Bitter Yet Sweet

The Only Chapter

He tensed, bracing himself for the impact that would soon result in another large bruise to add to the dozens he already harbored. He knew by now that he should already be used to this sort of violence, but his weak body simply wouldn't allow it.

Fwack!! The sudden punch left him breathless and gasping in exhaustion. He keeled over, his stomach yearning for release from the sharp pain that enveloped his entire body. Tears frolicked dangerously behind his eyelids, but he stubbornly refused to let them go.

"Get up, Flappy Bird. Or do you enjoy groveling on the ground like the trash you are?"

The harsh insults wounded Flappy's heart and mind. Grunting in pain, he forced his head up to stare his assailant right in the eye. Vivid green eyes mockingly glared back at him, but they shone cruelly without a single bit of remorse. Green Pipe, they all called him, as no-one seemed to know his real name.

He winced sorely as he pulled himself up, brushing dust off from his iconic yellow sweater. It had been a gift from his parents for his last birthday but now, its matted appearance ensured its future disposal.

"Well done. Took you long enough." His bully scoffed in disapproval. Those were the last few words Flappy heard before he was bombarded with another flurry of punches and kicks, initiated by Pipe and his troublemaking underlings.

***

Every single piece of furniture and decoration in the infirmary were now just some of the many things he could memorise off the top of his head. As he lay there on the bed with ice-packs all over his sore body, he began reminiscing back to when it all started. But now that he thought about it, he couldn't quite remember just when exactly. He'd been bullied and tossed around like garbage for as long as he could remember.

"You've been here long enough. Please go back to class now." The nurse gently scolded him, writing him a note to take back. Flappy gingerly nodded as he slung his backpack over his shoulder, accepting the note from her.

The hallways were empty, and the sound of his footsteps echoed from wall to wall. He walked with a prominent limp, the bruises and cuts attacking him with every step he took. Truanting students either ridiculed or fed him empty looks of pity. It was simply another scene he'd grown used to. He was pretty well-known in this school, thanks to Green Pipe, though obviously not for a good reason.

"Welcome back, Mr. Bird. Please take a seat, class has already started." The teacher drawled, waving away the nurse's note extended towards him. Said student obeyed, more than eager to escape the watchful gazes of the distracted class. Looking down at the gum-ridden carpet, he hastily trudged his way over to the computer in the furthest corner and took his seat.

There was a black USB plugged into the port, and it wasn't his. Curious to see who it belonged to, Flappy opened up a random document and his eyes instantly widened in genuine surprise. His bully's name stared right back at him in bold, green letters in the header.

Heart racing, he closed the document and began going through the rest of the USB's contents. He felt immensely guilty doing this but even so, he refused to stop. This could be the only chance to get back at Green Pipe, and such an opportunity was rare. But the longer he searched, the more his hopes and excitement diminished. Sure, there were a few porn videos here and there, but nothing... Useful.

By now, he was ready to give up. There was only one file left, a video just thirteen seconds long. Tired and bored out of his mind, he clicked on it and the sound of loud snickering filled his ears.

The video quality was pretty bad, but the audio was top-notch. He could clearly distinguish between the three voices: Green Pipe and two of his main underlings. Their faces were grainy and blurred, but he could still manage to make out the scene unfolding before him. It was, without the slightest inch of doubt, theft. Of test answers to be exact, and in a prestigious school like this, such a crime could be equally compared to that of a murder.