Dignity's Worth

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

I didn't skip school the next day. No big deal was made out of the fight, as I've previously mentioned. I was let out from the police station with a warning. In school however, some kids seemed to steer away from me. Word had spread that I had beat up a guy twice my size, and from then both the number of people who troubled Lucy in school and the number of people who troubled me in school had reduced drastically.

However I still had to settle that whole Martin affair, but I knew I couldn't do it anytime soon. Not after what had happened the previous night. But the meeting was arranged after school as planned, and there were about three people besides me and Sal in the third floor classroom where we'd scheduled to meet.

"Okay," said I, looking at everybody who had gathered, "do you guys know what you're here for?"

"I haven't told them yet," replied Sal, "but I've told them it's in relation to their sisters and girlfriends."

"I need introductions, Sal."

"Alright. This is Eddie,"

There was a guy about a year older than me standing right in the front. He shook my hand. Although the grade I was in was the highest grade in our school, Eddie had begun his education one year after he was supposed to.

"How you doing?" I asked.

"Fine," he answered, "Tina's my girlfriend by the way."

"Tina Armstrong?" I asked, and he nodded.

"This is Hugh," Sal continued, and I looked to the guy on my left.

He looked about two years my junior.

"Hey," I said, shaking his hand. I could tell he was a bit worried.

"Why are you here?" I asked him.

"I don't know. The only thing I've been told is that it has something to do with my big sister Martha."

"Full name's Martha Hushman." said Sal, then turning to the last guy, "And this is Henry."

I shook Henry's hand. He looked like a good kid, about the same age as me.

"Before you ask," he said, "Elisa Franklin. That's my girlfriend."

Everybody knew Elisa Franklin. She was in the same league as Lucy and Mary. So saying that this guy was her boyfriend told you a lot about him already.

"Okay, sit down please." I began, "I know this is confusing for you guys and you are probably frustrated that I called you here after hours. But I assure you it's a very sensitive topic we're here to address and not some petty quarrel. Now the three of you know that the girls you just mentioned have been through a lot of trouble lately. And from what I've been told, there's one guy behind all of this bullshit that's going on in the school. His name's Martin Giovanni, and I'm sure you know what I'm talking about."

All of them looked at each other before looking at me.

"What do you mean?" Henry asked.

"You know very well, don't you? You know what he does and you know how he does it. Don't you?"

"I have some idea. It's not like I don't know, Alex. Is that your name?"

"Yeah that's right."

"I know what goes on, Alex. And believe me, I know where you're coming from. I know what you wanna do. I wanted the exact same thing. After that son of a bitch did what he did to Elisa, you know how she was defamed in the campus. You know what people said about her. You think I didn't try to fight for her?"