Breaking Boundaries (unordinary love story)

RICK'S POV 😎- Chapter 39: Violence Is Not The Answer

R i c k

School was about to start in ten minutes.

Ten goddam minutes. I wished it would start in ten years.

I cut across the grass and rounded the corner.

There, I saw Zach...and Misty.

What the hell?

"Get away," I heard Misty say to Zach, her voice wavering.

"Don't be such a sissy," Zach answered, approaching Misty.

My heart was hammering. I speed-walked over.

Then Zach shoved my girlfriend to the ground. My girl. My Misty. She fell, and for a second I could not believe what I just saw. He was such an idiot and I was furious. Anger jolted through me as my legs carried me over involuntarily. I was going to kill him. I was going to murder him literally for what he just did. I was furious to the boiling point, where I could imagine steam shooting out from my ears.

"What the hell are you doing?" I demanded.

"Oh...hey Hastings," said Zach. So casual.

I grabbed his arm and slammed him up against the bricks. Then I jerked him to the side and we went down. I started striking my fist at him on the ground. I heard him groaning, and I felt him roll on top of me and get his share of the beating.

A starburst of pain exploded through me, and I used the last bits of my strength to slam Zach to a pulp. I was thinking get rekt the whole time and just did whatever I could to do damage.

Man. He looked like bloody hell. Way worse than me, I suppose.

"Rick, stop," begged Misty.

I could not believe Misty was telling me to stop. But I did anyway. I stood up and faced her. "Are you kidding me? He was trying to hurt you."

"I know. And you were trying to hurt him," she replied.

I wiped the blood off my lip and looked at Zach, who looked like he was in terrible pain lying on the ground. "Let's go," I said.

But she stood there looking past me. "Here comes the principal."

I turned around to see Mr. Coleman walking toward us. Aw, please no. I was doomed, but at least it was worth it.

"You're coming with me, Rick," said Mr. Coleman. "This is very serious."

I've gotten myself into some serious business now.

I went with him, Misty following us, and I looked back to see Zach standing up with the help of some other teachers.

RIP, I was so dead. Prepare for the afterlife, me.

I walked into his office and seated myself. Outside the doorway, Misty was looking at me with a grimace.

"This is very serious, Mr. Hastings," said Mr. Coleman as he closed the door behind him.

"Sorry," I said dismissively.

"I thought you and Zach were friends," he said. "Wasn't he your friend?"

"I can't explain it right now," I said.

"Well you're going to need to. Your parents are on the way right now."

"You mean my dad?" I leaned back in my seat.

"Yes. Your dad," he said. "As well as the police, for that matter. You started the fight. I saw you attack him first. You took him down. Was there anything that happened before that?"

I sat a bit straighter. "The police?"

He checked the clock. "They should be in a few minutes. You sent Zach to the emergency room, you know that? You broke his jaw." Big freakin' deal. That was so funny to hear. "Now when they come, I want you to answer the questions deliberately and honestly, unlike what you're doing right now."

"OK, chillax," I answered.

"Chill? Do you hear yourself? You just pulverized a kid."

"I said sorry," I said.

"Which doesn't fix anything. You have a bad rep around here. Lying isn't a choice right now. Whatever you say won't be very believable if you're not honest." He leaned toward me on his desk. "Did this have something to do with Rand? With Misty? I know you've been together with Misty a lot lately."

"Yes it did. I'll explain all of it later, and so will Misty. Could you just give me a minute? My brain hurts right now." My whole body also hurt, but I barely noticed.

"Fine." He exhaled and dipped his head down with his forehead resting on his hands.

Sooner than expected, dad and two other men arrived. One of the men had greasy hair and a round beefy face in a uniform, looking like a policeman. The other was a guy in a suit and trousers, and a long, slim face, looking like a detective. How pathetic this all was.

"What's going on?" demanded dad.

"Your son just violated rule number 13 on the student handbook," said the principal. "No student may commit any act of violence against another student unless for self-defense. He hit Zach."

"Zach?" said dad. "You mean his friend?"

"OK, OK," said the detective. His badge read Detective Roth. "Let's all cool things down a bit. I'm Detective Roth, and this is Nate. I'm going to ask Rick some questions here, and then we can take it from there. OK?"

"Shoot away," I muttered. This was starting to scare the crap out of me. But I was so mad.

The detective grabbed a chair and sat down next to me. He pulled out his pen and notepad. "So you started the fight. Right? You took down your friend, Zachary Timmons."

"I know that," I said.

"Could you explain?"

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. "He pushed my girlfriend."

"Your girlfriend," repeated Detective Roth.

"Misty Gates," I clarified.

"And you were protecting this girl. Is that right?" asked the police officer, Nate.

"Yes," I said.

"And this all happened around 8:10?" questioned Detective Roth.

"Something like that," I said.

"You just saw him push your girlfriend, and you took action?" prompted the detective.

This was irritating me. Didn't I just say so? "Yes."

"You're not hiding anything, or...?" said the detective. "Maybe a piece I'm not hearing."

"I told you everything," I said. "I don't know why he pushed her. He used to be my friend, but he's a jerk, and I wanted to change. After I met my girl, she changed me and taught me to be more open, in more ways than just one."

Roth nodded and scratched his head, contemplating the situation. "OK. I'll need to talk to this Zach kid, if he even can talk with a shattered jaw. And Misty too. Could someone bring her in? You may go now, Rick, but do not think it's over yet. Thanks for your time."

"Sure," I said. Then I stood up.

"One more thing," said Roth. "Did you happen to see any witnesses who may have a testimony?"

"No, actually. It was all a blur," I answered.

"You're not seriously going to sentence my kid for protecting a girl," said dad, sounding pretty mad.

"This will all be resolved later on," the police assured him.

Imagine getting in big trouble all over a girl.

Imagine getting in trouble for doing the right thing.

How ironic.