Judith's Reply. - Writers Forum

Evega · 08-13-2004, 10:51 AM

Judith’s Reply

“Come on, Judith,” I whispered. “We have this one.”

Judith didn’t reply. She never replied. But I felt her response. A warm tingle went through her neck, down into her handle and into my hands. I smiled. “We have it.”

The call came quickly. “Deuce!” The ball flew into the service box. I smacked it with a perfect forehand, bringing Judith back up onto my left shoulder on the follow-through. The neon orb flew over the net, spinning crazily. It landed just in front of my opponent, but, just as I had planned, its spin caused it to bounce backwards. The sudden shift in the ball’s movement put my opponent off balance, and he slapped the ball into the net.

“Nice return,” he said, trying to keep the game friendly. I simply smiled, and we went back to our places.

“Add out!” He said, and again the ball flew into the box perfectly. I hit it with another hard forehand, sending it to the left corner of the court. I ran towards the center of my side, sending the ball back when he hit it to me. He smashed it back at me, fast, but I returned it with a quick backhand. The ball fell straight in front of him, and he slammed it back to me. I jumped to the side and scooped up underneath it with Judith, sending the ball high into the air. The sun blocked his sight, and the ball fell at his feet before he got the chance to move. He swung, but was too close and too late.

“Our point,” I said to Judith. “Our game. Our match.”

* * *

The morning announcements were early Friday morning. As usual, first period had just ended, and the principal’s voice filled the speakers all over the school. The students in the class yelled and talked, drowning out the usual announcements. I heard, though. Unlike the rest of them, who got up and crowded around the door, waiting to be let free of math, I sat still in my seat, slowly putting away my books and listening to the loudspeaker.

“…and Nicholas Squire to the office after announcements,” the voice said. “I also have a special congratulations to the boys tennis team. They defeated Dockside High yesterday afternoon. Special congratulations to the team’s captain, Glen Cavotta, for his outstanding flawless victory over Dockside’s captain.”

“Dammit!” I cursed under my breath. “You had to say my name. Just what I need, them to be reminded that I exist.”

The announcements ended and the bell rang, signaling the passage to second period. I headed out of the room behind the mob, only to be sucked up in the congested hallway. I pushed my way through, trying to get through the halls and to my next classroom as fast as I could. Students crammed the corridors, talking to each other and just standing at their lockers. I weaved in and out of them, and eventually my English room was in sight.

But before it was a turn into another corridor and the door to the boy’s bathroom. I silently cursed again. It was where they always stood, trying to hide the smoke billowing out from under the bathroom door behind them. I passed them without a word, ignoring them. Luckily, the only thing that followed me into my English classroom was an echoing call of “faggot!”

I sat down in my seat at the front of the class, looking up on the blackboard. A few minutes passed, and students began coming in. They took their seats, and eventually the teacher made his way in as well. He was young for a teacher, and had a small build and short blond hair. He had some light stubble along his chin, and I guess that he hadn’t shaved today. His eyes were a deep blue, and he smiled when he looked at me. My heart jumped.

“Okay, class,” he said. “Today we’re doing more with Huckleberry Finn. Let’s get right into it. Who can tell me what happened in last night’s reading?” I eagerly raised my hand. “Yes, Glen?” He asked.

I smiled. “Huck met up with Tom Sawyer on the road near the Phelps farm. They decided that they were going to free Jim and started coming up with a plan.”

“Good,” he nodded. “Maybe now those who didn’t read it will have a better chance of passing today’s pop quiz.”

* * *

“Okay, Judith,” I said, stroking her strings like a harp. “We’re winning. Just send it home.”

“Forty, fifteen!” I bounced the ball on the court a few times, then threw it up high in front of my face. I pulled my arm and Judith back, forming an arc with my body, and ripped back up, slamming the ball right into the center of the box I was aiming for.

My opponent jumped to the side and returned it with a weak forehand. I ran forward, and hit the ball right after it bounced, sending it into the corner of my opponent’s court. He ran, and smacked it back at the net. I was still close, and slammed the ball down hard before it ever bounced on my side. It zoomed into the baseline and bounced into the metal fencing around the courts. It was a perfect shot, right on the line.

I held Judith close. “Just send it home.”

* * *

The next day my name was on the announcements again for my victory. I hesitated a while after the crowd left the room, hoping that maybe I could avoid them on my way to English. I left the room when most of the halls were empty, and I headed down the hall to class. I came near the intersection, near the boy’s bathroom.

My plan backfired terribly.

The halls were empty aside from me and them, and I drew their full attention when I passed.

“Hey there, fag.” Came a scratchy voice. I ignored it, kept walking, but then it came again, louder. “I said hey there!”

I stopped moving for a second and took a deep breath. “Calm down,” I told myself. I had gotten into a fight before, in a very similar incident. I couldn’t afford another fight. Especially with the consequence of being kicked off the tennis team this time. I took a step forward, then another.

“Stop right there, you homo!” He shrieked, but I kept walking. My face was red with anger and embarrassment. “I’m going to kick your ass next time you look at me! Yeah, keep walking! Don’t look at me, you fag!”

I quickly rushed into my English classroom and sat down, trying to hide my heavy breathing.

* * *

“It’s the first game of the new month, Judith,” I said to her. “We can do this. Let’s start off nice and easy.”

The ball whizzed at us quickly, but it bounced outside the service box. I called it, and my opponent took his second serve, which bounced neatly in the box’s center. I held my ground, pulling back Judith, and slammed the ball when it came to me. It sailed over the net, landing neatly on the other side. My opponent rushed for it and hit it back over, and I had to run to save it. I bounced the ball gently off of Judith, and it barely cleared the net. My opponent ran forward, but the tiny hit had made the ball bounce low, and it was too late by the time he got there.

“Nice and easy,” I said to my racket. “Nice and easy.”

* * *

“Faggot! You stupid homo!”

I couldn’t believe it. I had left extra-early this time, trying to get to class before they ever showed up in their area. However, it ended up like last time, when I had tried to go late. I was alone in the hall, just me and them.

“You suck!” Their leader called in his scratchy low voice. “Literally, you fag!” His cronies chuckled idiotically.

I stopped moving, my fists clenched tight around the straps to my tennis bag. I took a deep breath, and stepped forward.

“Can’t wait to get to class, huh, fag?” They taunted. “Can’t wait to go see your big gay teacher?”

That was it. In the blink of an eye, I had dropped my bag to the ground and pulled out Judith. Her metallic edge gleamed in the light of the corridor, and I held her in front of me, in the ready position.

“What are you gonna do, faggot?” They said, coming toward me. “You gonna smack our balls with your racket?”

I gritted my teeth. There were four of them. They were all tall, and they reeked of smoke. I was small and thin, but I had Judith with me. If they tried something, they wouldn’t stand a chance. “Easy, Judith. Take it easy,” I whispered to her. She didn’t reply, but I felt her anticipation.

The first one lunged at me, his face contorted in mindless fury. I pulled Judith back, and smacked his face with hers. He stepped back, grabbing his nose, startled and in pain. I got back into the ready position, Judith in front of me. There was blood on her strings.

He stood up and grunted, and all at once the four of them jumped at me. I swung hard with Judith, cutting one of them in the chest hard with her metal edge. He collapsed, gasping. The next one grabbed my shirt and punched me hard in the face. I felt a terrible pain, and tasted blood. I kicked with my foot, hitting his crotch, and he let go just long enough for me to smash Judith into him. He grabbed at his side and stepped back in pain. The next one grabbed my arms while the fourth went for Judith. I kicked up at him, missing, but it threw him off balance. Using the bully holding me for leverage, I slammed my heel into the other’s face, drawing blood from his nose. He collapsed. The one holding me struggled for a moment, then threw me hard on the ground. He jumped at me, intent on pounding my face with his brutish fist.

“Stop it! Stop it now!” Came a yell.

We both turned to see my English teacher running down the hall at us. I cursed. I didn’t want him to see me like this. Of all people, why did it have to be him?

* * *

I slammed Meredith against the neon tennis ball, sending it hard into the red brick wall. It bounced back, and I hit it again with an ferocious backhand. Again and again I pounded at it, swinging Meredith wildly and angrily. I had never handled Judith like this when I had her.

I knew that the tennis team was playing right now. It was the last game of the season, and they were probably losing without me. I smashed the ball again, sending it bouncing hard off the wall. It flew over my head, and I turned to go get it.

I picked it up and threw it back at the wall. It bounced back, and I slammed it again with Meredith. Again and again I pounded away, letting loose all my fury at the small neon orb.

My future had been ruined. Expelled from high school for defending my beliefs. Kicked off my tennis team for using my skills off the court. My future was gone, but now I lived for the present.

“It’s only me and you now, Meredith,” I said.

Judith had been lost after the fight. Images of her flooded through my mind, images of my beloved Judith in the hands of some kid who had picked it up in the hall. I could see his ugly smile, laughing about the racket with blood on its strings.

Judith had finally replied to me. And she had been taken away for it.

Perhaps she should have remained silent.

Kat · 08-19-2004, 01:54 PM

It's interesting that if he is indeed gay that he names his racket with a female name. I can see all kinds of things read into that. It was an interesting read to say the least. Disturbing

Evega · 08-27-2004, 10:28 AM

Yes, he is supposed to be gay.