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"Oh, really?" said Sampson, smirking. "Which team is it?"

"He's going to say basketball," Larry said.

Osaze nodded. "The shrimpy one is correct." A sly grin began to form on his long, slender muzzle. "We basketball players are a family."

"Courtland's not on the basketball team," said Larry.

"Your grasp of the obvious is outstanding."

"So you think there's someone on your team that would help me?"

Osaze shrugged. "Anything's possible."

"I just remembered something. You offered to...how did you put it? 'Slam dunk him'."

"And then we agreed he'd just spin it so that it'd look really bad on you."

"So how is having a bodyguard any different?"

Osaze's grin vanished, replaced by a frown. "Because Courtland's escalated it. He almost beat the crap out of you. He'd tear you to shreds in a fair fight, so we have to make sure the odds are against him."

"Maybe Courtland won't bother him anymore," Sampson said.

"And maybe I'll win the lottery." Larry shook his head. "Osaze is right. I need all the help I can get. Courtland's going to stay out of trouble, but sooner or later he'll be up to no good."

"So cynical at such a young age," Osaze said.

"I'm fifteen!"

"I just turned sixteen, what's your point?" Without waiting for a reply, Osaze continued. "Let's get back on track here. Sampson will make his futile attempt at recruiting one of the football players, and I'll succeed at getting one of my teammates to guard you."

"Has anyone ever told you that you have a huge ego?"

"You're the first, Sampson," Osaze said. "Maybe that's why I'm so tall. So it can hold my ego."

*

An hour later, Larry walked down the crowded hall by himself, his mind dwelling on the subject of a bodyguard. Did he really need one? Was Courtland that much of a problem?

As if in reply, a heavy hand grabbed his shoulder.

"You got me in trouble, asshole," said Courtland.

Before Larry could face him, the foo dog's claws sunk lightly into the gryphon's shoulder, making him wince. It wasn't enough to penetrate his shirt, but the threat was there.

"Just keep walking." Courtland was guiding him down the hall.

Not wishing to make a scene, or perhaps to afraid to make one, Larry was guided down the hallway, past his next class. Aside from a fellow student, a minotaur leaning up against a locker and watching them, they were all alone.

"Get in there," Courtland growled, shoving Larry into the boy's bathroom, despite the gryphon's struggles. Once inside, Courtland pushed him to the floor. The smell of bleach burned his nostrils.

"You're going to get suspended," Larry said. Before he could belly crawl away from Courtland, the foo dog grabbed him by the neck.

"After what my dad's gonna do to me, kicking your ass is gonna be worth it."

Larry squeezed his eyes shut in anticipation of the foo dog's fist to wherever it might land on his body. Instead of the awaited punch, he heard something unexpected:

"Let me go!"