Hair of the Dog
Chapter Two
Jayboy stalked through the hallways of Venice High, observing his peers with a criticizing eye. It was the first day back from summer break, and he was itching to get out of his nice clothes and into his wetsuit. He could hear the waves crashing faintly as he walked down the outdoor corridor to his shop class, and his heart dropped. He would give anything to be in the waves right now. Or to be on his skateboard. Anywhere but here, in these stuffy jeans and polo.
"Hey, dude. You have shop second period too?"
Stacy's blond locks swished gently as he sped up, falling into step beside Jayboy.
"Obviously."
Stacy shook his head at Jay's sarcastic response, sighing quietly.
"Well. Yeah, I guess. Hey, we're all heading down to the Zephyr shop after school. Wanna come along? Peggy and Biniak are coming too."
Jay boy started to reply, but their conversation was interrupted when a small, mousy looking boy ran to catch up with them.
"Jayboy, Stace, wait on me!" he cried, his brown eyes shining with desire. Sid was a freshman, not wholly deserving of attention from Jay, Stacy, and occasionally Tony-- them being Juniors-- but the older boys let him hang with them anyway.
Jayboy sighed.
"Come on, Baby Sid."
Sid grinned crookedly, stepping beside Stacy.
"Can I come too? You know, Skip lets me sweep the shop sometimes. I think he likes me, even though he picks on me a lot. Maybe I could get you a discount! You know, Skip does that for my friends sometim-"
"Dude, shut your mouth."
Tony appeared from a corridor, planting a wet kiss on the neck of a giggling girl and falling into stride beside Jayboy.
"Yeah, Tony. Sorry." Sid's eyes fell to the floor, and he grew silent.
"Oh, come on, Siddy-boy. He didn't kick you. If you wanna hang with the big dogs, you have to grow up a bit," Jayboy admonished, a small grin crinkling the corners of his mouth.
"Okay, Jayboy."
Sid brightened again, and the boys started chattering again, making plans to go to Skip's shop that afternoon.
It was the beginning of the end.
"Hey, dude. You have shop second period too?"
Stacy's blond locks swished gently as he sped up, falling into step beside Jayboy.
"Obviously."
Stacy shook his head at Jay's sarcastic response, sighing quietly.
"Well. Yeah, I guess. Hey, we're all heading down to the Zephyr shop after school. Wanna come along? Peggy and Biniak are coming too."
Jay boy started to reply, but their conversation was interrupted when a small, mousy looking boy ran to catch up with them.
"Jayboy, Stace, wait on me!" he cried, his brown eyes shining with desire. Sid was a freshman, not wholly deserving of attention from Jay, Stacy, and occasionally Tony-- them being Juniors-- but the older boys let him hang with them anyway.
Jayboy sighed.
"Come on, Baby Sid."
Sid grinned crookedly, stepping beside Stacy.
"Can I come too? You know, Skip lets me sweep the shop sometimes. I think he likes me, even though he picks on me a lot. Maybe I could get you a discount! You know, Skip does that for my friends sometim-"
"Dude, shut your mouth."
Tony appeared from a corridor, planting a wet kiss on the neck of a giggling girl and falling into stride beside Jayboy.
"Yeah, Tony. Sorry." Sid's eyes fell to the floor, and he grew silent.
"Oh, come on, Siddy-boy. He didn't kick you. If you wanna hang with the big dogs, you have to grow up a bit," Jayboy admonished, a small grin crinkling the corners of his mouth.
"Okay, Jayboy."
Sid brightened again, and the boys started chattering again, making plans to go to Skip's shop that afternoon.
It was the beginning of the end.