Uncomfortable

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Y/n's POV

Thursday January 18th
And so the game began. When it started I was confused. No matter where I went, the Hatzgang wasn't there. Not like I was looking for them but usually they go out of their way to find me. Now they were nowhere to be seen. Except for Robert of course. We shared a math class. I was scared at first when I discovered he was in my class, but he never acknowledged me. When he was separated from the rest of the gang, he seemed to be just a normal guy. After about a week of this game, I made the stupid conclusion that maybe the gang had forgotten about me. Maybe if they kept avoiding them and I was careful, I could get to the end of the 3 months without encountering them. 
I realized almost too late that I was wrong. 
It was a Thursday. I was sitting in my room after school when a realization came to me. This was not normal. I didn't just spend two months getting relentlessly bullied by those guys for them to just fall off the radar after making a bet. That didn't sound like Roy. The other two weren't a part of this. I didn't have to worry about Ross and Robert for awhile. I couldn't swear that Roy would keep his word, but, even though they couldn't help, I didn't think that the other two would let Roy cheat. Roy also was not the type of guy to make a bet and let the other person win without a fight. 
I sat up in bed swiftly, causing myself to get a bit dizzy at the abrupt motion.
Roy wasn't avoiding me. Far from it. I didn't think he was smart enough to come up with a plan, but maybe he just never needed to. When he wanted something from someone he would just beat them up for it. But this was different. He wasn't allowed to use physical violence to win this game. He had to use alternative methods to get to me. I had to strike first and strike hard to get the upper hand. I couldn't let Roy carry out whatever he was planning. I had to throw him off his game.

Friday January 19th
I looked over at Robert from across the class. I had to ask him where Roy was. I knew that he couldn't and wouldn't help me find out what he was up to, but surely he could tell me where Roy had been. I had been nervous the entire day. It had already been a week so I couldn't be sure when Roy would strike. It could be at any time. 
"Alright class! This week's assignment is math posters. I will give you a problem and you will have to make a poster showing 3 different ways to represent the problem and solve it." Said the teacher. "This project will take you about a week. You have to make your poster look nice. Use good handwriting and give it color. Make sure your representations are accurate." I was waiting for her to say something. Something specific that I knew she was going to say. I listened in and out to her description of the project and the criteria. Then she said what I was waiting for. 
"For this assignment you will need a partner. When I say go, find a partner and come get your problem and poster paper." 
Perfect. If I was going to get answers, I needed to take the only chance that I could. That chance was Robert. 
"Go."
The whole class stood up and started partnering up. I walked directly to Robert. His desk was at the opposite end of the classroom from mine.
"Hey." I said before he could walk away to find a partner. 
"Um.. Hi?" He said in confusion. Of course he was confused. I had never spoken to any members of the Hatzgang willingly.
"Wanna be partners?" I asked. I struggled to stop my hands from shaking. I would always just partner up with a friend or someone the teacher chose for me. I never just asked someone to be my partner, much less someone I disliked, but in this strange situation I had no choice. I wasn't going to let him see that I was nervous. People with confidence are much more likely to get what they want.
His eyes widened a bit with surprise.
"Oh.. uh- sure." He said. I was a bit surprised that he accepted, even though my plan required him to. "Though- uh- can I ask.. why?"
"I need to ask you some things but I can't seem to find you anywhere else. It's like you three have just disappeared." I replied.
"Oh. I hope you aren't trying to cheat or anything. I'm not going to help with that." he said. 
So I was right. At least one of the two gang members that aren't playing doesn't condone cheating. That means he probably isn't helping Roy either.
"No no. I don't want to cheat. I just want to ask some questions. Is that allowed?" I said.
He thought for a second.
"Yeah I guess so. As long as you aren't asking anything that could help you get the upper hand or something." he said.
"Y/n. Robert. Are you two partners?" asked the teacher.
"Oh. Yeah we are." I said.
"Well then come get your problem! You can't spend the project time just standing around."
I looked around and noticed that most of the class already had their partners and supplies. 
"Right. I'll get them." said Robert. He went to the teacher to get our supplies. Phase one of my plan is complete. 

"So what do you need to know?" Asked Robert as he sat down.
4x+5-3x=x+4-3 was our problem. I already knew that it was a special case and had no solution. We could discuss the topic of math later, though. 
"Where have you guys been? You used to actively seek me out, but now no matter where I go, you 3 are nowhere to be seen. I don't want to know what you have been doing or if you know what Roy is up to. That would be cheating. I just want to know why you guys fell off the radar." I got right to the point. I needed answers fast.
"Ross hasn't disappeared. When he isn't with Roy he is hard to notice. You have probably walked by him multiple times and just haven't seen him. As for Roy, I couldn't tell you. He is avoiding us, too. Ross and I wait for him in our usual spot everyday, but he never shows. I think the reason you haven't seen me is just coincidence. Did you notice this problem is a special case?" He said. I thought about the information. Roy was avoiding his own friends? He was almost never seen without them. Now he just isn't seen at all. What was he up to?
"Yeah I did notice. X + 5 does not equal X + 1." I said, simplifying the problem. 
"Yeah. This one doesn't have a solution. Ross had math last period. I wonder what problem he got. I'll ask him at lunch." 

Monday January 22nd
I saw Roy today. I spent the rest of Friday thinking about what Robert had said. He was right about Ross. Ross was average height with dark hair and clothes that helped him blend in with the crowd. When I actively tried to find him in the hallway crowds though, he was easy to spot. I wondered if he ever saw me. 
The weekend was average. I finally got to spend time with Susie that wasn't strictly dedicated to plotting against the Hatzgang. She showed me some of her art and she is actually pretty good. 
I spent my alone time trying to come up with an attack against Roy. He was spending so much time avoiding everyone that I knew he was planning something big. I had to strike before he got the chance to carry out his plan. No surprise, Susie hadn't seen him anywhere either. 
I finally saw him after more than a week of his existence being basically wiped. People only talked about him for a day or two after he disappeared. Then it was like he never went to school here.
I was walking to my second period when I saw him. A bathroom was nearby and I jumped into it in an attempt to avoid him. Once he passed I would hurry to my next class but.. something was nagging at my mind. I gave in. I stepped back out into the hall and approached him. Dumb idea, I know, but I had to ask him something.
"Where were you?" I didn't bother saying hi. He didn't deserve a friendly welcome back. I placed my hand on my hip for some added effect. Also it stopped my hand from shaking. He wasn't allowed to hurt me, but I was still nervous talking to him.
He jumped and turned around to face me. I must have startled him.
"Oh. It's you. None of your business." He turned and started walking away. I wasn't letting him off that easy.
"What? Are you uncomfortable or something? Just going to let me win that easy?" I asked.
He froze and turned around slowly. I raised an eyebrow and smiled at him slyly. He walked up to me and stared me in the eyes. I was starting to hate when he did that. 
"Well played." He said "I got suspended. Your friend Susie reported me to the principal." 
That explained the disappearance. There was a strange gleam in his eyes. That suspension gave him time to plan his first move. He should learn that looking at people in the eyes like that could give away his thoughts. 
"Ok." I said. "Good to know you got what was coming to you for these." 
I pulled my sleeves down a bit to show the red marks that were still visible on my wrists.
"Yeah yeah. I've got to get to math." He said. He stormed off down the hall to the math room. 
I stood there and stared after him until he turned a corner out of sight. I turned around and started towards my next class.

"Did you notice that 'you know who' is back?" asked Susie during lunch.
"Yeah. I talked to him." I replied.
"You what? What happened? Are you ok?"
"Yeah. I'm fine. He isn't allowed to hurt me for a while. I just asked where he had been."
"Oh where- wait. What do you mean he's not allowed to hurt you? He just does it anyway."
I realized that I never told Susie about the bet that we had made. 
"Oh. Right. I never told you. We made a bet. During the duration of the game he can't physically hurt me." I said.
"You made a bet? When? About what?" Susie questioned.
"Last week when I met the gang at Candy Club. I think he's tired of bullying me. I think I freak him out or something." 
"How do you win?" 
"I have to make him uncomfortable. It's a game of willpower as he describes it."
"That sounds weird. What do you get if you win?" 
"He and his gang won't bother me or any of my friends ever again."
"Ooo. That's a good one." She leaned forward on her hand. "Would I reap these benefits?"
"Yes Susie. You're my friend."
"Nice. Friend status officially reached."
"I have to win this but he isn't going to make it easy. He has been planning something. I need to strike the first blow to throw him off his game."
"Roy? Planning something? Are we talking about the same Roy here?"
We laughed. I am glad to have Susie as a friend. 

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