C1 Made a new foe

"Yes, I made it. Woohoo!"

Kevin screamed loudly which made students around glance at him as he emerged from Mr. Avery's office. They shook their heads, thinking he was going crazy.

Yes, he was crazy. Crazy with excitement. If only they read the paper he was holding, they would have screamed with him.

If they read the paper, they would understand that Kevin is one of the nominees in the Best Students Awards, held in Anderson Boarding School every year. But this year's own was special.

The prizes of this year's award was bigger than the last ones because Jones Tech Company is a beneficiary of the awards. So the prizes were definitely grand.

He was also excited because he had never won the award before. This was his time to shine.

"Hey what's with the shouting?" His best friend, Darrin, walked up to him and asked.

"You are not gonna believe this." Kevin shook his shoulder.

"Whoa. Calm down. What is it?"

Kevin handed the paper to him. "I'm one of the nominees in..."

"O my gosh, you are one of the nominees in the Best Students Awards." Darrin screamed before Kevin could complete his statement.

"Uh-huh."

"Wow. This is great. I guess all those extra time in the library finally paid off."

"Yeah. Maybe if you had joined me like I proposed, you would have been chosen too."

"Shut up." Darrin rolled his eyes. "Make sure to share whatever prize you win with me."

"Why would I do that? I wasn't the one who told you not to read with me."

"Oh, it's like this, uh?"

They laughed.

"I'm joking. Of course I'll share with you. Oh I'm so happy."

Kevin turned and started jumping with happiness. Because of this action, he didn't see the person coming ahead of him.

"Kev, watch out for..." Darrin tried to warm him but it was too late.

His back hit someone and he felt cold liquid splash on his back. He heard a plastic fall on the ground followed by a girl's scream.

Just as he turned to apologize,

*SLAP*

"Idiot, watch where you are going. Ah, now my cloth is ruined." The girl slapped him and snapped.

Kevin was utterly shocked as he rubbed his cheek which was burning in pain. Jaws clenched, he turned his head to see his slapper. It was no other than the school's sassy queen, Mabel.

She was fuming in anger as a portion of her shirt was soaked in smoothie. Two plastic juice containers were squashed on the floor.

Mabel looked at him, her eyes rolling up and down as she stared at the brown-haired boy before her. "Look what you did. You ruined my shirt."

"And is that how you apologize?" Kevin retorted angrily as he inserted the paper in his pocket.

Mabel is the girlfriend of Scott, the most notorious boy in school who also happened to be Kevin's classmate. He shouldn't fight with Mabel in any way. Apart from being the girlfriend of Scott, she was in grade eleven, so by school standards, she was older than him. But right now, he didn't care. How dare she slap him for just hitting her?

"Aren't you the one who is to apologize here? You hit me and ruined my shirt. People can't see me like this." Mabel replied.

"But was it necessary to slap me?" Kevin asked, wondering what was so special about her shirt. She was wearing an ordinary blue shirt like every other girl.

"Yes, it was. To teach you a lesson not to bump into me again. Next time, I'll make it two slaps."

"How about I slap back?"

Mabel narrowed her eyes at Kelvin's words, bemused by his confidence. No one talks to her anyhow. She opened her mouth to talk back when Darrin chimed in.

"We are so sorry Mabel. Let's forget about this. We'll be on our way now."

He took Kevin's hand and tried to walk away with him but Kevin took away his hand.

"I'm not leaving until she apologizes." He said.

"Kevin let's go." Darrin gave him a 'shut up Kevin' kind of expression. If Mabel's boyfriend finds out that they confronted her, it would mean trouble.

"I don't have time for this." She walked past them but before she could go far, Kevin pulled her back.

"Where do you think you are going?"

"How dare you?" She yelled and flung her arm to slap him.

Kelvin saw it coming and caught it midair. "Nice try. Now apologize immediately."

He doesn't like getting into fights but if anyone, either boy or girl, wants to see his bad side then they will.

"Hey, what are you doing?" A voice boomed from behind.

Kevin left Mabel's arm and turned to see her boyfriend approaching them with his two goons, looking like a street rider.

Uh oh. Darrin thought in his mind.

"Get the f*ck away from her." Scott pushed Kevin and hugged Mabel.

"Babe, did he do anything to you?"

"Oh Scott." She fake sobbed in his arms. "He poured my smoothie on my shirt and instead of apologizing, he wanted to slap me."

Kevin shook his head at the drama queen before him.

Scott turned to him. "How dare you touch her? Apologize now and get her a new smoothie."

"And if I don't?" Kevin folded his hand and stared back at him, noticing the fire tattoo on his left bicep. He was not fazed by his scary face or his really deep voice.

Darrin, on the other hand, was shocked. No one messes with Scott. Everyone knows that. Anyone that gets on his bad side should expect a broken nose or face. That was why he and Kevin had avoided him for a long time.

Scott trailed Kelvin's body with his eyes. "Then I think you'll be visiting the clinic 'cause I'm gonna punch holes in your face."

"I will like to see you try." Kevin replied with a chuckle which made everyone's eyes widen. Kevin wondered why they were afraid of this guy. Sure, he looked dangerous and bulky, but as the quote says, do not judge a book by its cover.

Scott furrowed his brows in anger and threw his bag at one of his goons. "This is your last warning. Do you what I told you to do, or else." He threatened, tightening his fist.

"Tell your sick girlfriend to apologize then I'll consider obeying your words but until....ah."

Pain shot up in his abdomen. Scott punched him.

"Kevin." Darrin screamed and approached him.

"Hold him." Scott ordered his goons. They took hold of Darrin's arm, preventing him from moving further.

Scott grabbed Kevin's shirt collar and pushed his back on the wall hard. Heat and pain washed over his back.

"The guts, the effrontery. Now you are gonna pay for it." Scott said to his face.

He raised his fist and landed a blow on Kevin's left cheek.

"Ah." Kevin screamed. He tasted blood in his mouth.

It didn't take five seconds before another blow was delivered on his right cheek.

"Stop it." Darrin shouted and tried to move but was held back.

Scott delivered another punch and this one went to his abdomen again. Kevin bent over, spitting out saliva mingled with a little amount of blood.

He now understood why people feared Scott. His blows were so painful as if his hands were made out of iron. His body was aching so badly.

Scout grabbed his hair and raised him. "You should have thought of how weak you are before fighting with me. Now will you do as I say?"

Anger welled up in Kelvin. He wasn't weak. He didn't want to get into a fight but Scott asked for one. Now he would give him one.

"Over my dead body." He screamed and, positioning his right leg, drove his right knee hard into Scott's groin.

"Ow." Scott screamed in pain and left Kevin to cover his area. As soon as he left Kevin, he pushed him to the ground.

"Scott." His goons shouted and left Darrin to rush to Scott.

"We better get out of here." Darrin said.

During the process of turning to run, someone ordered behind them.

"Stop right there."

Kevin could recognize that voice anywhere. Pressing his lips, he turned to face the last teacher he wanted to see today. Mr Clark.

The man stared at them intently with his spectacle. "And would you two tell me why you are attacking him?"

"We can explain." Kevin said with difficulty as his body, especially his abdomen, was still aching.

Mr. Clark prevented him from talking further. "Don't bother. I saw how you hit him. Seems like the punishments I give you haven't taught you anything and you want more. I'll gladly give you more."

Kevin sighed inwardly annoyed with his situation and with Mr Clark's partiality. He didn't even ask what was going on or questioned Scott and Mabel.

Just concluded that he's the main cause of the problem.

"Are you okay Scott?" Mr Clark asked.

Scott, who had stood up with the help of his goons, nodded. His face was red in anger and for a moment, Kevin noticed that his eyes were orange. He strained his eyesight, but his eyes were back to brown. He shook his head, thinking he must be imagining things.

"You two will pay for breaking a rule. Follow without saying anything."

"Um, just to be clear I didn't do...." Darrin tried to defend himself but Mr Clark interrupted with sternness.

"Weren't you clear when I said follow me and don't say anything?"

"But Scott also broke a rule."

"Detention for you two tomorrow for trying to argue with me. Talk again and I'll add another one."

Darrin opened his mouth and closed it back. Great, he was getting detention and punished for what he was innocent in. Just great.

"Good." Mr. Clark said when no one spoke. "Scott, Mabel and others, you can go. You two follow me."

Kevin looked back as they followed Mr Clark. Mabel, Scott and his goons were glaring at them as they walked as if they wanted to throw daggers.

He shouldn't have, but in a bid to rub salt in Scott's wounds, Kevin stuck out his tongue at them.

*****

It took approximately two hours and thirty minutes for them to finish up their punishments. The first one was to wash the whole cars in parking lot 1. Mr. Clark inspected the punishment and made sure they washed the cars squeaky clean. If he found even the slightest speck of dirt on any car, they would wash it all over again. After that, they cleaned his quarter and washed his toilet.

By the time they were done, their limbs were aching like they ran a marathon and the pain in Kevin's abdomen hadn't subsided completely.

It was a little bit dark. The bulbs and floodlights outside had been switched to brighten the school premises.

"This is all your fault. We could have just left and none of this would have happened." Darrin blamed Kevin as they made their way to their hostel. Dinnertime was coming soon.

"And that would give that crazy girl the confidence to do more. I wished I slapped her back. They shouldn't bother us after this." Kevin replied.

Darrin shook his head. "Wrong. After what you did, I'm pretty sure you have been added to his blacklist. He will be after you now."

"And I'll be ready for him."

Someone came and stood in their way. Mabel.

"If it isn't the car washers." She taunted. "That's what you get for talking back at me."

"Yeah right." Kevin wavered his hand. "Let me tell you this. If you ever in your entire life slap me again, I'll give it back to you, fourfold."

"Hmph. Empty threats. You can never do it."

"Slap me then. I triple dare you." Kevin dared, with a serious tone, looking at Mabel directly in her blue eyes.

Mabel stared at him with a shocked expression, contemplating whether she should do the dare. Just then, her boyfriend barged in.

"What is going on here? Did he try anything Mabe?" He inquired.

"Relax. We didn't do anything. She was the one who came to us anyway." Kevin said.

Ignoring Darrin's presence, Scott took a step forward to Kevin. "You'll pay for your actions. Thank your stars that my testicles weren't damaged."

"I really wish they were damaged. People like you shouldn't reproduce and pass on your bad traits to your offspring." Kevin deadpanned.

"You'll regret your actions, Jones. Don't you forget it."

"Ok, first of all, don't call me by my surname. And what is the worst you can do?" Kevin fired back, feeling irritated.

Scott moved his face closer to Kevin's. "You'll see. Sooner than you think." He looked directly at Kevin's eyes.

Kevin in return stared back to show he wasn't scared.

Scott added. "I won't say much. Just be expecting a surprise. A hot surprise."

Then his eyes flickered orange.

Kevin's eyes widened at this and before he could react, Scott left with Mabel.

Did he really see that? Nah, that's ridiculous. Impossible. But he couldn't help but remember how Scott looked like a beast. Maybe Scott was really dangerous.

"Uh-oh. You just made a new foe. A really bad one." Darrin remarked.

"Let's go." Kevin said ignoring his remark, as the dinner bell rang.

After dinner, the students had their night routine.

After they had their bath and wore their pajamas, everyone laid on their beds. Darrin and Kevin shared a bunk bed, with Kelvin taking the upper bed.

As the curfew bell rang, Kevin couldn't stop thinking about the surprise that Scott said he should expect. That boy looked like he could do anything, whether dangerous or not, and this doesn't make Kelvin feel comfortable.

Maybe he was overthinking this. He shouldn't feel scared. He would be ready for the surprise, whatever it is.

With this thought, he raised his blanket and drifted to sleep ignorant of the fact that the surprise was coming that night.