Chapter 9: Teenage Years Part I
"Hey! Leave him alone!" Bruce shouted. He was a freshman and he was shouting at two seniors who were bullying Ethan. Both were football players, one the quarterback and the other the linebacker. The quarterback was buff, brown haired, green eyed, and muscular. The linebacker was leaner, blonde, brown eyed, and he was the one holding Ethan against the lockers while the quarterback was beating on him. The quarterback turned to look at Bruce. He smirked and walked toward Bruce.
"This isn't any of your business," he said. He pushed him. "Beat it."
"It is my business when you're hurting my friend," Bruce responded.
"I told you to beat it," the quarterback said. Ethan tried to slip away but the linebacker grabbed him by the arm.
"Bruce, get out of here!" Ethan exclaimed. The football players were shocked.
"THIS is the great Bruce Wayne?" the quarterback asked mockingly. "I've got to admit you've got some guts. For an orphan." Bruce's temper started to boil. He hated being called orphan. The linebacker laughed.
"So did daddy cry for mercy?" the linebacker began. "Or did he beg? Like a dog." Ethan tried to get free but the linebacker held him tightly.
"Leave him alone!" Ethan exclaimed. It was then that the quarterback remembered Ethan.
"Now you'd better go, orphan," the quarterback said. "Me and my friend have got some talking to do with your friend over here. You don't want to join your parents now do you? Now beat it." He pushed Bruce into the lockers. The quarterback turned his back to go back to punching Ethan. Bruce then went up to the linebacker and punched him in the nose.
"Don't you dare insult my father!" Bruce yelled. The quarterback then tackled him onto the floor. A fight broke out on the high school floor. People began to gather around and walk the fight. Bruce received more blows than his opponent but he managed to give the guy a black-eye. The linebacker let go of Ethan as the fight continued. Everyone was chanting, "Fight, fight, fight, fight." Then two teachers came over separated the two. One took the quarterback to the nurse while the other dragged Bruce to the principal's office. During the fight, Bruce received a bloody nose, an aching stomach, from all the punches, and a bruised up face. His nose was still bleeding but the teacher either didn't notice or didn't care.
Once inside Bruce sat down at a chair in front of the desk. The principal was a middle-age woman with blonde hair and brown eyes. Her face made her look older than she was.
"What happened?" she asked.
"Mister Wayne was fighting in the hall with your son," the man who had brought him in said. "He gave him a black-eye."
"He tackled me," Bruce said.
"Why?" the teacher asked.
"Because I punched his friend in the nose," Bruce grumbled.
"And why did you do that?" the teacher asked.
"Does it matter?" the principal asked.
"With all do respect, I believe that Mister Wayne should have a chance to explain his actions," the teacher responded.
"He insulted my father!" Bruce said. "And they were beating up on Ethan!"
"I am very disappointed in you," the principal said with fake sympathy. "You know better then to start fights."
"They started it!" Bruce exclaimed. "I won't have punched him if he hadn't insulted my father. And I wouldn't have bothered with them if they hadn't been beating Ethan."
"I will not tolerate excesses," the principal stated. "You will have detention for a month and I will notify your parents about this." Bruce glared angrily at her.
"Um, ma'am he doesn't have parents," the man said. "They're dead." The principal smiled.
"Silly me," she said fakily. "You move into a new place and you don't know who's an orphan and who's a loser." Bruce nearly lost his temper again. But he knew he would have to let it go. It wouldn't do him any favors to yell at the principal. Bruce felt a sickness in his stomach and that his nose was still bleeding. He then went over to the nearest trashcan and threw-up into it. The man walked over to him and took him by the arm.
"Where are you going?" the principal asked.
"I believe Mister Wayne needs medical attention," he said. "I am taking him to the nurse's office." He then led Bruce out of the room before the principal could say anything.
The scroll rolled up again and then unrolled itself.
"Master Bruce!" Alfred exclaimed. "I am VERY disappointed in you!" Alfred had driven him home and currently they were in the manor.
"Really? I hadn't noticed," Bruce said sarcastically. "And I know you what I'm not sorry! I'm not sorry for punching him."
"Why not?" Alfred demanded.
"He and his friend were beating up on Ethan before I even got there," Bruce said. "And if he hadn't taunted and teased me I won't have punched his friend. What was I suppose to do? I'm not sorry, Alfred. He had it coming and more."
The scroll rolled itself and then unrolled to a few days later.
"Still grounded?" Ethan asked. They were walking to their next class.
"Yeah," Bruce responded. "Even though Alfred agreed with me. He said that "violence is not the answer Master Bruce. Try to stay out of trouble."" He had been doing an Alfred impersonation for that last part causing Ethan to laugh. "Even if I wasn't grounded I wouldn't go. Parties aren't really my thing."
"I thought so," Ethan said. "How about we celebrate our teams' victory at your house?"
"Sounds good," Bruce admitted. "But we're gonna have to wait till tomorrow. I won't be grounded then."
"Great see you then," Ethan responded. "By the way, thanks for sticking up for me."
"Any time," Bruce said. "What are friends for?"
The scroll rolled up again and fast forward to a year later.
I'm gonna do two parts of Teenage Years so I can post this earlier. And there's a lot I want to cover. Consider this as an Easter present from me to those who read this story.
Happy Easter! If it's not when you read this then have a great day!
