The Crystal's Curse by Vicky de Leo

with a hand on one arm. “Against how many, Joshua? I told you, he won’t come alone.”
    As if on cue Frank, Clay and three other muscular football-types stepped out of the shadow of the trees and onto the path directly in front of them.
    “Speak of the devil,” Nathan said. “And look he’s brought his faithful sidekick and the three stooges, Curly, Moe, and Larry, if I‘m not mistaken.”
    “Why don’t you run along home, Nathan? You don’t have to be a part of this. I‘ll make sure Joshua gets home after he learns some manners,” Frank sneered, locking eyes with Joshua.
    Nathan stopped short, but stood his ground.
    Frank stepped up to Joshua and poked his finger into his chest. “I told you to stay away from her.”
    Joshua raised both hands in front of him and with a smile said, “Hey, I don’t want any trouble. I realize you’ve had a hard day what with being beaten up by a girl and everything, but I have to tell you. I don’t think she likes you.” Without warning, he grabbed Frank’s hand, twisted his arm behind him, and kneed him in the rear shoving him into Clay. “Some people just don’t like being touched.”
    The three stooges, as Nathan had called them, rushed forward, surrounding them. One grabbed Joshua from behind. Joshua bent his knees and threw him over his head. The other two grabbed Joshua’s arms dragging him over into the shade to pin him with his back against a tree. The one Joshua had thrown, scrambled to his feet, and grabbed Nathan when he tried to help.
    With a smirk on his face, Clay walked casually up to where the thugs held Joshua. He drew back and punched him in the gut. Joshua doubled over. Then bracing his back against the tree, he reared up and kicked Clay in the groin. Clay doubled over and fell to the ground, moaning in pain, the smirk replaced by one of anguish.
    Meanwhile, Nathan bent over as if he was going to be sick. The man holding him, caught up in watching the fight, loosened his grip. Nathan reared up and smacked his elbow as hard as he could into his nose. One stooge down.
    Frank, hate distorting his features, apparently hadn’t noticed Nathan. Concentrating on Joshua, he stepped around Clay. With fury blazing in his eyes, he came forward and hit Joshua in the face, splitting his lip.
    Joshua tasted blood, but his eyes never left Frank’s face.
    Frank pulled his arm back for another punch.
    Nathan came up behind the two goons holding Joshua. Grabbing a tree branch off the ground, he swung and hit one in the back of the head. Two stooges down.
    With one arm now loose, Joshua swung around and punched the other in the throat. He went to his knees gasping for air. Third stooge down and out.
    With both arms loose, Joshua turned on Frank who’d backed up. Advancing quickly, Joshua put all his weight into the punch. Frank went down. Clay was still down and doubled over from the kick. Only Nathan and Joshua were standing, when a campus cop came bicycling up.
    “Is there a problem here?” The cop asked Nathan and Joshua.
    Joshua looked around and said calmly, “No problem sir, we were just practicing some tackles. I think we’re done now.” He and Nathan hurried to the car while Frank, Clay and the three stooges struggled to get up.
    Driving home, Nathan turned to Joshua and said, “You know I managed to go through grade school and high school without getting in to even one fight. I spend one day with you, and I’m already outnumbered and in a brawl.”
    Joshua laughed. “Your first fight, huh? You kicked ass, and no one even laid a hand on you.”
    “I have to admit it felt great.” Then they were both laughing.
    “Oh, don’t make me laugh, that hurts,” Joshua groaned. “I wasn’t as lucky as you.”
    “Yeah, well that‘s cause you‘re the one with the big mouth,” Nathan replied, which started another round of laughter.
    Nathan dropped Joshua off in front of his grandfather’s house. Joshua made sure he avoided Mrs. Stewart until he’d