The next day, practically the whole school gathered around the flagpole at lunch. The members of the football team were holding Victor hostage. They threw off his cape and tied him up against the flagpole. Phillip came out, with Lilly clinging to him, and stood on the wall surrounding the flagpole. "Let the torture begin!" Phillip shouted. The crowd applauded wildly.
Victor was whipped, beaten, and ridiculed. Everyone was joining in the verbal torture. From his room on the second floor of the Hugo building, Frollo watched what was happening.
Back at the flagpole, Phillip stopped the torture. He glared at Victor. "I warned you to prepare for hell."
Lilly came up behind Phillip and grabbed his hand. "Phillip, why do you associate with this monster?" she asked. She turned to Victor and looked in disgust. Victor looked up at her in the same emotion. He could see that under all her beauty, and she was awfully beautiful, though not as beautiful as Esmeralda, he could see the horrible person she was.
"As if I enjoy it," Phillip whispered to her, but still loud enough for Victor to hear. He then turned back to Victor. "So, beast. What do you have to say now?"
Victor had a hard time breathing from all the beating. He looked up at Phillip in hate. "Water," he said, his voice shaking.
Phillip bent over, his ear next to Victor. "I'm sorry. What did you say?" he asked mockingly.
"Water," Victor repeated. "All I ask is water."
Phillip turned around to the crowd. "Did you hear that? The animal's thirsty!" Everyone started laughing and making fun at him.
All of a sudden a silence fell upon the crowd. Even Frollo from his private seat stood up and saw what was happening. Esmeralda made her way to the front of the crowd with a bottle of water. She glared at Phillip and Lilly. "Step away from him," she said firmly.
Phillip, who was in total awe of her, did as she said. Lilly followed. "Why do you listen to her?" she demanded. But Phillip ignored her.
Esmeralda couldn't help but feel sorry for Victor. She knelt down. "Lean your head back and open your mouth," she said. Just like Phillip, Victor did as she said. She unscrewed the bottle cap, and poured the water into his mouth. When she finished, she closed the bottle, and turned to the crowd. She had no idea about the look Victor was giving her from behind. She turned to Phillip. "Untie him," she said.
Phillip approached Esmeralda. "Are you sure?" he said. "He tried to attack you. If I let him go, who knows what harm he'll bring to you again. He's a madman."
Esmeralda turned to Victor, who looked back up at her, and looked back at Phillip. "He's innocent," she said. "Look at all the pain you've put upon him. He's learned his lesson." Phillip gave in and he and his friends untied Victor. He fell to the ground once he was free. He was on his knees beside Esmeralda. She looked up and addressed the crowd. "The show's over!" she shouted. "There's nothing more to see here!" And the crowd dispersed.
Esmeralda went to her locker. Once Victor put his cape back on, he followed her. Esmeralda turned around and saw Victor behind her. She gasped. "Thank you, for saving me," he stammered.
Esmeralda turned around and walked away. "Don't worry about it," she said, trying to get away from him.
"Esmeralda, wait," he called out.
She turned back around. "Yes," she said, annoyed, but enough so that he wouldn't notice.
"I owe my life to you. Are you busy today?"
Oh god, what have I done, Esmeralda thought. She couldn't stand being around him, but she didn't want to hurt his feelings. "Why?" she asked.
"I want you to come home with me," Victor said. Esmeralda looked away again, not knowing how to respond. "Listen, I'm sorry about last night. I didn't mean to hurt you."
Esmeralda sighed. "I know you didn't." She figured she would go for one afternoon, just to get it off her conscious, and so that hopefully Victor will leave her alone. "I'm busy tonight, but how about Friday? We'll meet at the local library. Does that work?"
Victor nodded his head. "Great, see you then," he said.
The bell rang and they separated. "Great," Esmeralda said sarcastically to herself.
Author's Note: I forgot to mention this earlier, but you're probably wondering why I named Quasimodo "Victor." It's simply because I couldn't think of a modern name that could be derived from "Quasimodo." So I decided to simply name him after Victor Hugo.