Eddie stared at the marble ceiling that morning. He woke up early, around 5, as he scrolled through the entertainment screen of his Digit. The holographic projection illuminated the darkness in the room as he laid in bed, mindlessly scrolling through the pages.
Dojima was likely sleeping in the other bedroom. He came home well past midnight because of the job he occupied. Come to think of it, Eddie didn't know what job his guardian could possibly have. A job that needed 15 hours a day seemed almost like a nightmare.
Just as Eddie powered off his Digit to sleep a bit more, Dojima opened the door quietly. "You're awake pretty early," he pointed out. "I saw that what happened on Sunday made it onto the news." He closed the door as he flickered a light switch on, blinding Eddie with the rays for a few seconds.
"Do you think you know who tried to kidnap me?" Eddie asked, eagerly leaning in towards him.
"There are many people I know that could have tried to kidnap you," Dojima's words made him shiver. "The list goes on and on. Thing is, I don't think there's anyone that would want to kidnap you though."
"So we need some more information?" Eddie asked for clarification, he twiddled his thumbs, still feeling unfamiliar and unruly.
"Yeah but, I have an idea. How about this? Ask some of your new friends if they have any information on this guy. Yeah?" Dojima suggested. "The police aren't gonna be the ones with all the details." He took a sip from his soda can. "We could find more answers if you ask around at Genji."
"Yeah, I'll ask at school today," Eddie confirmed. He went back to laying his head against the soft polyester pillow, exhausted from paying attention to his Digit. Suddenly, he jumped up, the more clear details of the night coming back into view. "Actually, I just remembered something. I broke one of his arms that night. He's not gonna strike again for a while until that arm is healed."
"I'd say it'll be bruised for a week or two at most. But I don't think one arm is going to stop him," Dojima estimated. He began to close the door gently, "It's still a bit dark outside, sleep while you can." The bright lights from the living room steadily grew dimmer until they shone no more.
Eddie took the next hour or two to catch up on the sleep he missed. But when he woke up, he became drowsy and tired; hearing the clock shrill with its annoying sound. The slumped boy rolled in his bed, aggravated by the alarm, turning towards the desk to slam it. As he propped himself up next to the bed, he looked to the blank wall in front of him and sighed.
Another day.
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It was raining that morning when Eddie walked into Genji, umbrella in hand. Oddly, those around him felt tenaciously calm, collected and eerily quiet. Walking on over to the classroom, the bell rang. It was the opposite of the day before. Things were more normal.
As he approached Class T1-T5, his gaze fell upon the students lining up outside. The sight was strange. Everyone should be in the classroom and not outside of it. Eddie leaned back against the wall across from the line of students. Bored, he scrolled through the pages of his Digit before Emi walked over.
"Hey again," she greeted, darting her eyes in the direction of the line outside the classroom. "Do you know why there's a whole line here?"
Eddie shook his head, "I just got here. I don't know what's up." He looked up from his Digit to face Emi. "Has anyone tried... opening the door?"
"I don't think anyone has," Emi confirmed. "But classroom doors are never closed in the morning before school. Unless… something big is happening in the classroom?"
Just then, the door opened as Mrs.Tanaka walked out of the room with a male student from another class. The moment he got out of the classroom, he ran out crying tears of fear and intense depression. The student spewed words that were incomprehensible. There was no way he was a high schooler let alone in junior high.
"That does not look good," Emi realized, nervously shuffling her feet while staring at the ground. "We'll all have to be extra careful today. She seems to be in a bad mood."
Yeah, no shit.
Emi looked around, trying to spot Terry. After noticing him, she quickly walked away, hoping to not be caught talking to Eddie.
Mrs.Tanaka smiled peculiarly as her eyes shifted between Eddie and the line of students in front of her. After taking the hint, he shuffled towards the end of the line and put the Digit in his right pocket. As they all filed into the classroom, they took their respective seats as Mrs.Tanaka stood still in an eerie manner at the front of the class. Eddie felt the hairs on his back tingle with Terry sitting behind him. Not only that, his hands grew clammy as Mrs.Tanaka's never-ending gaze fell upon him.
The room kept its silence unwavering. It was not a scene of awkwardness. It was a scene of pent-up tension. Eddie did not know it. But his other classmates knew there was something off. Her gaze wavered from student to student; their faces full of fear. Some could only pray; their teacher's face remained red as a tomato. Eddie matched the energy in the room as he sat up straight and stared directly in front of him: the back of Emi's head. As Mrs.Tanaka's gaze fell upon Eddie, it felt like the whole classroom or perhaps the whole world was staring intently at him.
As her gaze fell to the floor, she spun around to face the electronic white board. She sighed a long sigh before turning around to face the students, "There are times where we must punish people and there are times where we must teach people." She walked towards her desk, never batting an eye. The students all looked at each other with confused looks, trying to figure out the meaning behind their teacher's words.
Eddie relaxed a bit, sensing Mrs.Tanaka was hinting at being more relaxed today. As he went to grab something from his backpack, someone from behind threw a paper ball.
"OW!" Eddie screamed, the force colliding with his back. The paper ball dropped into the seat he was in.
What the heck. Did someone try to hurt me?
"What is that? Who is throwing things in my class?" Mrs.Tanaka said in response. Eddie's hopes of Mrs.Tanaka being relaxed quickly dashed. She shuffled through each and every column to find something out of the ordinary from the wooden floors, decorated walls, and nervous students.
Eddie took the piece of paper from his seat. He looked at the paper ball, noticing a few pen marks here and there. He uncrumpled the ball, hiding it under the desk, to read what was inside. But before he could make out the words, Mrs.Tanaka took notice. As she stopped at his desk, her eyes went between Eddie and the paper before snatching it from his grasp. She cleared her throat and began to read it out loud:
Dear Emi,
Ever since I've known you, I knew I was destined to be with you. Please, let's meet up and build a life for ourselves. I still know we're still school kids but you gotta understand how much I love you. Please Emi, let's plan the rest of our lives together. I know you want to as much as I want to. Let's meet up in the back of the lunch building during Lunchtime. And I'm sure you would enjoy out time together.
Yours Truly,
Terry Johnson
Eddie could feel the whole class cringing. Emi awkwardly stared between Eddie and the paper before she turned her head away, putting it down in shame. Everyone looked at Terry, howling with laughter, finally witnessing the vulnerable soft spot of the one they feared for so long.
But Eddie took the situation differently. He could see the fury in the bully's eyes. His rage even. His unimaginable rage wanting to spew out of him like a dormant volcano. There was a hint of critical instability as Terry looked at the faces within the room. His eyes darted at Mrs.Tanaka and then at Eddie.
"YOU," Terry screamed at the top of his lungs, pointing at Eddie's face. He looked at him with his eyes bloodshot, "I AM GOING TO FUCKING KILL- YOU- YOU- FUCKING KILL YOUUUUU." His words were utterly incomprehensible, spit flying out of his mouth. Terry leaned onto his desk, reaching towards Eddie with his hands overstretched. He was ready to grab the boy and bust his head right open.
"TERRY JOHNSON," Mrs.Tanaka roared. Terry stopped mid-air to avert his gaze towards Mrs.Tanaka. "THERE IS GOING TO BE DETENTION FOR THE WHOLE WEEK. NO SWEARING AND CERTAINLY NO FIGHTING IS ALLOWED AT ALL."
Phew, I'm glad something is being done about Terry.
He looked at the hand, shy of only a few moments away from his end.
"AND YOU EDDIE, I'LL LET YOU IN ON A WARNING THIS TIME. YOU BETTER NOT PASS NOTES EVER AGAIN!!!" They both felt the full force of Mrs.Tanaka's threats thrown at them. But Terry was only fixated on one thing: taking his rage and revenge out on Eddie. Problem was, he knew this was not the time. As Terry sat back down, he stared menacingly at the poor guy. Eddie had the sudden urge to scream.
As Mrs.Tanaka walked to her desk to grab a few detention slips, she addressed the crowd, "Today, we will be talking about preparing and applying for colleges." Eddie was still in a state of shock, his mouth gaping as he looked to where Terry's hand was. "Eddie, please turn around and turn to page 4."
This was certainly not the end of Terry's menacing actions. No, this was just the beginning. Something more, something horrible, something terrible was boiling down. Terry looked onward to the back of the head of someone he came to despise the most. He wanted to think of the many ways to inflict the most suffering and pain on a guy who really did nothing. Everyone looked at each other with tense looks. They were not scared of Mrs.Tanaka anymore. They were scared of Terry. As they threw gazes at each other, everyone knew that something was going to happen to the new kid at Genji.
And real soon it would be.
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Messing With the Martinet (II)
Shriiiiiingggg. The Lunch bell sounded as Mrs.Tanaka entered the classroom. The class proceeded to set their tables in the usual configuration. Once again, Eddie sat alone at his table, staring into the scenery laying beyond his classroom. There outside was the never ending scene of downtrodden rain water. Eddie seemed preoccupied at the sight; sipping on his apple juice and picking through his rice bowl.
Today was certainly interesting so far. He felt the force of Terry's attacks; to be another victim of his threats along with so many others. Although, what Terry did so far wasn't so bad.
So much for trying to dodge the trouble when all the trouble is coming to me.
As much as things dramatically heated up over the past two days, he kept his calm through it all. Nothing super bad happened yet. But of course, Terry was going to escalate things until he got what he wanted. Eddie was sure of it.
He continued rummaging through his thoughts as he headed to the restroom (not the one he went to yesterday), coldly calculating the ways to outsmart the situation. The more he walked, the less people seemed to talk. He assumed it was because most people were in their classrooms. But unexpectedly, he saw Terry Johnson staring straight at him with his staunch proud figure. He could be seen high and prideful, different from all the other students. At his sides were what he could make out as two of Terry's "friends".
I'm fucked.
"Eddie!" he laughed loudly, hysterical, full of evil. "It looks like we meet again!" Taking in his surroundings, he pulled him by the hair. "Eddieeeee... there are no teachers here to save your ass again." His voice drifted with a tease as each word filled with intimidation.
Letting go of his hair, Eddie backed away slowly until his back hit something hard. He spun around to see the corner wall closing in on him as well. After some deep thought, it turned out to be the same corner HIdaka was in just the day prior. As his gaze fell full of fear, he slowly turned his head to what was in front of him. Beyond Terry's watchful stare, he could see the other students darting looks, acknowledging how powerless they were.
Now he knew how Hidaka felt; to be pushed into the corner and feel powerless. Those despairing emotions were creeping in. What did getting by ever do to him except leave him vulnerable? The world was a horrible place in his eyes and it never let go of its rapturous terrors. What was happening now proved the worldview. He didn't want to fight back and cause a scene so he laid there helplessly.
Then Eddie, Terry, and even the onlookers could feel there was blood. It started with a swing. Then another swing. And another swing. As Eddie reached his right hand for his face, he could see a trail of blood exploding onto his shirt. Was his nose broken perhaps?
His vision dazed.
No…
Tears blurred his eyes.
Please be over soon... Please… let me live…
Terry punched his face. The swings' lasting impressions were more vigorous than the last. He went to work destroying what little sanity the boy had. Then he stopped for a few seconds from time to time to take in pleasure at the scene in front of him. He was battered, bleeding, and surely learned his lesson. But no, Terry wanted to inflict more pain and suffering for the embarrassing endeavor. Turning his gaze to Eddie's frail body, he stomped and kicked him. His wings of fiery shifting and jerking the bloody body.
There was blood everywhere now. It was all on Eddie's shirt. His hands. Maybe even his pants too. The red splashes stained the white creme walls as splatters of it encompassed the scene. He couldn't even feel pain anymore. All he could feel were soft blows touching and pressing onto him over and over again. But then it stopped. Eddie couldn't see. He couldn't even hear. He dazed as he made out the faces of the ones that looked in horror. Some were too desensitized to Terry's beatings already as these people stood expressionless. Tears streamed down his face as he remained powerless, paralyzed by fear and pain.
Then sound and sight returned to Eddie as he saw the streaks of blood staining everywhere on his upper body. "There is so much more I have in store for you Ed-die Yo-shi-o," Terry took a slight break between the syllables of Eddie's name. "THIS IS NOT THE END YOU WIMP. I'M JUST GETTING STARTED." The whole school seemed to shake in Eddie's eyes as his vision hazed and worsened. Terry released his shirt as he fell straight towards the floor, bruised and battered, unable to lift a muscle.
As Terry left with a smug of victory, Emi came running in, sobbing tears. "EDDIE!" she screamed, rushing to his aid. Everyone snapped out of their trance at once as they immediately began to crowd him.
"What does he need? Does he need band aids?"
"What do ya think he needs!?!? He doesn't need band aids. He needs the hospital!!!"
"OH MY GOD SOMEONE TAKE HIM TO THE HOSPITAL NOW. HE'S SPEWING BLOOD EVERYWHERE!" This man panicked from witnessing the scene near him.
"Eddie!" Emi continued to call out his name in worry. "Eddie! EDDIE!" He tried to pierce through the fog, the tears, all the things that blurred the view in his eyes. The hallway was in an uproar after what happened and everyone was horrified at the sight.
His eyelids repeatedly opened and closed. His mind turned on and turned off. He breathed one second and hushed the next. He felt the prickling venom-like pain of stinging regret as Emi's face shifted into view.
Why didn't I fight back?
His head shut down. His heart stopped. And for a moment, Eddie died.