𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃, joseph descamps

𝟎𝟎𝟐. blood, tears and laughter

SHE STANDS IN THE RESTROOM, her hands gripping the edge of the sink, her breath coming in short gasps. The little she managed to eat at noon is now just an unpleasant memory, violently expelled into the toilet bowl. Her legs tremble, and she feels cold sweat bead on her forehead.

After a few minutes, Aimée slowly straightens up, careful not to rush and risk another wave of nausea. She turns on the faucet and lets the cold water flow over her hands, savoring the soothing sensation. She rinses her hands thoroughly, rubbing her palms together as if trying to rid herself of her discomfort.

Then, she leans over the sink to rinse her mouth, taking sips of water and spitting them out carefully. The cold water helps soothe the burning in her throat and wash away the lingering bitter taste.

She quickly fixes her hair, running her trembling fingers through her auburn strands to put them back in place. She knows she can't stay here forever. Classes are about to resume, and she has to return to the classroom.

Aimée takes one last deep breath and steps out of the restroom, her heart still racing as she walks purposefully toward the classroom where Simone and Michèle await her.

Suddenly, Michèle, who steps forward to open the door, gets drenched by a bucket of water. The water soaks her clothes, revealing her underwear, and she freezes in shock.

Aimée instinctively reacts. Without a word, she steps in front of her to shield her from the gaze of the other students, but it's already too late. The insistent stares and whispers begin to echo around them.

It doesn't take long to realize who is behind this bad joke. Joseph stands nearby, a smirk on his face, laughing loudly at his own stupidity. Aimée's heart pounds, mixing anger with shame.

Madame Couret enters the classroom. Her face shows obvious surprise and disapproval at the chaotic scene unfolding before her. She casts a glance at the students and then fixes her gaze on Aimée, who stands there, trying to support Michèle as best as she can.

"You, supervise the class, please !" she commands in a firm voice, quickly helping Michèle exit the room, wrapping her in her coat to cover her as much as possible, closely followed by Simone, who supports her.

As Aimée nods in compliance with the teacher's order, Joseph takes the opportunity to strut arrogantly to the blackboard. He grabs a piece of chalk and starts drawing a woman's body in an obscene manner, encouraged by his friends, who laugh uproariously.

Anger bubbles inside Aimée. She marches determinedly toward Joseph, who, still busy with his little provocation game, doesn't see the slap coming. He is surprised, but he bursts into laughter, mocking the weakness of her gesture.

"Oh, the redhead is mad ! You should learn to laugh a bit, it would make you less ugly," he sneers with contempt.

She raises her hand to slap him again, determined to make him pay for his hurtful words. However, before she can do so, powerful hands emerge from nowhere and shove Joseph backward forcefully. He stumbles back to the teacher's desk, startled and disoriented.

An older boy, clearly a senior judging by his polished suit and perfectly styled hair, intervenes. His stern look and determined expression show that he won't let Joseph's behavior slide.

Without a word, the boy starts delivering rapid, precise punches to Joseph, who struggles under the unexpected onslaught. The screams and exclamations of the other students fill the room. The scene becomes total chaos. The cries, exclamations, and hurried footsteps of students create a deafening uproar. Aimée desperately tries to get closer to Joseph through the crowd pressing around them, but she is blocked by the agitated bodies of her classmates.

Then, suddenly, a loud crash resonates in the classroom. It is the sharp sound of something breaking. Joseph lets out a piercing cry of pain, his hands instinctively rushing to cover his eye. Blood starts to flow profusely, forming a dark stain on his pale face and clothes.

Aimée and the other students around her immediately understand what has happened... The lens of his glasses has apparently pierced his eye upon impact.

Laughter and mockery give way to disbelief and horror. Joseph's friends fall silent, shocked by what they have just witnessed. Blood trickles down from his eye.

Despite her hatred for him, Aimée instinctively reacts. She rushes toward him, ignoring the stunned looks of her classmates, and kneels beside him. Facing him, she gently cradles his head in her hands, trying to assess the extent of the damage despite Joseph's tears and groans of pain.

Blood flows heavily from his eye, and he cries not only from physical pain but also from humiliation and terror. She gently places her hands on his shoulders, forcing him to look at her despite the unbearable pain. "Look at me," she whispers, her voice trembling. "It's going to be okay, everything will be alright now."

Joseph groans in pain, shaking with uncontrollable sobs. He is unable to respond, overwhelmed by the terror and intense pain radiating from his disfigured face. He leans against her, his shoulders shaking with his cries. His blood mixes with her clothes, staining her skirt and sweater, but Aimée doesn't care. She holds him tightly, murmuring soothing words, trying to calm his agitation and pain.

The headmaster bursts into the classroom with a bang. "Everyone back in your seats ! What's going on here ?" he shouts in an authoritative voice.

Aimée gently pulls away from Joseph, who continues to groan in pain. The headmaster quickly approaches him, scrutinizing him carefully.

"Let me see ? Don't touch it, especially don't touch it..." he murmurs, examining the damaged eye. "He has a piece of glass in his eye."

Madame Couret arrives immediately, accompanied by the nurse. They quickly assess Joseph and decide he needs to be taken to the hospital urgently.

"Help me lift him carefully," the nurse orders her colleagues.

Aimée watches the scene, feeling shaken, her clothes stained with Joseph's blood and her hands trembling from the violence of the situation.

She follows Joseph with her eyes as he is led out of the classroom, a whirlwind of thoughts swirling in her mind. She feels both guilty and relieved, shaken by what has just happened. The whispers of the other students resonate faintly around her as the reality of the situation slowly sinks in.

That evening, as they walk home together, Michèle breaks the heavy silence enveloping Aimée.

"It was my older brother, Jean-Pierre, who intervened," Michèle explains in a trembling voice. "He told me he's probably going to face disciplinary action because of this."

Aimée feels guilt seize her. If Jean-Pierre is involved because of her, Michèle is certainly going to get in trouble too.

"I'm sorry, Michèle," she murmurs, her heart heavy.

The blonde shakes her head sadly. "It's not your fault, Aimée. Joseph deserved what happened to him. He keeps hurting others without ever caring about the consequences."

But the redhead shakes her head. "No one deserves this." At those words, her stomach growls loudly.

Michèle looks up at her. "Sounds like someone is hungry," she comments gently.

Aimée blushes slightly, trying to minimize her embarrassment. "Sorry, my stomach seems to have a very different opinion about the situation."