Disclaimer: hello all! I am issuing a CW (content warning) for brief (non-graphic) descriptions of physical violence for the next few chapters, just as a head's up!

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I finally reached the alleyway.

I pressed my back against the wall on the outside, trying to listen in on their conversation.

There weren't a lot of people in this area since it was a little remoter. I usually had to pass by to get on my bus... when I leaned in a little to hear what they were talking about, I could hear a large smack. I assumed someone got hit in the face. It was easy to tell at this point who exactly that was.

"Come on Charlie... you know, I really wanted to like you, but it's just like this... you understand, right?"

I didn't understand why they were treating him like this. What could this kid have done to them?

"I... already lowered my test results for you... what else do you want me to do?" Charlie quietly spoke and all of them started laughing.

"Your test results... do you think this would be over after that?..." I glanced over and saw the speaker punch Charlie in the stomach.

Just a little more information, Charlie... then these little jerks would get a taste of their own medicine. I balled my hands into fists.

"You know how much I already hated you. The test results were just one thing my family was giving me trouble about. But now I just want to see you suffer. The more you resist and the more you don't get your family involved, the more I was to push," some of them were smoking now.

"You're an easy target for us," he laughed and I snapped.

"Look at what we have here, some modern-day punks ..." I cracked my knuckles together, and Charlie looked up more nervously. I assumed he was probably embarrassed, scared, and not sure what I was doing here. 

"4 guys ganging up on one guy... you should all be ashamed of yourself," the lead guy seemed to laugh and his other friends were now flanking on each of his sides, daring me to come forward even just a little.

"Who are... what do you think you're doing here?" he laughed again: "trying to play hero? What are you gonna do? Slap me with your hair?" I clenched my teeth together as he threw Charlie to the ground.

"Sorry, what was that? I don't speak vapid rich boy tongue," that seemed to make him snap. Suddenly, they were all walking forward. Charlie tried to get up, but one of them leaned in to hold him down. The main guy walked over to me enthusiastically.

"Don't think I wouldn't hit a girl."

"Please try if you think you can," I glared at him as he laughed. While he threw a punch at me I dodged it and launched a kick into his stomach. He wasn't expecting so he held onto his stomach before falling forward.

I motioned for the other three to approach me and they did carefully. 

They carelessly threw more punches around, but I was able to dodge them all. I held onto their arms each time they tried to hit me, pulling them to the ground. I maneuvered around with as much as smoothness as possible.

I managed to block a few of them until the one holding Charlie down took out his pocket knife. I glared at him, thinking about how much Charlie must have endured. 

I moved my head from left to right and brought up my fists again. I remembered everything I was taught in a few mixed martial arts classes I took ages ago and with his sloppy moves I was able to disarm him and then spin kick his face.

They were all on the ground completely restless. I ran over to Charlie, helped him up, and took hold of his hand while rushing forward.

"Let's go!" I raced forward with him. We both ran as though we had flames at our heels.

By the time we reached a park after ten minutes of running I sat down. We were both exhausted.

Charlie sat across from me. We stayed quiet for a while.

"I think we lost them," I said. When I looked over at Charlie, he looked back at me in disbelief.

"Why did you help me?"

"Why are you letting those punks take advantage of you?" he stared at me and I looked around. "I'll never understand the manipulative and violent tactics of the rich..."

"You... overheard?"

"Were you planning on keeping this to yourself? Who exactly was that brat? His parent the headmaster or something?" there was silence from him and I shouted out. He stared at me.

"What are these ridiculous situations ..." I looked over at him and then said, "you know... you don't have to deal with this on your own."

"It would never be over if I said anything."

"What do you mean?"

"They're influential people. I don't want to hurt my family..."

"So instead you decided to take matters into your own hands? To take on all this pain yourself?" I stood up, scolding him.

"On top of degrading yourself, rather, knowingly lowering your grades, therefore jeopardizing your academic growth for a little twit like that?" Charlie remained silent and I walked over to him, kneeling before him, seeing the bloody cut on his lip.

"How long did you think this could last? You're a human being... we're all fragile at the core. What happens when you break? When you can't take it anymore? Then what about you?" he pursed his lips together and his eyes watered. I could tell he was probably a lot more sensitive underneath it all and just hid everything so well.

I reached into my pocket to take out a napkin and dabbed the side of his lip. "It's never too late to talk about it... it's never too late to start over, alright?" he stared at me while a few tears streamed down his cheeks.

I sat beside him, laying down. "Let's just take it easy here for a while," he looked at me, and although he hesitated for a few minutes, he eventually laid down beside me. We both looked up at the clear skies...

When we got home, we went our separate ways. I thought I made a little progress with him and I had hoped I could talk to James again about this... in a more civil way. When I got to my room, I finally was able to let out some of the accumulated muscle pain I had. They all had pretty solid figures. I stretched a little and then hopped into a hot bath. Sitting there for a while, contemplating my next move.

I would probably need an army of lawyers and the media to deal with that rich brat and his headmaster parent... that would be something I would need help on... but for now, I needed to act as fast as possible, now that those violent brats were deflected earlier by me. 

They would definitely attack him again... I needed to tell Nathan that he needed to personally pick him up from school. Retaliation seemed inevitable...