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Post by HOWLING on Jul 5, 2016 6:01:31 GMT
LEONEL I I heard about Jack Lei. He was the troublemaker left alone, the problem child that teachers shook their heads and complained to their students about. He made more enemies than friends, not because he was ugly, stupid, silly, or great – great in ways that were either good or terrible – but because he was glum and easily annoyed. No one hated Jack, but no one liked him either. Jack was two years older than me, yet I've spotted him several times more than I've seen the unnamed girl in the next classroom, seated near the windows. He always had his head over a hand-held device. I imagined he was playing video games. Or maybe he was talking to someone? A girlfriend? His mother? But nothing of my peeks over his vacant expression told me a story beyond the suspicions. I did wonder though how a guy with such a peaceful disposition got to notoriety. He didn't look as bad as the stories. Was no one seeing him now, or did everyone prefer to follow what they hear? I brought him up to Rex, one of the first people who I made friends with when I transferred in. We met in our science class and so far, he hadn't grown sick of me yet. The “new student” novelty was still shiny on me. “He's keeping to himself. He's not doing anything bad,” I had told Rex. “He skips classes. Like, a lot.” “So do...a bunch of students, right? Not that it makes it right.” Rex shrugged. “Eh. Maybe he's hyperactive in class and no one wants to deal with an overgrown kid.” I didn't know where Rex might have guessed that from, but my imagination drew me the image based on how often Jack Lei played with his PSP and Nintendo 3DS. A lot of kids brought their portable consoles to school, too, but maybe it was too immature for a sixteen-year-old to do. That was the last time I thought of Jack Lei. When I saw him next, he wasn't alone with his technology. He had company, and it was not a friend. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. I didn't know what was going on, but I was seeing violent motions upon Jack. No one else was around. I was on my way to pick up the library book I left behind in the cafeteria. I knew this was my moment. I knew this was the time where I should move and do the right thing. I knew I needed to take the leap from the precipice. And that's what I did. I dropped my bag and made my heroic dash into the fray of two taller boys. I recalled every detail of my training. I had to do this right! I did this before! Without my intention and caught by unexpected passion, I wailed an awkward battle cry like someone who was faking a bad scream of terror, deflecting one of the fists with my wrist and delivering a hard punch to the student's shoulder. Then it hit me: what if Jack started this? jack |
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Post by jack on Jul 5, 2016 10:52:53 GMT
Earlier that day, Jack had been dragged into the locker room after gym, because he'd refused to play a wildly imbalanced game of dodgeball. Just thinking about it made his right shoulder smart again. In retaliation, he had rammed into the guy blocking the door with his right shoulder, and made a quick escape where he went through the rest of his day without too much trouble. Sure, he'd totally messed up Ms Charleston's pop quiz, but whatever. He could face the music tomorrow, and if he didn't want to, he'd just not show up to school. Simple enough. What met him on his way home wasn't as simple. From afar, Jack could tell that they were trouble -- because they never failed to deliver. He associated them with a terrible experience that lasted approximately fifteen minutes, usually with rock-hard punches and lightning-fast reflexes. He didn't know their names, or matched their abilities to their faces, but he knew one of them had the ability to melt anything upon touch. Instinctively, and not wanting trouble, Jack lowered his head as he passed them by. He kept his mouth shut; running it would do him no good. His aim was to minimize injury and live to fight another day. Jack didn't like it, but he couldn't do anything about it. Yet. When was someone going to either make him twice as powerful as the most powerful kid in school or nerf everyone so they were ragdolls? "Don't look at me with those eyes!" Not today. Not tomorrow. Not until after he graduated and got the fuck away from this dumb school and its people. Jack thrashed around as one of them grabbed him by the sleeves and slammed him into the ground. It was only the beginning, Jack told himself, and he could take more of this shit because he was used to it -- -- he braced himself for a fist that never came. It came after a screech like badly-tuned thunder from Zeus's reject pile, and Jack was certain that his face was one of confusion - at the voice, not at the new challenger - when he looked up. Oh, so it was another kid? The kid without the fists of rock looked down at Leonel. The one with them seemed relatively unfazed by the punch because of his rocky physique, but he was evidently surprised by how much the punch had hurt. In his defense, Leonel didn't look the type. Rocky wasn't expecting something that smarted. The former, Lightning, drawled, "Hey, new kid. You're the transfer student, right? We'll only explain it to you once -- this kid, Jack, is fair game. He brought it upon himself. We don't wanna hit you too, so get out. Go home." HOWLING
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Post by HOWLING on Jul 6, 2016 9:50:08 GMT
LEONEL II I was dizzy with adrenaline and stared at the older student blankly, not processing what he had just said. After driving a punch, I expected a flurry to follow and I was mentally prepared to deal with them. I was ready for the curse words, for the retaliation, for the monstrous roar of fury. What I was not expecting was for one of them to talk to me and kindly warn me to back off. I thought they would be more aggressive than this. “Uh.” I looked at the two students and then at Jack Lei, suddenly wondering what the heck I was doing. My mind seemed to do a reset. Maybe barging in with a punch was not the most sensible thing to do. I had no idea what was going on. Oh no. Was Jack Lei at fault? And was it my fault now? “Violence is not the answer,” I recited instinctively, not knowing what else to say, though violence had clearly been my answer just recently. “The teachers won’t like it. You’ll get in trouble,” I pointed out as though I was concerned for them. jack |
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Post by jack on Jul 6, 2016 10:01:39 GMT
"You really are new here, aren't you?" Lightning continued in his drawl. He shrugged, and shook his head. "It can't be helped then. With this idiot here --" he jerked his head towards Jack, "-- violence is always the answer. I can't believe you've never heard of him. This kid picks fights with us on a regular basis, and it's war from here on out." Fuck, that sounded cheesy. Lightning flustered slightly, but pushed on anyway. "The teachers don't care if it's Jack, bro," said Lightning. Rocky pushed down a struggling Jack, and Jack tried biting Rocky's fists, but to no avail. "He causes enough trouble in school that they turn a blind eye. "God, why am I even wasting time explaining this to you? TL;DR: Dumb people get what they deserve. Simple as that." Rocky pulled Jack up by the collar, and shook him. Jack glared at Rocky, hissing and spitting like an angered dog. "So you with Jack or with us?" asked Rocky, his tone hard like boulders. "If you figure you gunna grow up a mutant, there's no sayin' what idiot boy here is gunna do to you someday." HOWLING
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Post by HOWLING on Jul 7, 2016 4:45:43 GMT
LEONEL III I had a hard time listening when I was seeing Jack Lei get pushed to the ground. It didn’t matter what the story was. What they were doing to him now was just plain wrong. The struggle Jack was putting up made question what I was seeing. Did this kind of brutality really happened in schools? How could the teachers – anyone – condone this? The gravity of the situation were suddenly pressing heavily on my shoulders. This wasn’t some sort of test of courage anymore. This was serious. I had to break this up before it gets out of hand. I grabbed Rocky’s fingers and forced them to untangle from Jack’s collar. “I’m not with anyone! Just let him go!” jack |
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Post by jack on Jul 7, 2016 5:13:19 GMT
"You're with Jack then," said Lightning. He sounded almost disappointed as he looked at Leonel with a sort of brotherly gaze in his eyes. "That's a shame. But you don't seem as hot-headed as he is, so maybe you'll be fine after all." Lightning shrugged. Rocky's grasp around Jack's collar was as hard as the stones that carved the side of a cliff. They remained unmoving even as Leonel clawed at them in an attempt to get him to loosen up. Eventually, Rocky relented, saying, "Fine. I'll let him go." And with that, he threw Jack halfway across the street. Rocky's mouth was curved in a satisfied smirk as he dusted his hands on his jeans to get rid of whatever Jack might have left behind. "Leggo," Rocky grunted, jerking his head at Lightning. "You got a soft spot for the new kid, eh? Gunna ask him out?" Lightning rolled his eyes. HOWLING
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Post by HOWLING on Jul 7, 2016 5:30:55 GMT
LEONEL IV I couldn’t believe what I saw. Anger wrenched me. I wanted to yell at them, but I somehow never found my voice. I would have been less angry had they punished me, as what I had been expecting them to do, and not Jack. I ran to Jack’s side and dropped to my knees. A part of me was afraid that he would bite me even after what I’ve done. Their words rang to me with some truth in them. I have heard of the stories and I have seen Jack struggle like a mad beast. I didn’t know Jack. I didn’t know how he would react. But I knew it was wrong for me to be the hasty judge. I wanted him to at least know that I was worried for him, so I reached out for his shoulder and squeezed it tightly. Maybe – maybe a bit of kindness was all Jack needed. I warily turned to the two students and bravely sought for Lightning’s eyes. “Thank you,” I said, loud and clear. I wasn’t grateful to him at all, but if some appreciation would placate them, then I would provide it. It was wrong of me to be violent, after all. I had gotten too used to the formula out in the streets, where things were distinctly black and white and I had powers that no ordinary people had. Words still had powers, I realized, though poor words they might have been. jack |
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Post by jack on Jul 7, 2016 6:12:47 GMT
"Don't mention it," said Lightning, lightly as he could to mask his disappointment. He wasn't a subscriber to the idea of 'if you're against us you're with him,' but he did think that he had equal rights with everyone else to study in the same school. And if Jack was getting in the way of his education -- well then. He just hoped that Leonel wouldn't end up in the same boat. "See you around. Not on the other side." He turned and left with Rocky, who pumped a triumphant fist in the air. --- Jack's arm was twisted at an awkward angle on the ground. He had landed on it badly after being tossed carelessly through the air, but he otherwise seemed relatively fine. No scrapes, just a few bruises here and there. There was a cut over his eye that was partially covered by his hair, but it wasn't as deep as it seemed. The blood had just gotten onto his hair. Reflexively, Jack had tensed when Leonel placed a warm hand on his shoulder. Now, he still had his eyes tightly shut and was trying to get up again. He would have tried to shrug off Leonel's hand, but with a dislocated arm it was almost impossible to do so, much less prop himself up. He bit back bitter tears as he laid helplessly on the ground. If his eyes were shut, his tears wouldn't fall. HOWLING
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Post by HOWLING on Jul 7, 2016 9:27:45 GMT
LEONEL V Once the two students were gone, I hurried to check on Jack Lei. For him to still be on the ground alarmed me. I didn’t think the throw had hurt him that badly. Should I call an ambulance? I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t want to move him and exacerbate the injuries he sustained. “Jack? Are you okay?” I laid a hand over his back. He didn’t push me away, so I took that as a good sign. “I honestly don’t know what to do. Do you want me to help you up? Call an ambulance?” I frantically looked around, hoping to find people who could help me help Jack. But I was on my own, on my own with Jack. “Here – ” After much scuttling on where to go, I moved to the side with the right-looking arm and pulled it over my shoulder to help Jack up anyway. Maybe if I could help him sit down… jack |
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Post by jack on Jul 7, 2016 9:48:57 GMT
Jack didn't recognize the voice, but it didn't seem hostile. Most importantly, perhaps, it didn't sound familiar. He cracked open an eye, and a lone tear rolled out and off the corner of his eye. He didn't recognize the face either. He didn't protest the help as the other boy single-handedly pulled him up into a sitting position. Jack now sat awkwardly next to the other student with his arm dislocated from his shoulder. It hurt, but it didn't hurt more than the realization that he had just gotten someone involved. And on his side, not by choice. He at least owed that kid an apology. "I'm sorry you got involved," Jack managed to croak, voice hoarse from holding back pain. "But this arm --" HOWLING
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Post by HOWLING on Jul 8, 2016 11:27:01 GMT
LEONEL VI The apology caught me off-guard. As I got a look of Jack’s eyes, I saw the wetness shining in them. What I did not know was if he were crying from the encounter or from the pain. I had not expected them either way, but it had let me know that no matter the stories, Jack was no more than a human. “It’s fine,” I said quickly, looking at the dislocated arm, not really understanding why Jack felt he should apologize. It was my choice to get involved. “Let’s go to the hospital. I’ll call in an uber. Just stay still there.” I took out my phone and punched in the request through the uber application. In a bit, I reported, “Six minutes.” I pocketed the phone back at my back pocket, checking on Jack again. “The uber will come in six minutes.” Noticing the blood sticking on Jack’s hair, I pulled out my handkerchief and gently dabbed it on the cut above Jack’s eye. “Are you thirsty?” I asked, embracing the role of a nurse completely. “Hungry? I could get you something.” jack |
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Jul 12, 2016 13:52:33 GMT
Post by jack on Jul 12, 2016 13:52:33 GMT
Jack nodded numbly. For a moment, he hadn’t thought about anything. Hearing the other person offer a hand instead of a fist was a comforting idea. It gave him room to breathe – and think. It didn’t take him three seconds to figure out what was wrong despite the offer. “Wait a second,” said Jack, “An Uber? Why –” God, he wasn’t trying to look a gift horse in the mouth, but an Uber when he probably needed emergency services? And what the fuck was up with asking if he was thirsty or hungry? Jack gritted his teeth and shut his eyes under the pretense of letting Leonel dab at his hair and cut. Never mind that. An Uber it was, even if the driver couldn’t administer fucking first-aid. “It hurts,” Jack frowned as the handkerchief’s fabric rubbed against the raw wound. “Ow.” HOWLING
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Post by HOWLING on Jul 15, 2016 0:53:27 GMT
LEONEL VII I pulled away the handkerchief and took a good look of Jack again. Besides the arm, he didn’t look all that wrecked up. But Jack was acting like every part of his body was in pain. I had expected him to act tougher like what the stories seemed to imply. I stood up and pulled out my phone again to check the time. Not even a minute had ticked by yet. I turned to Jack. “Should we call your parents?” It was a question and not an offer, because I wasn’t sure if it was the proper thing to do in this situation. Though, now that I think about it, someone would have to pay for the hospital fees, and Jack was inevitably going to go home with a cast. He wasn’t going to be playing his video games anytime soon. jack |
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Jul 16, 2016 13:05:32 GMT
Post by jack on Jul 16, 2016 13:05:32 GMT
Having a dislocated arm sucked. Not only did it mean having to sit at an awkward angle, it also meant having to think through pain whenever he tried moving. If only something could be done about it … Jack didn’t think it was possible, though. He pondered Leonel’s question through a hazy numbness that was best described as a state beyond pain. “Parents?” he mumbled. Oh. The one guy who took him in – nah. Jack was in trouble, but he didn’t want to get anyone else in trouble. Or to worry about him. Things may have escalated at school, but Jack had kept mum about it up until now. There was no point in breaking that precious silence. “Not important,” said Jack, resisting the urge to shift. “Just need to get this arm –” he stopped himself from moving by mentally reminding himself it was a bad move, “—popped back in at the hospital.” God, Rocky had threw him like a ragdoll, hadn’t he. HOWLING
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Post by HOWLING on Jul 31, 2016 1:09:15 GMT
LEONEL VIII The way Jack processed the word “parents” made me wonder if he had hit his head hard on the ground, too. Maybe I should perform some sort of confusion check to see if Jack had a concussion. That was how it worked in movies from what I could vaguely recall. But…that wouldn’t really make a difference, would it? Maybe I should have called for an ambulance like what I first thought. It was starting to sink in me how bad my choice was to call an Uber. It dawned to me too how I lacked such an important life skill. Next time, I was going to ask Shamees to give us a session on first-aid. Every hero ought to know it. A team of teens especially should. Having nothing else to say, I kept myself occupied by chasing cars with my eyes, but right at this moment, as though it had been specified by the grand mercy of the universe, there were no vehicles passing in the street. The buzzing of cars on the intersection easily distracted me and the slightest inch on my skin urged a mild scratching. The longer I stayed in silence, the more I was mentally beating myself for not calling the ambulance. They would have been faster than an Uber, duh! “Your parents would probably need to know…” I said, thinking back on what Jack had said. jack (the most awkward 6 mins) |
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