The Blue Blaze (Revised and Retold)

Chapter 1

Thump, thump, thump, my heart beat like a drum as I backed into a wall.

"You're weak, Ethan! You're always gonna be weak, and guys like me are gonna step on you for the rest of your worthless life!" Troy bared his teeth.

Should I dodge? Should I run? What should I do!? Troy shoved me against the wall and pressed his forearm onto my throat.

"Leave me alone, jerk!" I spat on his face.

The veins in Troy's neck throbbed. He let go of me, letting me fall to the ground. Garbage liquid streamed from the dumpster next to me. I nearly threw up from the smell. Troy kicked me in the stomach, hard, over and over again. My stomach begged for mercy.

My mom had reported him and his gang to the principal. Troy didn't like being scolded and took his anger out on me. Initially, I only needed to exist around him to get a beat down.

"Oh, look at him!" crouched Amanda, Troy's wench of a girlfriend. "I think the baby's about to cry!" She laughed.

Troy lifted me by the collar and drove a fist into my face; I crumpled into the fetal position. I could feel my eyes morph on and off, from human to reptilian every half second. My body reacted that way when distressed but always returned to round pupils.

"That'll teach him," snickered Jason, one of his lackeys.

"Next time, stay quiet." Troy stomped on my side. "And stay down, worm..."

Troy and his crew started to step out of the school dumpster area. "You gave him a good beating!" laughed William.

Tears burst out of my eyes. "I'm sick of this..." I whimpered, hugging my bruised stomach. At least his shoes weren't steel-toed.

Someone peeked out of the corner of the dumpster area. Though I could only see a silhouette, I recognized my best friend since grade school. "I hoped it wasn't you when I saw him leave here!"

"Let's get you to the school nurse, dude."

"School's over today." I had difficulty swallowing. "I doubt there's anyone here, Keith."

"There has to be someone." He slid an arm around me and helped me up. "Geez, he got you bad."

"I think this time was worse than usual," I coughed.

Walking inside the school building, we saw Nurse Kelly lock up her office for the day. She turned and took one good look at me and sighed. "Again, Ethan?"

"Hey!" shouted Keith. "It's not like he wanted to get beat up! Give him some slack!"

"Bring him inside," she crossed her arms and returned inside.

Keith gently let me slide onto the seat.

"Same kid?" Kelly asked as she checked my body.

"Troy... Ouch!" I winced as she checked my stomach.

"Thought so. That jock's been bringing in kids like crazy. At least ten a week, not including you."

Keith creased his brows. "Something should really be done about that guy..."

"You think the school wants to kick out their star football player? A public high school having an amazing football team is one thing. A private school having one? The odds are slim to none."

She placed an ice pack on my stomach. "Hold this, please."

I took a hold of the icepack. "So football players, specifically Troy, can do no wrong?"

The nurse took out some pain relievers. "It seems like it. The school wants to be like one of the more famous schools, so they sweep things under the rug and do the minimal."