The Academy - First Days (35 page)

“Sang!” North bellowed nearby.

It was too late. I made contact against the guy’s side. He called
out in surprise, letting go of Kota’s throat. Someone grabbed me from behind. I
yanked myself away, spinning and flailing wildly out at whoever had touched me.
More hands found me. I was dragged back. An arm shoved around my waist and
holding my arms to my sides. A hand seized my throat.

I was pressed against a large student, with my back across his
stomach. I inhaled cigarette smoke and something sharp -- alcohol? I twisted my
head and recognized the bully that had attacked Gabriel the day before. His
chubby fingers pinched at the skin of my arms as he gripped me.

“Greg,” he called out. “Got your girlfriend.”

“Sang.” Greg came into view. He smirked, his arms crossed over his
thin chest. Students made a circle around us. Greg jerked his chin in my
direction. “What the fuck are you doing with Eric?”

I struggled but Eric kept me in a grip against my arms. I glared
back at Greg. A commotion over his shoulder caught my eyes. Kota was hefted off
the ground. He struggled but more hands grabbed him. His blazer was stripped
from his back.

Greg brought his face close to mine. “Come to watch?”

“Let her the fuck go,” North called. I twisted my head, spotting
North, Victor and Luke pressed up against the wall a short distance away. North
was bucking against a group of guys restraining him. Silas was on the ground at
their feet, moving but with at least ten guys piled on top of him, throwing
punches against his body.

I now knew why they couldn’t respond to my calls. They’d been here
the whole time. I swallowed a cry. Screaming at them wouldn’t help. “What’s going
on?” I asked, facing off Greg.

“Someone goes over,” Greg said. He tilted his head toward where
the balcony overlooked the main hallway below.

“What? Why?” I asked.

“Someone always does.”

Friday Fall. Someone gets thrown off of the second floor? Did it
happen every Friday? How sick and twisted were these students? If Kota went
over after being thrown, he might land on his back. He’d break his neck.

The group around Kota started moving in unison. Kota thrashed. His
glasses were gone. His cheek was red and swelling. It took five of them to hang
on to him and walk toward the balcony’s edge. People were yelling, some
cheering. Most were watching, phone cameras recording. The group had a hard
time keeping Kota up off of the ground. He fought them every step and he was
hard to hang on to.

“I’ll go,” I shouted. “I’ll go over.”

“Shut up,” Greg said. “We can’t throw a fucking girl over.” Greg
shot a hand out toward me, his fingers pushing against the middle of my chest, pressing
my t-shirt up against my breasts.

“Sang!” Luke shouted.

North swung his body. Another student kicked him and jumped on his
back. North went down next to Silas. Victor and Luke were thrown to the ground
nearby.

Where were the teachers? Were they all outside? Why didn’t anyone
standing by stop this?

“We have to hurry,” someone bellowed over the noise. “They’ll let
them back inside in a minute.”

The group progressed, hoisting Kota above their heads again.

“Kota!” I called out. I elbowed Eric. He let go of one of my arms.
His wrist crossed in front of my face.

I grabbed it with my free hand and clamped my mouth down on his
arm. The taste of dirt and skin assaulted my tongue.

Eric cursed, dropping me to the floor. A kick landed on my thigh,
hurling me down against the floor.

North howled. Luke bellowed. Victor was screaming my name.

The pile on top of Silas shifted up. “Sang!” Silas called out.
“Fuck… shit…” I knew he couldn’t see what was going on but the hollering around
him was enough to get him going.

It wasn’t enough, the guys on top of him regrouped, sending him to
the ground again.

Greg gripped me by the hair, pulling me to my feet. “Stop it,
bitch,” he said.

I crumbled under his grip, biting back a cry. I clawed at him, at
his chest but he pulled tighter, swinging my head around where he wanted.

He smirked, his menthol breath getting close. A hand pressed
against my butt, pulling me closer to him, the grip pressing into my skin. His
mouth hovered over mine. “I like a fighter.”

I struck up against his jaw with my palm. I meant to slap him but
that was better.

His eyes widened in surprise. He pushed me away, dropping back. I
didn’t stop to see more. I flew across the hall toward the crowd, flinging
myself against someone holding on to Kota. I jumped on his back, reaching for
his grip on Kota’s foot. I dug my nails into his arm. He let go of Kota long
enough to turn around and push me away.

It was enough. Kota was fighting again. He kicked at the person
who had his other leg. He disappeared into the group around him.

“Greg, hold that damn girlfriend of yours,” Eric hollered.

I was grabbed again. I was hoisted up, pushed hard against the
balcony, half of my body hanging over. A hand had me by the throat again.

“Sit still, bitch.” Greg spat at me. He pressed me against the
half wall. His hands caught both of my wrists and he held them away.

He dropped a hand down to my breast and squeezed. His leg pressed
up between my thighs against my crotch, he ground his knee into me hard.

Pain radiated through me, trailed heavily by disgust to make me
cringe.

I wrestled with him, and pulled a wrist free. I flung a fist out
blindly, striking against the center of his throat, knocking into his Adam’s
apple.

Greg screamed. He pushed me away and I was going over the balcony.

“Sang!” a chorus of male voices shouted at once.

I was falling. I twisted, readying myself.

I knew before I hit the ground where I was going. The balcony wasn’t
that high up, not for someone like me. I struck it feet first, my right foot
getting a sharp hit. I wasn’t expecting how hard the floor of the hallway was.
I sunk to my knees the moment I touched down, tucked my elbow in and forced
myself into a roll, spilling out across the floor in front of a vending
machine.

It took only a minute for me to recover and I was on my feet
again. As I stepped forward, my right ankle bit back, letting me know it was
probably sprained but I ignored it. The landing shook me, but I was fine.

From the time I fell to when I spilled out on the floor, the hall
seemed to be in a dead silence.

When I started limp-running back across the hall, shouts erupted
around me. I became aware of the people closing in, including from the administration
offices. Somewhere among the crowd I recognized Nathan’s and Gabriel’s voices
calling my name.

I didn’t stop. I zeroed in on the stairs again, leaping like a
tiger up a hill against the steps to ease the bite in my foot. I was coming
back for Kota and the others. No one could stop me.

A surge followed me. I sensed it like being chased in one of my
dreams. Was the group chasing me going to try to stop me? I wouldn’t let them.
I’d already done the Friday Fall. No one else had to go over.

Upstairs, Kota was no longer in the air. More kids were struggling
against each other in the confusion, as if they were going to try to hurl
anyone else over, the easiest one first.

Silas and the others were still on the ground. I jumped on one of
the guys on top of Silas. I gripped at his shoulders, pushing my knees into his
back to try to catch him off balance so he’d spill over. The boy pulled back
off of Silas to push me away. This distracted a couple of the other guys around
us and they struggled with me instead, trying to push me off.

It was all Silas needed. A foot flew out, followed by a fist. The
guys on top of him started backing away. Silas was getting up.

Others that followed me from downstairs flooded around me. Fists
flew. Kids holding camera phones, who were only there to watch, started
running. The mob was cornered.

I struck out again at someone going after Silas. When I pushed
him, he turned and hoisted me slightly as he pushed back, throwing me. I was
flung across the floor. My phone sailed away from my pocket, disappearing amid
the swarm.
I tumbled, skidded, colliding with other students. My breath was
knocked out of my lungs. I clutched at my chest, trying to will myself to
breathe.

I was picked up. I struggled, clawing, biting.

The arms held strong around me. “Easy, girl,” a voice called into
my ear. “We’re on your side.”

The familiar voice was enough to get me stop. Rocky held me,
pressing me to his body. I coughed to get my lungs working again, sucking in
air. He pulled me away from the crowd. He turned and I caught the collection of
students that had joined us from downstairs. All male. All angry.

Greg was on the ground, trampled, his hands covering his throat. I
wasn’t sure if he was breathing.

Kota was on his feet. One of the students that had lifted him into
the air was now swinging punches. Kota raised a foot, dropping the kick against
the kid’s chest. The student reeled back against the wall.

Nathan stood behind Kota, taking a defensive swing against someone
else. Jay, Rocky’s friend, stood beside them, pushing another guy away.

Silas and North were up off the ground. A group of large guys
tried launching at them full force to knock them against the wall. Silas and
North held them back. Silas swiped at their feet, knocking two guys down. North
grabbed some guy’s head and pulled him over his shoulder. The guy landed on his
back at North’s feet.

Mike, Jer and other students were fighting alongside Luke and
Victor and Gabriel. Other angry guys were pushing students toward the stairs.
The shouts were accusing.

“Who threw her?”

“Fucked up tradition.”

“Chicken shit motherfuckers!”

I clutched at Rocky’s arms, wanting to get in there with them. He
held me back, pulling me against the wall. “Hang back,” he commanded. I
couldn’t fight him as strongly since he didn’t mean any harm.

The mob that started the mess receded. They were outnumbered now.

Kota and the others slowed as those left fighting started backing
away. There were a handful of students knocked out on the ground, Greg was
among them. Eric had disappeared.

“Let her go,” Silas boomed. He surged toward us against the wall.

Rocky gripped me, not understanding why Silas was so angry and
coming after us. I couldn’t blame Rocky for being confused. He didn’t know us.
I wrestled with Rocky to get a hand out, I held up a palm toward Silas. “Wait,”
I called to him.

Silas stopped dead at my command. His fists still clenched, he
gritted his teeth.

“Rocky,” I said, “Let me go.”

“You’re not going to fight again,” he said. He released me.

I dropped to my feet, stumbling toward Silas. The bite into my
ankle was more painful than before.

Silas waited until I was halfway to him before he started forward
again. He collected me in his arms, pulling me up off the ground, hugging me to
his body. I buried my head into his shoulder, inhaling in his ocean scent. I
trembled at his touch.

Nerves caught up with me. Silas was okay. The others weren’t
knocked out. We were going to be okay.

More arms surrounded my waist. Hands rubbed against my scalp. Nathan’s
face swam into view but I knew the other guys were there, too. I was being
hugged and touched by familiar hands.

Kota voiced a command that I didn’t catch. They shifted. Silas
dropped me to the floor again. Backs were turned to me, all seven of them. They
stood guard around me, challenging anyone to come closer. It was us against the
school. Anyone that approached got a kick or a shove back.

Mike, Jer, Rocky and Jay and others corralled students out toward
the stairs. They cleared the halls.

When there was no one left to fight, teachers materialized from
the side hallways. Mr. Blackbourne and Dr. Green marched up the stairs, follows
by Mr. Hendricks and a handful of other teachers. They were clutching the
shoulders of some of the students. Any student remaining was fleeing out of the
building. Jer and Mike and some that had taken over the fight disappeared.

“Back off, guys,” Dr. Green bellowed to us. “It’s over.”

The guys didn’t move. They waited, instead, to make sure the other
students were collected up.

D
ouble
G
rounded

D
r. Green hovered over Greg and the other students who got the
worst of it. Mr. Blackbourne collected Rocky, Jay, us, and a handful of other
students into one of the empty upstairs classrooms. Several of the other students
had been hauled off to the main office downstairs.

Mr. Morris joined us in the classroom room, too. He stood guard at
the door, his arms folded over his chest, preventing anyone from leaving. Kota,
North and the others quietly assembled near the back of the room to sit at the
desks. Mr. Blackbourne shot looks at the guys and me, silently warning with a
secret finger to his lips to keep quiet.