Ashes Of The Throne | Part I

Chapter 107 | All On The Line

The screams from outside penetrated the cafeteria, mingling with the sound of rain pouring and thunder reverberating against the floor-to-ceiling windows. The stormy, cloudy skies beyond the glass seemed to mirror the chaos unfolding just outside.

Jesse's gaze shifted to the commotion beyond the cafeteria doors, then back to her friends at the table—Toni, Richie, Jasmine, and Matthew—who were equally riveted by the chaos erupting outside, besides the man she considered her brother who remained uninterested. 

"Are you going to deal with that?" Jesse pointed toward the entrance as a few more soldiers briskly made their way toward the doors. She stared at Matthew, waiting for a response. He took his coffee, brought it to his lips, and took a long drink, staring at her as though his silence was all the opinion he needed to give.

"Toni?" Jesse flung her head toward him.

He looked from the red-haired whose eyes were practically shooting daggers at him, to Matthew, who was staring into the distance with the coffee cup still at his lips. Toni opened his mouth to respond, but before he could answer, a loud roar of "catfight" erupted, drawing all their heads toward the entrance.

Jasmine nearly spat out her coffee in excitement at the mention of a "cat fight," always eager to witness a spectacle. The shouts continued to fill the air, drawing more spectators to the scene. The idea of a brawl seemed to electrify the atmosphere, with some cheering on the fight and others expressing shock and concern.

"Matthew!" Jesse snapped, "go and sort them out!"

"Why?" he drawled unimpressed, "did anyone stop us back in the day? Or did those fucking teachers just let us have it out?"

"You are in a real cunty mood today, aren't you?" she snarled, squinting at him. "I don't know wh—"

"THE GIRLS ARE FIGHTING!" someone incoherently screamed, silencing the room, followed by an exuberant, "IT'S HIS GIRLFRIEND!"

Matthew rolled his eyes, staring at Jesse. "Domestics, see? I'm not wasting my energy on that," he raised his coffee cup and took another sip.

"I wonder whose missus it is," Richie speculated, his tone laced with amusement. "Bet ya it's Jono's. Kellie was—"

"JESUS STOP!" Mya's frantic voice cut through the speculation, her urgency snapping the group back to the reality of the escalating situation outside the cafeteria, especially when she dropped a certain friend's name in a fierce scream. "EKO, ENOUGH!"

Without a word, Matthew, Jesse, Jasmine, Toni, and Richie leaped from the table and rushed toward the growing crowd. They battled through the chaos of screaming students, pushing their way to the center of the commotion. As Matthew finally reached the edge of the crowd, the sight before him shocked him to his core.

Eko straddled Gracie, delivering a relentless barrage of punches. Despite Gracie's attempts to defend herself, Eko's fury was overwhelming. Matthew stood frozen, horrified, as he watched Eko block Gracie's strikes, maintaining her dominance in the fight.

Gracie swung her fist toward Eko, but Eko instinctively blocked it. Consumed by blind rage, she kept Gracie pinned down, continuing her relentless assault. The hallway fell into a stunned silence as everyone watched Eko land another blow on Gracie, her wild hair mirroring the intensity of her actions.

When Gracie finally hit the ground, the impact jolted Matthew into action. Without a second thought, he lunged for Eko, his movements driven by urgency. His arms, strong from years of training, wrapped around her small, thrashing body, trying to calm her wild energy. Despite her desperate struggles, Matthew's grip stayed firm, his strength easily containing her.