"Hey asshat!" Brock idled up and wrapped an arm all friendly-like around my neck, before giving me a quick, hard jab in the gut.
"OOOOFFFFF…" Tears welled up in my eyes as my breath was suddenly knocked from me.
"Look jackass," Brock smiled all charmingly, while helping to hold me up, "I saw the way you kept perving over Victoria on the whole way here. You best leave her alone, if you know what's all good for you. Capiche?" Smiling like we were the best of friends, his free hand quickly slammed back into my soft, flabby side. Without bothering to hear my answer, he suddenly let go of my neck and then casually walked over to strike up a conversation with one of the other jocks.
"What'd tiny dick want?" Maria idled up as soon as he'd left, staring at me with a combination of concern and contempt visible on her face. I sincerely hope the concern is for me, and the contempt is for him. With the pathetic show I'd just put on – standing there and just taking it like the fat, loser, nobody, which I am – I couldn't be 100% certain of that.
"He just wanted to talk to me about how nice Vicky's tits and ass are," I said, forcing a smile, while wiping sweat from my forehead.
"Really?" Frowning the corner of one cheek upwards, Maria gave me a hard glare.
"Really." I tried to smile as reassuringly as possible for her. "He just wanted to make sure I remembered those are reserved for the sport guys only."
"As if," Maria snorted, derisively. "Little miss perfect hasn't slept with anyone. She's still a virgin," she declared, confidently.
"Really?" My surprise at hearing that helped blow the last lingering remnants of pain out of my thoughts. "How would you know?" I asked, suspiciously.
"I've…"
"Okay guys, settle down!" Laughing as if she was the happiest girl in the world, Vicky bounced over to join our group, oblivious to any conversations she might be interrupting.
Was, "Okay guys, settle down," her signature catch phrase, or something? Maybe that was how she managed to keep her purity and stay a cheerleader; "Okay guys, settle down!" Smirking to myself, I once again tuned out whatever blather she was dribbling on about. Why can't this stupid trip be over already?
"…and everyone give a big round of thanks to Mr. Davies here, for being our guide this morning."
As Vicky was finishing up her speech, a big bear of a man came confidently striding up to our group. "You can just call me Davy," the burly brute told us gruffly. Since my head didn't even reach this guy's armpits, and since he looked like he could probably bench press me if he wanted, I had no issues calling him Davy. Hell, I'd probably call him Sweet Baby Jesus, if that's what he wanted!
Now, you'd think a guy in skin tight shorts, a loose shirt, and hiking boots would look silly. I know I'd personally look like someone tried to shove an elephant into a sausage roll, but the look suited this guy. Hairy arms. Hairy legs. Bulging muscles and built like a brick. Davy looked like some mythical norse warrior-god brought to life before us; and with a voice almost as subtle as thunder, he had absolutely no trouble commanding everyone's attention.
"Line up in two rows right here," he rumbled loudly, while still somehow grinning warmly. This guy was somehow both very intimidating, exerting a massive presence, and quite warm, jolly, and approachable at the same time. He utterly baffled me.
"Boys on the right, ladies on the left," Davy clarified, as students began to file into two rows in front of him. "And you, Milady," he held out his left arm towards Vicky, "have the honor of walking with me."
"Hah!" Maria punched me lightly on my left arm, before entangling it with her right. "Hear that? You're just boys, while we're refined ladies." She couldn't help but stick her tongue out teasingly in my direction.
"Whatever," I answered moodily. I hate school, and I hate these stupid school trips!
******************************************************
Honestly, things weren't too bad until just a while before lunch. Ranger Hunk'o'brute was actually quite knowledgeable and engaging. He told us all about the legend of Mystic Caverns, and how it was some sort of sacred place to the Uggabooga Indians. (Even *if* he had a high capability to convey his knowledge in a manner that was easy to relate to, *I* had a greater ability to not care. Uggabooga isn't the tribal name he shared with us, but I couldn't care less about what it actually was.)
Just as we were reaching the climax of the tour, and Davy was starting his lecture about the Mystic Pond, tragedy struck. Tragedy in the forum of Brock the Idiot Jock "accidently" shoving up against me, toppling me over the waist-high safety railing, causing me to flop face first into the freezing cold pond below.
"SPLOOOSH!!" I hit the water hard enough that all the breath exploded out of my lungs, and I saw rainbows and stars swirling all about. Someone screamed my name from above – was that Maria? I couldn't be sure. I was dazed and almost fainted, as a pair of large hands grabbed me under my armpits and effortlessly tugged me up and towards the edge of the pool.
"Hey kid! Are you dead? Maimed? Hurt at all?" Davy's deep, gruff voice echoed in my ears, full of concern.
"I'm not," I nodded groggily, still sputtering some water.
"Good." Sounding relieved, Davy pounded enthusiastically across my back several times.
"Young Miss," he turned his attention up to where Vicky and all the other students were gathered, pressing up tightly against the safety half-rail overlooking us to watch the show. "Follow the lights on your left and lead the others out of here, for now. Me and this young gentleman will catch up in just a few moments, once he's had a chance to pull himself together a bit better."
"Are.. Are you sure?" Vicky's voice was shaken, and it was obvious just from the sound of it, that none of her preparations had covered an idiot falling off the pool's overlook, trying to kill themselves.
"It's fine," Davy assured her. "We'll be right behind you."
"O..okay." Still sounding somewhat uncertain, Vicky clapped her hands loudly to catch everyone's attention. "Okay guys, settle down." With what I'm convinced must be her catchphrase, she turned and led the rest of the class — minus Maria, who was too worried about me to leave — along the path Davy had pointed out, to the exit.