"What happened last night... thank you."
Upon hearing these words, I was a bit slow to react, but I immediately thought of her pale body and imagined that she must have been deceived by Gary into a private room at the internet cafe. If she had willingly gone, why would she shed tears?
"Shirley, you're too kind. It's nothing," I replied politely. I felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction, something I had never experienced before. Just yesterday, she had been ready to fight with me. This drastic change left me feeling somewhat euphoric.
"From now on, we're friends. I hope you can keep last night's events a secret," Shirley struggled to say, biting her lip. I nodded immediately to show my understanding.
Since I was young, I knew that a woman's reputation and innocence were of utmost importance, ideas instilled in me by my troublesome uncle. Looking back, I realized there was wisdom in his words; they weren't all nonsense.
Suddenly, the bell for class rang. I was about to enter the classroom when Shirley unexpectedly pulled me aside, even holding my hand. It felt soft...
"By the way, Jim, who were those people in the BMW last night?"
Upon hearing this, I became instantly alert. This was a matter of pride. If the entire school knew that I had an uncle who owned a BMW, it would be great, not to mention the fact that he also had a few tattooed friends!
"Oh, that's my uncle. He has always been there for me, protecting me from bullies since childhood," I proudly exclaimed. However, Shirley's next words completely dumbfounded me.
"But what was he talking to Gary about last night? He gave you three days to pay him a thousand dollars for medical expenses. He said if you don't pay, he'll let Gary and his gang seek revenge on you..."
In that moment, my heart turned ice-cold and fragile. I might not believe others, but when it came to my troublesome uncle, I knew he was capable of such things.
I suddenly recalled the text he had sent me last night. It all made sense now. My uncle, that jerk, seemed determined to make my life a living hell!
Just then, the class bell rang again, and Shirley said as she left, "Actually, a thousand dollars isn't much. If you need help, just find me. I'm in Class 1."
I nodded, but my mind was blank. I didn't know what I had done to offend my uncle, nor did I understand what he was up to. Could it be that my dad had offended him?
Unless there was some deep-seated grudge, why would an uncle treat his own nephew so cruelly? No, I needed to call home later and ask. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to shake this unease.
Entering the classroom and reaching the last row, my mind exploded with noise. My books were strewn on the ground, the desk and chair were soaked with water, and the anger inside me rose to the surface.
Looking at my wet textbooks on the ground and the pitiful gazes of everyone around, even the class monitor Marlene remained silent. Adrian, with an air of indifference, sat casually with his legs crossed. I knew it was that jerk's doing!
"Adrian, did you mess up my books?" I clenched my fist and asked through gritted teeth. I wished I could just punch his smug face right then and there, but I forced myself to restrain the urge.
My uncle had said that impulsiveness was the devil. I mustn't jump to conclusions before understanding the situation. No matter how impulsive, I needed to stay rational and think things through.
"Go to hell! I don't know anything about it," Adrian retorted, rolling his eyes. The more he acted this way, the more I was sure it was him. If he had nothing to hide, why the defensive attitude?
Moreover, in Class 6, aside from Adrian, who else would dare to do this? Even if he hadn't done it personally, he must have instructed someone to do it!
I clenched my teeth and was about to ask another question, when suddenly the English teacher entered the classroom. She was in her twenties, a recent college graduate, and she walked towards the back with a book in her hand. Upon seeing the scattered books on the floor, she immediately inquired, "What's going on?"
"Which cowardly bastard did this and now won't own up?" I deliberately spoke with sarcasm. I could tell from the looks everyone was giving that it was Adrian, that jerk, who had done it!
"Jim, you son of a bitch, who are you cursing at!" Adrian stood up abruptly and pointed at me, swearing. He didn't even consider the English teacher's presence.
"I'm cursing at whoever did this to me! Dare to act but not to admit it? Bastard!" I cursed fiercely. The English teacher froze in her tracks.
The English teacher was very young and had a gentle personality. Under normal circumstances, I would never swear in front of her, but I couldn't hold back anymore!
Adrian raised his hand, ready to slap me. In the nick of time, I landed a punch on his nose, knocking him onto a trash bin. The anger that had been suppressed inside me was now unleashed!
Without hesitation, I rushed forward and delivered a flurry of kicks while swearing, just like when I fought with Gary. It felt like my entire body was boiling with adrenaline, and there was an indescribable sense of satisfaction in my heart.
The classroom had turned chaotic, and the English teacher had already rushed out. Suddenly, someone grabbed me from behind. When I turned around, it was Bill. He appeared to be breaking up the fight, but it was clear he was siding with Adrian!
"Close the classroom door, let's beat him to death!" Adrian struggled to get up and lunged at me with hostility.
In an instant, we were grappling on the floor. I gritted my teeth and fought back with all my might. My face took quite a few hits too. All I had in my mind was the thought that if I could defeat Gary, then what was Adrian!
I had never been in a fight like this before, but now I felt no fear at all. I couldn't even believe the extent of the transformation within me!
As the fight continued, a few people pinned me down, turning the one-on-one into a brawl. Countless kicks rained down on me, and everyone in the class sided with Adrian, ganging up on me.
Especially Bill, that scrawny monkey, clung onto my hair and kept hitting my head. My scalp burned, and though I wanted to fight back, I couldn't get up. After struggling for a while, I felt an intense surge of anger building up inside me!