The Matters of Power

Chapter 19- West Anton High, Winter War [2]

My mind went blank when I first heard Fernando speak to me. Then it hits me: I'm talking to him in a body that he has never seen before! I was in a hurry to help him that I forgot to change back, stupid me! "Huh? Hey you good? Who are you?" "Uh... I, uh..." Quick, say something! "The name's Marcus, I passed by and saw you looking in trouble. Did something happen?" He chuckles, "Marcus, eh? I got a friend with the same name as you," of course you do, it's me! "Squints eyes* Sorry, I just got jumped by some people who were waiting for me to come and meet up with someone for Mar-cart." "Well let me at least get you on a bench, maybe get to a convenience store to get some bandages or healing salve." I don't even wait for an answer, I try to lift him with all my strength, barely able to get him in a position that I can trudge him out of the alley with. Conveniently, there was a street bench a few feet away that lets me set him down. He sounds relieved while I can barely feel a good portions of my arms and almost out of breath. "Thanks, man. This was not how I wanted to spend my after-school time, hey," he snaps his fingers trying to remember something. "Oh, did you happen to see a guy somewhere around here, around 6 feet tall, looks like a handsome supermodel-in-training, the figure that seems like a perfect athlete?" Is he, talking about me when I was in my perfect body? I need to create a believable story for this. "Uh... maybe. I think I saw him in that convenience store when I was walking by. *Pointing to a convenience store where I was before he went to the alley* I think he was in that one, (I try to get up) do you need me to get hi-" He grasp my arm firmly. "No!... I can't bother him right now when I had him accompany me to this meetup. Could you just stay here for a bit? I need some security while I send someone a message."

And so I manage to sit next to Fernando, in a different situation and body than I thought I would be in, and I almost feel living in a small world with him. A lot is going through my mind as I sit next to him, then he starts a conversation. "So uh... you live around here?" I try to be as vague as possible, "No, not really, I live on the eastern part of San Anton, I uh, you see, I'm trying to find a part-time job." He seems interested in that lie, which isn't really a lie, I was considering getting a part time job at one of the stores but in my perfect body. "Oh. Really? I don't think I've seen you around those parts. Do you go to San Anton High?" "Homeschooled," I impulsively reply, "I've had a rough school life..." He doesn't seem surprised, but continues on. "Yeah, I can relate. *Sighs extensively* I'm in your shoes, Marcus. You know, I thought high school would have been the same like middle school, but it was that other Marcus who changed that. He saved my skin from one of the school's more popular bullies, even giving him a gut hurt, and since then he has been a cool person around me, a lot different from the other popular guys." He's talking about that time I stopped Zeke from bullying him on the first day of school? I've hardly heard him talk about those things before, let alone with anyone else. I guess it was a good thing that he talked with me about this, even though I am a complete stranger to him in my original body. "So what are you two doing on the other side of town? You here to get something for one of your friends?"

I clasp my hands over my mouth in the realization that I shouldn't be prying information this sensitive to him as a stranger. I though I was for sure gonna get a nasty look from him, but he remains calm. "Something like that. You may be a stranger- no offense- but I guess we got some things in common. I didn't think I would be going into a trap and being robbed of my money and my item, but here we are now. I think-" A series of bell rings get closer to us and I look towards the noise to see Quarter of all people here riding a bike, followed by Yan and two other members. They stop in front of the sidewalk. "Hey there Little Fern," Quarter says after taking off his bicycle helmet, "I got your message and came here as soon as I can. I hope you don't mind my buddies being here to help out as well." 'Little Fern'? That's what Quarter calls Fernando? "It's fine, it's fine." He lets out a sigh, "I don't want to be a burden on you any more than I have to, but I need your help to get something back." Fernando proceeds to tell Quarter about his current situation about the Mar-cart purchase, but somehow makes the story as if "I" wasn't with him to begin with. Regardless, Quarter silently nods and goes towards his 'friends', giving me the opportunity to ask him, "Hey, why did you not include the Marcus guy that joined you?" "Quarter has some stupid misconceptions about Marcus, and I don't want to make it harder on him to deal with this than I have to. I think it's a good think that he hasn't returned from the store yet..." So he thinks poorly about me just because I didn't bother to join his gang during the first few days of school? That's absurd! I guess all I can do is help Fernando on getting his money back and deliver some form of justice to those scammers.

Quarter finally returns from his group huddle. "Alright, I got an idea on who might have done-" He suddenly figures out that I've been here this whole time in front of him. "Hey Little Fern, do you know who this stranger is? I don't recall seeing him around these parts before." Kind of rude to ask out loud, but I understand his suspicions. Thankfully, Fernando backs me up, "Yeah, we met just now. His name's also Marcus, like the one in school." I can see Quarter's face visibly react to the mention of my name. "He helped me up after those guys jumped me and stayed by my side until you got here. You probably haven't seen him before because he's been homeschooled, and doubt that he gets out much during your volunteer patrols." "Hold on..." I try to piece this together, "what do you mean by 'volunteer patrols'?" "You don't know? Quarter here sometimes volunteers for the police and fire departments. It's how he know most people just be his patrols alone and does it to gain experience for when he studies for Law Enforcement." This man is trying to become a part of Law Enforcement when he actively leads a gang in school? It seems difficult to believe, but maybe I'm not getting the bigger picture. Quarter just stares at me, almost menacingly, but then extends his hand. "Thanks, Marcus." I return the favor, but then he returns to the matter at hand with Fernando and leaves me to listen in. "Where was I? Oh yeah, we might figured a few suspects on who might have done it, but I need you to tell me in detail of those who jumped you." "Yeah, about that." Fernando digs through his shorts pockets and pulls out a small badge of laminated plastic, displaying a logo of some sorts.

Quarter grabs it from his hands and inspects it. "Besides the three or four others who took my money and got away before jabbing me in the gut, there was a girl who I assumed to be the buyer. While they grabbed her arm to make a getaway, she dropped that, I assumed purposely, to give the police a clue on who to search for the scammers. I didn't recognize it immediately." yes, because you were slumped over in pain after being jabbed in the gut! "Petty criminals will make a clever background to lure their victims out of visible public view, and I guess disguising the buyer as a girl gets results." He hands the badge to Yan and, after some thinking, tells Quarter what it is. "Pretty sure this is the logo of West Anton High. They take pride in displaying a school logo unique to others in this town I guess, but I guess she is having a change of heart to make sure that it gets left behind." Even I was only aware of West Anton High this afternoon when Carl was complaining about them at Lunch, but they sure know a lot about them. "Uh," I try to get in the conversation, "who are West Anton High? Are they your school rivals?" Yan looks surprised, but tries to hide it and explain it to me. "Well I guess it's only natural since you are a homeschooler. Let me tell ya, the people at West Anton High are a real piece of work and make themselves to snobby children at best. Knowing us, we've been passionate rivals for God knows how long and they sometimes take a step further than anyone likes and a bit of blood bad has been there. But if this badge means what it does," he applies pressure to the badge, "then it means that they are stooping low to commit crimes and have brought the wrath of Quarter upon them to face judgement for scamming one of our classmates." Almost all of them appear to emit an aggressive aura that practically screams 'we won't tolerate this'!

Quarter pulls out my wallet and gives me a $20 bill. "Here. For helping a stranger in need." It smells of a bribe taking place, but I don't want to sour the mood even further so I thank him as I grab it and place it in my pocket. "Now then," he puts a hand on Fernando's shoulder, "we should get you home before it gets dark out, we'll pick this up tomorrow and we'll get your money back." Just then, the city bus makes it way towards the bus stop closest to us, making us hurry on over to the bust stop and make sure Fernando gets on before it departs for the end of the day shift. I make some excuse saying that I have to get on as well and get home this way, and none of them protest or question it. For the trip back the space was cramped and filled with workers returning late from their jobs, and take their chances to avoid making eye contact with me or Fernando. I get off the bus one stop early from expected so that Fernando can't see me going home remotely the same route as I would, as well as take the chance to form into my perfect body. I'm gonna need to make an excuse to how I got home without joining him on the way back. 

Still, if I want to get Fernando's money back and seek the ones who wronged him, I'm going to have to find more information about West Anton High. The Internet or social media should be a good start...