Axis: Crossroads. Chapter 1 (DEMO)

Chapter 1

Ben Miller

University Corridor

“Hey, you!” the cleared skinned boy who was walking through the corridor shouted. “I heard there was a newbie on campus this semester, is that you?”

Ben breathed deeply, his forehead pressing to the back of his locker, where he had been putting all the books he wouldn’t need for his classes, before turning to look at the voice who called him. Most definitely he was dealing with a Smith; Ben hadn’t had a peaceful year since the family had moved back to the city, and of course, the mocking tone which he had talked clearly meant that the boy was one of those bullies.

“Well, yeah,” Ben answered, trying not to lose his calm, while he closed his locker door with one hand and fiercely grabbed his backpack with the other. “Pleasure meeting you. I must go, bye!”

He walked quickly, trying to get as far as possible, or, at least, get to the security of his classroom; bit a hand took hold of his shoulder, and pushed him against the nearest locker. The backpack fell from Ben’s hand, and his eyesight blurred for a moment, before someone – Smith, he presumed – banged his head against the wall with such a force that Ben felt a terrible ache on the back of his head.

“Hey, you idiot!” The hand holding Ben let go, and he slid to the floor, his back still pressed against the locker wall, his support gone; but Ben didn’t care. He knew that voice. It belonged to his friend, Mauricio.

Mauricio on the corridor while someone was beating his friend meant problems, and Ben wondered if Isaac was over there too. That would only cause more problems, and that was the last thing that he wanted.

Smith turned towards Ben’s good friend, and he wasn’t surprised to see the fury written all over his face.

“And who are you to get between this newbie and me, eh? He is going through his initiation,” his lips opened fiercely and saliva drops escaped from between them.

Mauricio frowned, pale, as every time he got mad, his dark eyes moving furiously between the bully and Ben, who was still lying on the floor. His mouth was unusually thin, almost like a line, the joy that his face normally had now gone. Ben knew that Mauricio was the most childish of the room, usually denominated as ‘the joker’, but he also knew that if someone threatened his friends, he could also be the most dangerous. Ben usually admired his loyalty, but in the moment, he lamented it. Mauricio would get in trouble for trying to help him, and he couldn’t afford that luxury.

“Are you okay?” his friend asked, and Ben nodded, and, although his head was still aching and he would most likely have a bruise the next morning, he did so as to try to calm Mauricio. It didn’t work. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Smith snorted.

“What do you think I’m doing? I am giving a welcome beating to this loser!”

A crowd started to form on the corridor, gawking at the show.

A growl escaped Mauricio’s throat, and he took a step towards Smith, whose name Ben still didn’t know, their noses almost touching in a gesture that could only be defined as threatening – at least, if Mauricio weren’t using his signature unmatched clothes, which make him look kind of like a clown, in Ben’s opinion.

“He, who you’ve been messing with is my friend!”

Smith laughed mockingly and his little group followed his lead, like a bunch of idiots.

“Your friend! Does that even exist? What, did your mommies take you to the park every Friday?”

“Don’t talk about what you don’t know anything about!” Mauricio exclaimed, his pupils dilating from the anger, and Ben almost groaned to hear the growing whispers of the crowd, all shouting the same word, over and over again: “Fight, Fight!” Almost following the request of observers, Smith snapped his knuckles and exclaimed:

“Maybe you losers and friends of losers should die once and for all, then you wouldn’t have to hear my most sincere opinions!”

Mauricio growled again and threw himself against Smith, throwing punches and knuckles against skin with the same strength which they were returned. Ben started to get up slowly, gripping his head in pain at the movement and tried to walk the way towards Mauricio; his ears rumbling with the loud cries of: “Fight, Fight!” He had to get to his friend before both idiots killed each other.

“Enough! Stop this instant or else!” A new voice shouted, a graver, deeper one, full of authority, and Ben knew he had been too slow. In the corridor, walking through the crowd – which was now running away as to not be punished – was the principal.

“What do you think you’re doing, Lopez, Smith?” asked the man, once both were away from each other; Mauricio helping Ben from stumbling towards the floor, and looking proud of his bruised eye, bloodied lips and his starting-to-turn-all-sort-of-colors skin.

“Sir,” said Smith, while he threw some killer glares to both Ben and Mauricio. “I was simply giving a warm welcome to the newbie when this idiot started to get angry for no reason whatsoever.”

“Uh huh, good try Tyler Smith,” the principal said, crossing his arms and pointing his finger towards Ben’s bruises. “Then what’s this? I may know your father, Smith, but that doesn’t excuse you from following the rules. Come to my office after class; and please, Lopez, Miller, go to class now.”

“Yes, sir,” the three of them muttered, starting to move towards their classrooms, or corridors.

“And, Smith, Miller and Lopez,” said the principal while he looked at each of them. “If there is any news of a fight this big between you, or caused by you, don’t doubt that you will be expelled immediately. This fight between students has gone too far. You are here to study, not to kill each other! Is that understood?” they nodded quickly, “Alright, to your classrooms, go!”