The Exchange

Chapter 41

I wanted to pull myself away, but I also didn't want to get myself hurt. I froze for a moment, pretending I had plenty of time that I didn't, to decide my next move.

I had been in many verbal altercations since I was a freshman, but never a physical fight. My mouth had never gotten me into such trouble, and as much as I wanted to run away from this fight, there was nothing I could do but stand my ground.

I spoke calmly, despite my racing heart. "Let go of my hair, or I'll end you." I focused on my breathing. In and out. Wasn't that supposed to fix everything?

He clamped down even tighter on my hair, then pulled it to the side, turning my face to his. "Your words aren't going to get you anywhere."

They had gotten me everywhere so far, so who was gonna stop them now?

I slapped his arm, then dug my fingernails into his skin. With my breathing speeding up on its own will, my voice got quieter. "Get your hands off of me. I'll fucking kill you if I have to."

"Is that a threat?" He didn't let go, and he seemed rather amused.

I had to back off the verbal threats. The camera could maybe hear me, and I didn't want to risk myself getting in trouble too.

Instead, I lowered my voice again. "Let go of me."

"You won't do anything." He pulled me away from his face, then my head met the table.

My vision went black for a moment, and I let out a cry as my head pounded. He let go of my hair, and as I picked myself up, I stepped into a punch with as much force as I could muster and connected with his face.

If he was going to hurt me, I would hurt him back.

My fist screamed back at me about my lack of experience, and I found it cradled in my other hand, as he stared back at me as he held his nose with his hand. I hoped it was broken, or at least bleeding.

He didn't make another move. I didn't either.

What a goddamn bitch.

He had no problem trying to hurt me, but as soon as I did it back, he backed off. He thought I was weak, but in reality, it was him.

"You just got yourself suspended," he said.

I rested my head in my hand but didn't break eye contact with him. "So did you. And I'll take that over Viktor getting suspended or beat up by you again. I'm just a necessary casualty here."

The school couldn't suspend me. I acted in self-defense. They couldn't punish me. The security footage would prove it.

I hoped that was the case, at least.

We didn't break eye contact with each other, and no words came from either one of us. It was strange that two of the mouthiest people I knew didn't have anything to say, but I couldn't find any words to describe what I felt.

The blurred vision. The dizziness. The shock from the impact.

The hit didn't even seem that bad, but pain still gripped my brain, but in a funny way. The normal thoughts that flooded my ever-running mind had vanished and were replaced with a ringing sensation.

Was this how Blaine, Arti, and Viktor usually lived? How the fuck?

I wanted to lay down, shut my eyes, and assure myself that everything would be just fine, but when two security guards came running in, I knew that I wouldn't have the time.

Viktor followed them in. He took a look at me but didn't say a word as one security guard tugged on my arm, and the other took Lukas.

Neither one of us put up a fight. I just couldn't bring myself to do it, not with the thumping in my head. And even in my fuzzy state of consciousness, I wasn't stupid enough to mess with a person who likely had a taser or something.