Club Rules

Be The Greatest Or Die

The room was filled with paintings and bookshelves, I wouldn't have guessed that this was a fencing class if it wasn't for the huge empty space in the middle of the room and the vintage fencing armour that was placed on a manikin and put into a huge closet with a glass door. I walked up to it, observing the armour. At the very bottom of the glass door was a name and a quote, engraved onto it in gold lettering.
"Be the greatest or die" - Mason Reedy
I didn't notice Dmitry was standing right beside me untill he cleared his throat and said
"He was the greatest..."
"Mhm...thought so, how did he die?"
"Got killed in a fight, that's pretty hypocritical if you ask me, with his whole be the greatest or die bullshit." He exclaimed, making air quotes with his index and pointy fingers. "Yeah, I guess"
I hadn't looked at him, but when I did, I noticed he was already dressed in his fencing armour and had his sword in hand.
He looked me in the eyes, his stare was captivating. I could pull my gaze away, I didn't want to, but I had to break this "moment", or whatever it was, as I heard the door that we came in through earlier, open. A bunch of guys around our age walked in, dressed in fencing armour. Their loud laughter died down as they say us standing by the manikin, eyes shifting from me to Dmitry and back again. "Dmitry, it's lovely to see you again!"
The blond-haired boy spoke, looking at Dmitry from head to toe, an unamused look spreading across his face.
"Can't say the same, Alfie." Dmitry said, his tone firm and strong as if he was about to get into a fight, which I hope wouldn't happen.
"Oh and why is that dear, Lockwood? Aren't you happy to see your mate?"'Alfie asked. He had this cocky grin spread across his face that I wanted, well, just slap off of him.
"I am not your mate, Alfie!"
Dmitry was straying to raise his voice now, which I never heard or seen him do before but I found it quite intimidating.
"Ha! Funny you would say that, because I'm sure that only friends keep secrets this deep, especially because R-"
"Don't you dare pronounce his name!"
"Or what? Your girlfriend is going to bite me?" I stayed quiet, not wanting to draw attention to myself more than I already have. Dmitry was starting to loose his patience, his breathing got a lot deeper than it was five seconds ago and his eyes turned almost a darker shade of green. "So how is your girlfriend doing these days? Having a good time at Oxford?"
I looked up at Dmitry to see if his gaze had shifted from the group of boys to me but it didn't, he kept his stare on the group. "That is non of your concern Alfie, who's my girlfriend and how she's doing!"
"Okay calm down, don't get your knickers in a twist, I was just trying to be polite."
"Why are you here?" Dmitry asked. Alfie rolled his eyes and took a deep breath.
"I'm here, dearest Dmitry, because I take this class."A smirk spreading across Alfie's face, while Dmitry's expression fell into misunderstanding and confusion.
"No you do not, you don't take fencing, you're lying."
"Oh but I'm not, I really do take fencing, I'm here so that I won't get into the same trouble your friend Reece did."
In that moment, as soon as that name left Alfie's mouth, Dmitry lost it completely, he ran towards Alfie, knocking him down off of his feet and onto the floor where he took several punches at Alfie. Alfie tried to get him off of him but he couldn't.
"Stop! Dmitry stop it!" I yelled, trying to get his attention but not getting too close to him in case I got hit too. A teacher ran in and taking the boys apart while yelling at the group of boys
"Do you idiot's have any decency to take these two apart or are you lot just too dumb to do that, so instead you stand and watch your friend get knuckled?"
The teacher yelled, anger and frustration on his facial features, he looked at the boys and the he noticed me...
"Darling would you be a good girl and get me a first aid kit?"
I frantically searched the room with my eyes and then my gaze landed on to the shelve that was painted red and has a red cross painted on the top, just above it. The shelve hung in the far corner of the fencing class, next to the big bookshelves with theory on fencing. I ran to the shelve, grabbing the first aid kit and running back towards Dmitry. I knelt down beside him and looked at him with sorrow, the teacher was talking to Alfie and his so called "gang". Dmitry had a couple of scratches here and there but it was nothing major.
"Why did you start the fight? You know you could've just talked it over?"
"You don't know anything, Ollie!"
He snapped, rasing his voice and making the teacher look in our direction, seeing that nothing big was going on, the teacher looked back and continued talking to the other guys.
"Okay, I'm sorry..."
I looked away, packing the first aid kit away and getting up to put it back in it's rightful place and then decided it was best to leave.

Lunch time came quick and went quick. I stood up from the table and heading other to the trash to throw away the wrapper from my sandwich. It was still chilly, although usually it's not that cold in England in September. I walked, my pace was quick and I avoided bumping into anyone, where as I know, one can be very distraught over the smallest thing, like a push, and accidental push. But to my luck I didn't bump into anyone but Alfie and his gang in the West wing.
"Well if it isn't Dmitry's girlfriend! I thought that we were going to have some fun, why'd you run eh?"
"It- it's none of your concern why...why I ran..."
My voice was quiet, I didn't want to end up on the wrong hand with Alfie, but he saw it otherwise. His stare was playful, devilish even, a stare that could send shivers down your spine from pure fear, a stare that was just simply - frightening. "Well, if you knew me!"
"I don't" I thought, I would never let him hear or even notice what I was thinking.
"If you knew me, you would know that when I ask something, it become my concern! But you would know, I'm sure your father taught you that men are the head of the family, and anywhere else."
" What a f**king anti-feminist" I thought to myself again, "how could one hate women and their power so much?"
"Gone all quiet? Have you got nothing to say now?"
"For the matter of fact, I do, and the one thing my dad has taught me is that men are absolutely trash! You would now by looking in the mirror every damn day!"
I had no idea where that courage came from, but at the time it did.
"Did you just call me trash?"
By his facial expression I would say he was offended...but by his tone I would say he was really, like, really angry with me, in that moment all courage had suddenly disappeared and I felt small as he towered over my small frame. He grabbed my wrist and pulled it up, making me stand on my tip toes.
"You filthy little thing!"
He shouted, I felt his saliva touch the pores of my skin, I looked down and shut my eyes, afraid, of what he was going to do next...
"Let her go!"
I heard a voice and then everything went black.

The bright lights of a room started to blind me as my vision started to adjust. I tried to sit up and instantly felt a throbbing pain in my skull.
"Shhhhh, it's okay, you're safe, just lay down." I looked to the right and saw Toby sitting on a chair, book in hand. I brought my hand up to my forehead, like that would ease the pain... "What happened?"
"He hit you...and you passed out." I looked at him in pure shock, Alfie had laid hands on me and I couldn't even scream for help...well I knew why I didn't scream, I didn't think he could lay a hand on me, we are at Oxford but I guess this doesn't excuse the filthy behavior of men.
"How are you feeling?" Toby asked, leaning forward so that his arms were resting on his knees, his head dropped as he looked at me, letting out a sigh.
"I'm sorry none of us were with you..."
"Toby, stop...you, you don't have to apologise, it's not your fault!"
He nodded and lifted his head looking me in the eyes, his brown ones showing a story that I have yet to find out. Giving him a small smile I turned to look at the small window in the hospital room, the window was covered in tiny droplets, it was raining."
"Where is she!?"
We heard from the corridor, Toby stood up in reflex.
"Sir! Sir, I can't let you in!" The nurse shouted as she tried to keep Dmitry from entering the room by holding tightly on to his forearm." It's okay, I know him." The nurse gave him a look and walked out of the room. Dmitry greeted Toby by shaking his hand and then, walking past him and straight to the hospital bed. "Hey" he said it in such an innocent way that my heard wanted to bust a bit. "Hey", my greeting came out barely a whisper, I looked at my hand in my lap and started playing with the rings.
"Who did this?" He asked, but as I looked up I noticed that he wasn't talking to me, the question was directed to Toby.
"A...Alfie" Toby sighed. Dmitry's head shot up, standing up and rushing out of the room. "Dmi...where are you...Toby, quick stop him before he does something he will regret!"

A/N
Hey! I hope you enjoyed the second chapter, leave some feedback and add this to your library.
All the love, Viki xx