Dancing In His Storm [BxB] √

CHAPTER 8.4: The Kiss

AUGUST

I was more than bewildered to find Ambrose and his group waiting for me right at the moment that I was least expecting them. I may have relied upon and became too complacent about the protection that I'm getting from hanging out with Rachel. They were all blocking my path towards Rachel's car and I can see Rachel, Victoria, and Nicole behind them. Just like me, the three of them looked like they're shocked and bewildered about what's going on. I am dumbfounded in every single way. I didn't have the time to process all these things up and it looks like I'm going to die in the next few hours. My heart jumps out into panic mode.

"W-what's going on?" I tried speaking up but my voice is already cracking up in total distress.

"What's going on?" Phil tried repeating my query. "I think you know what's going on."

"No, I don't."

"Okay, let me tell you what is going on then." Phil inched his way towards me grinning like a serial killer. "But first, let me ask you this simple question. Are you a real man?"

The question seemed off-putting to me. I didn't know how to answer that kind of question and in what kind of context is he trying to fit me. I saw Rachel looking at me in the eye and all I can say to myself is fuck.

Fuck this shit. Fuck me. Fuck this life!

"Of course I'm a man," I said in a very forced manner. I'm trying to find a seed of bravery inside of me and hope that it will grow quickly enough for me to face this bullshit.

"He's a man! Y'all heard it! He's a man." Phil announced to everyone watching. He casually snaked his armed on my shoulder blades and then continued talking. "Listen up, August. My friend here, Ambrose would like to challenge you into a duel."

"What?" I wasn't expecting this.

"Man to man. Combat to combat." Phil trailed. Ambrose was just standing a few meters away from me waiting for Phil to do his thing.

"I don't want to fight him." I spat outright. This isn't what I want. This is what I've been trying to avoid this whole week and I thought I've survived the week without getting into a fight, but here I am standing in front of bullies.

My eyes caught a glimpse of Rock and Gustav by the bicycle rack and they look like they want to come and back me up but they're scared enough to just stand there and watch.

"You don't want to fight him? But you already did? Remember when you...."

"Phil!" Ambrose spat cutting Phil off midsentence. "Let me handle this."

"Okay, no problem," Phil said and moved away from me.

"August!" Ambrose began by calling me by name in a very respectable way that I've heard of him. I guess he's respecting the reputation that I've made in just a few days of entering this campus. "Let's settle this thing right now. Man to man!"

"What are we going to settle?" I asked pretending to not know things.

I know what he's talking about and I just want to continue this act of innocence simply because I'm not a violent person. Ambrose is really asserting force in order for him to get what he wants and that's to beat the shit out of me right in front of everybody.

I don't know if he is just a horrible person for acting like he owns the world but I don't want to give him the benefit of the doubt. He's already shown enough dosage of aggression to me that I'm not going to like him in any way.

"Let's have a fight. Hand to hand. Whoever's left standing shall win." Ambrose announced proudly giving me a smug expression.

"I don't understand."