Chapter 4

Friday.

Drax remembered to back his extra large backpack with a change of clothing; he was going to Amai's this weekend and needed to be ready. Yet, he worried though, for the first time Sweet Mask was going to pick him up directly from school. Normally he would pick Drax up at the house, but opted to be there in person this day. "I hope he keeps a low profile." Drax muttered to himself.

Yet as he entered the school, the kids were in whispers about him. They would stop and stare at him fearfully. "Is it true?"

"Yeah, they saw him yesterday."

"Why would he be with him?"

"Rumors are going around on this one…"

Drax got to his locker, when the four bullies appeared again. "We saw you yesterday,"

Drax ignored them until they slammed their hand against the locker next to him. "Play attention! We saw you with an M Class dragon yesterday!"

The halls went silent. "No one ever gets close to an M Class by accident. We heard Snek signs autographs, but he doesn't offer kids rides on his back like he did for you. What gives? How do you know him!"

"Lay off Josh," Drax growled. "He was a friend of my mom's. That's all."

"Really? How good of a friend?"

"Just a friend! Why does it matter to you?" He turned and stared down the four. "Huh? Why would you care if my mom knew Snek?"

Josh appeared to think it over. "Well, if something were to happen at school… would he come?"

That was his angle. Josh wanted to see if his dad would come to the school if Drax got into trouble. "No one." Drax said in a cold tone. "No one would come." He closed his locker and went on to class.

#

He managed to get through English, what surprised him was the way he shocked his teacher. He accidently left behind his book of Macbeth at home, yet, the part they were reading that day was the one Goliath drilled into his head! When it came to his turn, he said the part aloud and without flaw. The teacher paused as she looked to his desk but saw no book. "Drax… how much of the chapter have you memorized? Keep going until you can't."

He obliged. He kept going until he couldn't, which was the end of Act 2. The teacher was stunned, the students began to whisper again thinking he was some short of a genius. "You just got yourself some extra credit!" she announced.

'There's such thing as extra credit?' he thought.

Gym was next. This grade he wasn't worried about the least bit. He was among the fastest in the class to say the least. Speeds and reflexes he gained from his father. Yet when it ended, he went to change and tucked his clothing away when he heard a commotion. He decided to ignore it, especially when he heard the voices of the bullies. It was Josh yelling at his friends to 'hit harder'. Drax knew there wasn't anyone else involved since he didn't hear a kid scream for them to stop let alone ask for help.

But, why were they beating one another up?

He learned the truth shortly after lunch. He was flagged down by the gym teacher and was told to go to the office. "What happened?"

"GO!" the teacher ordered. With a sigh, Drax went to the office. When he arrived, the four bullies were there, all of them had the tar beaten out of them!

"Drax! This is unacceptable behavior!" scolded the principal.

"Wait, what are you talking about?"

"These four said you beat them up!"

He froze, that was their plan wasn't it? To see if his father would come if he were to get in trouble, he was sick at the notion. "I didn't do such a thing! Why would I?" he demanded.

"It doesn't matter, we have called your guardian on the matter. Their parents are on their way as well."

He felt the pit form in his stomach. Drax worried that if his father came into the school, the bullies would prove to the students that he was the son of an M Class Dragon. No one will leave him alone, no one will stop pestering him about his father and the other dragons.

Worst still if Amai answered the call.

For the first time, he was worried. Drax sat on the opposite side of the four who were grinning from ear to ear. "You're going to get in trouble!" Josh snickered.

"I don't know what's more stupid, you four or the fact that you kicked each other's asses to make me look like the bad guy here."

The four glared at him, but their looks changed to teary eyes when their parents arrived. The laid it on thick, crying and weeping to the event. The mothers all turned to Drax with disgust. "What an urchin!" one mother muttered.

"He has no mother I was told, adopted and yet has no manners."

Drax cringed as he heard another door open. He peered down the hall, yet froze at the sight. It wasn't his father, or Amai Mask… But Goliath! He wore a dull blue serpent skin suit of all things, yet he appeared very sophisticated!

"Excuse me, is this the office? I was called about an incident with Master Drax. His father couldn't make it. I'm his tutor."

The parents glared at Goliath, they began to berate him for what happened to their sons, yet he kept calm. "Wait, please. I haven't been given the details. Is the principal here?"

"He's in his office getting papers to write the report!" one mother shouted.

"Very well." He turned to the four boys. "Tell me what happened."

The boys spun their tale as they said Drax jumped them in the halls and beat them up for no reason at all. It all happened just after gym class. Goliath nodded as they spoke, when the principal appeared. "Okay, what happened?" he demanded.

"Tell him, word for word what you just told me." Goliath announced.

The second story wasn't like the first to say the least, yet they kept one thing consistent, it happened after gym class. As the parent turned and glared at Drax, Goliath was quick to ask. "What was he wearing?"

The four froze. "I didn't see…"

"You didn't? Huh, strange, if it was after gym, he would have been wearing the clothes he has on now right?"

"Yeah… yeah those are the clothes, he was wearing those!" Josh announced.

Goliath turned and looked at the uniform. "Strange, not a drop of blood on it…"

The four stammered over their words, until one of the mothers announced. "It doesn't matter what he was wearing! He did it!" she protested.

Goliath didn't stop with his questions though. "Did he punch or kick you?"

"What does it matter!" Josh's mother demanded. "Why are you asking such questions?"

"I will prove my point in a moment. So, were you punched or kicked?" Goliath asked again.

"Punched!" said Josh.

Goliath turned to the Principal. "Would you check Drax's hands please?"

He was uncertain yet did the inspection. They were pristine to say the least. "Not a scratch. If he had punched these four, his knuckles would be cut up. There would be blood under his fingernails. Is there any?"

"No, none"

"He washed his hands!" one father announced. "It doesn't make him innocent!"

"Doesn't make him guilty either."

"No wait, he kicked me!" said Josh. "Yeah, he kicked me!"

"There's no blood on his shoes." Said Goliath. "Now, I have a feeling this is all just fabricated to get him into trouble. Question is, why?"

"How dare you! You are a tutor and yet you are implying our sons faked this beating!?" one mother demanded.

"I'm not implying. I know they did. As for me being a mere tutor… do you know who I am? Who I work for?" Goliath demanded. Suddenly, Drax noticed him getting rather brash, he stood taller, his chest puffed out and his tone of voice quickly changed to that of a coy gentleman. He nearly spoke like Amai Mask!

"I have never seen you before. You never gave a name" one father muttered.

"My name isn't spoke among those who don't know who I am. Pity, and I was informed you were some of the more… propionate families of this school." He sighed in disappointment. "If given a name, you can call me. Mr. B." he then turned to Drax oddly. "My client, his father has insisted I ensure his son given a great and proper education. It is my task, my obligation to ensure that young, Master Drax is kept to the highest of standards of education. Now, seeing this incident is nothing more than an attention grabber for these four delinquents, I wish to see Master Drax returned to his studies at once!"

The hallway froze. No one could speak or utter a word. Yet the Principal nodded in agreement. "Mr. B has a point. There is no indications that Drax caused their injuries, in fact, I see these four hands are far more scuffed up than Drax." He turned to Goliath and nodded. "Drax, return to class."

"NO!" one mother protested. "He did this to my son, he is not going to walk way from this!"

"He did no such thing…"

"I DEMAND JUSTICE!" another mother screamed. "Or do we speak about next years funding now!"

Goliath turned to the principal. "I want a word with you, Drax, you come along." They went to the principal's office; Goliath closed the door and asked. "Is this office soundproof?"

"Yes…" the principal said with great uncertainty.

Drax watched with amazement as Goliath appeared pissed, his arms began to flail about, his face contorted with an angry expression and yet he spoke calmly. "I can understand you are put into a corner by these families, so I ask of you is this. Give Drax detention after school for the rest of the school year, but grant us use of the facilities here, the gym and library. Can you do that?"

He nodded. "Good, now I am going to yell at you the moment this door opens. I apologize in advance."

The door opened. "YOU SIR HAVE NO RIGHT TO CALL YOURSELF AN EDUCATOR!" Goliath turned and glared at the parents. "I hope you realize that your children are the ones who will be taking care of you when you are older. If they are lying to you now, they will do so again, and in your greatest time of need!"

With that Goliath stormed off, as the principal explained Drax will have detention for the rest of the year.