Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
GUZMÁN WAS NO LONGER A LITTLE BOY, no, that part of him had expired. Instead of scribbling on walls with crayons, he now punctuated his threats with his fists.
The notes, pictures, and flowers that decorated Marina's locker had him teetering on the edge of a very dangerous and violent cliff, and Samuel's unpredicted descent down the hallway stairs pushed Guzmán over that edge. A rush of air came swooping past Pilar as he lunged for Samuel, shouting threats and curses along the way. Pilar tried to reach out and pull him back, but it was no use, his strides were monstrous compared to her own. His movements were shaky, and once he reached Samuel, they became explosive.
Chaos erupted throughout the hallway, spilling into the classroom, as Polo, Ander, and Christian attempted to intervene. Pilar's eyes flicked back and forth between Guzmán's split knuckles and Samuel's face, which was now peppered with fresh bruises and bleeding slightly. A sick feeling curdled in the pit of her stomach, and she tugged one hand through her hair. She felt powerless, and she hated feeling powerless.
Sensing movement beside her, Pilar tore her gaze away from the fight only to see Nadia run in the opposite direction of the classroom towards Azucena's office.
The sound of Azucena's furious shouts caused Guzmán to pull his punches and snap his head up, only to lock eyes with Nadia over Azucena's shoulder. He stared at her in numb disbelief for several, prolonged moments, before rolling his shoulders gruffly, throwing Samuel one final disgusted glare, and trudging over to his usual seat.
Once the dust settled and everyone was in their seats, Azucena began to address the class. "The wound that Marina's death has left in all of us will take a long time to heal. I need your help to achieve it. From all of you."
Even from her seat in the back, Pilar could tell Azucena was nervous or at the very least unsure of how to handle the difficult situation. She noted how the principal twisted her hands together and moved her eyes quickly from one student to the next.
"Guzmán," Azucena said, approaching his desk cautiously, her tone somehow both soft and firm. "I can't even begin to imagine what you are going through."
Guzmán sniffed harshly and kept his eyes locked on the corner of his desk. "No, you can't."
Finally, Guzmán lifted his head to stare Azucena right in the eye. Pilar didn't have to see his eyes to know there was an angry fire burning inside them.
"And now imagine that you had to bump into the one to blame for all that pain in the halls all the time."
"Samuel isn't the one to blame."
"If Samuel hadn't come to this school," Guzmán paused briefly, his face flushed red with rage. "If him and his fucking brother had stayed in their shitty little village, none of this would ever have happened."
"Your father got him the scholarship."
"You're the one who renewed it. Why?"
"He's a good student. It wouldn't be fair."
As soon as the words left Azucena's mouth, Pilar clamped her eyes shut and took a sharp breath. She opened her eyes briefly, only to share a look with Ander, who's jaw tightened in anticipation of what was about to happen.
Guzmán was a ticking time bomb. Marina's murder had left him unstable, unpredictable, and most off all, angry. His pain amplified his hatred for the changing world around him and his hatred for the scholarship students, specifically Samuel.
"Fair?"
The fury in Guzmán voice caused Pilar to latch onto Ander's hand. He squeezed her hand tightly in response. Both—without even realizing it—held their breath and held onto each other.
The harsh screech of Guzmán's chair echoed throughout the tense classroom as he stood up.
"Marina is dead. My sister is dead at sixteen years old. Is that fair?"
Azucena shook her head slightly. "I'm not going to argue with you."
"From now on, just so you know, if you talk to that vermin, you are dead to me! If you're with him, you're against me."
The words leave stains, and the room fills with a thick silence.
"This is not about taking sides," Azucena tried to reason, her hands still twisting together.
