Gregor and the New Race

Chapter 4

When Gregor opened his eyes, he saw a large crowd forming around him. They were all staring at him and whispering to each other. He quickly sat up and tried to stand. He had instant regret as he felt a hard pain on the back of his head. The room spun as he struggled to keep himself upright. He felt two arms on his chest and back to steady him. He turned and saw a pair of Abigails looking up at him. The two identical girls merged into one as his eyes focused.
"Alright! Alright! Nothing to see here!" A teacher Gregor didn't know shouted above the crowd. The crowd dispersed as the male teacher walked over to him and his friends.
"Are you okay?" He asked him.
"Yeah.. I think so..." he replied weekly, still a little dizzy.
"Good. To the principal's office. All of you." He said pointing to all the boys in the fight and Abigail.
"Wait! They weren't a part of it. It was me." Gregor said pointing at Abby and Harry.
"Well in that case, just you four. To the principal's office." Harry looked at Gregor with confusion, but Gregor could tell he was thankful. The four other boys got to their feet and looked as dizzy as Gregor. When Drake got to his feet and saw Gregor, Gregor thought he saw him flinch. Apparently the fourth boy that Gregor had blocked the punch of, had hit him over the head with something while he was distracted. But by the looks of it, he didn't stick around till Gregor woke up.

Gregor sat in the waiting room of the principal's office as the three boys told their story. By the looks of their faces when they came out, he guessed that whatever they told him, didn't please as well as they wanted. It was Gregor's turn. He decided to tell the truth but left some parts out, like Harry. He told him about how Drake had threatened him, and tried to attack him, so out of defense, he had fought back. The principal showed no signs of believing his story.
"Unless you tell me the truth, I cannot allow you to attend the field trip to New York." He said. Gregor's eyes widened.
"Where?" Gregor asked quickly.
"To New York. There is a field trip there for three days in a month."
"Please! I did tell you the truth...er...well most of it..." he corrected himself. "I lied about Harry being involved. But it wasn't his fault and he didn't hurt anybody!" Gregor defended his friend.
"Please! It won't happen again. I promise!" But as Gregor said the words, he wasn't 100% sure if he meant it. He could always control his rager sensation and he knew that if it came down to it, he may need it again.
"Okay. Thank you. You may go." He replied.
"Thank you, sir." Gregor replied and headed out. When he walked out into the hall, Abby and Harry were waiting.
"Did you get in trouble?" Harry asked? Abigail smacked him on the shoulder. "Ow! I was just asking"
"No." Gregor said walking to his locker. His friends followed.
"Hey. Thank you for saving me, and covering for me. I owe you one. Actually I owe you two" Harry said.
"Don't mention it." Gregor responded. Meaning every word he said.
"So. Where'd you learn to beat someone up like that? New York?" Abby asked, obviously not happy with what had happened.
"Maybe." Gregor replied, not wanting to explain anything more.
"Does it have anything to do with these?" Abby asked, tracing a scar on his arm. Gregor didn't realize his sleeves had been rolled up and his numerous scars had been exposed. He quickly rolled down his sleeves and sighed.
"They're nothing." He replied, trying not to get angry at them for the second time that day. Thankfully, they left it at that. He was not in the mood to tell them anything about his past.

After school, Gregor was scared to tell his parents about the field trip. If he went, he had no intentions of going to the Underland, even though he wanted to more than anything. But aside from the underlanders, Gregor had one Overlander friend that he missed dearly. Mrs. Cormaci. She had been Gregor's next door neighbor in New York. She had helped Gregor's family out with paying the bills and provided Gregor with a job. Plus, she had been the only one that Gregor had told about the underland. If he got to go see her, the trip would definitely be worth it.

Gregor knocked on his parents' bedroom door. After they told him to come in, he walked in and said.
"My class is taking a three day field trip to go see some some museums. Abby and Harry are going, and I'd like to go...can I?"
"Three days? Where is it?" His mother asked. Gregor's heart sank. He knew she'd never go for it. He sighed.
"New York." He replied.
"No! You may not! And if you think for a minute—" his mom replied quickly and anything but quietly, but his father interrupted her.
"Gregor, can you wait in the hall for a moment." Gregor walked out into the hall, but he heard every word. His ears were all too acute from months in the Underland.
"You know he'll just march right back down into that horrid place." His mother whispered angrily.
"You don't know that's true." His father defended him.
"Yes I do. He doesn't stop thinking about that girl. You really think he'd just forget about her when he goes?" Gregor's mother had never approved of Luxa, and she never referred to her by her name. He didn't want to hear his mother talk about the underland. The place that had brought him such joy, was the place that took hers away. Gregor plugged his ears. He couldn't blame his mother though. Each time Gregor went down there, she knew there was a chance that she would loose her son. But the underland felt like home to Gregor. He had been through too much down there to feel at home anywhere else. Gregor gained friends that he never could have had in the overland. However, Gregor had lost good friends as well. He thought of Ares. Ares was his bat that had been his bond. In the underland, a bond was a relationship between a human and a bat. It was like a pact the insured that each would give his or her life for the other. These bonds weren't just for survival, however. Gregor had grown so close to his bat, Ares. A large black bat that was previously bonded to Luxa's cousin, Henry. Henry had betrayed her and the underland in Gregor's first trip to the underland. However, Henry had fallen to his death when Ares refused to catch him. Ares life was spared only when Gregor bonded to him to prevent his execution. But he and Ares had grown to more than just bonds, he had been Gregor's best friend...Had. Until he was killed by the Bane. Gregor's parents' call shook him from his train of thought. He walked into the room.
"We have decided to let you go." He saw his mother wince. "But under a couple of conditions...