Beneath the Silence

Chapter 4: Place in the World

Yusuf had tried to ignore the feeling. That growing knot in his stomach, the one that tightened every time he saw Ezekiel. From the moment he barged his way into their classroom, Yusuf knew there was something off about him. He'd hoped, foolishly, that maybe it was just his imagination, but now, three weeks later, it was clear: Ezekiel was trouble.

It wasn't just the way Ezekiel carried himself, although that was bad enough—his cocky grin, the way he looked at people like they were beneath him, the casual cruelty in his eyes and his nonchalant attitude towards violence. No, it was more than that. It was how Ezekiel seemed to have zeroed in on Yusuf from the start, as if he'd sensed the unease in him and decided to feed off it. Like a predator sensing the rising heart rate of the weaker buffalo in the herd, Ezekiel could sense Yusuf's distrust and unease. Sure, everyone else was scared of him, but Yusuf saw through him, beneath their fear of him was an overwhelming and underlying respect for his strength. Yusuf didn't have any of that.

It began with little things. A shove in the hallway that seemed accidental but wasn't. A snide remark about Yusuf's clothes, his hair, his size—anything Ezekiel could think of to get under his skin. It wasn't just bullying; it was calculated, like Ezekiel was testing Yusuf, probing for weaknesses. And always, there was that insinuation, that sneering suggestion that Yusuf didn't deserve to be around Dahlia. Of course everyone could see them tougher, everyone knew. but because Dahlia's demeanour had been so off-putting over the years no one really cared, they weren't worth spreading rumours about. Ezekiel hoped that this was Yusuf's weakness. That if he broke down the relationship between them, then he can dominate and overwhelm Yusuf.

"You really think she's interested in you?" Ezekiel had said once, leaning in close during lunch, his voice low enough so that only they could hear it. "She's just bored, you know. You're nothing to her."

For some reason Yusuf didn't feel anger at this statement. He probably already knew it. More importantly, he knew that getting angry was what Ezekiel wanted. Deep down Yusuf wished that Ezekiel was wrong, that maybe, just maybe there actually was a connection between him and Dahlia.

In PE, things escalated. They were playing basketball, a game Yusuf usually enjoyed, but today he couldn't focus. He couldn't get into the same groove as usual. Ezekiel was on the opposing team, and from the start, it was clear he had one target in mind.

Yusuf tried to stay out of Ezekiel's way, passing the ball quickly whenever it came to him, but it didn't matter. Ezekiel was relentless, shoving him, elbowing him, driving into him with a ferocity that was borderline terrifying. The other boys noticed, but none of them dared say anything. At this point this level of violence in the class had become normal. Even Mrs.Cooney became desensitized to it, only saying the bare minimum to cover herself.

Finally, after one particularly hard shove that sent Yusuf sprawling onto the gym floor, something snapped inside him. He scrambled to his feet, his heart pounding, and before he could think better of it, he shoved Ezekiel back.

For a moment, the gym fell silent. Ezekiel stared at Yusuf, his eyes narrowing, a dangerous smile curling his lips. This is what he wanted. He didn't want to simply beat down Yusuf from above, he wanted a fight. Yusuf felt a surge of fear but didn't back down. If this was going to be a fight, so be it. He wasn't going to let Ezekiel walk all over him.

But before either of them could make a move, Dahlia stepped forward. She had been sitting on the sidelines, watching the game with her usual detached expression, but now she moved with purpose. She placed herself between the two boys, her back to Yusuf, her gaze locked onto Ezekiel's.

"Stop," she said quietly, her voice as calm as ever. But there was something in the way she said it, something that made Ezekiel pause.

For a long moment, Ezekiel just stared at her, his smile fading. Then, without a word, he turned and walked away, the tension in the room dissipating as quickly as it had built. Pretty soon the same resumed as usual. Ezekiel stayed away from Yusuf for the rest of the game.