Potential [closed]
Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:28 am
It had all gone wrong somewhere, nothing turned out like he had planned. He couldn't figure out where he had messed up. Now Rooster was mad at him, Franky was gloating and he was once again made to look like a fool, not to mention losing his bet and the consequences that were dire. These things all weighed heavy on Tolliver's mind as he sat in the corner sulking. His only companions were the half finished drink in his hand and the repetitive beats droning out from DJ Zero. "DAMMIT!" Tolliver pounded his fist on the table "I really screwed up this time... now I gotta do Freaky's bidding for 30days. Way to go Titan, way to go. idiot." He wasn't speaking to anyone, he had intimidated most the other patrons into other areas hours ago. He was alone with his brooding.
Tolliver sat lost in thought, mindless tapping the back of his head against the wall to the rhythm of Zero's beats. The dim lighting in the bar suited his mood. The fight with Rooster still fresh in his mind. The harsh words of the other boy still echoing in his mind, "one of these days Tolli you're going to screw up big.... You can beat I'll be the first person in line to take you down when they issue you a Threat Level..." Tolliver knew that's what everyone thought of him, that he was just one step shy of being a villain. Nobody ever remembered the good things he did. Where were the cheers when he saved the city from the Clockwork King or how about when he saved everyone in Salamanca from being drawn into the spirit world. Hell just earlier today he had saved a bus full of children from an evil plot by the Council. But no, they all only saw him as a thug and a stupid one at that. nobody ever saw what was beneath the surface, nobody ever saw his potential.
"Well to hell with them...they can all fuck off for all I care" He muttered to himself. "They can go right on believing I'm the bad guy. I'll show them. I show 'em all...." He stopped his thought short as he caught the hint of movement from the corner of his eye. He took a quick look around and noticed that he was no longer alone in this part of the club. A group of teenagers had gathered around the far corner of the bar. They were engaged in conversation and paying him no mind. Tolliver didn't care enough anymore to force them to leave, he was to consumed by his thoughts. He didn't recognize any of them, they weren't from Joe's. He assumed they must be from the same school as they all were wearing matching letter jackets, though he couldn't place the colors. They didn't matter though and he returned to his drink.
The time was creeping by or so it seemed. Rooster's words kept repeating in his head. "So I'm the villain huh... I eat villains for breakfast. Real ones too, not just the pansy 'round here" Tolliver kept his voice at a level only he could here, quietly reassuring himself. "I've even thrown down with Black Scorpion...not that any of them care...they'll see what I'm worth though. I'll show em my real potential" He stopped abruptly. He noticed one of the other kids was watching him from across the bar. He tried to pretend like she wasn't looking at him and adjusted his position, turning his back to her slightly.
Tolliver slowly finished his drink and ordered another. He could still hear the voices of the other kids and didn't dare to turn around in case the girl was still watching him. He wished he had a book or something, if just to make it appear that he wasn't just sulking and drinking. He could just leave but he didn't feel like being on campus yet, too many faces he'd want to push in right now. "Hey there" said a perky voice, startling him from his brooding. He turned around to see the girl who'd been watching him stand there. She was tall and had an athletic frame. She stood there waiting for a response, she looked strong and confident. She reminded him of Barrier, if Barrier wasn't green and was cute.
"Uh... You lost or something?" His reply was laced with the vitriol of his mood. He waited for the reaction, but it didn't come. She stood quietly for a moment, but her pleasant expression never changed.
"Well I was just checkin' to see if you wanted to come and hangout with us, you looked like you could use some company. Bad day?"
Tolliver chuckled, he was impressed. His current demeanor would have been enough to frighten off most people. "The worst, but I think I'd rather just sit here. Don't feel like being around a group of people at the moment."
She sat on bar stool near his and ordered a drink. She was bold, not at all put off by his foul disposition. "Wanna talk about it? Ya never know it might help"
Tolliver gave her a perplexed look. "What... you just go around and find strangers to talk to or something... I mean what gives. Why do you care what the hell my problem is, its my problem. Do me a favor and piss off." He clenched his teeth together and glared at the girl.
"Fair enough" she calmly replied. She stood up "You know, some people just genuinely care. Not everyone is playin an angle. If you change your mind, I'll be over there." She turned to head back to her friends. Tolliver suddenly felt even worse.
"He wait...look... I'm sorry. I just kind of made a big mess of things earlier at our schools big dance. I don't mean to take it out on you" Part of him couldn't believe he was apologizing. But it seemed to make him a little better.
"Well that can be a real bitch, why don't ya tell me about it" she said as she sat back down. "My name is Mary by the way. I think I remember you from the last big wrestling meet, your.. Tolliver, right?" The comment instantly put Tolliver at ease. He spent the next hour explaining the details, of the dance of the fiasco of his bet with Franky and of his fight with Rooster. She sat quietly, listening "hmm well its seems to me the other kids at your school just don't understand you. There's more to you than they know" She noticed her friends collecting their things and paying the bill. "Oh hey, I've gotta take off now but here" She handed Tolliver a small business card. "My friends and I all hangout here, its sort of an after-school club thing that we do. You should come check it out sometime. You'd like it."
"Thanks, I just might do that sometime." He took a quick glance at the simple looking card, it read Youth Outreach Program and had an address in Faultline.
"I mean it though Tolliver" she continued while putting on her coat. "I just don't think the people at your school see what I see when I look at you."
"Yeah and whats that?" his curiosity getting the better of him. She was already trying to catch up to her friends but replied over her shoulder as she walked.
"Potential"
Tolliver sat lost in thought, mindless tapping the back of his head against the wall to the rhythm of Zero's beats. The dim lighting in the bar suited his mood. The fight with Rooster still fresh in his mind. The harsh words of the other boy still echoing in his mind, "one of these days Tolli you're going to screw up big.... You can beat I'll be the first person in line to take you down when they issue you a Threat Level..." Tolliver knew that's what everyone thought of him, that he was just one step shy of being a villain. Nobody ever remembered the good things he did. Where were the cheers when he saved the city from the Clockwork King or how about when he saved everyone in Salamanca from being drawn into the spirit world. Hell just earlier today he had saved a bus full of children from an evil plot by the Council. But no, they all only saw him as a thug and a stupid one at that. nobody ever saw what was beneath the surface, nobody ever saw his potential.
"Well to hell with them...they can all fuck off for all I care" He muttered to himself. "They can go right on believing I'm the bad guy. I'll show them. I show 'em all...." He stopped his thought short as he caught the hint of movement from the corner of his eye. He took a quick look around and noticed that he was no longer alone in this part of the club. A group of teenagers had gathered around the far corner of the bar. They were engaged in conversation and paying him no mind. Tolliver didn't care enough anymore to force them to leave, he was to consumed by his thoughts. He didn't recognize any of them, they weren't from Joe's. He assumed they must be from the same school as they all were wearing matching letter jackets, though he couldn't place the colors. They didn't matter though and he returned to his drink.
The time was creeping by or so it seemed. Rooster's words kept repeating in his head. "So I'm the villain huh... I eat villains for breakfast. Real ones too, not just the pansy 'round here" Tolliver kept his voice at a level only he could here, quietly reassuring himself. "I've even thrown down with Black Scorpion...not that any of them care...they'll see what I'm worth though. I'll show em my real potential" He stopped abruptly. He noticed one of the other kids was watching him from across the bar. He tried to pretend like she wasn't looking at him and adjusted his position, turning his back to her slightly.
Tolliver slowly finished his drink and ordered another. He could still hear the voices of the other kids and didn't dare to turn around in case the girl was still watching him. He wished he had a book or something, if just to make it appear that he wasn't just sulking and drinking. He could just leave but he didn't feel like being on campus yet, too many faces he'd want to push in right now. "Hey there" said a perky voice, startling him from his brooding. He turned around to see the girl who'd been watching him stand there. She was tall and had an athletic frame. She stood there waiting for a response, she looked strong and confident. She reminded him of Barrier, if Barrier wasn't green and was cute.
"Uh... You lost or something?" His reply was laced with the vitriol of his mood. He waited for the reaction, but it didn't come. She stood quietly for a moment, but her pleasant expression never changed.
"Well I was just checkin' to see if you wanted to come and hangout with us, you looked like you could use some company. Bad day?"
Tolliver chuckled, he was impressed. His current demeanor would have been enough to frighten off most people. "The worst, but I think I'd rather just sit here. Don't feel like being around a group of people at the moment."
She sat on bar stool near his and ordered a drink. She was bold, not at all put off by his foul disposition. "Wanna talk about it? Ya never know it might help"
Tolliver gave her a perplexed look. "What... you just go around and find strangers to talk to or something... I mean what gives. Why do you care what the hell my problem is, its my problem. Do me a favor and piss off." He clenched his teeth together and glared at the girl.
"Fair enough" she calmly replied. She stood up "You know, some people just genuinely care. Not everyone is playin an angle. If you change your mind, I'll be over there." She turned to head back to her friends. Tolliver suddenly felt even worse.
"He wait...look... I'm sorry. I just kind of made a big mess of things earlier at our schools big dance. I don't mean to take it out on you" Part of him couldn't believe he was apologizing. But it seemed to make him a little better.
"Well that can be a real bitch, why don't ya tell me about it" she said as she sat back down. "My name is Mary by the way. I think I remember you from the last big wrestling meet, your.. Tolliver, right?" The comment instantly put Tolliver at ease. He spent the next hour explaining the details, of the dance of the fiasco of his bet with Franky and of his fight with Rooster. She sat quietly, listening "hmm well its seems to me the other kids at your school just don't understand you. There's more to you than they know" She noticed her friends collecting their things and paying the bill. "Oh hey, I've gotta take off now but here" She handed Tolliver a small business card. "My friends and I all hangout here, its sort of an after-school club thing that we do. You should come check it out sometime. You'd like it."
"Thanks, I just might do that sometime." He took a quick glance at the simple looking card, it read Youth Outreach Program and had an address in Faultline.
"I mean it though Tolliver" she continued while putting on her coat. "I just don't think the people at your school see what I see when I look at you."
"Yeah and whats that?" his curiosity getting the better of him. She was already trying to catch up to her friends but replied over her shoulder as she walked.
"Potential"