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Chapter 11: Blood in the Classroom
The halls of Colima's public school were chaotic as usual, filled with the chatter of students, the occasional shout of a teacher, and the rhythmic clanging of lockers slamming shut. Lex Navarro moved through the noise like a shadow, his battered body concealed under a loose hoodie. His ribs still throbbed from the tournament, and his left hand ached from the injuries he had hastily wrapped the night before.
His reputation preceded him now. Students stepped aside when he walked by, their whispers trailing in his wake. Lex wasn't a mere boy anymore; he was a name—a figure that carried weight. But fear and respect were two sides of the same coin, and not everyone knew the difference.
At lunch, Lex sat alone at the edge of the courtyard, picking at a stale sandwich Rosa had packed. He watched the students around him with a detached interest, noting their movements, their alliances. Trust was a rare currency, and Lex had learned early not to spend it lightly.
That's when Diego approached.
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Diego had been one of Lex's lackeys, a wiry boy with quick hands and a quicker temper. Lex had recruited him months ago after proving his dominance, but loyalty in Colima's schoolyard was as fragile as the glass windows that lined the classrooms.
Diego wasn't alone. Raul and Hector flanked him, their postures tense and their eyes gleaming with malice. The three stopped a few feet from Lex's table, and Diego leaned forward, his sneer unmistakable.
"Navarro," Diego said, his tone mocking. "You're looking weaker these days. What happened to the tough guy everyone was so scared of?"
Lex didn't look up. He bit into his sandwich, chewing slowly, his movements calculated to show indifference.
Raul stepped closer, slamming a hand on the table. "He's not scared, Diego. He's just hiding. Probably still nursing those bruises from whatever fight he lost."
Hector laughed, but it was forced. Lex could see the nerves behind the bravado.
"I'll ask once," Lex said quietly, finally raising his eyes. "What do you want?"
Diego's sneer widened. "What we want is simple: we're done working for you. You're not in charge anymore."
Lex's lips curled into a faint smirk. "You sure about that?"
Raul didn't wait for an answer. He swung at Lex, the punch aimed straight at his face.
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The impact sent Lex sprawling backward, his chair clattering to the ground. Pain flared in his jaw, but it wasn't enough to shake him. He rolled to his feet as Raul charged again, his fists wild and uncoordinated.
Lex dodged the first swing, his movements fluid despite his injuries. He countered with a sharp jab to Raul's ribs, the blow landing with a satisfying thud. Raul gasped, doubling over, but Hector and Diego were already on him.
Hector grabbed Lex's arm, twisting it painfully as Diego delivered a punch to his side. Lex gritted his teeth against the pain and drove his elbow into Hector's gut. The boy stumbled back, coughing, as Lex turned to face Diego.
The fight was chaos—brutal and unrelenting. Diego swung again, but Lex ducked under the punch, grabbing a glass bottle from a nearby table. The bottle shattered in his hand, and he didn't hesitate.
Raul lunged at him, his face twisted in fury. Lex slashed the jagged edge of the glass across Raul's arm, the blade slicing through flesh with sickening ease. Blood sprayed onto the ground, and Raul screamed, stumbling backward as he clutched his wound.
The courtyard fell silent.
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Lex stood over Raul, the bloodied glass still in his hand. His chest heaved, and his knuckles were slick with blood. Diego and Hector froze, their earlier confidence replaced by fear.
"You think you can take me down?" Lex said, his voice low and steady. "You think you can just walk away from me?"
No one dared to respond.
Lex tossed the glass aside, the jagged shards scattering across the ground. He grabbed Raul by the collar, pulling him close. "This is what happens when you cross me," he said. "Tell everyone."
He shoved Raul to the ground, his blood staining the dirt. Diego and Hector hesitated for a moment before grabbing their injured friend and dragging him away. The courtyard remained silent, the other students watching Lex with wide eyes.
He adjusted his hoodie, hiding the blood on his hands, and walked away.
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Lex spent the rest of the day in the principal's office, her voice a constant barrage of accusations and threats. He barely listened. Suspension was inevitable, but he didn't care.
By the time he returned home, the adrenaline had worn off, replaced by a dull ache that settled deep in his bones. Rosa wasn't home yet, and Sofia was playing outside, oblivious to the blood that still clung to his knuckles.
Lex stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, his face bruised but calm. He washed the blood from his hands, the water swirling red as it disappeared down the drain.
"This is what it takes," he muttered to himself. "This is how you survive."
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