Chapter 1: Electricity Breaks and so Does a Nose

"Let's see how high you can really soar, lover-boy!"

I honestly wasn't surprised when I rounded the corner of the hall and saw Marius ppushed up against the wall. Three boys surrounded him; his usual tormenters. The guy couldn't go one day without getting threatended in some way. What else did he expect, though? When he wasn't going on and on about his girlfriend Colette… Wait, no, Cassette? Never mind. Anyway, he was either spouting horrible poetry (I use the term very loosely) or giving his very loud, and very unpopular opinion about something. He was barely tolerated, and I'm surprised he survived Senior year. Maybe I helped a little, but still. More often than not I was breaking up his fights. Marius had… Attached himself to me and we nearly had a parasitic relationship. Nearly. He can hold his own in a fight… When he isn't outnumbered.

"Hey!" I called, getting their attention, "Put him down. School's almost out so why bother with him?" We graduate in three days. I really didn't see why these guys kept this up. It's not like they'd ever see Marius again. The ringleader, a real jerk named Eric, rounded on me. His buddies looked, but kept a hold on Marius.

"Just get out of here Enjy," Eric sneered –God I hated that name, "This isn't any of your business. Why don't you just run home to Mommy and Daddy?"

My jaw locked and I glared at Eric. It was my business because (as much as I hated to say it) Marius was my only "friend" in this entire school. If the situation were reversed, I know he'd come to my aid. Besides, I hated bullies. Actually, I hated anyone who thought themselves above everyone. Eric certainly qualified. I wouldn't be running. I never ran from anything, and… Well, I didn't really have anywhere to run to. And Eric knew that.

"Wait, Eric," his buddy, Carlos I think, spoke up, "There's something wrong with that. Enjy here got dumped by his Daddy and his Mommy's probably gonna die soon. Probably his fault for being such a trouble-maker too!" His laughter was cut off when I glared hard at him. Electricity popped around us, but I hardly noticed. No one –I mean no one- talked about my mother like that. Unfortunately it was true; she was in the hospital; but it wasn't my fault. It wasn't; no matter what anyone said. As for my father, if he didn't want me, then I didn't want him. I didn't need him. I just had to keep telling myself that.

Normally a glare would be enough to scare them away. But apparently Eric grew a backbone. It was thick one too.

He strolled right up to me and shoved me, making me stumble. I heard Marius whimper. Really? "No one wants you, Enjolras. No one ever will. You could disappear and no one would give a damn. You don't belong anywhere. No one loves you, not even your stupid mother!"

It takes a lot to make me snap. I can take an insult with a pretty level-head, but certain things can get to me. What Eric said about not belonging, for example. I can cound thow many schools I've been out of with both hands and a foot. Things just happen to me that I can't explain. Stating fights, disrupting class, disrespecting teachers, being rebellious; the list goes on. Doctors blame it on the ADHD and dyslexia. I try to believe them, but after a while you tend to side with the people who call you a freak.

I guess that was the second line Eric crossed. The third was what he said about my mother. After that, I snapped. And when I snap, I snap. The hall went dark as the flurecent lights broke all at once. I ignored it and punched Eric right in the nose, feeling the cartilage break under my fist. Carlos was on his knees after a hard kick. The big guy (his name didn't matter to me) dropped Marius and rounded on me, swinging hard. Somehow, I knew the hit was coming and ducked out of the way. But even in the dark, this guy was a better fighter than Carlos and Eric. He landed a hard punch on my stomach, making me double over.

While I tried to catch my breath, Marius shouted, "Enjolras, look out!" I was about to tell him to shut up and help when I sensed someone behind me. This next part happened very slowly. Eric was charging me from behind. I very easily stepped to the side, grabbed him by the shirt collar and seat of his pants, and tossed him through the air. He collided with his big friend and the two of them flew back against the other wall. The lockers behind them groaned and bent under the impact. I stared down at my hands incredulously. Had I really just…? No way. That wasn't possible. A girl screamed down the hall, but I didn't look; I was still too shocked by what I had just done. Marius grabbed my shoulder and tugged me away. Numbly, I went with him, not really caring where I was going.

Mostly because his shoe had fallen off and there was a goat hoof where his foot should've been. "You… You have a goat hoof?" I asked.

"Well, of course I do!"

Leave it to Marius to be casual about all of this…