One Piece Fan Fiction ❯ Mugiwara High School ❯ On The Porch ( Chapter 3 )

It's become sort of a tradition for a few members of the MHS football team, every week of football season, Thursday after practice, a group of them walk to the home of the now-starting Fullback Smoker and just talk about life and everything, of course, not passing up a chance to make fun of each other.

“So what I'm trying to figure out…” leaning back on the edge of the porch at Smoker's house, Sanji took a cigarette out of his mouth already chuckling, “is how, despite already spending three years in this school already…” the Placekicker's laughing slowly becoming more riotous, “Marimo here STILL gets lost trying to find his classes!”

The other people in group, Smoker, starting Quarterback Iceburg, and a new member, his first year of the team despite being a Senior like the rest, the new starting Center, Cutty “Franky” Flam, began to join Sanji in his laughter until Sanji got shoved off the porch by the final member, All-State Halfback Roronoa Zoro.

“Can it, Twinkle Toes.” Zoro took a drink from his sports drink bottle as he sat down right where Sanji originally was. “Besides, I wasn't lost, the renovations on the school messed up my sense of direction.”

“You mean the renovations to the gym part on the other end of the school from where they found you?” Smoker pulled the cigar out of his mouth to quickly retort, continuing the laughter from the rest (although Iceburg did cough up a bit laughing too hard, it was one of his first times smoking a cigar) as Zoro stared at them with discontent.

“OK, OK, actually me getting there was not because of the stupid school shifting walls like it usually is. It was a Siren's Song.”

The group just stared at Zoro, a deafening silence filled the air for about a minute until Iceburg broke the silence with a definite “WHAT?”

“I'm serious, around 12:20, just when lunch is ending, from the music area, there's this amazing haunting melody on piano. It just drew me in to that area, but I just couldn't find where the song was coming from. Whoever was playing it is amazing.”

“Marimo, that scholarship to Star Platinum University has made you cuckoo. So, Franky, cat got your tongue? Why are you so quiet?”

Franky opened his mouth a bit, however nothing but “uhm”s came out. Slowly he got out some words, “Well…there really hasn't been a topic I can really comment on yet.”

Sanji just looked him down, thinking of how to retort, “Well, tell us about yourself. I know Iceburg and you are good friends, but what do you like to do?”

“Well, Ice and I work at a Garage during the off-season. Tom's Garage over by the Interstate. We also dabble in building them, I want to make them for a living.”

“Wow, someone here that actually knows what he wants to do in the future. Smoker's no longer a rarity.”

Smoker lifted up his sleeve to reveal a Marine Corps tattoo on his arm before continuing the conversation. “I've already done Basic, I'll be in Corps for a while after I graduate, then I'll become a police officer.”

“So says the 17-year-old with the cigar in his mouth who I also know has delved into the delicious nectar of alcohol.” Zoro smartassedly remarked.

“Not a policeman yet, besides, I know you're a bigger alky than me.”

“Got me there, but I've stopped until the season's over. I've gotta stay out of trouble for my future. Star Platinum's one of the top rising powers in the nation. And maybe one day I'll be pro. So Franky, how come you're joining this year? You got the starting job at Center and you're damn strong. How come you've never gone out until now?”

Franky looked down a bit, exhaling a bit, before breaking the silence. “I…couldn't go out until this year due to…circumstances.”

“Like transferring?” Sanji asked, “but you've been at this school all four years, just…not really noticed.”

“Legal…circumstances.” Franky took another long pause before continuing, “I spent time in juvee when I was 8. It took a petition from Iceburg and a bunch of other people to have the athletic association clear me for playing. But I don't regret what I did.”

Silence and stares were centered around Franky, waiting for him to continue. Iceburg, however, was the one to break the silence. “Assault. He beat up a man and the man pushed charges.”

“He was…the man…he was trying to take advantage of a little girl in an alley. Girl was probably same age as me. I saved her before anything really bad happened. Like Ice said, the man pressed charges, the only witnesses were me, the man, and the girl. The girl…was unable to be found. I still don't know who she was. All I remember is that she had dark hair. The man was filthy rich and got me stuck in juvenile hall for nine months. That criminal record has haunted me to this day. Thanks to Tom, Ice, and others, though, I ready to put it behind me.”

Iceburg and Franky shared a fist pump as Iceburg once again began coughing up a lung due to the smoke. Silence then followed for a bit before Zoro decided that it was his turn to bring up a subject.

“Konoha Leaves…How many yards can we put on them? Since most of the main offense is here right now.”

“I'll probably stuff in a hundred,” Smoker smiled, “you're probably gonna rock around 250 or 300. Ice, you'll probably throw 450. Hundred seventy-five each to your wides and a hundred fifty to Kohza. This is gonna be an absurd game. When we can talk about this with no fear of an upset, it feels good.”

“Only chance we'll get,” Sanji spoke up, “They couldn't play out of a paper sack. They'll be lucky get a hundred yards past the Skyriders. They're pumped for this season. Wiper even got a tattoo on his face for this.”

“Great player, yes,” Iceburg stated, “Fashion conscious, hell no. That thing is not gonna look good with a suit come when he needs to find a career.”

“He can be a damn good soldier, though.” Smoker butted in, “Such intensity. I've seen him go for a blitz and I see the opposing quarterback just scared SHITLESS. His eyes are as wide as dinner plates when he sees Wiper or Kamakiri soar over the line like they do. But yeah, the Leaves, over the last twenty years the second worst overall record in this division. Only because we still consider the Black Order Exorcists' Decade of Futility in those last twenty years.”

Zoro picked up the conversation, “How can a team honestly go 3-87 in a ten year span? You're on that team and you look to your stands and your fans are wearing paper bags over their heads. But remember who those three wins were over during that span. The Konoha Leaves.”

Sanji chuckled as Zoro finished speaking, “You and Usopp should get into a football trivia challenge. Jesus, that band nerd follows the sport religiously. So does his buddy Merry, for that matter. I'm sure he's the only one at this school other than you that knew about that paper bag story. You can't beat him in a game of GameStation Football, though; he is a god at that, too. Remember when he went out for the team? Ice knows.”

“Oh god yes I do, I was afraid I wasn't gonna get a spot on the team when we were doing throwing drills. He was nailing them from every possible position. He hit a bulls-eye from seventy yards out once! Then we did full contact drills and he'd always run away and get sacked for 20 yard losses. If he could work his courage, he'd join Zoro in the All-State list. But now he plays in the band.”

“He's just afraid of confrontation,” Zoro added on, “we're still good buddies. He loves the band, though. He's a good player there too, and he loves the free tickets that come with the uniform. Back to his God-like GameStation skills, he could probably out-coach Cobra if he has a good day. He almost always knows the right play to call, he can read the opponent like a book. Shame he didn't get a spot on the team, him getting a spot as player-coach assisting Cobra, even CP will be on their knees.”

Franky now finally joined the conversation, “If only it were that easy. Kinda funny how they ended up being the last team on the regular season schedule. I remember watching last year's games against them. Both the regular season matchup and the quarters, the ball just always seemed to bounce their ways. They have that invincible aura to them. Of course, it'll be that much better when we bring them down to earth.”

“Now now, Franky,” Iceburg calmly picked up, “We got eight games before that one. Including that trip to Hicksville to face BW. They've got almost everyone back from last year. Including King Douche.”

“Crocodile…” Sanji took a long drag from his cigarette, “that son of a bitch last year, came to campus, tried to pick a fight with Chaka and Pell, then tried to hit Coach Cobra's daughter for chrissakes. This year, he's really going down, ESPECIALLY if he tries to pull those stunts again.”

Zoro responded with a bit of a chuckle, “Well, old Captain will probably be guarding Vivi around that time this year though. Have you ever seen a cheerleading captain so protective of the other cheerleaders? Although the fact that the captain's also the only male on the squad, he also kinda looks like…heh…a pimp.”

“A cheerleader pimp, I like that idea,” Sanji smiled a bit, “Oh Luffy, you crazy bastard. I'd change spots for you in a heartbeat.”

“Yeah, Twinkle Toes, that skirt would be fitting.”

“Shut it, Marimo.”

The afternoon turned into night as the football players laughed and chattered away. Tomorrow would be the first day of the season, and at that time it would be back to business, but for now, it's just a time to mess around. A time to still be kids.