The Art of the Hustle 2 (Complete)

Chapter Nineteen

Trevor insisted on Deon returning to school and receiving his high-school education. Deon was in his final year and only needed a few more credits to graduate. A high-school diploma would be the first moral victory for Deon that may give him a taste of what a person can achieve with a little hard work and discipline.

A nearby school agreed to allow Deon to enroll in a set number of classes midway through the year. It would be difficult and Deon was very far behind, but Trevor spoke with the principal and convinced her that Deon had private tutors to help him catch up.

Walking into the foreign school for the first time made Deon anxious. His stomach was filled with butterflies as he felt everyone was staring at him and judging him. With his backpack slung over one shoulder, Deon kept his head down as he walked through the crowded halls.

Looking at a folded up piece of paper, Deon determined that he had English in his first period, but he had no idea where the classroom was. The bell rang and the hall traffic began to move quickly. He thought about asking someone where room 318 was, but he figured it would be somewhere on the third floor.

The hallways eventually cleared as students funneled into the various classrooms. The chaos had been replaced by calmness. On multiple occasions, Deon thought about taking off, but then he reconsidered. Finding room 318, Deon took a deep breath and entered the classroom.

Everyone stopped what they were doing as the new kid walked in. Even the teacher looked him up and down for a moment, before welcoming him inside.

"You must be Deon," he said. Deon nodded. "Great, welcome."

Deon found a seat near the back. Dropping his bag on the floor, he sunk low in his seat. From the back of the room, he could scan the other students. He felt like an outsiders as he couldn't identify with any of them.

"Picking up from last week, we were talking about..." the teacher's voice faded in his head and became background noise.

After class, Deon was standing in the hallway as a stream of people rushed by him. He was looking at his itinerary to see which class he had next. A group of boys walked past him and one of them stiff-shouldered Deon. The abrupt jolt knocked the papers out of Deon's hand and caused him to take a step back to regain his balance.

"Watch it," one of the boys said, turning to Deon long enough to give him an unwelcoming look.

Deon looked up and saw which classroom the boy entered. Not one to swallow his pride, Deon followed the boy into the room.

"Hey," Deon said, causing the guy to turn around. The second he did, Deon punched him in the mouth. The entire class rose to their feet. Some students even gasped they were aback by the unexpected violence. Soon after a crowd formed around the two.

Deon pinned the kid on the ground and was smashing his face with his fist. The student was covered in blood and on the verge of being knocked unconscious.

The teacher was a little late coming to class and when he did, he was greeted by a horrific scene of violence. Deon, the new kid, had beaten a fellow student within an inch of his life. The teacher was shocked and immediately escorted Deon to the principal's office.

Trevor was called and when he arrived, he saw Deon sitting there tapping his foot in his chair. His knuckles were bloody and he had a menacing look on his face. Obviously still riled up from the incident. Trevor had a look of disappointment as he stood there shaking his head.

"What happened?" Trevor asked.

"You know how it is. Law of the jungle — kill or be killed," Deon said in a tone that did not reveal even the slightest remorse.

"This is high school," Trevor said. "What are you talking about 'kill or be killed'? This isn't Lord of the Flies."

"I was disrespected and I had to defend my name."

"Your name?" Trevor repeated. "You're new to this school. Nobody even knows who you are."

"At least I'm not the kid known for allowing someone to push me around."

"Look, I hate bullies just as much as you, and I'm not saying the kid didn't deserve to get beaten up. But you can't go around fighting everyone who challenges you. The smartest thing you can do is walk away."

"Not in here. Reputation is everything."

"Again, this is high school. Reputation isn't everything. Your goal is to go to class, educate yourself, and move onto the next stage of your life. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought you wanted to become successful?"

Deon nodded.

"Okay, then why are you fighting people? You need to elevate beyond this petty, barbaric, juvenile behaviour. You are on a path to become successful, right? Why would you allow something so meaningless to derail you from that path?"

Deon shrugged.

"Do you even know that kid?"

Deon shook his head.

Trevor exhaled a deep breath. "Look, man. Ninety-nine percent of these kids will forget all about you the second you graduate, and the ones who do will remember you for being a goon. Some dumbass wannabe thug who cannot control his emotions. Do you want to be remembered for that, of for being smart, kind, and rich?"

"I'm sorry, it's just... I have a hot temper, you know that."

"Doesn't excuse what you did. Use this opportunity as a lesson to grow. You can never act this way again, okay?"

"Fine."