MCYT RANDOMNESS 2

Class system Pt 3

We're back.

As is the angst

When I should be doing literally anything else

'What's wrong?'

I glance at Scar next to me, walking to school on Tuesday morning.

'What?'

'What's wrong? I know something's wrong, Arch.'

'Nothing's wrong. Stop worrying about me.'

It's day 2 of getting ritually beaten up by my friends. And now Scar's worried about me too. We reach school. Elex is there, putting on a smile I always thought was genuine.

'Archer! You're here!'

'Hey Elex...' I mumble back. He pulls me over, forcing me to hug him.

'Come on, what's up? Has your big brother been giving you a hard time?'

'No.'

'I'd never be mean to my little brother Arch!' Scar insists. I try to signal for him to stay out.

'Good.' Elex glares at Scar in a silent threat that makes me want to punch him.

'Come on.' He drags me into our corner, where no one will see me or what I'm facing. I'm not given any time before he punches me in the nose. Elex pins me.

'Did you tell him?'

'No.'

'Were you going to?'

'No.'

'Are you lying?'

'No!'

'Fine. I'll let you off.' The bell goes. 'But if you tell him, you're dead.'

He lets me go. We walk off towards science, not talking. The teacher starts talking about particle arrangement. I start doodling in my book, until the snakes I'm drawing get rudely covered.

Blood.

A nosebleed.

I cover my face quickly, trying to wipe the blood away and smearing it across my book.

'S***!' I swear under my breath. 'S***, s***, s***!'

'Are you alright?' Zedaph asks next to me. I nod.

'Yeah. Mind your own business.' But it only half comes out, bunged up by my hand. I try to keep working, but I can't focus.

'Miss Cleo?' Zedaph raises his hand. The class stops to look over at us. I duck my head, trying to hide my embarrassment.

'Yes Zed- oh, yep you need to get to the toilets, Archer.'

'I'm fine, Miss.' I lie again. But she doesn't accept it.

'Zedaph, get him to the toilets... You should've told me, I would've let you deal with it...'

The journey over is silent, mutinous and mortifying. I glare into the mirrors above the sink as Zedaph grabs about half a roll of toilet paper, handing it over.

'Thanks...' I mutter. He doesn't speak, just watching me as I wait for the nosebleed to stop.

'You should hold higher up your nose.'

'Who told you that, nerd?' I snap. 'Your best friend Miss Cleo?'

'I was helping you.'

'You were embarrassing me. In front of the entire class.' I slowly shift to his method, annoyed that it works. 'I had it under control.'

'You didn't.'

'I did.'

'Fine,' Zedaph accepts. 'Yeah. Cool.' The nosebleed has stopped now. I dump the toilet paper in the toilet, washing my hands quickly. 'I just sacrificed lesson time to help you and you're acting like a d***.'

'Oh, I'm sorry, nerd. You didn't have to do that. Go back to class then. And keep your damn mouth shut next time.'

For the rest of the week, people whisper about me. Elex and the gang stop beating me up on Wednesday. I'm left with bruises I try and mostly fail to hide. So people whisper about that too. I'm left starving, hurt, and p***ed off by Friday period 2 and PE class.

'Right, boys. Today we have basketball. I need 2 captains... Elex and... Zedaph. Elex, you pick first.'

'Hels.'

'Tango.'

'Xornoth.'

'Impulse.'

Elex scans the room, as though I'm not here.

'Doc,' he says eventually.

'Archer.'

What.

I look at Zedaph. There's whispers I can't ignore as I have to walk over, silent as the rest of the class are picked. Elex keeps giving me a you're dead and you know it look. The others show their anger is other ways.

'Foul, Hels!' The teacher calls as Hels trips me for the 3rd time.

'Uhh... It wasn't!' He feigns innocence. I'm left crawling my way to my feet as the ball's passed to me for a free shot.

My team loses, in the end. Elex cheers and celebrates with the rest of his team, but I still see the anger in his face. This isn't going to go well for me. I know it. They don't speak to me as we change into normal clothes again, leaving before me.

I'm not too far behind. Or, I didn't think I was until I reach our hang out spot again.

Everyone's there. Elex, True, Xor and Hels. But, held back by True, is another person, beaten, bleeding and shaking.

Zedaph.

'What's... Going on?'

'The star of the moment. Archer, come over. You felt sad when you were forced onto Zedaph's team and made to lose, weren't you?' I don't speak. Surely it's only been a couple of minutes. How have they done this to Zed already? WHY have they done this to Zedaph?

'A- Archer?'

'SILENCE! You hurt my friend's feelings, you deserve to get hurt. And you embarrassed him on Tuesday. I think Archer wants to get revenge, don't you?'

I can't say no. If I say no it'll be me struggling and bleeding. So I stare at the ground and nod obediently.

'See? Aww, he's going to start crying... It's alright, Arch.' Elex puts an arm around my shoulder, forcing me closer. I know he called me Arch on purpose. I know he's using Scar's nickname on purpose. 'You can get out all your emotion now and hit him.'

What.

'Go on, it's alright. I won't tell. Just hit the nerd and everything will be ok.'

'Come on, don't be a p***y.' Xor chips in. Hels nods.

'Yeah, bin-boy. Hit that nerd.'

'I was trying to be nice to you!' Zedaph insists, close to tears. 'I was being friendly!'

'Hit him.' Elex repeats. 'As hard as you can. Get out all your anger.'

I step closer to Zedaph, who's still shaking, still bleeding.

And I punch him.

Right in the face.

True lets him go and he tries to run. Hels just trips him. They all laugh. I don't laugh. I can't laugh, trying not to cry as he struggles to his feet and flees.