Happy was hunched writing about the psychological state of Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye when a shadow came to stand over him.
“You’re in my chair,” a voice said, unthreatening but impatient.
Happy looked up to see a tall black boy with a head shaved close to his skull and Wal-Mart hoodie on.
“Odaine,” Ms. Grant called. “I’ve moved you over here.”
As troubled kids were still filtering in weeks later, Ms. Grant had kept the seating chart posted beside the entryway.
Odaine went to sit a table closer to Ms Grants. She had tried to segregate the outburst mafia there.
Happy watched Odaine out the corner of his eye and contemplated how he could use this information to his advantage. Gobind had been suspended from school on the first hour because of a run-in with Odaine. The gang had spoken about it as if it were an injustice, but they were both at fault for breaking the rules. If Happy wanted to join the gang, he’d have to use their lens of morality which left no room for both being wrong. He would always be right unless someone beat or slapped him into being wrong, just like Gobind had to Jug.
What would happen if he told the gang that Odaine was back? What if he didn’t tell them? He was in the same class as him, a fact Saad would find out whenever he showed up to class. But it was close to noon and Saad was nowhere to be seen.
Next to him, Sweety worked on her book report. Across from him, Shera was still rushing through his selected book.
If he told them he might get cred for being a good source of info. He was looking for all the ways he could help the gang without doing anything that could get him into trouble. He remembered when watching the Godfather that Tom Hagen always gave Michael Corleone advice and seldom had to commit crimes himself. If he gave good advice, maybe he could have a similar role.
He decided he would tell the first Young Gun he saw at lunch. It was his chance to prove himself, especially to the skeptical Amit. Odaine was also a trouble maker so he deserved it. If he was ready to throw away his high school career on day 1 there wasn’t much Happy waas going to be able to do to do damage to him.
The lunch bell rang.
At lunch, Happy walked straight the back of school near the double-double green doors. The desi kids hung out at the back entrance and the kalay at the front. The segregation melted only for class and then resolidified at each break. Sweety’s locker was just outside the doors of Ms. Grant’s class and he got a glimpse on the inside as he walked. Ram was standing by his locker with a new friend. Happy waled quick to avoid him and stay on mission.
Gobind was still out of school, having been labelled the instigator of the fight. Happy scanned the back and saw Amit standing with some kids from the school’s emergent Bhangra team. They were in their traditional outfits, off to do a warm-up in the theatre. Amit was in his own outfit as well. They’d left their ornate performance turbans at home so he was just in a colourful kurta with bunched pajamas and bent up gym sneakers that would be replaced with juttis on performance night.
Happy walked up to Amit. It took Amit a while to notice him despite his height.
“Odaine’s here, he’s back at school,” Happy said, happy to have intel.
Amit’s annoyance at Happy’s approach was washed away with a devilish smile.
“He’s gonna regret showing his fucking face,” Amit said and brushed past Happy to walk inside. Happy followed.
They passed show class where Frick and Frack were hanging by their lockers. They called to Amit who simply locked eyes and side-nodded in the direction he was walking. They followed and Happy was happy to slot in an additional row back behind them in the phalanx.
They passed Jug, who was at Giselle’s locker pestering her. Amit tugged at his sleeve without losing pace.
“Aja veera, we’re on a mission,” Amit said.
Jug left Giselle alone to her relief and came along.
“Where’s Saad,” Happy said, in a mid-sprint to keep up.
“Who cares, we got enough munday,” Amit said.
Amit didn’t seem concerned with grabbing everyone, just whoever was around.
They got to the front, which seemed a parellel universe of the back of the school. Seeing the desis approach, everyone knew they didn’t belong and could only be here for one reason. Instead of trying to get in the way, they started gesturing and whooping knowing a fight was coming. There were two dozen students lined up along the front exit.
Something curious happened. Happy started puffing his chest and looking in the eyes of several of the students he passed. He was relishing being part of the momentum of a threatening force. Up ahead he saw Odaine and slowed his pace to be at least third in line to meet the confrontation.
One of Odaine’s friends tapped him once he realized the mob was heading their way. Odaine turned to face the desis as they arrived. Amit was in the lead and his boys were tight behind him but Odaine’s were further back behind him.
“You think you can fuck with my boy?” Amit said.
“I didn’t start shit, go ask him,” Odaine scoffed.
The crowd murmurred. Odaine looked to his side and spit on the ground, He smirked and pulled his hoodie with both hands so it was better coiffed on his shoulders.
It was then that Amit sucker punched him.
He staggered back and then Amit kicked him one before the rest of the boys rushed in from behind him to start punching and kicking him. This was what the boys referred to often as rushing. Odaine fell to the floor and tried to cover his face while the kicking continued. The crowd was whopping louded and a few shouts of protest peppered in as well.
Amit, pushed back from getting in by one of Odaine’s boys saw Happy standing idly by. He grabbed Happy by the cuff, pointed to Odaine getting beat.
“Kick his ass,” Amit pulled Happy by the cuff into the circle.
Happy had no time to protest to process. He shuffled closer to the melee.
He stopped cold, pulled back in leg long to prepare a kick. He froze for a moment like a ballerina. He let it loose and missed, slightly losing his balance in the process. His foot shaking.
Laughter emanated around him as he caught his balance. Amit looked disgusted. Happy looked down to see that he’d slipped in a bit of Odaine’s blood. His nose was busted open.
“5-0,” came a shout from the crowd.
Kids ran in all directions, leaving Odaine alone and bloody in the middle like a group art piece.