Black Leather Jackets: College Bound

Slur

Robby's POV
I walk into our last football tryout pumped. Everyone from last year is on and the new guys are really nice too.
"McArthur over here!" A new guy calls at me
His name is Santi. He transferred from out of town this year.
"What's up?" I ask "and my name isn't McArthur,"
"That's What last year's roster said,"
"That was last year," I say "what's up?"
"I heard you're a fag," he says bluntly
"W-what?" I ask
"A fag, that you like dicks in your mouth?" He says
"Ya dude I'm bisexual, but you can't say stuff like this. Ask Cal, its a year suspension and Coach Topaz is really sensitive to it,"
"Right, Coach Topaz is a dyke,"
"Bro stop using homophobic slurs!" I yell
"Why Robby, you gunna cry to your mommies?"
I shake my head and he punches me in the face.
I gasp and cover my eye and he continues to hit me.
"There's no one that saw that you faggot, don't snitch,"
I nod and back away.
"Oh and your mom gave me a commitment letter so it looks like we're bros now,"
I go to my locker and grab my jersey
I don't wanna play with him
I can't go through what Toni and Cheryl did.
I grab my jersey and go to the coaches office
They aren't in here so I just leave my jersey and walk home.
"Tones, did you forget your board again babes?" I hear Cheryl say
"It's only me Cheryl," I say
"Rob you have a tryout, Tones said you made it,"
"Decided I don't like football anymore," I say as she walks in
"What happened to your eye?" She asks
"Ran into a door, I'm fine. I'm going to my room,"
"Robby talk to me please," she says "what's wrong?"
"Nothing Cheryl drop it please," I say going upstairs
...
Cheryl's POV
I drive to the fields and the tryout is already under way.
"ANTOINETTE," I yell from the sideline
"Mommy too loud," Lexi says
"Sorry baby," I say readjusting her and Tony
Toni walks over confused and kisses my cheek.
"Hey babe, did Robby make it home? Santi said he was sick,"
"Get control of your guys Toni. Robby came home with a black eye and he was crying. Says he doesn't like football anymore but he's just as bad as you at lying," I say "figure out what the fuck happened. I talked to him after his last class and he was fine,"
"Cher what do you mean?"
"I mean something happened between his locker and the lockeroom and until you figure it out your sleeping o. The damn couch,"
She nods and blows her whistle
Toni's POV
Cher sits on the bleachers and I call everyone in.
"What's wrong Toni,"
"One chance someone gets to tell me what the hell happened to Robby in the changeroom," I say "he came home with a black eye,"
"Topaz, What are you talking about? I thought rob went home sick,"
"TONI!" TT says walking over from across the field
He runs over and shows me the jersey
Robs jersey
"What the hell happened?" I ask "5, 4, 3, 2, 1,"
They all stay silent and confused
"Get on the line then," I snap "violence of any kind is not tolerated at Riverdale High and it will not happen in my changeroom,"
They all go to the line and I stop Ralphy.
"What do you know?"
"I walked in and Robs stuff was gone even though he left his locker before me so he should've been there and I asked the new WR.. Santi? And he said rob threw up and wanted to see you,"
"You can't aggravate your ankle, sit on the side please,"
He nods and goes over to the bench.
"Trey and Harrison- off too," I say "not hurting yourself anymore,"
They nod and everyone runs for the next hour.
"Anyone wanna tell me anything?" I ask as I let them have water "we still have an hour left and I'll keep it going. I'll add pushups, and burpees too,"
"We DONT know anything Coach,"
"Someone knows something and I'm not stopping,"
No one says anything and they run for another hour.
"Coach Topaz respectfully you're running the football team not the cross country team. What's going on?"
"A player was hit in my changeroom and I'm sending a message that it will not be tolerated,"
"This is a little intense.." Principal Danvers says
"Respectfully sir I was shot because boys were not taught respect and I was bullied on the field so bad I still wake up with nightmares. Let me run my program,"
He nods and leaves me alone.
"Toni someone's going to die out here," Reggie says
"5 more," I yell
They finish and everyone makes a circle around us
"Is the message clear?" I ask
"Yes coach," they all say
"This is your last chance to come forward with anything. I will find out- I always find out and if you tell me it'll be a hell of a lot better,"
Everyone's silent.
"Go home then,"
They all walk off and i go home.
"Rob May I come in?"
He hangs the phone up and nods,
"Wanna talk about it?"
"No,"
"Please?"
"No,"
"Rob I need to know what happened," he rolls over and I see his face
"Robby oh my gosh," I say looking at his face
"It's fine Toni," he says
"Robby your nose is broken,"
"I'm okay,"
"Can you at least give me an idea as to what went down?"
"Just keep an eye on Ralphy, Trey, Emmet, and you and Cheryl too,"
I think about what it could be.
Oh my gosh
"This was Homophobic?" I gasp
He nods and sighs
Cher fixes his nose and he comes downstairs for dinner
"Rob who did it?" Cher asks
"Can't tell you. I won't be a tattletale,"
"It was Santi," I say looking at my phone
"Wha- How did you know that?" Rob asks
"I'm not dumb Robbie, I talked to your friends,"
"He's going to kill me Toni!"
"Oh no mama, kill bad," Lexi says tapping me
"Sweetheart Robbies Okay,"
"Mama nooooooo pwease no no no,"
I pick her up and bounce her
"Buggy it's alright, we're olay Robby's okay baby," I say bouncing her more
"Lexi look at me," Robby says
She faces him and keeps crying
"Lex I'm okay, I used the wrong word. I'm okay, no one is killing anyone okay?"
"Hug?" She asks
He nods and I put her in his lap
He hugs her and she calms down
"Sweetheart, you wanna come with mommy and Tony To go see Reggie?" Cher asks
She nods and Cher picks her up.
"Say bye bye to mama and Robbie,"
She waves good bye and they head out
"Let's get to school kid," I say as he finishes
"Do I have to keep this thing on?" He asks
"It's keeping your nose in place so yes,"
"Toni people are going to make fun of me,"
"I don't care," I say grabbing the car keys
I drive to school and he goes to class and I go to my office
"Ty sit in on this meeting please?" I ask
"Ya sure, what's it about?"
"You'll see," I say
I call Santi down and he walks in
"'Sup coach,"
"You've been suspended from USA Football and kicked off the Bulldogs, pending tryouts next year," I say simply "any questions?"
"Ya, why?" He asks
"You know why Santi,"
"It's cause I called your son a fag? Cmon coach it's just slang,"
"I didn't know you used that word," I say "but beating up a kid younger than you is why you're suspended, and I'll have to contact your parents about the slur,"
"What? Coach c'mon what'd he tell you then? Calling you a dyke was nothing!"
"I didn't know that either Santi. I used my intuition and several statements from the boys to come to this decision," I say "anything else?"
"This is ridiculous! Coach I wasn't using them as slurs," he says
"They are slurs Santi and they carry a year suspension. As I did end up rostering you- the suspension will carry under my word to USA Football," I say "I'm sorry but these suspensions stay on your record,"
He storms out and I look at ty and shrug.
"We aren't having that on our team,"