by C. L. Stone
“What was that about?” North asked.
“Sang’s had her first marriage proposal,” Luke said, chuckling. He squeezed my hand.
His laugh was infectious, so I started to relax. “He couldn’t have been serious,” I said. “He was just teasing me or something.”
Victor’s mouth hung open. Kota pushed his glasses up his nose, looking confused. Gabriel laughed. Silas and North twisted around, scanning the courtyard to where the guys had disappeared inside.
“Who was he?” North asked.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I’ve never seen him before. I think it was random.”
He didn’t look convinced. “What was his name?”
“The guys called him Mike.”
Gabriel was still snickering. “We’re going to have to keep a closer eye on you.”
North dug into his pockets and pulled out a handful of folded notes in his pockets. He opened each of them on his lap, flattening the papers and checking the signatures. “Nope. No Mike.”
“What are those?” Kota asked.
“Notes for Sang,” North said. He crumpled them together and stuffed them back into his pocket.
My mouth slackened and my head cocked at an angle toward him. “Are you sure? What do they say?”
North shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. If a guy can’t say it to your face, he doesn’t get to pass you notes.”
I shared a glance with Luke. Luke smirked at his brother. “You mean she’s getting notes in class from boys?”
“There’s a particularly persistent one in our history class.”
“Which one?” I asked. It left me uncomfortable that guys were passing me notes and I didn’t know what was going on. Had North infiltrated all of those for me and I just now noticed the one in class? Were there others? Was it that bad to get notes? I wondered if they all said bad things and he was protecting me from them.
“Doesn’t matter,” North said firmly.
I looked at Victor to see if he had some insight. Victor’s face was blank, and he only shrugged. “I didn’t see it.”
I wasn’t quite convinced and thought maybe he did know and he fibbed. Either he didn’t want to get in the middle of this or he agreed with North. I couldn’t be sure.
“Oy,” Gabriel called out. “You can’t just take her shit. Someone was giving that to her.”
North tilted his head around until he was eyeing Gabriel. “Excuse me?”
Gabriel glowered at him. “Sang’s never had notes passed to her in class and you’re taking her first ones. That’s like a fucking life experience or something.”
I blushed. How would Gabriel know if I’d never been passed notes in class? But then it must be obvious. Someone like me wouldn’t get notes.
“Then you write her one,” North said. “No face, no note. That’s chicken shit. This isn’t first grade where you’re drawing boxes with the whole ‘do you like me, check yes or no’ choices.”
Luke leaned into me, his lips nearly tracing my ear as he whispered, “I bet the girls checked the no boxes for him when he was in first grade.”
“I can hear you,” North said, leaning back on his hands to look up, his intense dark eyes fixing on my face. “Sang, do you want them?”
If it had been moments ago, before North had said anything at all, I might have said yes. He did have a point though. In a way it was kind of creepy to get a note passed to me from someone I didn’t know. What would anyone have to say to me? “I guess not. Just let me know if they say anything like, ‘I’m going to eat your liver’. I might want a heads up.”
He smirked at me. Everyone laughed.
In the middle of Japanese class with Victor, I was bent over a notebook, practicing some hiragana that we were supposed to be learning when the door opened.
“Hello Principal Hendricks,” Dr. Green said. “Welcome.”
Principal Hendricks entered the classroom. He smiled, his eyes swept over the room, singling me out and he gave me a wink before he crossed the room the short distance toward Dr. Green.
I snapped to attention in my chair, blushing. What now?
Victor’s breath teased the hair at the back of my head. “Are we in trouble?”
“Maybe.”
Victor grunted.
Principle Hendricks leaned in to Dr. Green to speak, but his voice was deep enough that we heard it from the back of the class. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I wondered if I could borrow Victor Morgan for a moment?”
Dr. Green’s eyes slipped to Victor. I caught that look he shared. He had that same silent communication ability. Dr. Green didn’t miss a beat. He turned his head back to Hendricks. “Of course! By all means.”
Victor stood up by his chair. I absentmindedly rubbed at the dip in my throat as he walked up to the front of the room, standing straight as an arrow and awaiting instructions.
When Hendricks took a look at him, he frowned. “What?” he chuffed. “Your face, son. You look terrible.”
Was this about yesterday? Was he going to ask him questions about why he wasn’t in school? Victor didn’t look too bad. His make-up had held up. The bandage was still on his cheek.
Victor’s eyes fixed on me for only the briefest moment, the fire lighting up, before turning back to him. “How can I help you, sir?” he asked in the smoothest way I’ve heard him speak yet.
Hendricks nodded his head toward the door and Victor followed. After they left, I caught Dr. Green’s eyes. We exchanged bewildered looks. It didn’t seem like any of us knew what this was about.
Victor was gone for the entire class. When the bell rang, I grabbed his bag, too. Dr. Green held up his hand as I came forward in class toward the door.
“Miss Sang,” he said. “Can you stay for a minute?”
I sucked in a breath. His kind eyes were begging me without asking out loud.
I shuffled the book bags and the case in my hands as the others left the room. Dr. Green crossed his arms and leaned against the front desk. I liked his green striped tie and noticed his lean muscles as his forearms pressed his white collared shirt to his body, promising a fit body underneath. “How often have you seen Mr. Hendricks in the last week?”
I blinked at him and counted off the top of my head. “Maybe four or five times?”
“Is that normal for you? Does that happen around you often?”
I wasn’t sure exactly what he was meaning. “I don’t think so.”
“I didn’t think so, either.”
The door swung open and Victor entered the classroom. His cheeks flushed as he looked at us standing together.
“Victor,” Dr. Green said. “What happened?”
“He had me interviewed by some journalist for the newspaper,” Victor said. “Victor Morgan now attends Ashley Waters. The press loves it.” He crossed the room, taking his book bag from my hands. “But we don’t have time right now. We’ve got to get to class. Come on, Sang.”
I looked back at Dr. Green but he only smiled softly and nodded, flipping his hands at me as if I should hurry and follow.
I hurried so I could walk alongside Victor. He was frowning, pushing his hair away from his face as he walked.
“What did the reporter want?” I asked. I walked close to him in case he wanted to be quiet.
“They were doing a special report about the new kids in school in a ‘special program’.” He heaved a sigh. “It’s bad, Sang. We weren’t supposed to be caught out like this.”
“Should we go talk to Mr. Blackbourne?”
“I’m going to go do that,” he said. “I’m getting you to class first.”
“I can go myself,” I offered, “if you need to hurry and go talk to him?”
His fire eyes flickered at me. He grasped for my hand, tugging me along. “It’s on the way.”
T ooth A nd N ail
Gabriel and I were separated for all of gym class as we were instructed on where to sit in separate groups from boys and girls. The guys and girls were both taken to th
eir designated locker rooms to try out our locker combinations. Since we didn’t have anything else to do, the girl’s coach had us wait in the locker room until the end of class.
I really couldn’t focus on the conversation with the other girls. I sat away from them, my knees pulled up to my chest, drifting off. Victor was interviewed by the newspaper. Would there be an article about him tomorrow in the paper? Would all the boys be interviewed? Would Mr. Blackbourne allow it? I didn’t understand what it meant, but if they needed to be a secret, wouldn’t that be the worst? Victor had said it was a bad thing. I rubbed at my forehead, wanting desperately to learn these secrets. How my world turned over in a couple of days, I didn’t understand. It was one thing to have brand new friends and a new school. It was another to have friends with secrets from an elite Academy no one was allowed to talk about. Further still was the fact that at nearly every turn, the boys were at risk and I was caught in the middle.
What else could I do? Go back to being no one again? Sitting in the shadows? I knew other students weren’t worrying about the things I was worrying about. How far did I want to take this? Inside of me, I knew that answer. I blamed my insatiable curiosity and my desire to please Kota and the others. I was hooked on their faces, their smells, and their touches, and the possibility of belonging with them. They’d said before I was one of them now. Was I really? Why didn’t I feel like I was? This felt like something bigger than the friendships I saw around myself with other students. Academy friends were stronger. Was it better?
When class was over, I wasn’t sure if I should wait for Gabriel or walk on to the bus without him. I waited alone in the front hallway close to the gym doors and the entry way to the boys’ locker room, searching out Gabriel. I didn’t want to leave him behind just in case he was trying to get to me.
Minutes passed. I was about to give up and head to the bus by myself because I was afraid I would miss it. Shouting echoed from around the corner, near the boys’ locker room.
“Hey, faggot,” a loud voice vibrated through the air. “Where are you going in a hurry?”
I turned the corner. There were a handful of guys standing around the far wall of the hallway, surrounding someone. I’d seen something like that a few times at my old school when fights were about to start. My first instinct was to run. Ducking your head is what everyone did. If it wasn’t your business, you didn’t get involved. What propelled me to remain and look, I didn’t know. I searched the faces of the ten or so boys.
Gabriel was at the heart of the group, against the wall, pressed by a large guy who had forearms as big as his neck.
My fingers pressed into my palms. My heart stopped.
Gabriel murmured something to the guy holding him and I couldn’t hear it.
“Shut the fuck up,” the guy holding him by the shoulder pulled Gabriel away from the wall, only to slam him back into it. Gabriel’s head rolled loosely, his eyes going up to the ceiling but he did nothing to stop it.
“Gabriel!” My lips moved and my voice called to him before I could stop myself.
Gabriel’s crystal blue eyes flashed at me, focusing from across the hallway. Despite his silent pleading warning me otherwise, I dropped my things by the wall, striding forward. I wasn’t going to leave him.
The guy and his friends holding Gabriel turned and saw me coming. “Hey there,” the guy holding Gabriel said. “Where’d you come from, sexy?” His short cropped, curly brown hair looked greasy. Random pimples splattered his face.
My eyes flickered to Gabriel for only a moment. I looked back at the bully and I jerked my chin toward Gabriel. “What are you playing around with him for?”
“What? You mean gay ‘tard, here?” the guy asked, pushing into Gabriel’s shoulder.
Gabriel grunted.
My fingernails dug into my palms. My heart thundered to life in my chest and my lips flew open. “What are you? Some kind of homophobe?”
The guy reeled his head back, letting go of Gabriel and pointing a pudgy finger at my face. “What did you say?”
“I just wondered why you were here playing with the boys instead of the girls.”
“Sang,” Gabriel called. He was on his feet, his back against the wall and breathing heavily. Did they hit him already? “Don’t,” he puffed out.
“Shut the fuck up,” the guy said, and he jabbed his fist into Gabriel’s gut.
Gabriel bent over, holding his abs. “Yeah, yeah, you’ve said that already,” he quipped, sucking in a breath through his teeth.
The guy’s hand moved into a fist again but my hand shot out, cupping around his knuckles. He paused, his eyes widening and confusion covering his face.
What was I doing? My mind blanked out. I wasn’t about to let him hit Gabriel again. Where the new sense of bravery came from, I wasn’t sure. All I knew was someone who liked me was in trouble and I wasn’t about to let him down. “Dude, seriously. Are you going to play with him or me?”
Feet shifted around me. Mumbling, laughing. Were people only going to watch? Did they think this was funny?
“Go home, Sang,” Gabriel called to me.
“She doesn’t want to talk to a fag,” the bully spat at him. He turned to me. “You’re Sang? I’ve heard about you.”
My eyebrows shot up, shaking me out of my faux confidence. “What?”
“Greg said you were kinky shit.” His lips pulled back, revealing yellowed teeth as he grinned.
I bit my lower lip, losing the anger as the focus turned to me. Rumors were spreading about me. What did Greg tell them?
I took a step back, bumping into someone behind me. It forced me to stop. Hands grabbed my biceps, locking me in place against someone’s chest. I yanked to free myself. The hands tightened. I twisted to check over my shoulder but he held me in place.
The crowed of guys started laughing, circling around me. The main bully let go of Gabriel and closed off the circle.
“Let her go,” Gabriel warned. I couldn’t see him around the group.
My throat seized. I wanted to tell him to run like he did for me but I couldn’t find my voice. I’d taken this too far. I redirected attention like I thought I wanted. Now what? He should go get the others. Go find a teacher to stop this.
The guy ignored him, his yellowed teeth parting. “What do you guys think?” he asked the group around us. “Do we want to see what kinky shit looks like?”
His hand shot out, his fingers hooked the collar of my shirt and wrenched. Two buttons broke, bouncing to the floor.
“Get your fucking hands off of her,” Gabriel flew into the air, dropping hard on the back of the guy who yanked my shirt. His feet connected with the back of the bully’s knees. His fist struck the side of the guy’s neck.
The bully slumped to the floor. His voice erupted into a howl. He choked. His palms wrapped around his throat, and he slurped at the air.
The guy who’d grabbed me pulled back, yanking me with him. The others started piling on top of Gabriel. I cried out Gabriel’s name. Gabriel disappeared amid a pile of students, all swinging at his body.
I tugged, kicked and jerked myself to get free. The guy behind me gripped my arms tighter until my knees buckled at the pain.
A body flew into the fight in a blur, landing on top of one of the students. He moved like a blur. My heart leapt that someone, anyone, was trying to help Gabriel. His head turned, looking my way.
My heart went from pounding a mile a minute, to dead still.
It was Kota. His glasses were gone, which was why I didn’t recognize him sooner.
Victor sailed in behind him. They wrenched at the shoulders of guys piling on top of Gabriel.
Kota’s fist swung at someone’s abdomen. Victor lifted a foot, his heel making contact with someone’s chest.
Shouting echoed to an all-encompassing thundering in the hallway. Most of the guys who had been watching and laughing fled. The handful that remained swung fists at the boys. Most flailed, trying to launch themselves at the Academy guys t
o knock them over.
Kota, Victor and Gabriel struck with precision. They waited, dodged and jabbed. Nathan was not the only one who had training.
I was shoved aside like unwanted trash. I landed on my knees, and pain radiated from my bruises. It knocked the breath from my lungs.
The guy who had held me stepped over my body to join in. He seized Victor by his shirt, heaving him back.
I flew to my feet, wanting to help and not having a clue what to do. My hands found the guy’s shirt, and I yanked as hard as I could.
The collar of his shirt jerked into the guy’s neck hard. He let go of Victor, whirled with his hand out. It made contact with my face.
“Sang!” Victor’s shout filled my ears.
My back rammed into the wall.
I fell to the floor. My sandals slid out from under me on the tile. Tears filled my eyes at the sting at my cheek. My tongue shot out, tasting blood at my lip.
Victor’s fist and foot collided with the side of the guy’s head. When the guy swung out again, Victor jabbed him with a fist at his face.
The guy reeled back, ducking away from Victor’s oncoming foot. He backtracked and stumbled toward the exit.
Victor whirled on me, his fire eyes a roaring blaze. “Sang!” he called out, dropping to his knees next to me. His fingertips brushed against my forehead.
For the moment, all I could see were fire eyes.
Gabriel’s cursing barked over the others. Kota shouted to people in the hallway to clear out, commanding anyone left to go home.
Victor collected me in his arms. My body trembled. I wanted to be brave and stand up but my body wouldn’t allow it. I swallowed back tears. I was ashamed. I’d been stupid. I couldn’t help Gabriel even when I wanted to. I made it worse.
Victor’s arms encircled me close to his body, his cheek meeting mine.
“Victor,” I whispered, finding my lips near his ear and tracing at his skin. I was unable to speak louder. Now that it was over, I was a wreck.
Victor shuddered against me. He bent down, his arm going under my thighs and he picked me up off the floor. My face buried into his shoulder. I was worried about the others, but too afraid to look at them.