruised by long fingers which had come near to strangling the life out of her.

Alipang softly clasped his friend's hands, though his own hands were trembling with shock and fury. "Summer, this is awful--and when you only just got over being sick! I'm so sorry I wasn't there to help you."

Summer gazed back at him affectionately. "It's not your fault that you can't be everyplace. I got in a few licks on Leopard Man myself; oh, and you should be _really_ proud of Sammy Ashford! When I was knocked out, and the jerk was choking me in a blind rage, it was Sammy who jumped on him and slowed him down just enough that Mr. Kramer could get to me in time. Word, as of now Leopard Man is even _more_ afraid of Mr. Kramer than he is of you!"

"Well, thank God you're okay," said Alipang. "I want you to let me know if I can do anything for you. I'll try to come by your place before Sunday and check on you."

Summer smiled. "Yes, I'd like you to drop in."

Later, having phoned his parents that he felt up to walking home, Alipang looked around the schoolyard for Sammy, meaning to thank and applaud him for helping Summer. But Sammy appeared to have departed already.
 
Driad54 knows what's coming! (-:

Swinging by General Longstreet Park to retrieve his balisong, Alipang found it missing. Someone must have seen me stowing it here--! But there was no time to lament the theft...

"Hey, Flip!" shouted a voice he recognized as Sam--not Sammy Ashford, but rather the Sam who had harassed Grant. "Bad Sam" was there, not thirty feet away, with a slightly older fair-haired boy who resembled him. The older boy, holding what appeared to be Alipang's knife, taunted, "You lose something?" Then Sam added, "You might lose something bigger...like your nerdy freshman pal who butts into stuff too big for him."

"Sammy?" Alipang had not been going to approach two enemies of whom at least one was armed, when he was unarmed and hampered by his fracture; but the suggestion of danger to his buddy changed things. He thought of dialling 911 on his cellphone...but he knew that in the real world, as opposed to home-security-system advertisements, evildoers _don't_ sit idle, waiting politely for the police to show up. "Leave Sammy out of this!" he shouted, starting toward the two boys. They withdrew before him...

...leading him into the thickest stand of trees in the city park. There was no sign of Sammy Ashford here; but the two snotty white boys were now joined by the snottier Rocknose, plus two black boys who were recognizable as friends of Leopard Man. One of the latter stepped off to the far side, and shouted into the distance, "Hey Carlos, he's here!"

Bad Sam's brother jeered at Alipang: "You got your wish; the little dweeb isn't really here. But our big brother got questioned by the cops _just_ because he went to the Free Clinic hurt in the shoulder by a hit from a stick--like that proved anything."

"Now _we're_ gonna prove something," said the second of the black thugs. "Gonna prove we're worthy of runnin' with the big boys over in--"

But if the bullies thought Alipang was merely going to stand and wait for all of them to jump him together, they were sorely disappointed. While the latest speaker was monologuing, Alipang sprang on him faster than they thought he could, pushing him hard so he fell against Bad Sam. Diving through the opening he had created for himself, Alipang ran for the open. These goons clearly believed they could maul him with impunity; even if they were mistaken, their being punished later wouldn't help him right now. His best chance was to get where there were too many onlookers for the assault to proceed unimpeded.

Jesus protect me! he prayed mentally; and as if in answer, he was surprised at how fast he was able to run even with the fractured rib. His enemies, though, gave chase; and from a corner of his eye Alipang could see Carlos, the sixth punk, hurrying to converge on the pursuit.
 
Cavalry time!

Brendan Hyland had made a delightful discovery about his new girlfriend Jennifer Williams on the day they had first met: that she had played lacrosse in recent years, though East High had no lacrosse team. Both of them had brought their own lacrosse sticks to school today, and had played a little one-on-one outside during lunchtime. Now they happened to be walking into General Longstreet Park, still with their sticks--

--when they saw Alipang Havens racing across their field of vision some hundred yards away, being chased by half a dozen goons, among whom the ugly Rocknose was the most instantly recognizable.

"Call the cops!" Brendan cried to Jennifer as he was already taking off, his lacrosse stick held ready for action.

Angling in to track the chase, the tall youth closed in, then swung his stick to trip his friend's leading pursuer, one of the black punks. Before that one could regain his feet, Brendan was overtaking Alipang. Once alongside, he shouted, "Can I play too?"

His face awash with relief, Alipang panted (because his cracked rib wasn't letting him take really deep breaths), "Be my guest!" Just then, the young Escrimador sighted a fallen tree branch of a suitable size--grabbed it up on the move--and reversed course, to swing it hard into the head of the first enemy he could reach, Bad Sam. Sam went down, but the branch broke apart; and Alipang had to dodge back from his own knife in the hand of Sam's brother.

Brendan, however, was just getting started. Alternately swinging and thrusting with his lacrosse stick, he not only disrupted the attackers' effort to mob him, but also knocked Alipang's knife out of the hand of Bad Sam's brother. Alipang was quick to retrieve his property--and none too soon, because Carlos was just arriving now, armed with a nunchaku.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top