The NEWBIE

Chapter 20

***20***

HICCUP

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit." That was all I ever uttered while I tried to avoid eye contact.

Jack squinted at me and then noticed Eugene coming up to us.

"Who's that friend of yours, again, Jack Frost?" Eugene taunted as he pointed at me.

Jack crooked a smile and then said, "Why? Wanna ask for his number?"

"Okay, boys." Merida snapped. "Cut the crap and get to the point."

"Oh, Miss? Macklemore?" Eugene's voice sounded like he was going to say something insulting. "Let's go thrift shopping!" he looked rather stupider when he sang it. The two other guys before him cracked into laughter, patting Eugene's back as though it was some kind of achievement.

"What? Is that all ye can say, 'cause ye can go before I punch yer pretty face." Merida smiled but I still noticed her fist hardening.

"Pretty? I like the sound of that." Eugene laughed. I want to kick him as much as Merida wants to kill this guy. "But anyway, like what you said Macklemore, let's get to the point."

He paused and then continued, "Some certain person over here just stole something from my locker and did some damage in the showers."

It was obvious that he was pertaining to me. Out of nowhere, Eugene grabbed my shirt, lifting my body a bit.

"Woah, woah," Merida interrupted. "So, yer beating someone up because our friend over here stole something? Is it something with a sentimental value? Is it a teddy bear, I s'pose?"

"Oh, girly's fighting back. Very funny, are you? I like it." Eugene responded, sarcastically. "But no, it aint' some teddy bear."

Jack and I seemed to be mute, at the moment. Merida had been doing the talking. Well, at least I don't have to deal with Eugene alone. I glanced over Jack and he seemed like he was enjoying the scene, somewhat like a movie.

"Something important, is it?"

"Not really – " Eugene's clever little monologue was quickly cut off by Merida.

"Oh, so why are ye beating someone up for a worthless reason?"

"That's injustice." Jack added, as he sat like he was watching some kind of reality TV show, with his head resting on his hands.

I glared at Jack because he was adding up to the problem but all he did was smile and shrug. Does he really want me to get pounded?

Eugene finally let go of my shirt which was overly stretched from the force of his hand. "You're right. That's injustice. But shrimp messed with me so that's fair enough to get him pounded, aint' it, boys?"

He looked over his back and his friends nodded in agreement.

"That's stupid." I suddenly butted in. I quickly covered my mouth when he looked at me.

"Oh, I oughtta – " he was about to punch me in the face when someone called him from down the bleachers.

"Fitzherbert! What are you doing?!" Vice Principal Gordon called angrily at the top of his lungs. Eugene probably forgot that Vice Principal Gordon marches around the campus every morning to check on the students. His favourite place to march around is the field because it was, what Vice Principal Gordon calls it, 'troublemaker-prone'.

"Get down here!" he added.

Eugene didn't say anything. He just stared at me as though I was being tortured inside of his head. He turned around slowly as he signalled for his friends to speed off. When he turned his back at us, the three of us looked at each other with amused faces.