- Max, get a grip!
Elizabeth was right, of course, but at this point rational thinking was not an option. A few bitter tears ran down my cheeks. My life at this school was over with the pairing and the selection of the play to be performed by Professor Isabella Alterford, the fucking cultural studies teacher.
I was broken, ruined, and exhausted. Worst of all, physical education was about to start. I'll have to face off alone against a bunch of boxers who won't forgive me for being paired with Rayan. Aside from the fact that we'll both fail this project, that's not important at this point. What to do?
The final pairs were matched. Out of the corner of my ear I heard that Roxana was paired with Alex. On the other hand, if I had been matched with Alex it might have been even worse. The problem is that the students at school were much more likely to take Rayan's opinion than Alex's. It was Rayan who could turn everyone against me. Such are the benefits of being the pride of the school in the field of athletic achievement. I felt like I was about to throw up. "In the Night at Midnight," the title alone already sounded corny. Act ten, scene nine. Sounds worse than Romeo and Juliet. Yeah, well...
- Elizabeth, is "In the Night at Midnight" as "romantic" as "Romeo and Juliet?" - I wiped my eyes of tears and looked at my friend sitting next to me.
- Well... "In the Night at Midnight" is much more corny and romantic... I'm very sorry. - She said.
This is exactly the answer I expected. Everything is going wrong.
The bell sounded announcing recess. In about ten minutes, physical education would begin. Everyone started to quickly gather their things. Everyone except me. I turned to the back. Rayan was also in no hurry for physical education. He was clearly in as much shock as I was. Maybe
I should go up to him and say something? Although that's a bad idea. Worst case scenario, if we don't pass it, I'll be repeating an entire year of classes next year and he'll be out of school. I'm not sure he cares about school. I do care a little bit, though. I also care about my mental and physical health. Now both are at risk from Rayan. How am I even supposed to talk to him about this? Maybe we can just hook up on Messenger somehow...maybe it won't be so bad?
The students in my group began to make their way toward the locker room located right next to the sports hall. I exchanged one last look with Elizabeth filled with despondency and regret. She went to the girls' locker room and I went to the one for boys. The locker room itself looked ordinary, there were showers, some lockers and benches to sit on. I went inside. The boys from my class were there, some of them looking at me suspiciously, others indifferently. I first saw Randal, who was looking in my direction. There were no classmates around him... However,
I quickly realized that the other two were standing behind me. They must have just arrived.
I turned around and swallowed my saliva nervously. Alex, a tall athletic fangirl stood with a wry expression with his arms folded across his chest. His ears perked up as if he was starting a fight. Half a second later, I looked at Rayan, who stepped out from behind Alex's back. I had never seen either boy this close. Instinctively I took a nervous step back. My arms and legs trembled as I looked into Rayan's brown eyes. They were the color of dark chocolate. So was his fur which went from light brown to dark. There was an earring above his eyebrow and another in his lip. He was taller than Alex, not much, however, he had a much more developed chest, which gave the impression that he was much bigger than Alex. A two-day stubble could be seen on his massive jaw, which seemed to be razor sharp. Just like his gaze. Chocolate eyes that might have been beautiful, at that moment, made me shiver.
- Out of the way faggot. - Rayan whined at me and bared his sharp teeth.
I stepped back and jumped up almost bumping into the wall next to me. I knew I had no chance. No chance at all. It would be better to not even speak and pray for the imminent end of physical education.
Rayan and Alex walked past me looking at me like I was worthless trash. I felt tears gather in my eyes. I couldn't cry though, not here and not now.
Alex threw his backpack on the ground and pulled out his sportswear. Rayan sat down on the bench next to him and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He pulled one out and put it between his teeth. I don't know about cigarettes, but these were different than the ones Luna smoked. The wolf girl smoked thin cigarettes, these were thick with some kind of red rim at the base. Rayan only cast a glance at some boy sitting closest to the window. The one there opened it in a flash and the chill of the winter air began to fill the locker rooms. Rayan lit his cigarette, inhaled the smoke and blew it out through his nostrils. He looked pretty damn pissed. He was followed by several other guys, including Randal. They had different cigarettes though, they looked different, like smaller? Randal unexpectedly choked on the smoke of his own cigarette. It lasted a short time, but you could see by the look on his face that he was holding back a cough.
The guys in the group were already all dressed up, except for Rayan, who was finishing smoking a cigarette. Physical education was about to start in a minute or two, so I figured I'd go out to the gym because no one wanted me here anyway. I hadn't even taken a step when I heard the low and hoarse voice of a doberman.
- You stay, the rest of you go. - He made it short.
The guys in the group started to leave the locker room as if by magic. They didn't even look at me. Alex, on his way out, smiled at me and said, "Good luck, Porter." It wasn't a kind smile, more like foreshadowing my inevitable death at the hands of Rayan. Randal didn't say anything, he left without even looking at me. I wanted to leave too, nothing I wanted more at that moment.
I don't know why I couldn't move. I guess I was paralyzed by a sense of fear and helplessness in this situation. When we were left alone, Rayan discarded his unsmoked cigarette somewhere in the accounts. He leaned his hand on his knee continuing to sit on the bench. I stood, although Rayan was tall enough that sitting on the bench his eyes were almost at the height of mine. He watched me with his dark eyes. I looked at him and felt like I had lost my life. Those strong shoulders, those thick black eyebrows, that look... The man I feared was also one of the most handsome people I had met in my life so far.
- How do you figure that? - He finally growled.
- I can't imagine that at all. I still hope it's some kind of unfunny joke. - I replied in a trembling voice.
- I don't know how you're going to do it, but you're supposed to unscrew it. - Rayan dropped that dry platitude and stood up. He turned his back to me and took off his t-shirt showing his dark, muscular back. He pulled a white sports jersey out of his backpack and started putting it on.
His aggression turned into indifference again. At least I thought so, he must have thought about the matter while smoking a cigarette.
- Rayan, I may not pass this subject. I don't care. If you want me to deflect this situation, why don't you figure out with me how to do it? After all, we had a chance to pick another show to play, but you didn't stand up. - I said gaining confidence when he turned his back to me. It was
a mistake.
Rayan turned toward me, His ears perked up and then relaxed again. His eyes lit up and then immediately went out. He walked towards me with an indifferent look on his face. He stood beside me looking down at me. He was so close that I could smell the stench of the cigarette he had just smoked. I opened my eyes wide with fear, I didn't know what he was going to do. I don't even know when, Rayan delivered a punch to my stomach. His fist thrust perfectly at the height of my belly button. At first, all I felt was that the impact was strong enough to make me fly backwards and fall to the floor. Later, I felt a piercing pain and burning sensation. I lay on the floor hunched over. I felt like I couldn't get up. All I could do was lie there, writhing in pain. Tears flowed from my eyes. I bit my lips to break down quietly within myself. I would not give him that satisfaction. And as much as I wanted to scream I held back the moans of pain from the blow
I had administered. I guess that if he wanted to, he could easily kill me with that one blow. It was certainly not all he could do. However, I did not want to find out how it felt to be kicked to death. I heard Rayan walking away towards the bench he was sitting at. I think he was changing his pants into gym shorts. I don't know, I didn't see anything. I just lay there with my eyes closed.
- Listen Porter, once but carefully. - He began to speak in a calm but firm voice. - I only gave you
a break because you stayed out of my way. Don't get in my way ever again and nothing will happen to you. Be a polite faggot and just do what I tell you to do.
Rayan bypassed me lying on the floor and started heading for the exit. I don't know if it was out of stress, out of fear, out of nerves or out of pain, but as I lay on that floor hunched over I started laughing under my breath. Anger started to build up in me, tremendous anger and hatred for that fucking doberman. Rayan heard my laughter and stopped. I figured it couldn't get any worse anyway.
- Your intimidation won't help. - I started to get up from the floor in pain. - I don't have a problem, you do. You're the one who's going to get kicked out of school, not me. Your future will be ruined, not mine. - I stood upright, even though my head was spinning and I could hardly keep my balance. - 'If even Isabella Alterford wants to slag me off because you didn't do a project with me on the acting stage do you think Gregory Von Rostov won't try to intervene? -
I leaned my hand against the wall and looked straight into Rayan's eyes, which were burning with anger and aggression again. - I don't give a shit about you all. You're all the same in this damn country. Cold, emotionless, you just want to kick the other person as hard as you can. But I don't give a fuck, you want to hit me again. It's easier to hit the weak, right?
Rayan put his arms across his chest and again assumed a posture of stoic calm, as if what I said didn't move him at all.
- That's cute. I almost shrugged you know? - Rayan smiled mockingly showing his sharp fangs. - You just left out one thing. You might make it in school, but what about your reputation among other students? Are you going to be the one who stays afloat because your mother gives ass to
a wild guy? - Rayan looked very pleased with himself. - Are you going to be the one who gets the school's top boxing player kicked out of school? You're new here, so I'll give you a second thought. Above that, you seem intelligent, but I understand. A lot of emotions are talking through you right now. You queers are like that, just like women.
There was nothing to think about. Rayan was right. The dumb ass turned out not to be so dumb. He knew how society worked, he knew what would happen if word spread that the head athlete of the school's boxing club was going to get kicked out of school for a project I hadn't done with him. I started thinking about what to do. I think I already knew.
Class has already started and I hear that the students have started stretching in the sports hall. Holding my sore belly, walking with a wry face I entered the hall. I was immediately noticed by the coach, who ran up to me very pleased. He completely ignored my grimace on his face. In the background, I saw Elizabeth stretching at the other end of the gymnasium. She looked at me and then at Rayan. Her face had turned shades of purple. I guess she already knew what the boy had done.
- Maxwell you are! I thought you were lost. - Coach started it. - Like I said, it would be good for you to come to practice on Monday to train our cheerleaders. As for the dance competitions,
I called my friends in the bigger cities, and there are some interesting ones. I think good ones to start with....
I looked once more at Rayan, who merely shrugged his shoulders and began to stretch further. He was clearly proud, of his winning the verbal skirmish over me.
- It doesn't matter. - I replied and the coach was surprised. - Please sign me up for all the competitions in the country.
Rayan wants a war? He'll get it. It's time for the pride of the school to be a dancer instead of
a boxer.