SOME YEARS EARLIER
*****
"Hey, I see the way you act. Like everyone is beneath you." The taller of the three students sneered, nudging the table with a light kick.
At the sight of the three students at Abbey's desk, the rest of the chatty students in the class shut up. They began to gather, slowly, watching the proceedings of an all too familiar happening in their classroom.
Even as light as the kick was, it destabilized the game of chess on the table, promptly scattering everything that was on it. In response, the smaller and younger looking Abbey sighed. His head remained downwards as he bent from his chair, picking some of the chess pieces that had rolled out.
He was in a school uniform of white shirt and white trousers. He had a white and blue striped tie along with a blue blazer. It was an all boys school.
This was his school. His secondary school and right now, like many other times, this is the break period. To many other students, it was the time when they made sure that they got a snack or at least, played some games. All in a bid to blow off some of the steam from the etching that they had received from their teachers.
To Abbey, who was not exactly one of the brightest students in class, this was a means of escape. An escape from the reality that beset him regularly.
He was not always the chatty type. So his silence in the classroom was always mistaken for someone with high intellect. Whereas, he did not know as much as someone like that. He did know some things but he would prefer never to discuss them.
All except the game of chess.
And right now, having people who would come to challenge him over a game of chess was what made his break really worth it.
However, having some of the bullies come to challenge him over his playing chess and keeping quiet was also what made his break stink.
He was torn between abhorring his break or relishing the moment he could play chess. Right before the monsters in human skins would come to interrupt it.
"Ah!" Abbey moaned, his eyebrows narrowing as a foot stepped to his hand. Just right about the moment he was about to pick a rook. He grimaced, looking up to the owner of the foot, with venom in his eyes.
"What will you do, pretty boy?" The lead speaker and the one who stepped on his knees looked at him with disgust.
"I want to take my piece." Abbey lowered his gaze now,a look of defeatism appearing on his face as he exhaled. "You're stopping me."
"You know." The boy said, bending down but never for once taking his foot away. "Probably if you did some more than give up on everything, maybe we would be best friends. I am one of the brightest students in the class and the most popular, of course." He d smiled arrogantly. "But I can't stand that look in your eyes whenever you see me around. Like you think all my achievements are always below you like you could do a thousand times better. I like competition but the annoying thing about you is you're ready to give up on any contests just so that you don't have to do anything. Yet, your judgemental eyes would not let me."
"Yeah. Me too. That bastard is proud. Acting like a God all the time."
"Uh hUH! I hate when he looks at us. You would think he has the balls to even do anything but no."
"And.. nobody even knows what you can do. If truly you are worth it. That's what makes me nervous. You always make me question my worth whenever I am around." The lead guy said after his minions had voiced out.
"If you guys feel insecure about me." Abbey voiced out, his eyes still down to the ground.:Then maybe you are worth too much. And everything you think you have ever worked out is simply superficial.``
"There he goes with his big grammar. You bastard, who do you want checking the dictionary for superficial now?" The one on the left of the lead guy chanted. He dived forward, his right hand forming a fist as he attacked for the head of Abbey.
Only that the punch did not connect.
"Huh?" He gasped, looking backwards. "Ben?"
Ben smiled ruefully.
He had his blazers held by his right hand, over his shoulder while the other hand held the attacker by the attacking elbow. His smile wavered as his eyes settled on the game of chess on the table and he scattered formation.
Then to the foot that stepped on Abbey's hand, pinning it to the ground.
"You know, I told him to arrange agame fo chess for me and him to play.And now, I get back to see that you guys are the ones who are stopping him from doing that?" Ben shook his head with an exhale.
"Uh-huh…"
"Oh shit!"
The lead guy panicked as he jumped to his feet now, standing aback of his two minions. "We were just leaving."
"No, you were not. Pick it!" Ben said, gesturing to the small polythene bag on the ground. It was obvious that he had dropped it to stop the attacker.
"We don't want any trouble. Ben. Stay your lane and we would stay our lane." the lead guy said as the failed attacker shook, bending to pick the bag which he placed on the table.
"Are you mad?" Ben' eyes flashed. "Don't you know how Abbey hates having snacks on his chess board? Why the heck would you put my bag of snacks on his board?"
He thundered.
Promptly, his right knee drove upwards, spearing right into the belly of the offender. Ina second later, Ben usd his left hand to smash his face to the table, utilizing the second hand to drive an uppercut to the second guy.
"Hey, stop it." Abey cried out just as the entire class room went into chaos, shouts of 'fight, fight, fight' erupting from every corner.
"No!" Ben countered, the two boys rushing off. "Nobody has the right to trouble because they want you to change. You are my best friends, and I would rather die than to let anyone have a piece of you." He blasted out, loud as he eyed the entire class members, as if issuing out a challenge.
And as he did, behind him, Abbey bent his head quickly, tears flowing from his eyes. How could he ever repay Ben for risking enmity with the whole class, for his sake?