The Melting Pot Complex

Chapter Forty-Two ~ Patton

{Possible trigger warnings: swearing, heckling

If I miss something, I apologize and please let me know}

The gymnasium surged with excited college students, talking loudly as warm-up music blasted through the speakers. 

Patton spotted Dorrian, one of Remy's adopted siblings, sitting in the crowd. He wove his way up the bleachers and took the empty seat next to him.

"'Sup." The kid was scrolling through what looked like Tumblr on his phone.

"How'd you know it was me?"

Dorrian looked up. "No one likes me and Remy said he told you to find me."

"Aww, I like you!" Patton assured him.

"Yay." Dorrian said, deadpan.

Patton's attention was drawn back to the court as the players cleared off.

"Jesus Christ, here he comes."

The announcer went through what Patton assumed was the usual rigmarole, announcing player numbers and such. 

"And as always, on mic tonight for the student section: welcome Wildwood's own Remy Macchinetta!"

The man announcing held out a second microphone and Remy came bursting out of the center of the basketball team to grab it.

He'd taken colored hairspray to his hair (or so Patton thought. Who knew, maybe he just dyed it again), styling it and turning it the colors of the school. He was wearing an oversized basketball jersey and ripped skinny jeans.

"He looks good." Patton murmured absentmindedly.

"Gross." Dee wrinkled his nose.

Remy grabbed the mic and dropped into a crouch. A hush fell over the crowd and he grinned at everyone.

"Who's ready to get LOUD?"

The student section that Patton was on the edge of screamed. Remy whooped and hopped up onto the front row of bleachers that had been left empty. 

"GIMME AN R!"

"R!"

Remy threw his head back as he yelled. "GIMME AN H!"

"H!" Patton called back with the students, laughing.

"GIMME A... Y!"

The cheers doubled. "Y!"

"GIMME AN N!" He drew the letter out and added an '-ah' to the end of it.

"N!"

"GIMME AN OOOOOOOOOO!"

"O!"

"AND ADD THE SNAKE!" Remy pointed at the crowd. The group of almost 200 college kids all began to hiss loudly. Patton giggled and glanced at Dorrian, who was actually participating for this bit.

"Who are we?"

"RHINOS!"

Patton leaned down as Remy repeated the chant, the students participating enthusiastically. "Did he just spell Rhinos with a 'y'?"

"It's a running gag." Dorrian rolled his eyes. "Drives me f*cking nuts but I can't do sh*t about it."

Remy finally turned to face the court and the game began. Patton followed along with the cheering and goofing off as well as he could.

At half-time, the Rhinos were up by six. As the teams disappeared into their locker rooms, Remy some sort of hands-free front flip off of the first row of bleachers. The student section screamed.