Alvin texted me before first period: Out for two more days. Survive without me. That meant three days of navigating the halls alone.

  When the lunch bell rang, I suffered through the cafeteria line just long enough to grab a container of pasta. The pce was a sensory nightmare—the floor stuck to my sneakers, and the air smelled like industrial bleach and sweaty teenagers. I paid and walked straight out to the courtyard, ciming my usual bench under the oak tree.

  It was quiet here. Most students avoided this corner. Probably because I was sitting in it. Fine by me.

  "Look, boys! The stray dog is eating by himself today!"

  I didn't look up from my fork. Brook. I recognized the obnoxious, nasally ugh. I kept chewing, perfectly content to ignore them.

  "Oh, looks like the dog went deaf."

  Heavy footsteps stopped right at the edge of my table. I let out a slow, quiet sigh and turned my head.

  Brook and his two usual varsity clones were there, but they had brought a shield. A massive, thick-necked guy who looked like he had been held back three grades. He was cracking his knuckles, trying to look intimidating.

  "Ah," I said, my voice completely ft. "It seems the clowns grew a spine because they brought Shrek with them."

  "Who are you calling Shrek?" The giant took a heavy step forward, casting a massive shadow over my table.

  I leaned back, enjoying the shade. I didn't say a word. I just looked at him with dead, empty eyes.

  My ck of reaction pissed him off. His jaw locked. He swung his arm out and smacked my pstic container. The pasta hit the dirt with a wet, pathetic spt.

  I looked at the ruined food. Then, I slowly stood up.

  "What’s wrong with you, Shrek?" I asked, my heart rate barely elevating. "You’re going to pay for that."

  He puffed out his chest, stepping right into my personal space. "Or you'll do what?"

  "Try it. Find out."

  He took the bait. His massive hand shot out, grabbing a fistful of my shirt colr. "Don’t act tough, Karate boy. Or you’ll—"

  My dojo training kicked in. It wasn't anger; it was pure, violent reflex.

  Before the word left his mouth, I cmped my hands onto his gripping arm. I pivoted sharply, driving my hips beneath his center of gravity. I pulled forward, executing a brutal Koshi Guruma.

  His massive body went airborne for a split second before smming into the concrete with a sickening thud. All the air left his lungs in a sharp wheeze.

  I didn't back away. I stepped forward, pnting the sole of my sneaker heavily across his throat, pinning him to the ground.

  You ruined my lunch, I thought calmly.

  I crouched down, grabbed a fistful of the saucy, dirt-covered pasta from the grass, and forcefully shoved it right into his gasping, open mouth.

  He gagged instantly, choking and coughing up mud and noodles, his hands weakly grabbing at my ankle.

  I looked up. Brook and his clowns were frozen. All the color had drained from their faces, their eyes wide with absolute horror as they slowly backed away.

  "You're a psycho!!" Brook screamed, his tough-guy act completely shattered.

  I stared at them, completely unbothered. All bark.

  "Daeron!!"

  A voice pierced the quiet courtyard. I turned my head. Jessica was sprinting across the grass, pushing past the students who had gathered to watch.

  When she broke through the circle, she stopped dead. Her face went stark white. She looked at the giant choking on the ground, then at my foot on his neck.

  "Release him, Daeron!!" she yelled, panic cing her voice.

  I blinked, slowly lifting my foot and stepping back.

  "Brook, pick him up!" Jessica commanded, pointing to the school doors. "Get him to the nurse!"

  Brook didn't hesitate. He and the others hauled the coughing giant up by his armpits and practically dragged him away.

  The crowd was dead silent. Jessica turned to me. Her green eyes were wide, staring at me like she was looking at a stranger.

  "What the hell are you doing?" she asked, her voice trembling.

  "They threatened me," I said, dusting the dirt off my hands. "He spped my pasta into the dirt. I just helped him eat it—"

  Smack!!! The sharp sting of her palm connecting with my cheek echoed across the courtyard. My head snapped to the side.

  "Why are you acting like that?!" she screamed, her chest heaving. "Why are you acting like a monster?!"

  I slowly touched my cheek, looking back at her. I wasn't angry. I was just genuinely confused. "He asked for it," I said calmly. "I was defending myself. Why did you sp me?"

  "You’re sick!" she choked out. Her eyes filled with tears, spilling over her eyeshes. "You're a fucking psycho!"

  She didn't wait for an answer. She turned around, grabbed her friend's arm, and practically ran away from me.

  I sat back down on the wooden bench. I looked around. Every single student in the courtyard was staring at me with a mixture of disgust and fear.

  I didn't understand. I didn't start the fight. They attacked me, and I ended it. It was self-defense.

  I crossed my arms and sat there in the heavy silence, my cheek stinging, watching the spot where she had disappeared.

  **

  Twenty minutes into fourth period, the heavy wooden door opened. A disciplinary staff member stepped inside, pointing directly at me.

  Every head in the cssroom turned. As I gathered my backpack and walked down the aisle, the gazes sharpened. They looked at me like I was a caged animal being hauled off to the pound. I didn't look back at them.

  The staff marched me down to the counselor's office. When I stepped through the door, the room was already crowded.

  Brook, his three varsity clones, and the giant—Herald—were sitting in a row of pstic chairs. Herald was holding an ice pack to the back of his neck.

  I didn't feel nervous. I didn't feel a single ounce of regret. He touched my food. He touched my shirt. He deserved the dirt.

  I stood by the door and gave them a dead, ft stare. It was a silent promise. This isn't over. Brook swallowed hard, looking away. Herald shifted uncomfortably, staring intently at his untied shoeces. None of them dared to make eye contact.

  The counselor, Mrs. Higgins, called us in one by one. When my turn was over, she gathered all six of us into her cramped office. She rubbed her temples, looking incredibly tired.

  "I do not want this to become an escated issue with the school board," Mrs. Higgins sighed. "If you boys want to avoid a severe suspension, we are going to handle this internally. I want you to apologize to each other." She looked at the jocks. "Brook, Mario, Robby, Jay, and Herald. Will you apologize to Daeron for instigating the altercation?"

  "Yes, ma’am," Brook muttered. The others mumbled their agreement.

  "Good." She turned her expectant gaze to me. "Now Daeron, will you apologize to them? Specifically to Herald, for the... excessive force?"

  I sat perfectly still, my hands resting on my knees. "Never."

  The room went dead silent.

  "Excuse me?" Mrs. Higgins frowned.

  "I said never," I repeated, my voice calm and even. "Until they apologize to my best friend for the st twelve months of harassment, don’t even dream of letting them escape from me."

  "Daeron!!" Her voice spiked. "This is not a negotiation!"

  "If you actually wanted to fix the issue, ma'am, you would look at the root of it." I didn't raise my voice. I just stared at her.

  "And what exactly is the root?"

  "They are bullies. They have made a sport out of targeting my best friend. I was only standing up to protect him."

  "If this has been going on for a year, why didn't you report them?" she demanded, crossing her arms defensively.

  "I did," I said, leaning forward slightly. "Three times. But you should ask your staff why those bastards are still buzzing around the hallways like flies while the school turns a blind eye."

  Brook scoffed quietly.

  "Mind your tone, Daeron!" Mrs. Higgins smmed her hand onto her desk, her face flushing red. "I will not tolerate insubordination! For this specific matter, you will apologize to Herald right now!"

  "I won't."

  The verdict was swift. Two months of detention for me. One month for Brook and his crew.

  I didn't care. I was sick of the hypocrisy. The school system was a joke—they swept the real problems under the rug to protect their athletes, punishing the symptoms instead of the disease. But there was a silver lining. I was going to be stuck in a room with Brook and his clowns every afternoon. I was going to make that hour a living hell for them.

  Except, the school wasn't stupid.

  When I walked into afternoon detention, the monitor was a retired military guy who didn't let anyone breathe too loud. There was zero chance to intimidate anyone. After an hour of staring at the chalkboard in absolute silence, I grabbed my bag and went straight home.