The clock's lines moved slower than ever, its sounds reverberating in the room, making the fair boy's skin crawl with anticipation for the end of the class. He looked to his right, at the plump, bespectacled boy, who was still taking notes in a frenzy, and the blond almost wanted to laugh at his dedication, then to his left, at a short, dark-haired boy, who was drawing on a piece of paper from his notebook, and he exhaled in relief when he saw he wasn't the only one fed up with Mathematics class.
Ralph was a good student, an almost excellent one, if one asked his peers or his family, but even the fair boy had trouble keeping up with the schedule, sometimes. He was tired, tired enough not to pay attention to what was going on during the lesson and Maths was one of his less strong points, so he dozed off unwillingly. Just as he was about to yawn and severely tried to abstain himself from doing it, the elderly man that was assigned as their teacher for the semester attracted his attention – and the rest of the class'- and criticized him for not being a proper student.
The fair boy wanted to fume, especially when he heard Merridew and Black laugh out loudly at him from the back of the class, but he retaliated with a vengeful smile when the teacher focused his attention on the two obnoxious boys, and offered them the same treatment for being too loud.
As Ralph discretely turned his head and gave Merridew a superior smile, the redhead glared daggers at him, icy blue eyes piercing Ralph, and the fair boy almost wiped the smile off of his face at the vicious display, but he forced himself to hold the angry boy's stare. He admitted he was intimidated a lot by Merridew, but that didn't make him let his guard down, in fact, it determined Ralph to try to be just as fierce and face his fears and his weaknesses.
It hadn't always been like this. For the first half of year of school, Ralph had actually been pretty good mates with Jack Merridew. He had been the first boy Ralph had talked to, when first being put in school, at six years old, and they got along quite well, shared the same humor – for two six years old boys- and Jack had even moved in the desk next to him, so that they could be with each other most of the time, even though the ginger talked a lot to the dark, short boy on the other side of him, as well, and spent another great part of his time with him, often making Ralph feel left out and lonely.
It got even worse after a while, when Jack barely hung out with the fair boy anymore and always played with Roger, the two boys indulging themselves in activities that Ralph didn't really agree with; violent and even scary ones, like torturing animals or bullying younger children. Ralph felt torn apart, because all of those somehow made him glad he didn't hang out with Jack anymore, but also downhearted, because he missed Jack and his jokes, and how Jack sometimes took his hand and held it and smiled at him, things that Ralph had noticed that he wasn't doing with the black-haired Roger boy. Jack's treatments of him and Roger were different, with him, the redhead was softer and more tender, while with Roger, Jack turned into someone violent and vicious, someone Ralph didn't like at all.
Ralph concluded that it was better that he didn't hang out with Jack after some time, because he might have become like him, and Ralph didn't want that, so he started getting closer to other boys in his class, like the chubby boy called Peter, whom the other kids - particularly Jack and Roger and him, until then, to Ralph's regret- always made fun of and called 'Piggy', because he had weight problems, and made fun of his other weaknesses too, like his asthma. But Ralph discovered Peter was a nice boy and a good friend. Then he befriended the short, dark-haired boy called Simon, who was somehow an airhead and often daydreamed, but Ralph liked him as well, because he was one of the best people he had ever met and he wanted to spend time in the company of this kind of people. He wanted to be friends with people like Peter and Simon, he wanted to be like them and not violent, like Jack and Roger had become.
Everything went well with Peter and Simon, and Ralph was thankful and happy when he played with them, until one day, after almost half of year, when the fair boy suddenly found himself cornered on the school's halls by a bigger figure. As he looked up, he saw the messy, rusty curls and a menacing expression that was fiercely aimed at him.
"What do you think you're doing," The ginger snapped at him and the blonde boy looked at him with wide eyes, full of surprise and confusion.
"What are you talking about, Jack? I don't under-"
"Don't play with me!" The other boy yelled, punching the locker next to Ralph's head and the blond jumped alarmed. "You're hanging out with Piggy and that batty kid. You're not allowed to hang out with them. You're my friend."
A sudden anger boiled inside the fair boy and he furrowed his brow, before he tried to push Jack away, but it was to no avail, because the redhead barely budged.
"We are not friends anymore." Ralph retorted furiously, ducking and trying to escape under Jack's arm, but the other boy grabbed the upper part of his arm with a bruising force and dragged Ralph towards him, getting into his face.
"Just let me go!" The fair boy struggled, but the ginger didn't listen to him, severely intent on making his point.
"We are friends." Jack spoke through gritted teeth. "I am your friend and I'm telling you, you are not going to be friends with those bloody losers anymore!"
Ralph cringed for a moment at the swear words, before his anger made him raise his fist and punch the other boy straight in the jaw. The redhead backed away, dumbfounded and slightly hurt for a fraction of second, his wide eyes staring at Ralph as if seeing him for the first time.
"You're not my friend, Jack!" He spurted, on the verge of tears. "You have left me and ignored me for so much time and now you come and tell me what to do?!" He wiped a small tear from the corner of his eye. "Just leave me alone!"
The ginger gawked with large, pale eyes at the sniveling boy and Ralph knew he didn't understand it. It wasn't in Jack's nature to understand these sensible things, just like it wasn't in Ralph's nature to understand why Jack and Roger never got tired of bullying other people. They looked at each other for a few moments, before the blond turned away, which had been fatal mistake. The bigger boy suddenly jumped on him and crushed him with his weight, taking Ralph's hands and holding them behind his back with an almost unbearable strength.
"Let me go, Jack!" Ralph kicked and trashed, but this only fueled the redheaded child more, who used his entire weight to sit on the back of the struggling boy, before he grabbed a fistful of the fair hair and tugged at it; he leaned in and got his face closer to the back of Ralph's head.
"You are my friend. Only mine." Jack repeated , as if in a trance, which frightened the smaller boy even more. Ralph started screaming and yelling for help, but Jack covered his mouth with his palm, which only resulted in muffled, desperate sounds from the fair boy. Jack grasped his hair even tighter and wanted to hit his head on the hard floor to stop him from making noises, but in his distress, Ralph bit the inside of his palm making the ginger scream in pain. Just as he got the opportunity, the blond started yelling again.
"Help! Somebody help me!" He yelped teary-eyed, and Jack growled outraged and raised his fist for a strike.
"What's going on here?!" The shrilly voice of an elder female echoed in the halls, freezing the two boys in place, Jack with his fist raised and Ralph with wide, wet eyes and an open mouth in surprise. The fair boy was the first to recover and quickly yelled.
"Help! He's trying to beat me!"
He felt Jack swell with fierce determination and fury; Ralph closed his eyes, preparing himself for a hit, but that's when he sensed Jack being pulled away from him by the steady hand of an adult and Ralph thanked god for the timing. He turned on his back and saw Jack creating a storm in the teacher's hands and flailing his legs and arms around with all his seven year old's strength.
"Let me go!" Jack screeched like a banshee, his burning blue eyes still trailed on Ralph's shaking form, making the fair boy enlarge his eyes in apprehension at the strong, negative emotions that were directed at him. "You'll pay, Ralph!" He threatened, while being carried away. "I'll forever follow you, got that? You're my friend, not theirs!"
The teacher struggled to hold him in place, as she chastised him.
"I can't believe you, Jack Merridew!" She scolded. "Your parents will be very disappointed in you for making this whole mess! And in your first year too!" She spoke scandalized, dragging the trashing boy after her, but Jack seemed to not care about her words, his powerful gaze still slashing through Ralph, who was staring at the whole scene in shock.
His wildly beating heart was slowing down as the fair boy processed everything that had just happened. He couldn't believe Jack had done that to him. He couldn't believe that Jack had tried to beat him for befriending boys other than him. That he had thought of Jack as a true friend, once.
Jack hadn't been his friend. He hadn't deserved Ralph and the time Ralph had shared with him. Jack had shown his true face and he was controlling and a beast and a horrifying person.
He was a monster and the fair boy's frustration and heavy disappointment and sorrow manifested themselves in the tears of an innocent and scared child, on the bridge of finding out about the dark side of the world for the first time in his life.
…
The afternoon glow fell over the three boys as they escaped the darkness of the school and went out into the autumnal air. They laughed and talked and joked, just like any other fifteen years old boys would, as they enjoyed the little free time they had at disposal, until they reached their homes, their sanctuaries, where they managed to get away from all the commotion for an appreciated time.
The calm spirits didn't last long. As soon as they passed the corner of the street, they were about to face one of their worst nightmares and greatest anxieties, but the three boys tried to walk with their chins up, they tried to ignore the snake pit they were about to walk in. As always, it was futile, because the so-called snakes were always eager to grasp the smallest opportunity to spill their venom at the three boys.
The smallest, dark-haired boy timidly grabbed the sleeve of the fair one, and they all tensed as they approached the other three vicious bullies, who were apparently enthusiastic about their appearance.
"It's them, Ralph." The plump boy on the other side of the blond announced, his voice trembling, even after all this time. "It's Merridew, Black and Talbot. " He arranged his specs, drops of sweat trailing down the sides of his face. "Thankfully, the other two are not with them today."
"Yeah, thankfully." Ralph replied bitterly. "But these are the worst."
It had constantly been like this ever since the redhead threatened him in the first grade. Years of mocking, teasing and bullying from Merridew and his group, because Ralph couldn't call those Merridew's friends, given the wolf pack attitude they shared. They only knew how to demolish and damage, they were Satan's spawns, if Ralph had to compare them to something. Especially Merridew and Black. Sometimes, Ralph and his friends escaped easily, only with evil remarks thrown at them, but other times, their encounters ended up with blood, bruises or even broken arms or legs, on both sides, especially when Ralph and Merridew ended up in one of their angry fist fights.
Simon didn't get that beaten most of the time, because the bullies seemed to be reluctant about hurting him more than necessary, but Peter and Samneric – who were missing at the moment, to Ralph's relief, because they weren't going to be involved, at least this time- had some of the worst. At least the twins managed to defend themselves, throwing punches once in a while, but Peter always turned into a rag in their hands, due to his lack of backbone, and ended up losing his specs or finding them broken.
After the first violent encounters, Ralph got desperate and asked his friends not to hang out with him anymore, since everything happened because of his and Merridew's feud, but they refused to leave Ralph, and the boy got a deep gratefulness for their devotion.
Ralph wasn't sure why the Merridew group even bullied them after all this time, since their feud was too old already, they had been just children, and Ralph had hoped for years that the ginger would eventually put a stop to his torment, but it was in vain. Merridew was either still fixed on his revenge, or him and his group just enjoyed destroying other people again and again. Or both.
"Maybe they will just comment and then leave us alone, at least this time." Simon spoke with vague hope, even though his green eyes betrayed the painful doubt.
Ralph cringed when he thought about the innocent boy having to be part of this again and his instinct was to run and drag his friends after him, but the ridiculous dignity stopped him from making those smart moves. It always had to be that ridiculous dignity.
It happened in a beat. The bullies' eyes were like headlights, and their grins were mentally biting from the three boys, before the redhead's voice pierced the tension.
"Roger. Maurice. Grab the batty kid and Piggy."
Two dark heads smoothly moved through the air with feline agility and seized the respective boys in less than a second. Peter started breathing heavily, his asthma kicking in, while Simon remained like a stone, his small arms being forcefully pulled at by Roger's claw-like hands. Ralph tried to protest and dashed towards the two bullies, but his own arm was hurtfully captured in a fiery grip.
"Just leave them alone, Merridew!" The fair boy turned his head and looked at the ginger straight in the eye. "They didn't do anything, it's me you want!"
Merridew laughed.
"Oh, the good ol' golden boy always trying to save his little, pathetic friends." He smirked. "So just, so fair, so eager to be a hero, in his own little, pathetic world." He tightened the grip on Ralph's arm and the fair boy scrunched his features in pain, before the redhead leaned in close to his face with a malevolent expression.
"But guess what? You're not a hero. You're not just and you're not fair." He stopped for a moment and mockingly scanned Ralph up and down. "Well, except for your pretty looks, that is."
Ralph furrowed his brow as his stomach tightened at the peculiar choice of words, and he felt even weirder for actually according importance to meaningless words from a brutish bully.
"This is the real world, golden boy." Merridew carried on in the same gloating manner. "And I and my tribe win here." He showed his sharp teeth, before he dragged Ralph after him, and the fair boy saw out of the corner of the eye the other two bullies pulling his friends away. Ralph started struggling and almost managed to kick Merridew in the gut, but the redhead avoided the hit in time and grabbed his other arm too, twisting them behind his back.
There was a blur, as Ralph only felt the punches and the kicks, he heard the other two bullies laughing, he heard Simon's whimpers and Peter wailing and yelling after his glasses for the umpteenth time and Merridew spitting nasty words at him and Ralph retaliated with some of his own, as him and Merridew ended up in a tangle on the pavement, beating the life out of each other.
He saw the redhead's fist coming at him, but Ralph acted quickly and raised his knee, with the intention of kicking him in the pills, but he only landed one next to Merridew's thigh, before the ginger grabbed his shirt and turned him around, and the image with them as seven years old boys flashed before Ralph's eyes, a sense of déjà-vu overwhelming him.
Merridew was on Ralph's back again, the rigid fingers plunging themselves in Ralph's fair tresses and pulling at them, as another clutch forced its way around Ralph's neck, and the boy realized Merridew was attempting a strangulation on him. He struggled violently as his heartbeat fastened in terror and he heard Black's excited voice in all the dizziness that started getting him.
"Do him, chief! Do him!"
Merridew barked a rough laugh as Ralph trashed even more in panic at the bully's words. The ginger's voice then came from around his left ear.
"No worries, spot of sunshine, I'm only roughin' you up a little, giving you a little mark." The fingers dug themselves harder into the skin of his neck and the fair boy was almost desperate, as he wrestled and choked, a fog masking his view. But in all that chaos, Ralph was not as panicked about the fact that his archenemy was strangling him and that he was close to passing out, as much as he was about the fact that he didn't perceive the pain at the level at which he should have.
There was a tingling below his stomach and shivers prickled his skin, while Merridew's front unintentionally rubbed against his rear in all the struggle and this, combined with the euphoria that enveloped Ralph from the lack of oxygen and the vaguely perceived pain from around his neck, made Ralph erupt in a noise that shouldn't have ever been heard by the people that surrounded him in that moment.
It was the distinctive sound of a moan and, in his horror and extreme embarrassment, the fair boy realized he was aroused by what was Merridew doing to him. To a small degree of relief, the other boys didn't seem to notice that he had actually moaned in pleasure. They probably believed he had moaned in fear and pain, because Black kept shouting with the same sick excitement, while Talbot continued laughing.
But something was definitely not the same. And Ralph realized it was Merridew. The ginger had paused the violent act for a few moments and remained like that, before he started it again, but much softer, almost as if he pretended the earlier charade this time. He didn't even laugh anymore, he just kept his fingers in a tight clutch around Ralph's neck, before something even more horrifying happened.
He gave a harsher squeeze on Ralph's neck and his crotch subtly pushed into Ralph's rear with obvious intention at the same time, making the fair boy choke another moan, his own cock twitching in his pants. Ralph's internal voice yelled and screamed loudly inside his head as it dawned on him that Merridew was humping him and making it look like a fight in front of the others.
He was humping him. Actually made sexual motions on him. And Ralph got harder because of it too. If this wasn't going to send him straight to hell, he didn't know what was.
Then everything stopped. Ralph felt Merridew remain still on his back, before he stood up, the weight disappearing, and he heard the others being silenced, while Merridew was calmly dusting off his pants. Ralph breathed heavily and he didn't dare to open his eyes, in fear for what was about to happen.
He was done. He actually was a poof, he'd had an erection for another boy and Merridew had realized it and did those last gestures to confirm it. He was going to tell everyone, he was going to mock him and ridicule him in front of the entire school and town and Ralph's father was going to find out, then disown him and throw him in the streets, or worse, in a mental hospital. It was over for him.
"Roger. Maurice. Release the whiners. Let's go."
There were protests and Ralph opened his eyes and looked up at the scene. He didn't dare to get up, in fear of the others seeing his 'problem', but he saw Merridew and the other bullies arguing to an extent, a whole bunch of names being thrown, while Simon and Peter looked fearful and confused.
In the end, Black and Talbot reluctantly followed Merridew, who threw Ralph one last look. The fair boy noticed that Merridew's stare was eerie and unreadable, his icy blue eyes not bearing the mocking, hateful glint that he always had when looking at Ralph.
It was probably the most twisted moment in Ralph's life.
Black gave Peter one last resentful push and the fat boy fell on the pavement, before the three bullies left them there, shaken up and more bewildered than ever.
"W-what has just happened?" Simon inquired in a trembling voice.
Peter gave Ralph a look, as if expecting the fair boy to explain the situation. When Ralph avoided his eyes and his head fell on the ground in defeat, the bespectacled boy furrowed his brow.
"I have no idea."