Amid the Roar - Sequel to M.A.L.

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The Harris family car slowed to a stop and let the two teens out. Both gripped their bags tighter, looking up at the grey building with contempt. The boy’s anxiety amplified for his new school but Mrs. Harris drove off anyway, late for work. They were left to stare in horrid wonder at why they as teenagers were put through such hell.

“You ready?”

Jason looked to his partially tied combat boots and took a deep breath. “As I’ll ever be,” he replied to his cousin.

They started the dreadful journey over the concrete stairs and to the main office. Eyes were immediately drawn to Jason and his outlandish clothing. A loose red tie laid over his black dress shirt which was wrinkled from being thrown on his floor. On his chest were several pins with funny phrases or band logos. His arms wore his usual multitude of bracelets and his lip ring had a black spike today. Jason liked to stand out.

He walked up to the main office’s receptionist with his wallet chain jingling. Gabrielle thought his style was both impressive and annoying. The woman with the tight bun on her head only thought it the latter. She handed Jason his last bits of paperwork and when he finished signing the last form, Jason was handed his schedule which he handed straight to Gabrielle.

“I had Mrs. Green last year,” she said encouragingly. “She was nice. None of them are too tough.”

“Says the smart girl,” Jason replied bitterly. “I shouldn’t even be here.”

Gabrielle rolled her eyes again. His forever-complaining attitude was wearing thin on her patience. They exited the main office passing the security guard Gabrielle met the other week. She explained how to get to Mrs. Green’s room and Jason mumbled his thanks.

“Look,” she said, taking his arm before Jason could walk away. “Your mom isn’t retracting her confession meaning you’ll be here. There’s only two more years of this for you until you start college and have fun. Then actual life happens. It sucks and it’s hard but it’s life. Man up, okay?”

Jason hiked up his studded red and black backpack, shaking off his cousin’s grip. Her outburst was a surprise to the both of them but her argument was unwavering. Gabrielle gazed down at her converse.

“I’ll meet you outside the gym and we can walk home,” she muttered. Her mood wasn’t very good to begin that morning with and having to guide Jason around was hard. The sophomore headed for his first period. Gabrielle groaned and turned toward the stairwell. She knew it was going to be a long day for all of them.

~*~

Jason wiped the sweat from his forehead. Mr. Hodge, the gym teacher, made the class play basketball. Not having clothing to change into, he had to borrow an old pair of shorts that smelled like sweat and Febreze. Trying to get out of it earned him laps to run and his first big humiliation. It had been the same in his other school but their standards were more lax. Here, no one knew him, no one cared about him and no one liked him in the slightest. Using that in their favor, a few of the tough-guys in his class made certain Jason knew it.

He was already late in meeting Gabrielle outside. Jason inhaled deeply and let it out slow. First days were always hard but this one was particularly brutal. He fastened the last button on his shirt and grabbed his bag. It was time to head home, lock himself in his new room and drown in the haunting sounds of symphonic metal.

“Jason, right?”

A guy about six feet tall with broad shoulders leaned on a locker. From what Jason, remembered, his name was Gunther and he was about as redneck as someone could get. His two friends sauntered up behind him, both with the same bulky build and judging eyes. All three wore similar clothes of worn out jeans and heavy hunting jackets. Taking a chance, Jason nodded but continued packing his things.

“I’m Gunther,” the redneck said, crossing his arms. “This is Alex and that’s Josh.”

Josh half smiled and gestured for Alex to start getting closer. “We’re the welcoming committee.”

Gabrielle, who was waiting for Jason in the gym to go home, checked the time on her phone again. It was boring to wait and figuring Jason was lost somehow or written up, she reentered the gym building. Her feet automatically headed for Mr. Hodge’s office outside of the locker rooms. She was only a few steps away when she heard the commotion. It was definitely Jason and he needed her help again.

Gabrielle ran into the boy’s locker room, knowing it should have been cleared out by now. There she found her cousin huddled in a ball on the floor, his back being kicked and his homework being haphazardly tossed over his cringing body. Alex, Gunther and Josh, the assholes of the school, laughed at his torment. The boys were mercilessly ‘welcoming’ him.

Gabrielle took action right away and picked up an abandoned towel. Throwing it over Alex’s eyes, she grabbed his arm and slammed him into the bench bolted down between the locker rows. His wrist pop as it hit the polished wood but she didn’t hesitate. He was thrown into Josh who stumbled to the floor. The three guys turned silent at her fighting back.

“You better watch it, Gab,” Alex warned her. “Or I swear I’ll make—”

“You’ll what?” Gabrielle kept her eyes locked on them while helping Jason to his feet. “Go ahead,” she challenged them. “Tell on me. Let the whole school know you were beat by a girl.”

Gunther made a move but Alex held him back. She wasn’t worth the suspension. Also, they were too afraid to hit a girl. The guys looked to each other but did nothing. Gunther glared but went with his friends, leaving Jason and Gabrielle panting for air.

“I didn’t need your help,” Jason growled. He shoved his fallen notebook papers in his backpack as Gabrielle stared at his in astonishment. “I was fine.”

“Right,” she sighed. “Because getting your ass kicked is normal for you.”

Jason paused. Of course, Gabrielle didn’t mean it in that way but there was no taking back her words. She ran her fingers through the ends of her black hair and apologized. Jason accepted grudgingly but looked everywhere except at his cousin. The two left the locker rooms and started their journey home.

“I could have handled it,” he objected.

“Oh yeah,” Gabrielle mumbled quietly. “Like you handled your stepfather?”

Jason stopped dead on the sidewalk. She couldn’t have known. No one knew. His cousin was no exception to the promise he made to his mother. No telling anyone. It was both accidental and on purpose but that wouldn’t have mattered to the court. Jason’s life would have been ruined. If Gabrielle knew, how many others knew? His breath shortened and quickened along with his pulse.

“I didn’t do anything,” he said, barely audible. “I never did any-anything.”

She didn’t mean it that way but finally she knew the truth. Gabrielle gasped. Looking around to see if anyone could have heard, she pushed her cousin forward to hurry home. His terrified face confirmed her nagging suspicion. Aunt Jo had confessed to a murder she didn’t commit. Jason gripped his backpack tighter with his shaking fingers.

“Don’t worry,” Gabrielle replied. Though she wasn’t certain until that moment, she had already forgiven him for killing his stepfather. “With the way he treated you, I was thinking of doing it myself.”

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: What do you think of Jason now? Not as victimized as you thought or more-so than ever??