"Uno" drabbles by Ricky Moore

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After School

Uno #25

The bells rang. Andrew was out of class and half way down the corridor before James had even packed his pencil case. James made his way out, almost gaining a new sense, he felt a buzz, there was definitely a different atmosphere to this day.

Walking out the front door, he heard the chants, they echoed from down the path, just slightly out of view from school.

James sprinted down.

"Fight, fight, fight, fight!" They all shouted.

James tried pushing through the crowd, but older boys were acting as security, making sure nobody "jamp in".

"Ohhhhhh" they commentated, slightly sorrowful.

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Punch Machine

Uno #24

"I got 94 on the punch machine, you little panny" said Rich, as he intimidated James's friend, Andrew. Andrew was being picked on for telling Rich to fuck off, because Rich thought he should have kept quiet as he threw chocolate chip cookies at him continually.

"Me and you, after school, we'll see how hard you are then!" Rich said, as he laughed with his henchmen.

"Don't worry Andy, I'm not going to let him get you", James told him.

Andy still looked worried, but James, in times like this, felt alive, confident even, he wasn't scared, he was excited.

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Beetroot

Uno #23

Rumours of what the popular group got up to at weekends was all anyone seemed to care about, who was the hardest was second and football and PlayStation came in at a measly third. Drinking, fighting, vandalism. It was all talked about, how stupid they were was all James and his friends would say, being the mature "geeks" of the year. A few boys in James's group had started getting things shouted at them, like Elliot, who was being called beetroot for going Beamer in class. James could feel a familiar boiling inside, he knew things were going to happen.

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The first few months

Uno #22

James really was struggling. He had been at the academy for three months now, doing well in classes but feeling like a failure. His other friends from primary school had managed to make new friends, James for some reason, couldn't. He was painfully shy, it seemed to be getting worse, it was humiliating. There was a massive popular group now too, it seems every popular group had merged into one mega popular group, roughly 100 of them. He had his close, small group however and there was no way they were going to get away with intimidating them, no way.

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Thick

Uno #21

James started academy the next day. He was nervous but extremely excited all at once. This was it, the big school.
After getting his subjects he was to be in through the door he took it through to his mum, to show her his new schedule.

"Look mum, on Monday I start off with English, French, we get a 15 minute break and..."

"What is it!?" Dick interrupted from the corner, after taking a swig of his Tenants lager.

"My classes". James replied.

"And what exactly do you want to be? Your thick as shit, you should study in McDonald's"

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The Beating

Uno #20

The door slams shut. James lifts the jacket off his head, only to see a fist come flying in to his face. Repeated blows over his head and body were coming in, James curled up into a ball to reduce the impact.

Dick grabs James again, by the collar of his stretched out t-shirt, and began dragging him upstairs. James sobbed, he knew his mum was working all night, he had to take it with as much humility as possible to try and keep his temper at this scary yet predictable level. He prayed the worst was over with.

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Musical Gate

Uno #19

James tried sneaking inside, Dick had the music blaring in the living room so he hoped he would not be heard. Half way in he heard Dick, rush to the hallway, in a panic James dashed outside. A large hand grabs James before he is able to open the garden gate. Even inebriated, Dick was still too fast.

"What fucking time do you call this!?" He snapped, almost lifting James by his jacket.

Before he could answer he was grabbed by the back of the neck and led to the front door. Once the door slammed shut, anything was possible.

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Time Flies When Your Having Fun

Uno #18

James and Martin stayed out for a while after that. They said their goodbyes to the popular group and the girls, before going to the park to laugh about the events of the night. Time passed so quick James didn't even realise that it was two hours past his curfew, a curfew that was much earlier than everyone else's.
After telling Martin he needed to go, James made his way back home. He felt amazing, as if he was 9 feet tall. He kept thinking over the night, a big grin plastered to his face. All that was to change.

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Rejoice In Rejection

Uno #17

The rejection, surprisingly, really didn't matter to James. Laughter was all around him, but it was a different kind of laughter. It was more a laughter with James than at him.

"Yessss James!" Shouted Scott before coming over and reaching out for a high five. James felt a respect from his peers he had never received, he could tell they were impressed. Nobody else had the courage to ask Victoria out, apart from Martin who minutes later, tried and failed six times before serenading her with "I'm your man" by Wham. James didn't even care it was almost past curfew.

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The Question

Uno #16

A slight burn of rage filled inside James's stomach. He knew Andrea was referring to him because it couldn't possibly be Martin, who everyone was expecting to go for it. James felt a sensation he hadn't felt before, it was as if those words triggered something inside him. He realised how people seen him in that moment, more importantly how girls viewed him. Now everything inside him, wanted to shatter their opinions. James wanted to prove Andrea wrong, it wasn't even about Victoria for him, now. He stepped towards them.
"Will you go out with me?"
"No, sorry" she replies.

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Too Shy

Uno #15

Victoria Raymond. They all thought the same thing when they seen her. They had never seen a girl as beautiful as her. The popular group began to squirm slightly, they had came there, to try and chat her up, but humiliation is fear number one for them. For the first time, James witnessed them become withdrawn.
Andrea and Victoria walked towards their collective group. They were both whispering and giggling. Andrea was very outspoken and loud.
"Who's going to ask her out then?" She announced.
They walked closer to James as he overheard Andrea tell Victoria "He's too shy to".

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Hottest Girl In Town

Uno #14

Rumours were abound at school. The hottest girl you have ever seen, is going to be at one of the girls from the class's house tonight.
Martin had convinced James, they had to try their chances!
Martin considered himself a bit of a lothario, even though there was never a girl to back up his claims. He had became so confident because of how many times he had been rejected, if anything.
That night, a crowd gathered outside Andrea's house. The popular group were there, so were James and Martin. The door opened, you could literally hear the collective gasp.

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Martin

Uno #13

There were only a few months left until James went to academy. The insults were bad initially after the "Y-fronts" incident, eventually evolving to a new knickname of "Y-sers". James didn't help himself though, the angrier he got, the funnier they found it.
His friend Martin helped him through it mostly, however, by showing James how to be a geek with confidence. Martin didn't care what people thought, in fact he would have been popular if he was less chubby and better looking.
James almost studied Martin, emulating his actions, slowly becoming more confident himself in the process.

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Y-Fronts

Uno #12

Standing up, James quickly pulled up his trousers. The popular group and girls from his class were all laughing. James was wearing "Y-fronts" and this was considered very un-cool.

"Y-fronts, y-fronts!" They all chanted, giggling. James was completely humiliated and sore from the beating. He ran to his friends and began walking home.

"You showed a lot of balls man!" Daniel, James's best friend said, trying to cheer him up.

"There's only 5 of us and 9 of them, there's no way we'd win!" He continued.

He tried, James knew however, this was just the beginning.

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The Fight

Uno #11

The school bell rang. James and his friends knew, the popular group were after all of them. They walked home, noticing they were being stalked from a distance, insults being shouted periodically. James wasn't afraid, in his mind, none of them were strong but his friends, they were terrified.
Suddenly, Scott begins getting personal, shouting insults about his mum, laughing about how she is beaten by Dick.
James boils and seeing red, turns round and begins charging towards them.

"Come on then!!" James shouts, holding his arms up. Three of them begin striking him, before pulling down his trousers after.

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Geeks

Uno #10

It was coming to blows now, over the past few weeks they had intensified their efforts to put down James and his peers.
It all started when James, and their leader, Scott, got into a small fist fight when Scott made fun of James's new brown shoes.
They were stunned when James, without uttering a word, ran at him and began throwing punches.
James had enough bullying at home, he knew he had to set down a marker, to ensure it didn't happen here too.
Scott and his group passed a note to James during class, reading: 'After School Geeks!'

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School

Uno #9

School, a time of both escapism and social awkwardness for James. His group, were the "nerds" apparently. He, like his friends, did not wear the latest fashion, and were not great at talking to the girls.
Truth be told, James had a sort of mental block talking to the "popular" guys too. He felt they were different, he was far more conscious of what he said, incase it wasn't cool.
In James's mind, it was far easier to hate them. There was reason to of course, they tainted his friends but his friends, feared them.
Physically, however, James did not.

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Despair The conclusion

Uno #8

Dick picks himself up, rubbing his cheek.

"You bitch!" He growls.

James runs upstairs, tears running uncontrollably, he is terrified and confused.

The muffled argument carries on downstairs, minutes later there is a knock on the door.

After 10 minutes of conversation, an officer comes upstairs to speak to James.

"James is it?" He asks.

"Yeah" James says, clearly distressed.

"Everything is ok son, your not in any trouble, I just need to ask you one question ok?"

"Ok"

"Did you attack your step-dad with a knife?"

"No!" James screamed upset.

"Ok, that's all"

Dick, handcuffed, left with them.

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Despair The fifth act

Uno #7

There was blood everywhere. Dick had slashed his arm, not just a small cut either. With a tea towel wrapped round his arm, Dick was explaining to the police on the phone that his stepson had just lost it and attacked him with a knife.

"Am I going to go to jail, mum?" James asked, trembling all over.

"No, you didn't do anything wrong James!" Sherrie reassured him.

Dick glares at them, smiling after his phone call.

"Your going to be locked up boy!"

At this point Sherrie floors dick with a hook.

"Now, there's been an assault!" Said Sherrie.

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Despair the fourth act

Uno #6

"How could you do this!?" You monster!" Sherrie barked, rage had taken over from the fear.

"I didn't do anything, your son did it and that's exactly what I'm going to tell the police!" Dick explained, in a smugly aggressive way.

James, hearing his mother standing up to him, got the courage to get out and see for himself, what was happening.

Dicks voice had turned into a polite phone manner in an instant. Then James heard it.

"Yes, I would like to report an assault" Dick said.

"Assault?" James asks turning to Sherrie.

"He's cut his own arm James!"