The tension between the two opposing forces was suffocating. The newcomer to the one-sided beatdown stood unfazed in the presence of the thugs, his hands deep in his pockets, arms akimbo. The only part of his body that moved was a singular, glittering blue eye, uncovered by the long gold locks that overhung the majority of his face. The eye momentarily scanned the scene in front of him, before settling on me, the disheveled, bruised mess that lay on the ground. A dark scowl formed about his dazzling gem, which swung back to the now alert thugs that stood around and on top of me.
"And who are you going to tell on us, huh pipsqueak? Are you going to run to your whore of a mother, and cry about how we beat up a widdle baby classmate?"
A hearty chuckle arose from the three hardened thugs in the group, amused by the short blondie's forced bravado. It was obvious that they had no intention of backing down, which was understandable, considering that even the shortest among their number stood head and shoulders above their usurper. Despite that, I thought it was odd that the short boy could naturally maintain his composure. It was somewhat unnerving.
The original four that harassed Melissa earlier must have come to the same realization that I had. They all fell back several steps during the brief moments the newcomer had been there for. Their expressions ranged from uneasy, to terrified, which surprised me. Only moments ago, they wore gleeful smirks.
Suddenly, the more composed of the four interjected amidst the standoff.
"Hey, Nick, I've seen this guy before. He's the student council president!"
Nick, the one with the biceps that could crush a watermelon, turned his head and glared at the speaker intensely.
"I don't remember asking you who he is. And besides, what do you think a pencil pusher is going to be able to do? Is he going to flick rubber bands at me?"
"Listen to me Nick, he can get us in a lot of trouble! Stop messing with him!"
Nick flexed his muscles and grinned maniacally.
"You brought me here because you wanted me to beat someone up, and I'm all for that!" The hulking giant roared in the hapless goon's face, "I'm not leaving here until I get my fill. Besides..." He jerked a thumb in the president's direction, "he can't do anything if he's in the hospital, can he?"
"No... listen to me...!"
Nick paid no attention to his entreaties. Instead, he swaggered towards the president, cracking his knuckles as he did. He stopped just before his voluminous chest made contact with the president's nose. The massive goon's shadow enveloped the president, and a meter or so behind. He peered down at the diminutive, upturned face below.
"You see this? This is the body I've built up after years of hard work and countless brawls with the nastiest thugs in town. You think you can take me with your smart talk?"
Nick's bulging muscles twitched, as though waiting in anticipation for the president's reply. The recipient of this assertion, however, merely stared at the giant's face, his scowl unmoved from his overall expression. The thin lips, which before remained thinly pressed together, bent into a disturbing smile.
"So? You're a massive chunk of meat with no brains. What does that have to do with your disrespect of the law? There isn't an ounce of civility in you, is there? Distasteful." He snorted defiantly.
It was impressive to witness such bravado in the face of raw strength, but I was worried for the president's wellbeing. Not counting the other four, it was still three on one, and one of them was immensely built. The president didn't have a chance!
A vein on Nick's forehead suddenly swelled. Within seconds, it looked as though it were fit to burst, "What did you say, you little shit?"
"Oh, pardon me, I should've spoken up a little more... meat, with no brains!"
It began in a flash of hulking flesh, and the dull grey color of our school uniforms. Nick lurched forward, his fist drawn backward for a wind-up that would almost certainly send the president's head flying. The target of his attack, however, stood firm, his hands deep in his pockets.
"Ged out of da wae, Pruezident!"
I gargled out the warning. My mouth swelled from the punch earlier, and it made it hard to speak. I rose to my feet. For what, I honestly didn't know, but in the heat of the moment, my anxiety was compelling me to do anything it took to come out of this without any more harm being done.
"Zgggtt...Crkkkkk."
The sudden, crackling sound of high-voltage electricity coursed through the air. It made the hairs on my arms and legs stand up in response to the electrifying vibrations. I winced and closed my eyes. When I opened them again, It was already over. The giant fell to the ground, stunned by the shock-induced paralysis of a pocket stun gun that the president held, outstretched.
As the crackling of the stun gun ceased, so too did the jeering of Nick's two backers. They fell silent and watched as the president nudged the twitching body that lay at his feet. He seemed satisfied with Nick's apparent immobility and turned his attention to the remaining goons.
"Would anyone else like to try next? I'll have you know, that that student over there.." he pointed in my direction, "is witness to this lawful use of force. Also..."
He reached into his other pocket and produced a cellphone. With a skillful twirl to right its orientation, he thrust the screen in their direction, his features twisted into a triumphant sneer.
"This was on record the entire time."
Nick's two friends glanced at each other worriedly. Now that their fearless leader laid, fallen, their resolves too crumbled from underneath them. They looked from the president to Nick. After several moments of hesitation, they washed their hands of the incident.
"...I was forced into this, I didn't do anything."
"Yeah, me neither. This was all on Nick. He would've hurt us too if we didn't come."
Bald-faced lies. Not that I could blame them, but the lack of camaraderie with their fellow goon was disgusting, to say the least. What was the saying again? No honor among common thugs?
I wiped the blood that dripped from my mouth with the back of my hand. Thankfully, I didn't lose any teeth. The bulk of the blow's force bounced off of my cheekbone. The remaining momentum must have carried the fist into the soft flesh of my cheek and molars. I could still taste the blood pouring out of the torn insides of my left cheek.
The president's attention turned to me. His expression softened somewhat, however, the scowl from earlier had yet to fade.
"Are you alright?"
"Culd be bettur, but I thing I can manage."
"Make sure to have it looked at. Don't underestimate mouth wounds, they can become infected just like any other open wound."
I nodded in acknowledgment. The idea of having a mouth infection didn't sit well with me. Even if treated, I would still have to put up with a swollen cheek for several days. I flushed a little at the thought. I'd look like a right idiot in class with a face like this.
"Now as for you four..."
The president now directed his ire at the four fidgeting accomplices. Since the start of the president's confrontation, they stood huddled against the gym wall. When the president barked at them, they immediately fell to the ground on their knees.
"We didn't want to hurt him, we just wanted to scare him a little!"
"One thing led to another, and then..."
"Nick went out of control, it isn't our fault!"
"Y-Yeah! What they said!"
The president flicked the hair that hung over his other eye to the side, and let out a sigh of annoyance. The other eye... wasn't blue. The shining sapphire that I was expecting was instead a more muted hue of amber-brown.
"If I recall correctly, you did something similar to a first-year a month ago. Would this occurrence have anything to do with Miss Foster, like it did the last time?"
Foster? Who is that? I never heard of a name like that before. If I did, it certainly wasn't someone I knew they worshipped. Or could it be...
"N-no, it doesn't. Definitely not."
"Yeah, our goddess isn't a part of any of this!"
So Ms. Foster was Melissa? I never knew. In the three years of my attendance, I never once heard her last name spoken. Odd, I would've thought that I'd hear it at class introductions at least once, or in English class, which I attended with her. I racked my brains for the answer, but nothing came of it. Maybe it was a preference, to only be referred to by her first name?
"Regardless of Ms. Foster's connection with this incident, you should all expect to receive disciplinary action within the day. I will report this incident to the headmaster, and it will be he who decides your fate. Now get out of my sight, before I decide to submit an appeal for your immediate expulsion."
They needed no second warning. Within minutes, the four posers disappeared in the distance, running with all their legs could manage.
The president pocketed his phone and stun-gun and turned back to me again.
"I'm sorry you had to see that unsightly mess, but thugs will be thugs. I suppose I'll have to do something with this heap of muscle...hmm?"
His eyes came to rest on something on the ground.
I followed his gaze, wondering what it could be that could catch his attention. It was the copy of my novel. A sense of unease came over me.
Within the pages of the book were numerous sticky notes I placed as references to pages I wanted to check over. The majority of them were about the formatting and layout of the text, and what to keep in mind for future works.
The book itself must have fallen out during the incident while I wasn't paying attention. But more importantly, if he saw those notes and put the pieces together, there was no doubt in my mind that he would find out I was the author!
"Judgement of Fantasia? Is this yours?"
"Y-Yes, id is."
His eyes passed over the notes. He inquisitively leafed through them, as though confused by their purpose.
"So...you're pretty into it, by the looks of things."
"Yeah, I guess you could sey dat, haha..."
The awkward laugh forced its way up my throat. Just stick a fork in my ass, I'm done already.
He handed the book back to me.
"The name is Victor, Victor Nacelle."
His scowl disappeared. I was caught off guard by the wide grin and soft eyes that replaced it.
"It's good to see another guy that likes it!"
I blinked several times. My brain was processing, but the wrong numbers were coming out.
"Wud, you're a fen too?"
"Of course I am!"
Victor's eyes glazed over. A strange sense of deja vu wafted over my senses. This was a trance like the one my mother falls into when talking about France.
"You can't imagine how many sleepless nights I've had to endure from every chapter. The moving scenes, the incredible character design, and the development of even the finest details... Oh, Luke d'Tristania, a true man among men!"
Wait, did he seriously just say he lost sleep over Luke?
"It brings me joy without end to see a fellow man who appreciates the beauty of masculinity. Another, who can truly understand the charm of Luke d'Tristania is certainly a man worthy of my frrrriendship!"
Or so he said, with an unnecessary roll of the tongue, a flamboyant flourish of his hands, and flick of his long, golden hair.
And so the incident came to a close, with me making my first friend since the start of high school. I would have never dreamed that my first would be the student council president of my school, much less a president that was a fan of my novel. But hey, life can throw surprises of all shapes, sizes, and statures at you.