I was surprised to see i took 3000$ and a golden bracelet worth 500$.
As I tried to fall asleep, my mind couldn't help but race through all the worst-case scenarios that could have happened to me or Eman.
"Fuck, he was stabbed. What if he gets an infection? What if it hit an organ? What if I didn't stitch him up properly? What if he goes to the hospital and they question him about the stabbing?" The thoughts consumed me, rendering sleep elusive throughout the night.
The following day, I dragged myself to school on a mere two hours of sleep. The fatigue weighed heavily on me, but it didn't stop my grind. Eman was absent from school, and worry gnawed at me. After classes, I made my way to his house.
"Yo, what do you want, bro?" Eman asked, his tone guarded.
"I came to check up on you and pay you for the job you did," I replied while taking off my shoes and entering his living room.
"Oh, so how much am I getting?" Eman inquired, a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes as he sat down on the couch beside me.
"a golden bracelet worth 500$. You could sell it for like 400$," I informed him, throwing the bracelet on his table casually.
"Fuck yeah!" Eman's spirits lifted at the news of the payment.
"Are you alright, by the way, Eman?" I asked, genuinely concerned.
"Yeah, I'm on painkillers right now, so it doesn't hurt," he assured me while lifting his shirt up, showing the wound.
"That's good to hear, man," I said, but on the other hand i was thinking, "Of course it's good to hear. I need to utilize this fucking monkey more before i throw him away,"
"Dionis, I was wondering, what are we going to do now? You said we would conquer Trbovlje, but you aren't making a lot of progress," Eman voiced his concerns.
"Don't worry about that, Eman. Just do what I say, and you'll see that Trbovlje will be ours," I assured him, determined to maintain the illusion of control.
I spent some time hanging out at his place before parting ways. Walking home, I noticed Darjan and a few of his friends in the distance on the opposite side of the sidewalk. Trying to avoid their attention, I quickly looked down admiring the concrete floor.
However, my attempt to go unnoticed was in vain as they spotted me and promptly crossed the road, coming towards me with a smirk covering their ugly face.
I froze, as they gradually drew nearer, my gaze fixed upon them. Panic surged through me as I desperately tried to find a way out of this situation but couldn't find any.
"Dionis, give me my money back, or we'll beat the living shit out of you," Darjan demanded, his tone filled with menace.
"Sigh, Alright I only have 50 dollars," I lied, inwardly relieved that I had already gave Eman the bracelet.
"I'll take the 50 dollars, and tomorrow in Ipoz, give me the rest, or we'll come to your house and take it by force. along the way maybe kick some old fuckers too." Darjan threatened with a smirk on his face.
"Alright, but if you ever threaten my parents again," i said calmly before threatening them back "I WILL KILL YOU. Do you fucking understand?"
Suddenly, chaos erupted. My eyes blurred as punches hit my face making me fall to the ground unable to move, thousands of kicks hited me as I curled up in a feeble attempt to shield myself from further harm.
...
....
The next thing I knew, I found myself battered and bruised in the midst of the city. Fortunately, the timely arrival of the police made them run away. However, the trauma of the bulling back in middle school started overflowing inside me, leaving me feeling vulnerable, humiliated, and overwhelmed. The eyes of countless people bore witness to the beating, intensifying my suffering.
The most frustrating thing that bothered me was that all that time i spend learning MMA and Building my body couldn't help me due to my parents being threatened.
Tears welled up in my eyes, the desire to cry threatening to overwhelm me. But while on the ground I constantly reminded my self that a man never cries no matter the circumstances. Defeated and hurting, I stood up holding my stomach and trudged my way back home, where my mother greeted me with tears on her face.
"My son, what is happening to you? Why are you always getting beat up? Are you being bullied, son?" she asked, her voice quivering with concern.
"No, Mom, it's not bullying. Me and my friends like to spar when we hang out, but we use punching gloves, so it's all safe and friendly," I assured her, trying to alleviate her worries.
"Don't do that ever again, Dionis. You can get seriously hurt. Promise me you won't do it again," my mother pleaded, her eyes filled with concern.
"Okay, Mom, I promise," I replied, my voice tinged with guilt. I hated lying to my parents, but I knew I had to protect them from the truth. I couldn't let them discover the dangerous path I had chosen.
Once my mother left the corridor, my father entered with a smirk on his face. "Did you win, son?" he asked, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes.
"Hell yea, Dad, I'm the strongest among my friends," I boasted, attempting to maintain a facade of strength.
"Hahaha, that's my boy! Just remember, don't get into street fights, but sparring with your friends is alright." he encouraged, unaware of the underlying truth.
"Okay, Dad,"
Fuck, it felt terrible lying to my parents but you gotta do what you gotta do.
However, my parents' concerns were the least of my worries at that moment. I had a much bigger problem to solve. I needed to figure out how to fight off Darjan and his friends who were after me. Giving in to their demands and giving them $2,000 was not an option I would entertain.
"What if I call the police?" I briefly considered, but immediately dismissed the idea. Darjan would undoubtedly expose my involvement, leading to dire consequences. "No, I need to fight them, i could try to fight them like i did with my bullies, but... Nah street fights are completely different from school fight, they could bring weapons, and they are probably gonna be prepared to fight unlike my bullies back then." i mumbled to myself trying to find a solution when suddenly I remembered someone i had "Oh that's right i have Eman hahah, let me text him" i swiftly grabbed my phone and texted him him.
"Eman, we have a problem."
His reply was instant: "What now, bro?"
"Darjan is coming for me. He wants revenge," I informed him, keeping my message concise.
"Shit, what are you gonna do?"
"Fight. What else am I going to do? Are you scared or what pussy" i mocked him trying to get him to help me.
"Hell no man ill fight, but how many boys does he have" he asked
"Five," I replied, the weight of the challenge ahead sinking in.
"2 against 5 will be tough, but we can win," Eman's optimism shone through.
"I respect your optimism, Eman, but it's near impossible," I confessed, unable to conceal my doubts.
"Don't worry, I'll bring my friends. It won't be as impossible as you think," Eman assured me, his determination matching my own.
"That's a good idea. Bring as many friends as you can with you, and let them know I'll pay each one of them $50 after we successfully defeat Darjan,".
"Okay, Dionis, consider it done,"
After ending out converstion, I wasted no time and immediately headed to the store to purchase the necessary weapons for our confrontation. 4 baseball bats and one knife.
I handed the baseball bats to Eman and kept the knife for myself. With our arsenal ready, I spent the remaining days crafting the best strategy I could muster. Exhaustion eventually took over, and I drifted off to sleep, my mind plagued with doubts.
As I woke up the next day, a surge of anxiety washed over me. "Fuck, can I do this?" I questioned myself. But there was no turning back now. I had to push forward, no matter the cost. Deciding to skip school for the day, I called Eman and told him to leave school and come to my house with his friends. It was a rare occurrence for anyone to step foot in my home, given my previous status as a social outcast and nerd. My brother was at school, and my parents were at work, providing us with the privacy we needed.
After about 30 minutes, they arrived, stepping into my humble block. "Welcome, men, to my house," I greeted them, trying to hide my nervousness.
"Yo, glad to be here," one of them replied, before everyone entered the house.
...
...
I guided them to the couch and all of us sat down, quickly I went to the kitchen and brought juice to the table, "Eman, did you bring the baseball bats?" I inquired, needing to ensure we were fully equipped, while sitting down on the couch.
"Yeah, I got them in the bag," Eman confirmed, While filling his glass with the juice.
"Good, give them the bats," I instructed, he stood up and distributed the weapons among the men.
As they received the baseball bats, a question lingered in their minds. "So, what are we supposed to do now?" one of them asked, seeking clarity.
"Didn't Eman tell you?" I questioned, realizing that the plan had not been fully communicated.
"Nope, we just know that we'll be getting paid 50$" they replied cluelessly
"Alright, then let me tell you," I drank my juice before beginning "We are going to fight five men who are trying to hurt me."
"Why? What did you do?" their curiosity got the better of them, seeking an explanation.
"Don't ask questions, just do your job," I dismissed their questions, knowing that revealing the truth would only complicate matters further. "Anyways, they are expecting only me to show up, so we can take that as an advantage and surprise attack them."
"That's kinda lame, but alright," one of them grumbled.
"Lame? Man, fuck you. And before we go, I won't fight. I'll be watching you all from the sidelines."
"What?!" their disbelief was written across their face. "Our chances of winning are much higher if you fight as well. Are you fucking scared of fighting or what?"
"No, I'm not," I replied, masking the truth behind my decision. "I just have my own reasons."
The reality was that if my parents witnessed me getting beaten up again after getting beat up often, they would undoubtedly involve the police, which would spell disaster for me. I couldn't afford to let them find out the truth.
"Well, we will win with or without you," one of them declared, expressing their confidence.
"I like your confidence," I acknowledged, appreciating their unwavering resolve.
With that, we set out on our journey, trekking up the hill towards Ipoz, the designated battleground. The weight of the impending confrontation pressed upon me, but there was no turning back now. I was committed to facing my adversaries head-on, ready to fight for my safety and my future.