Knowledge, chapter 2
Joey and Sam took their seats on the bus as it pulled back into the road and drove off. Joey looked out the window, occasionally listening in on Sam's rant about how boring the book report that had been assigned the day before was.
"I never new the Lord of the Rings could be so boring, I mean... "
That was true. The beginning of the book was kind of confusing.
"Hobbits? Where the hell did that name come from?"
You could say that. The name "hobbit" was kind of weird.
"How did that guy come up with names like that, I mean, Peregrin? Seriously... "
What was wrong with Peregrin? Pippin was cool.
"I wonder what I could do with the Ring. It would be pretty cool to be able to disappear like that!"
It would be cool. Being invisible could boost the chances of getting away with pranking teachers and other people.
"Oh look Adam's here."
"Huh?" Joey looked up to see his friend, Adam take a seat across the aisle from them.
"Hey Joe, Sam," Adam said taking off his backpack and putting it in the seat next to him.
"Hey Adam," Joey and Sam said in unison.
The rest of the bus ride was pretty lazy. The bus pulled into the entrance to the school and the excitement of starting a new day was starting to build. The bus doors opened and Joey, Adam and Sam picked up their bags and entered the school building, armed and ready for another exhausting day in 7 grade.
Joey walked to his locker and opened it. He began unpacking his bag when he heard a very unwelcome voice behind him.
"Well, if it isn't the great Joey Armstrong! Let's bow before his supremacy!" the voice said sarcastically.
Joey froze, a lump forming in his throat.
"Fuck off, Lucas," he said in a dull tone.
"What's the matter? Does Joey miss his Daddy?" Lucas taunted and his friends behind him laughed.
It was true. Joey did miss his dad. He hadn't seen him for over 6 months now but he wasn't about to fess up, that would just give Lucas more ammo. Instead, he just decided to remind Lucas of his earlier statement.
"I said 'fuck off', Lucas," Joey repeated.
"Aww, You do miss him, don't you?" Lucas continued.
"Lucas, will you just go read between the lines?!" Joey said angrily, slamming his locker shut and turning to walk away. He could feel his blood beginning to boil.
Lucas would just not give up. He and his snickering cronies followed Joey down the hallway.
"Ha ha! Don't worry, Joey! I'll make sure you don't get lonely!" he said, enjoying the effect that his taunting was having on Joey and sensing that he was getting angry.
Joey was at boiling point now, without any thought, he whipped around and punched Lucas in the face, causing Lucas' lip to split.
Lucas, at first, didn't make any moves. Mainly because he was overcome with the shock of just being punched by this kid a full head shorter than him. He just stood there, shocked off his rocker until the first prickles of pain began to set in.
"You're gonna regret that, you little punk!" Lucas growled lunging at Joey.
Joey stepped aside and dodged him. He then turned around to face Lucas and kicked him in the shin, hard. Lucas grabbed his leg and yelped. He let go of his leg, grabbed the ruff of Joey's collar and lifted him off the ground and shoved him into a wall.
Not until Joey hit the cold brick did he realize what he had just gotten himself into. He tried to go against Lucas, but he had a firm grip. He ground his teeth at the sight of Lucas laughing softly to himself as he watched Joey struggle.
"Let go of me, you bastard," Joey hissed through clenched teeth. He tried unclasping Lucas' hand on his collar, but it didn't work. Then an idea dawned. Joey put his legs together and kicked at Lucas' stomach as hard as he could, knocking Lucas back. Joey fell to the floor upon being released and massaged his chin.
By this time, a ring of students had formed around the dueling 12-year-olds and they were watching with anticipation as Joey stood up.
Lucas took a final blow at Joey which landed square in his jaw. Joey let out a groan as he clasped his hands over his lips and felt warm blood trickle past his hands and down towards his chin. Joey wiped the blood below his chin off and licked his split lip. His eyes flicked up towards the crowd of students just as he saw Sam and Adam pushing their way through. They ran to their friend's aid and turned to face Lucas.
"What the hell is your problem?" Sam asked defensively.
"I'll tell you," Lucas spat. "Your little friend here decided to pick a fight with me."
"Yeah, Lucas, well, you made him lash out at you!" Adam said.
"Don't start with me unless you want to end up like your friend here," Lucas said to Adam.
"Maybe I wouldn't be the only one looking a lot worse," Adam told him smoothly.
"What did you say?"
"You heard me!"
"Don't get me started... "
"BOYS!" came a yell.
Adam looked up and Lucas spun around only to see Miss Marshal standing over them, her arms crossed, her lip thin, and her foot tapping.
"Miss Marshal!" Sam said. "Look what he did to Joey!" Sam told her and pointed at Lucas and Joey.
"I know what happened, Mr. Carter and I'm not proud of it," Miss Marshal said. "I won't have it! Boys, come with me, we're going to call your parents," she said.
They trudged to the principles office behind Miss Marshal. When they got there, she told Joey, Sam, Adam, and Lucas to all take a seat as she closed the door behind them.
"Now," She said as she sat down at her desk and looked at all of them, "I understand that there was a fight between you?"
"Yes," They all said in unison.
"Now, would someone kindly explain to me why this happened?"
Joey, Sam, and Adam looked at each other. Joey was the first one to speak.
"Well, I had just come into school and was getting my books when he-," he pointed at Lucas, "-started taunting me about me missing my dad."
"Yes,"
"I told him to screw off and started down the hallway towards class and he followed me and kept making wise cracks,"
"And,"
"And I... " Joey lowered his voice, "... punched him... "
"So, you punched him first?"
"Well, yes, but I lost control after he made fun of me for not having my dad around a lot,"
"Oh, so that was the only thing you thought of to defend yourself with at the time?"
"Uh huh,"
"I see, well, Mr. Armstrong, the right thing would not have been to hit him, but to ignore him," Miss Marshal told Joey. "As for you," She turned to Lucas, "You shouldn't have been taunting him about his father, should you have?"
Lucas looked down and shook his head.
Miss Marshal turned to Adam and Sam. "What did you two have to do with this?" she asked them.
"Nothing, really," Sam said. "We saw him and Lucas fighting and tried to break it up."
"Yeah, but then Lucas started rounding on me and Sam when we went to help Joey," Adam told her.
"Yep. Lucas split Joey's lip and his nose was bleeding," Sam chimed in.
"Well," Miss Marshal said. "We're going to have to call all of your parents,"
The boys looked down.
"Okay," they all said in a dull whine.
They stood outside the office as one by one, their parents were called. Joey was called in last.
"Your mother is on the phone Joey," Miss Marshal told him after he entered the office.
"Alright," he said.
"She would like to speak with you," she continued, handing him the phone.
He took it and held it to his ear.
"Hello?" he asked.
"Joey? It's your mom. I'm coming to pick you up," Adrienne's voice said over the phone.
"Okay," Joey said.
"Miss Marshal explained to me what happened. We're going to have a talk when we get home," his mom informed him.
"Sure,"
"Okay, I'll be there in about twenty minutes, so get your stuff together so that you'll be ready to leave,"
"Alright,"
"Okay?"
"Okay,"
"See you soon, bye," she said before hanging up.
"Bye," Joey said into the now silent phone.
"What did she say?" Miss Marshal asked, looking up.
"She's coming for me in twenty minutes," Joey passed on the message.
"Okay. Go get your stuff and come back here to wait," She told him.
Joey went to his locker and packed up his things. He brought home all his books for homework. He assumed he would call Adam for the assignments.
When he returned to Miss Marshal's office, his mother was waiting for him. Miss Marshal nodded and they left. The car ride home was eerily quiet and it made Joey uncomfortable.
When they got home, Adrienne told him to sit down in the kitchen and eat his lunch. She had just begun to talk to him when Joey heard the front door slam shut and voices coming down the hallway. He tried to make out what was being said. He could only hear bits and pieces but he gathered that it was two men coming towards the kitchen. He turned around in his chair to see who it was when he saw the doorknob turn and the door swing open. Joey's face suddenly showed an ear-to-ear grin. There, standing in the doorway connecting the kitchen and hallway, was his father, Billie Joe Armstrong.
"I never new the Lord of the Rings could be so boring, I mean... "
That was true. The beginning of the book was kind of confusing.
"Hobbits? Where the hell did that name come from?"
You could say that. The name "hobbit" was kind of weird.
"How did that guy come up with names like that, I mean, Peregrin? Seriously... "
What was wrong with Peregrin? Pippin was cool.
"I wonder what I could do with the Ring. It would be pretty cool to be able to disappear like that!"
It would be cool. Being invisible could boost the chances of getting away with pranking teachers and other people.
"Oh look Adam's here."
"Huh?" Joey looked up to see his friend, Adam take a seat across the aisle from them.
"Hey Joe, Sam," Adam said taking off his backpack and putting it in the seat next to him.
"Hey Adam," Joey and Sam said in unison.
The rest of the bus ride was pretty lazy. The bus pulled into the entrance to the school and the excitement of starting a new day was starting to build. The bus doors opened and Joey, Adam and Sam picked up their bags and entered the school building, armed and ready for another exhausting day in 7 grade.
Joey walked to his locker and opened it. He began unpacking his bag when he heard a very unwelcome voice behind him.
"Well, if it isn't the great Joey Armstrong! Let's bow before his supremacy!" the voice said sarcastically.
Joey froze, a lump forming in his throat.
"Fuck off, Lucas," he said in a dull tone.
"What's the matter? Does Joey miss his Daddy?" Lucas taunted and his friends behind him laughed.
It was true. Joey did miss his dad. He hadn't seen him for over 6 months now but he wasn't about to fess up, that would just give Lucas more ammo. Instead, he just decided to remind Lucas of his earlier statement.
"I said 'fuck off', Lucas," Joey repeated.
"Aww, You do miss him, don't you?" Lucas continued.
"Lucas, will you just go read between the lines?!" Joey said angrily, slamming his locker shut and turning to walk away. He could feel his blood beginning to boil.
Lucas would just not give up. He and his snickering cronies followed Joey down the hallway.
"Ha ha! Don't worry, Joey! I'll make sure you don't get lonely!" he said, enjoying the effect that his taunting was having on Joey and sensing that he was getting angry.
Joey was at boiling point now, without any thought, he whipped around and punched Lucas in the face, causing Lucas' lip to split.
Lucas, at first, didn't make any moves. Mainly because he was overcome with the shock of just being punched by this kid a full head shorter than him. He just stood there, shocked off his rocker until the first prickles of pain began to set in.
"You're gonna regret that, you little punk!" Lucas growled lunging at Joey.
Joey stepped aside and dodged him. He then turned around to face Lucas and kicked him in the shin, hard. Lucas grabbed his leg and yelped. He let go of his leg, grabbed the ruff of Joey's collar and lifted him off the ground and shoved him into a wall.
Not until Joey hit the cold brick did he realize what he had just gotten himself into. He tried to go against Lucas, but he had a firm grip. He ground his teeth at the sight of Lucas laughing softly to himself as he watched Joey struggle.
"Let go of me, you bastard," Joey hissed through clenched teeth. He tried unclasping Lucas' hand on his collar, but it didn't work. Then an idea dawned. Joey put his legs together and kicked at Lucas' stomach as hard as he could, knocking Lucas back. Joey fell to the floor upon being released and massaged his chin.
By this time, a ring of students had formed around the dueling 12-year-olds and they were watching with anticipation as Joey stood up.
Lucas took a final blow at Joey which landed square in his jaw. Joey let out a groan as he clasped his hands over his lips and felt warm blood trickle past his hands and down towards his chin. Joey wiped the blood below his chin off and licked his split lip. His eyes flicked up towards the crowd of students just as he saw Sam and Adam pushing their way through. They ran to their friend's aid and turned to face Lucas.
"What the hell is your problem?" Sam asked defensively.
"I'll tell you," Lucas spat. "Your little friend here decided to pick a fight with me."
"Yeah, Lucas, well, you made him lash out at you!" Adam said.
"Don't start with me unless you want to end up like your friend here," Lucas said to Adam.
"Maybe I wouldn't be the only one looking a lot worse," Adam told him smoothly.
"What did you say?"
"You heard me!"
"Don't get me started... "
"BOYS!" came a yell.
Adam looked up and Lucas spun around only to see Miss Marshal standing over them, her arms crossed, her lip thin, and her foot tapping.
"Miss Marshal!" Sam said. "Look what he did to Joey!" Sam told her and pointed at Lucas and Joey.
"I know what happened, Mr. Carter and I'm not proud of it," Miss Marshal said. "I won't have it! Boys, come with me, we're going to call your parents," she said.
They trudged to the principles office behind Miss Marshal. When they got there, she told Joey, Sam, Adam, and Lucas to all take a seat as she closed the door behind them.
"Now," She said as she sat down at her desk and looked at all of them, "I understand that there was a fight between you?"
"Yes," They all said in unison.
"Now, would someone kindly explain to me why this happened?"
Joey, Sam, and Adam looked at each other. Joey was the first one to speak.
"Well, I had just come into school and was getting my books when he-," he pointed at Lucas, "-started taunting me about me missing my dad."
"Yes,"
"I told him to screw off and started down the hallway towards class and he followed me and kept making wise cracks,"
"And,"
"And I... " Joey lowered his voice, "... punched him... "
"So, you punched him first?"
"Well, yes, but I lost control after he made fun of me for not having my dad around a lot,"
"Oh, so that was the only thing you thought of to defend yourself with at the time?"
"Uh huh,"
"I see, well, Mr. Armstrong, the right thing would not have been to hit him, but to ignore him," Miss Marshal told Joey. "As for you," She turned to Lucas, "You shouldn't have been taunting him about his father, should you have?"
Lucas looked down and shook his head.
Miss Marshal turned to Adam and Sam. "What did you two have to do with this?" she asked them.
"Nothing, really," Sam said. "We saw him and Lucas fighting and tried to break it up."
"Yeah, but then Lucas started rounding on me and Sam when we went to help Joey," Adam told her.
"Yep. Lucas split Joey's lip and his nose was bleeding," Sam chimed in.
"Well," Miss Marshal said. "We're going to have to call all of your parents,"
The boys looked down.
"Okay," they all said in a dull whine.
They stood outside the office as one by one, their parents were called. Joey was called in last.
"Your mother is on the phone Joey," Miss Marshal told him after he entered the office.
"Alright," he said.
"She would like to speak with you," she continued, handing him the phone.
He took it and held it to his ear.
"Hello?" he asked.
"Joey? It's your mom. I'm coming to pick you up," Adrienne's voice said over the phone.
"Okay," Joey said.
"Miss Marshal explained to me what happened. We're going to have a talk when we get home," his mom informed him.
"Sure,"
"Okay, I'll be there in about twenty minutes, so get your stuff together so that you'll be ready to leave,"
"Alright,"
"Okay?"
"Okay,"
"See you soon, bye," she said before hanging up.
"Bye," Joey said into the now silent phone.
"What did she say?" Miss Marshal asked, looking up.
"She's coming for me in twenty minutes," Joey passed on the message.
"Okay. Go get your stuff and come back here to wait," She told him.
Joey went to his locker and packed up his things. He brought home all his books for homework. He assumed he would call Adam for the assignments.
When he returned to Miss Marshal's office, his mother was waiting for him. Miss Marshal nodded and they left. The car ride home was eerily quiet and it made Joey uncomfortable.
When they got home, Adrienne told him to sit down in the kitchen and eat his lunch. She had just begun to talk to him when Joey heard the front door slam shut and voices coming down the hallway. He tried to make out what was being said. He could only hear bits and pieces but he gathered that it was two men coming towards the kitchen. He turned around in his chair to see who it was when he saw the doorknob turn and the door swing open. Joey's face suddenly showed an ear-to-ear grin. There, standing in the doorway connecting the kitchen and hallway, was his father, Billie Joe Armstrong.
