Chapter 2: Chapter 2
“Good one,” Leroy said. “I’ll have to remember that.”
Jerome pushed the guy against the wall. “Yo, shut your mouth.”
Judging it was better to get out of there before things got even uglier, JJ bent down, scooped up the comic, put an arm around Milton’s shoulders, and led him and Maggie down the hallway.
The group of jocks seemed more interested in pushing each other and horsing around than in the retreating threesome.
“Thanks,” Milton said when they’d gotten several yards away.
“That’s okay.” JJ looked down at the smaller guy. That odd look was on his face again. “Here’s your comic.” JJ dropped his arm from Milton’s shoulders and with the other handed over the comic
Milton looked crestfallen. “Might as well toss it in the trash.”
JJ looked at the comic. “There’s only a slight tear at the corner, and sure, the first few pages are a bit mashed up, but I’m sure you can still read it okay.”
Maggie asked, “Do you need us to walk with you to the subway or something?”
Milton bit his lip before nodding.
JJ knew his chances of getting any that evening had just gone from zero to zilch.
* * * *
As he was dumping his books in his locker before heading to lunch, JJ spotted Milton out of the corner of his eye. He’d seen the kid a number of times the past few days. Milton was a junior, but Maggie had said he’d skipped a couple of grades. Previously, when he’d seen Milton hanging around, JJ hadn’t said anything, but this time decided to call the guy over.
“Hey, Milton. You heading to lunch?”
The kid started in alarm.
JJ slammed his locker closed and approached Milton, who shied away.
“You okay?” JJ asked.
“Uh, yeah. Doing good. Thanks.” He took a couple peeks at JJ, but for the most part stared down at his own shoes.
“So, unless you’ve got other plans, you want to eat lunch with me?” Normally JJ ate with the members of the baseball team who shared his lunch period, but he guessed they wouldn’t mind if he ducked out on them this once. He knew it wouldn’t go down well if he took Milton to the jock table. No, I’m not ashamed to be seen with him, JJ told himself and for the most part he believed it.
“Really? Thanks!”
JJ shrugged, it was just lunch. Anyone would think the way the kid’s face lit up he’d just been given box seats to a Yankees’ game or something.
They got in line to purchase their lunch, but there was a problem when Milton swiped his card at the register.
“You have too many items for the free meal,” the fat lunch supervisor said, her grey curls spilling out from under her cap. “You’ll have to put something back.”
JJ didn’t think many kids would qualify for free lunches, their high school being private.
“Oh, uh,” Milton reached for his apple.
JJ remembered Maggie had said something a day or two earlier about how Milton was able to go to Empire Preparatory on a scholarship.
“It’s okay. I’ll have it.” JJ took the apple from Milton and put it on his tray.
Milton was back to staring at his shoes.
As they carried their lunches across the room, Steve—JJ’s best friend—caught JJ’s eye. JJ shook his head and nodded in Milton’s direction. Steve looked confused, but was almost immediately nudged by one of the other baseball players at their table.
“It’s okay if you want to sit with your friends,” Milton said, setting his tray down at an empty table.
“I’m eating with you.” JJ placed his tray next to Milton’s.
When Milton turned to remove his backpack, JJ put the apple back on Milton’s tray.
“But I—”
“Don’t worry about it.” JJ had had the free state meals back in Texas and it’d made him feel like a charity case. So he was careful not to make a big thing of the apple.
“I’ll pay you back tomorrow.”
JJ shrugged. “If you want, but it’s no biggy.” Realizing he needed to move the conversation on, JJ quickly tried to think what he could talk about. “Did you replace that comic from the other day?”
“Uh, no. It’s my birthday next week. I hope I’ll get some money so I can buy another copy then.”
“Oh, right.” Jeez, this guy must be hard up. What do comics cost, a couple of bucks?
They both started to eat. JJ felt uncomfortable with the silence, although Milton seemed okay with it.
Swallowing a mouthful of chicken stew, JJ asked, “You gonna wear anything special next Friday?”
The following Friday was Halloween and the school had decided to have a non-uniform day. It was all some of the kids had talked about for days.
Milton shook his head. “Probably just wear jeans and a sweatshirt. What about you?”
“Maggie wants me to put on my western duds.”
Milton’s face lit up for a second time. “Cool!”
“Doesn’t really go with my New York look, but hey, what’s a guy to do when his girlfriend insists?”
“Maggie says you’re from Texas. You don’t talk like a Texan.”
JJ smiled. He’d tried to lose the hick image. For as long as he could remember he’d been called Junior. He, his daddy, and his granddaddy were all called John Brockwell. His granddaddy was known as ‘John,’ everyone called his daddy ‘Brock,’ but ‘Junior’…no, it was too southern. Calvin had suggested ‘JJ’ short for ‘John Junior.’ And JJ had liked it, although his daddy often forgot.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone