It have been a week since the ridiculous incident happened, and right from that moment Jackie had been evading getting in the sight of Tom and his men, although he couldn't recognize their faces. Those past few days have been a hell to him.
....
It was a bustling morning at the school hallway, Jackie was arranging his books in his locker, all of a sudden a heavy object hit his nape. With the sudden impact, Jackie made a spinning on heel, stroking his nape in anticipation to the pain he felt. What was that? Turning his head, his gaze fell on a base ball laying on the floor, in a corner. He turned, his eyes darted in search of the culprit. In a distance, came the familiar group of guys stomping along the hallway as if it were commissioned and owned by their fathers. Paces halted and gazes fell at them in awe.
"Here comes again the coward. Are you done running, boy?" Blabbed the usual guy who seemed to be their head. Covering the distance between them and frozen Jackie, Tom clasped him by the collar and banged him hard against his locker which made an bang sound. All attentions were drawn to them, all gazes glued at them, leading the once blaring corridor into a hushed one.
"Are you done sneaking around like the coward you are?" Tom spoke in a harsh whisper.
"Are you done running pork, why can't you give it another try?" This time he clutched tightly on Jackie's collar, Jackie gripped his hands as he struggled to breath.
"I will make you regret ever setting your feet here, you disgusting leach" Saying that, Tom threw punches on his belly couple of times and slammed him to the floor. Jackie groaned in pain. Why did he let his guard down this time, forgetting he was a target prey of a predator? If he'd said his belly wasn't hurting, that would make him a habitual liar. Chuckles elaborated among the group, as Tom continued to stomp on him.
"You sludge" Tom snapped, grabbing him again by the shirt while the whole crowd stood watching in awe and terror, he banged him again against the locker with a strict punch delivered on his face, the eyeglasses intact on his face fell off, leaving the corner of his lips stained with blood. The punch was so intense that it made him staggered to the ground.
"Hey! Tom, stop!" Bellowed a feminine voice.
....
Indie was walking along the corridor with her friend when she caught sight of a commotion. She watched the scene for some time in disconcert. The guy being assaulted, what in the world would he have gotten with Tom? Taking a short gaze at him she felt sympathized for him. She got to do something.
"Stop Tom!" She yelled. Tom paid no heed, perhaps he didn't hear her. She took long strides towards Tom and yanked him by his arm. Tom abruptly turned to her and his eyes popped out in surprise.
"Babe what are you doing here?" He questioned walking closer to Indie.
"Can you please stop?" She gave him a furious glare.
"What!?" Tom furrowed his brow "Don't tell me you pity this trash" He pointed at Jackie who was coiled on the floor, groaning in pain, his face, masked with bruises.
"Can't believe... you're such a freak" Indie said with a frowned face, silence enveloped the atmosphere for some time. Tom chuckled drowning in ocean of embarrassment, he couldn't really believe what was happening. He took slow strides toward Indie intending to hold her hand, a smile that didn't suit his face, a smile played on his face. He was about to hold her hand but Indie restrained her hand, distancing herself, she glared dagger at him and shifted her gaze at Jackie who remained coiled on the floor.
She looked back at Tom whose eyes were glued on her in bewilderment. She gave him a distained look one last time before walking out, followed suit was her friend Jennifer.
....
Right from that very day she'd caught Tom in his bullying act she couldn't help but had been beefing with him. Thinking about that guy she saw that day, being assaulted, she felt sympathized, a side of her she had never noticed. Though she hated the sight of violence, and the oppression of the helpless sicked her stomach, but for that guy, she felt different, a different emotion more than a sympathy. It was uncertain to her of what it was in precise but all she could tell was that she felt a load of anger pressed on her at that very sight. She was enraged only on seeing the guy's state that day, it was horrible.
Her thought was cut off with a heavy sigh. She'd been having a lone time sitting at the school garden, a place she often visited. The garden enveloped her with serene scenario and that was why she loved spending most of her school time in the garden alone, without her chirping friends and the perturbing folks perching around her, away from all sorts of drama.