the boys of melrose - part 1
Title: The Boys of Melrose
Characters: Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and other Liverpool lads
Rating: PG-13 up to 18A at parts
Words:1,611
Summary: Football as punishment. A match made in heaven? Not exactly but they are a match.
Part 1:
The boy was slumped in the chair the long, slender fingers of one hand twirling the ends of bleached hair while the other tapped an impatient rhythm on the arm of the chair. His long legs were stretched out in front of him, covered in tight, ripped denim and a pair of heavy, scuffed up boots. He let out a sigh of pure boredom as chocolate-cinnamon eyes scanned the all too familiar room, annoyed that he was once again stuck in this freaking uncomfortable chair in this dreaded room.
“Fernando, what are we going to do with you? You can do better than this.”
Fernando scoffed, not stopping with his impatient tapping. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t heard countless times before. People had been asking him why for years now and as with every other time the boy simply ignored the question. Most of the time they didn’t really want to know anyways, besides Fernando Torres didn’t need nobody’s sympathy.
Tom Hicks, Melrose Academy’s principal, leaned back into his office chair, keen eyes travelling over the unkempt youth making his bi-weekly appearance in his office. Lately, the boy had been causing more and more trouble and, as loathe as he was to do it, if Fernando didn’t smarten up he was going to have to expel him. He knew that’s what most principals would do, in fact most would’ve done so months ago but he also knew Fernando could do better even if he pretended otherwise and he hated to see talent thrown away just because it took a bit of work.
“Mr Carter was rather upset...”
“Upset? The guy was asking for it, he’s just too scared to admit it.” Fernando interrupted, a smirk pulling at thin lips.
Hicks should have been expecting the comment but it didn’t make it any easier to handle. There was no doubt, unkempt and rebellious or not, that Fernando Torres was a handful and knew exactly what he could do. What emotions he could evoke. This afternoon’s ordeal only further proved that.
∞∞∞
Graham Carter, one of the staff members at Melrose Academy, made his way down the halls of the academy. He nodded to a few students he recognized hurrying on their way to class as the bell trilled throughout the buildings. He made his way out into the sunshine to head to the administration building where his office was; he had the next period free and needed to go over a lesson plan. He was crossing under a partially open window when he first smelled the acrid, nicotine laced smoke. Looking up he could see the greyish smoke wafting out of the window and without missing a step he spun around and headed back into the building.
It had been coming from the men’s restroom and he made for the small room intent on apprehending the culprit who was breaking academy rules. He pushed open the door and saw the student sitting on the radiator; head leaned back against the wall and a half-spent cigarette dangling from his fingers. Carter should have known the second he smelled the foul stench that it would be this boy. Fernando Torres, known as el Niño by the students, was the single most troublesome student he had come across in all his ten years working at the academy.
“Torres! Put the cigarette out immediately. You know there’s no smoking on school property.”
Torres lazily met his eyes purposefully taking another long drag from the cigarette. Carter fumed, resisting the urge to rip the cancerous stick from the boy’s mouth settling with giving him his best glare. Torres’ mouth twitched and he slowly stubbed out the cigarette before tossing it into the trash bin. He was still sitting on the radiator an aura of ease and nonchalance surrounding him despite the situation he was in.
“Shouldn’t you be in class, Torres?”
“Could be...” Torres said, sliding off the radiator.
“Head to class kid, either that or it’s to Principal Hicks’ office and you can explain why exactly you aren’t in class.” He chastised.
If he had expected the boy to be grateful and to accept the out he was getting he should have known better. El Niño didn’t accept hand-outs, especially from teachers. Instead, the boy let a sly smirk stretch across his thin, chapped lips as he sauntered closer. He brought one hand up and trailed it down over his thick shoulder, finger catching on the pocket of his shirt.
“Is it really back to class where you want me, sir?”
Carter nearly swallowed his tongue as the boy’s own pink one slipped out, wetting his lips teasingly. Torres was practically young enough to be his grandson and here he was hitting on him in the men’s restroom.
“Hick’s office! NOW!” he barked, when his voice returned.
He was getting too old for this shit.
∞∞∞
Fernando couldn’t help but smile at the memory from the afternoon, Carter had been too easy. Graham Carter was one of the oldest professors at the academy and he simply hadn’t been able to resist teasing him. Besides, if it had worked all the better, too bad that had backfired. The old man had actually marched him down to Hick’s office, large hand tight on his shoulder as if he were a five-year old who had misbehaved. Now Hicks was trying to dig deep and understand his core issue or some bullshit like that. He switched from playing with his bleached locks to the leather jacket he wore like a second skin. It was his most prized possession, having belonged to his grandfather. He felt the familiar twinge of sadness when he thought of his grandfather. The old man had been a great influence in his early life before he had passed away. He quickly pushed those thoughts away, the sadness was always accompanied with a feeling of guilt because there was no doubt his abuelo would not approve of how he acted nowadays.
He held the principal’s look, unwilling to show any weakness to anyone, least of all an authority figure. If Hicks decided to expel him then he’d smile and accept it, hell, he’d saunter out of this office as if he had gotten exactly what he wanted. Some days he wished he had never made that stupid promise, that simple promise was the only thing keeping him from dropping out. But he knew he never could have done anything but agree, after everything she had been through how could he not give her this one last thing.
“I’m not going to expel you, Fernando. You’re going to graduate but I can’t keep avoiding expulsion and you really can’t afford anymore suspensions on your record.”
“Don’t do me no favours.” Fernando muttered.
“Oh, this isn’t a favour. You are going to earn your stay in the academy. I have just the way too.”
Fernando wasn’t sure he liked the sounds of it but Hicks was a decent guy, surely he wouldn’t force him to do anything too horrible. Maybe he’d have to wash the many windows or some other menial chore usually reserved for the janitor.
“You’re aware of the academy’s football team I imagine.”
“Yes.” Fernando answered when it became clear Hicks was waiting for a response.
“Starting tomorrow you’re their newest player.” Hicks said, satisfied with his punishment.
“Hell no! I’d rather you expel me.” Fernando spat vehemently, surging to his feet.
Windows he could have handled, hell compared to this he would love to clean every single window in the freaking academy. But football, football just wasn’t a part of his life anymore. It was something that hadn’t been for years now and he wasn’t exactly looking to change that. Not to mention that the windows would surely have taken up less of his time.
“This isn’t a negotiation, Mr Torres. You will be a part of the team and you will be an active member. You are not going to sabotage them, you are not going to slack off and you are not going to argue.”
Fernando glared at the principal he had recently thought was decent. The man wasn’t even going to let him be a benchwarmer from the sounds of things. He frantically searched his brain for something, anything that would get him out of this but he was sadly coming up blank.
“That will be all, Mr Torres. Please go straight to class now and you will attend your first training session tomorrow after classes.”
Fernando knew he had been dismissed and that there was nothing he could do about it. Furious he stormed out of the office, taking small pleasure in slamming the office door behind him hearing the rattle of the framed diplomas on Hicks’ walls. Instead of heading to class as ordered he went straight to the student parking lot finding his car and climbing in. Seconds later he was tearing out of the lot a new cigarette in his hands.
∞∞∞
Tom Hicks sighed as the slamming of his door reverberated around the room. He didn’t know what to make of the Torres boy; he had been surly and troublesome ever since he started at Melrose Academy. Hicks had looked into the boy’s files, he hadn’t always been such a rebellious student it was something new and he feared if someone didn’t save the boy soon it would be too late.
With a sigh he stood from his desk, walking over to the wall to straighten out his diplomas. Once they were all neat and lined up he went back to his desk and picked up the phone. It was time Rafa learned of his new striker.
Characters: Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and other Liverpool lads
Rating: PG-13 up to 18A at parts
Words:1,611
Summary: Football as punishment. A match made in heaven? Not exactly but they are a match.
Part 1:
The boy was slumped in the chair the long, slender fingers of one hand twirling the ends of bleached hair while the other tapped an impatient rhythm on the arm of the chair. His long legs were stretched out in front of him, covered in tight, ripped denim and a pair of heavy, scuffed up boots. He let out a sigh of pure boredom as chocolate-cinnamon eyes scanned the all too familiar room, annoyed that he was once again stuck in this freaking uncomfortable chair in this dreaded room.
“Fernando, what are we going to do with you? You can do better than this.”
Fernando scoffed, not stopping with his impatient tapping. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t heard countless times before. People had been asking him why for years now and as with every other time the boy simply ignored the question. Most of the time they didn’t really want to know anyways, besides Fernando Torres didn’t need nobody’s sympathy.
Tom Hicks, Melrose Academy’s principal, leaned back into his office chair, keen eyes travelling over the unkempt youth making his bi-weekly appearance in his office. Lately, the boy had been causing more and more trouble and, as loathe as he was to do it, if Fernando didn’t smarten up he was going to have to expel him. He knew that’s what most principals would do, in fact most would’ve done so months ago but he also knew Fernando could do better even if he pretended otherwise and he hated to see talent thrown away just because it took a bit of work.
“Mr Carter was rather upset...”
“Upset? The guy was asking for it, he’s just too scared to admit it.” Fernando interrupted, a smirk pulling at thin lips.
Hicks should have been expecting the comment but it didn’t make it any easier to handle. There was no doubt, unkempt and rebellious or not, that Fernando Torres was a handful and knew exactly what he could do. What emotions he could evoke. This afternoon’s ordeal only further proved that.
∞∞∞
Graham Carter, one of the staff members at Melrose Academy, made his way down the halls of the academy. He nodded to a few students he recognized hurrying on their way to class as the bell trilled throughout the buildings. He made his way out into the sunshine to head to the administration building where his office was; he had the next period free and needed to go over a lesson plan. He was crossing under a partially open window when he first smelled the acrid, nicotine laced smoke. Looking up he could see the greyish smoke wafting out of the window and without missing a step he spun around and headed back into the building.
It had been coming from the men’s restroom and he made for the small room intent on apprehending the culprit who was breaking academy rules. He pushed open the door and saw the student sitting on the radiator; head leaned back against the wall and a half-spent cigarette dangling from his fingers. Carter should have known the second he smelled the foul stench that it would be this boy. Fernando Torres, known as el Niño by the students, was the single most troublesome student he had come across in all his ten years working at the academy.
“Torres! Put the cigarette out immediately. You know there’s no smoking on school property.”
Torres lazily met his eyes purposefully taking another long drag from the cigarette. Carter fumed, resisting the urge to rip the cancerous stick from the boy’s mouth settling with giving him his best glare. Torres’ mouth twitched and he slowly stubbed out the cigarette before tossing it into the trash bin. He was still sitting on the radiator an aura of ease and nonchalance surrounding him despite the situation he was in.
“Shouldn’t you be in class, Torres?”
“Could be...” Torres said, sliding off the radiator.
“Head to class kid, either that or it’s to Principal Hicks’ office and you can explain why exactly you aren’t in class.” He chastised.
If he had expected the boy to be grateful and to accept the out he was getting he should have known better. El Niño didn’t accept hand-outs, especially from teachers. Instead, the boy let a sly smirk stretch across his thin, chapped lips as he sauntered closer. He brought one hand up and trailed it down over his thick shoulder, finger catching on the pocket of his shirt.
“Is it really back to class where you want me, sir?”
Carter nearly swallowed his tongue as the boy’s own pink one slipped out, wetting his lips teasingly. Torres was practically young enough to be his grandson and here he was hitting on him in the men’s restroom.
“Hick’s office! NOW!” he barked, when his voice returned.
He was getting too old for this shit.
∞∞∞
Fernando couldn’t help but smile at the memory from the afternoon, Carter had been too easy. Graham Carter was one of the oldest professors at the academy and he simply hadn’t been able to resist teasing him. Besides, if it had worked all the better, too bad that had backfired. The old man had actually marched him down to Hick’s office, large hand tight on his shoulder as if he were a five-year old who had misbehaved. Now Hicks was trying to dig deep and understand his core issue or some bullshit like that. He switched from playing with his bleached locks to the leather jacket he wore like a second skin. It was his most prized possession, having belonged to his grandfather. He felt the familiar twinge of sadness when he thought of his grandfather. The old man had been a great influence in his early life before he had passed away. He quickly pushed those thoughts away, the sadness was always accompanied with a feeling of guilt because there was no doubt his abuelo would not approve of how he acted nowadays.
He held the principal’s look, unwilling to show any weakness to anyone, least of all an authority figure. If Hicks decided to expel him then he’d smile and accept it, hell, he’d saunter out of this office as if he had gotten exactly what he wanted. Some days he wished he had never made that stupid promise, that simple promise was the only thing keeping him from dropping out. But he knew he never could have done anything but agree, after everything she had been through how could he not give her this one last thing.
“I’m not going to expel you, Fernando. You’re going to graduate but I can’t keep avoiding expulsion and you really can’t afford anymore suspensions on your record.”
“Don’t do me no favours.” Fernando muttered.
“Oh, this isn’t a favour. You are going to earn your stay in the academy. I have just the way too.”
Fernando wasn’t sure he liked the sounds of it but Hicks was a decent guy, surely he wouldn’t force him to do anything too horrible. Maybe he’d have to wash the many windows or some other menial chore usually reserved for the janitor.
“You’re aware of the academy’s football team I imagine.”
“Yes.” Fernando answered when it became clear Hicks was waiting for a response.
“Starting tomorrow you’re their newest player.” Hicks said, satisfied with his punishment.
“Hell no! I’d rather you expel me.” Fernando spat vehemently, surging to his feet.
Windows he could have handled, hell compared to this he would love to clean every single window in the freaking academy. But football, football just wasn’t a part of his life anymore. It was something that hadn’t been for years now and he wasn’t exactly looking to change that. Not to mention that the windows would surely have taken up less of his time.
“This isn’t a negotiation, Mr Torres. You will be a part of the team and you will be an active member. You are not going to sabotage them, you are not going to slack off and you are not going to argue.”
Fernando glared at the principal he had recently thought was decent. The man wasn’t even going to let him be a benchwarmer from the sounds of things. He frantically searched his brain for something, anything that would get him out of this but he was sadly coming up blank.
“That will be all, Mr Torres. Please go straight to class now and you will attend your first training session tomorrow after classes.”
Fernando knew he had been dismissed and that there was nothing he could do about it. Furious he stormed out of the office, taking small pleasure in slamming the office door behind him hearing the rattle of the framed diplomas on Hicks’ walls. Instead of heading to class as ordered he went straight to the student parking lot finding his car and climbing in. Seconds later he was tearing out of the lot a new cigarette in his hands.
∞∞∞
Tom Hicks sighed as the slamming of his door reverberated around the room. He didn’t know what to make of the Torres boy; he had been surly and troublesome ever since he started at Melrose Academy. Hicks had looked into the boy’s files, he hadn’t always been such a rebellious student it was something new and he feared if someone didn’t save the boy soon it would be too late.
With a sigh he stood from his desk, walking over to the wall to straighten out his diplomas. Once they were all neat and lined up he went back to his desk and picked up the phone. It was time Rafa learned of his new striker.