The Garden of Eden || Canis Canem Edit / Bully [ #WATTYS2018 ]

Chapter Twenty-Three: Storm

"I thought I smelt inbred scum." Gary spat out, rage pounding in him like a drumbeat. "Bif Taylor."

The ginger-haired boy's ears perked up at the sound of his name being called, whipping around to face the sociopathic teenager. Before Gary, was the wretched man that beat his girlfriend into a pulp. Before him, was the poorest excuse for a human Gary had ever come across. Before him was Bif 'The Prick' Taylor. 

Bif held his breath, not daring to make a sound, as though the slightest sudden noise would launch Gary into a fevered frenzy. He hesitantly cleared his throat, dismissing his fear with a sneer. The boxer wasn't afraid of Gary, no matter how menacingly he tried to size him up. The contemptuous snigger only added to the brimming hostility boiling up within Gary.

"You think this is funny?" He snapped, knuckles a stark white with how hard he was clenching his fists.

He wanted nothing more than to reach over and choke the pompous ass, much like he did to Eden.

"You are an extremely stupid git, aren't you?" Bif retorted snidely with a puff of his chest, flexing his toned muscles in an attempt to scare him off.

However, Gary wasn't moving. Instead, he took a step closer, hatred present in his dull eyes.

Bif's eyes narrowed. "Stepping up to me, are we?"

"Yeah, I am."

Bif took a step closer. "Not a very wise choice, pauper."

"Don't bother trying to fit me Bif. Oh wait, that's right, you won't. Because I'm not a girl. And you don't start fights with people that can actually pummel you, do you, moron?"

It was a war of words, which of the two males could spit out the most hurtful remark or comment. They were itching, fingers trembling to claw at each other's throats, like savage lions fighting for dominance over the pack. With every word Bif drawled out, Gary's mind kept flickering back to Eden. Bif broke her. He broke her into itty bitty pieces and stomped on her until she became embedded into the pavement.

"What are you trying to get at Gary? Go bother Jimmy or something." He said with a sigh, absentmindedly stretching his stiff muscles. "I need to train."

Gary took a step closer, practically chest to chest with the boxer. "Stay away from Eden. She is mine."

The cocky boy didn't bother to hold back a snort, nose held up high in the air. "Eden Milenko? So the rumours are true. She's too good for you Gary, don't you realise that?"

"Oh yeah, 'cause you're exactly the type of guy I should be hearing this from." His cold fury burnt with dangerous intensity at his words.

"Oh, you poor little weakling." Red hot sparks flew as their eyes met. "She's rich, you're not. Simple as that. She's the daughter of Ivan Milenko. Even someone of your social status should know who he is. Eden needs someone who can support her financially, someone of her stature, like me. Not a sociopathic loser, such as yourself."

A crooked little laugh bubbled up from Gary at his words, matching his crooked little smile and crooked little mind. "Clearly, you don't know Eden like I do."

"I know all that I need to know." Bif responded, glowing ruby red in embarrassment. "Gary, you're a violent storm. She's the calm after the storm."

~*~

Eden's let out a sneeze, rubbing her red nose. "I hope I don't catch a cold."

Diligent emerald eyes scanned her surroundings, searching for Gary. Pine trees stood stark and proud in the winter morning, appearing forlorn in the frigid weather as they cast little grey shadows onto New Coventry. She shivered, stomping her foot down in irritation. Air escaped her curved lips, puffs of moisture dissipating through the air. The thought of heading back home, to her cosy little door room, sitting in front of the heater with a nice cup of coffee sounded certainly appealing to her.

"Damn this weather!" 

A croaky voice complained, followed by the audible chattering of teeth. Eden glanced over to the woman that spoke. A frail, hunched over woman. A baby blue gown lay loosely on her body, unmistakably dirty with splatters of mud stains and wet patches from snow. Her taffy slippers were drenched from the cold, her arthritic joints creaking as she moved along the sidewalk. The old woman had one step in the grave, every shuffle of her slippers in the snow, bringing her one step closer to death.

Deeply frowning, Eden approached the older woman. 'I knew New Coventry was a poverty-stricken area filled with destitute people, but I never would have imagined this. This is disturbing.'

"Excuse me, miss?" She called out, placing a comforting hand on the frail woman's shoulder.

The woman shook, trembling under Eden's soft touch. Her thin grey hair was up in taffy curlers, presenting to all her pale, blueish sagging face. Eden's fingers itched from merely coming into contact with the woman's faded, moth-eaten dress. It was rougher than sandpaper against her skin.

"Yes, dearie?" Her scratchy voice murmured out, a watery smile ghosting on her pencil-thin lips.

"It's freezing out here love, you should hurry home." A consoling smile grew on her lips, despite her aching heart.

Eden slipped off her admiral blue jacket, draping it over the feeble woman's shoulders like a cape. The woman opened her mouth to let out a protest, but only a sigh came out, as she nuzzled into the warmth of the jacket. Silently removing her gloves, she handed the warm mittens to the elderly woman.

"You my dear, are such a kind soul. Nothing like the rest of those Bullworth kids!" She exclaimed, eyeing the crest on Eden's shirt.

"Not all of them are bad, miss." She smiled, despite the goosebumps that shot down her spine at the cold wind.

"No, no. Not miss, miss. Miss Abby." Miss Abby replied. "Gary Smith goes there, and he's as bad as bad gets!"

Curiosity piqued her interests, her heart skipping a beat at the mere mention of his name. "How is he bad, if I may ask?"

"He's no good! Just like his mother."