Chapter II: Spilling Blue Blood

Assignment IV: Roots I: Courage

A/n: I will now be responding to anon review questions in the chapter

Thanks to Sirius Rper and MoxyFromTheRoxy for reviewing the last chapter, and a special thanks to the most consistent reviewers so far: iownzombies, mcrgirl255, and Like a puppet only dumber. Also, a thank you to every single person whos taken the time to review, or even just read this story! And I apologize for the horrible wait. This will be another character development chapter.

Sasquatch

Wednesday, 9/17/2014

I woke up that morning at 3:30. My first thought was "Goddamnit, I'm awake". Now, that might seem pretty depressing, but from that point on, that was almost always my first thought upon waking up in my bunk at Bullworth Academy. Let me tell you, my face was beginning to feel like it was never going to heal from all the beatings I'd received. I knew that Loki felt the same way.

I grabbed a candy bar from my stash in my side of the desk. Not exactly the breakfast of champions, but I didn't really give a shit at that moment. I grabbed my cell phone, and turned it on. Within ten seconds, it pinged. I had a text message. Perfect timing. I flipped my phone open, and pressed the select button.

Pauper. Meet me behind the boys' dorm. I want to talk to you. Come alone.

-August

I stared at the tiny text on my screen. This was unreal. It couldn't be real. August wanted to talk to me? Instead of trying to knock my lights out? And how the hell he had acquired my number to begin with was beyond me. I shook my head. It sounded like a trap. Still. If August really wanted to do something to me, he would want the whole school to see him best me. He wouldn't be skulking around. And he most likely wouldn't go far from Harrington House to do it.

As I sat there in the darkness of the early morning, I realized that it had not even been a month since we had been expelled from our school back home. I thought about all the friends we left behind, to come into a school that seemed to quite literally be a war zone. And in essence, it was a war zone, as well as a place of mourning. Since September 13th, the cold grip of death had been upon the entire place. And it felt as though Loki and I were the only ones who felt it. It was almost as if Juliet's soul lingered on within her own personal prison. Her own personal hell.

As I dressed in my usual attire, I couldn't help but think that this feeling wouldn't go away until every bullying clique in the school splintered and disbanded. It was a strange feeling, like a cold chill that clung to every inch of my body.

I slipped on my boots and unlatched the lock on my door, trying not to wake Loki. The only way this could even possibly go smoothly without another fight breaking out is if I went alone.

The wind chilled my bare arms making me even colder. I would've been shivering if it weren't for my abnormally thick skin. I walked around to the back of the boys dorm, keeping my hand close to my pocket in case I needed to use one of Loki's many knives. I was beginning to wonder if he had a problem. After all, who really needed that many switchblades? He practically had a stash.

As I rounded the corner, I saw the familiar, neatly cropped platinum hair and pale blue eyes of the boy who had beaten me so many times, along with his little brother, still bruised horribly, clinging to his side for dear life.

August reached into his pocket and pulled out a small cigarillo, and lit it. The scent of fake wild cherry filled my nose. Apparently he thought a cigar was classy or something. Tch Snobby little shit.

We stood there in silence for almost a full minute. I stayed on my guard, half expecting him to attack me. Instead, he did something that almost made me think twice about constantly trying to pummel him.

"Thank you Seamus. Thank you for protecting my brother when I could not. My father is a madman, and if one of us does not succeed, he always punishes the other. You may have very well saved Blake's life, and I am grateful to you, pauper or not".

I never thought I would do anything other than scowl at August Masters.

"I didn't do it for you. I did it because Blake is too young to be corrupted and ruined like that. It's bad enough that he has to have a heartless bastard like you as a brother".

August glared.

"I am the farthest thing from heartless. My brother means everything to me. He's the only person who has ever loved me unconditionally. If it weren't for the fact that he would beat Blake worse for it, I would grind my father into the ground, or die trying".

I remained silent, chewing my bottom lip in thought. I had never August could love anything. He was always so cold toward others; I guess I had just never taken into consideration that he might be able to genuinely care for another person.

The cold look that was normally on Blake's look was gone. For the first time, I saw him for what he was. A cute, innocent little kid, robbed of a childhood by a man who expected perfection, and nothing less.

"I love you brother" Blake whimpered, burying his face farther into his older brother's polo.

"I love you too Blake" August said calmly, stroking Blake's hair.

He turned to me and spoke bitterly. "Not all family is created equal Seamus. Not all people are created equal. There are the good, the bad, and the spineless. There are the intelligent, and the ignorant, and those who are simply stupid and beyond help".

"So you admit that, but don't you realize that your group is bad? You're bullying all the wrong people and using your wealth to get away with it!" I yelled.

August smirked condescendingly at me. "And that is because the people we are 'bullying' are one of two kinds of people. Bad, or spineless. How often does a nerd stand up for someone else in trouble? How often does a greaser help an elderly person across a street, or clean up a vandalized building? The answer is never. They're scum".

I stared at August in pure shock.

"You…you really think you are all good people don't you? You think you're doing the right thing by bullying those people?"

August nodded. "While I agree that my group is not completely blameless, I believe it is the right thing to rid the world of those…less deserving to live in it. As does the rest of my group. Seeing as our views on this seem to conflict, I'm guessing you won't back down from your pointless vendetta".

"No. And I'm guessing that just because you're grateful that I saved your brother, you won't be backing down either?"

August nodded. "You are correct Seamus. I will not be backing down. So the next time we meet, we'll be discussing our differences a little less civilly".

"You can count on it". I replied. I stuck my hand out to shake, against my wishes. It seemed like the right thing to do.

He grabbed my hand and shook it stiffly.

"It looks like we're at war now. Officially". August said grinning.

"Looks like it" I replied, frowning in return.

"I look forward to crushing you like a bug" he said.

I didn't reply, but instead, turned around and walked away.

Loki yawned as I tried to slink quietly back in. He stretched and sat up against the wall, cursing when he bumped his head against the bottom of the top bunk.

"Why you up so early?" he yawned.

I scowled. "Couldn't sleep. Then August wanted to talk to me about something out back. So I just decided to get up early".

"What!" he yelled, fully awake now.

I shrugged. "He wanted to thank me for saving his brother's ass. That's all. Oh. And the two of us are at war with the preps now".

"And you don't care?" he asked, incredulous.

I shrugged again. "Not particularly. Why would I? We were already basically at war with them anyway. A declaration doesn't change it much".

"I dunno man. How are the two of us going to handle all of them on our own?" Loki asked.

"We're not on our own man. We've had help from day one. Harley, Jacob, Tony, Bear, Keen. Shit, maybe even that Daijiro kid can lend a hand," I suggested.

"It would never happen. The preps and the jocks are allied factions. They even teamed up to jump me," Loki replied.

He got out of bed, shut the door, and turned the light on.

"We need to get serious about taking them down. Think about it. This whole time, with everything we've done, the only time they've done anything back was when Jackson and Beale and all of them jumped me. All the other times it's been them defending their territory. They were trying to make us look like the bad guys. And it's worked somewhat. Half the school is our enemy. But now, they'll probably start attacking us, going after us when we don't expect it". He said.

I shook my head. "Look man. It doesn't matter. Truthfully, I don't give a fuck what anyone here thinks of us".

"Well maybe you should!" he snapped, "because I don't know about you but I'm getting tired of my face looking like meatloaf! We need to get smart or go home!"

"So are you saying we should run and hide like bitches?" I snapped back.

He frowned. "I didn't say that man."

I breathed deeply. "No" I replied "But it is what you want.

He didn't reply. Suddenly, the tension was so thick; it probably couldn't have been cut with a sword, let alone a knife. I could tell I had upset him.

I tried to touch him, but he turned away.

"…Noah. Do you remember the very first day we met?"

"…yeah. As if I could forget."

4/18/2006…

Noah Fox

"Hey Freak!"

"What's up SASQUATCH"

"BIGFOOT"

"LOSER"

I didn't understand it. I didn't understand how he could walk so tall in spite of the fact that he was completely, utterly alone. At seven years old, most of our class mates weren't even four feet tall. He was almost five. He had the muscles that made most 7th graders jealous, and he used them on ANYONE who got in his way.. The nerds feared him because of his size, and the bullies hated him because he didn't want to be one of them.

He glared at the kids taunting him.

"Shut up before I kick your teeth out your mouth!"

They backed against the lockers as he started toward them.

"That's what I though. Wimps".

I stared in awe at the school's biggest (literally) reject. My only friend, Tristan stood next to me.

"I heard he cornered two of the bullies after school. They were calling this kid gay, and so he made them kiss each other, and hold hands. And then he beat them both up!" he said in approval. "I wish we were that tough," he said.

"Me too man" I agreed.

He turned and caught us staring at him, and he started toward us.

"What the hell are you losers looking at?" he roared. My friend and I backed up against our lockers, absolutely terrified. He just looked us over and shook his head.

"Cowards" he muttered in disgust. He then kicked the locker next to me and walked away.

We breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was close dude! He would have smashed us!" Tristan exclaimed. I nodded in agreement.

On the inside however, I had admired him. He was strong, and he didn't take shit. Period. Even as a child, he had never given up. Not once. But he didn't just defend himself. He defended anyone who couldn't defend themselves.

Loki (present)

"You hated me," I said with a slight laugh.

Sasquatch shrugged. "Yeah, but I more or less hated everybody. Hated the bullies for being assholes and the nerds for being cowardly. And I don't think anybody was weaker or more of a coward back then than you".

I frowned. "I couldn't have been that bad. I mean yeah, I was no fighter, but I wouldn't say I was a total coward".

Sasquatch raised his eyebrow. "You almost pissed yourself when I got in your face that day."

Seamus Flynn

4/18/2006 (Later that day)

The lunchroom was packed that day. It was pizza day, so spirits had been mostly high. Mine however, were not. They never were back then. I sat at the corner table, watching all the groups eat and gossip and laugh. I envied them. Back then, all I had wanted was someone who was loyal and a friend. I watched two of the school's most gentle kids being harassed by Erik Dermody. Noah Fox and Tristan Bialeck never spoke to anyone except each other, never caused problems for anybody, and never involved themselves in the pitiful drama that filled the other students' time. Even though they were cowards, and their weakness somewhat disgusted me, I knew they had done nothing to warrant Erik's behavior, and anger began to boil inside me.

I saw Erik grab Tristan off the bench and throw him to the ground. He began screaming at him wildly, calling him every name in the book.

I left my plate and walked over to where Noah sat ten feet away from the boys now scuffling on the floor, terrified.

"Aren't you going to help your friend?" I questioned.

He just sat there. "I-c-can't" he stuttered, before he began to cry.

"Why?" I yelled

A the sound of my voice, he flinched, and backed into the table, looking absolutely terrified.

Goddamnit! I had thought. Why is EVERYONE afraid of me?

The anger flashed out again and I grabbed him, pulled him into a standing position, and slugged him hard across the face. He went crashing to the floor.

"You're pathetic, and a coward!" I shouted, before I began cussing him out, not caring that everyone was watching, even Erik had stopped hitting Tristan to watch.

"I sure wouldn't want to be your friend! You'd probably let him die if saving him meant you getting your hands dirty. Why don't you stand and fight for once, instead of letting assholes walk on you? Keep acting like this and you'll be a punching bag for the rest of your life!"

I then turned toward and stomped toward Erik, picking him up and throwing him into the air. He crashed onto a table and fell backward over it. Trays of food landed on top of him and he groaned in pain.

"You'd better stay away from Fox and Bialeck from now on Dermody, or I'll do a lot worse!"

Tristan got up and wiped the blood off his face.

"You alright kid?" I asked. Tristan backed away from me in fear and went to help Noah get up.

"Whatever". I muttered, and I walked out of the lunchroom. At that point, I was sure I would be alone forever, everyone either too afraid or too judgmental to approach me.

Loki-present day.

I stood there, in the stillness of the early morning, concentrating hard on the memories that were flooding to my head.

"That was the day you finally woke up, and learned that sometimes you have to fight", my friend said sternly. "But if I hadn't decked you, you'd be at Reed City High right now, still running from creeps like Dermody. Think of how far you've come since we met! You've beaten the shit out of several of the asshole preps here. You're tough, you can handle yourself for the most part. So what if August is tougher? We'll fight him together".

Realization dawned on me at that moment. We were a team. Brothers for life. It didn't matter that I wanted to give up. Seamus was fighting for a just cause. And that meant I was going to fight alongside him. Not because I had to, or because I didn't want to be a wimp, but because I had the ability, whereas people like Keen and the others didn't. I had the ability to help someone, and I was going to do it, because nobody else would.

"You're right man. I don't know what I was thinking. I guess fear never really completely leaves you," I said.

He shook his head. "Noah, man, you're human. You think I've never been afraid going into a fight? Fear doesn't make you a coward. Letting fear cripple you does. You saved me that day too remember? After school".

Noah Fox

4/18/2006 (after school)

I was walking along the sidewalk with my eyes down, still nursing the bruise the school's biggest brute had given me at lunch. I thought about his words.

Why don't you stand and fight for once, instead of letting assholes walk on you? Keep acting like this and you'll be a punching bag for the rest of your life!"

And I knew then and there that he was right. And in his own brutal way, he had been trying to help me. He cared about me. He cared about everyone who couldn't fight. Because he knew, even at seven years old, that in life, everyone has to fight sometimes.

I saw a flash of red hair at the edge of the alleyway I had been approaching and I stopped. Even his head had only been exposed for less than a second, I knew it was him. Seamus Flynn, the not so gentle giant. I approached the alleyway cautiously and listened intently at the conversation that was going on.

"You beat up my brother you asshole!" a voice yelled. It was Roger Dermody. He was fairly big, (though still not quite as big as Seamus), he was mean, and he was a fifth grader. I gulped and turned to run, but stopped as his words echoed in my head again.

"He deserved it" Seamus said, spitting venom. "Stupid jerk shouldn't be bullying weak little kids that don't deserve it. Fox and Bialeck did nothing to him."

"It's none of your stupid business!" Erik Dermody yelled. I gulped. Great. The worst bully in my class, AND his older brother.

"Listen man. When you pick on someone who's a total wuss and can't fight back, and didn't even do anything to you, it BECOMES my business. Just leave Fox and Bialeck alone, and I'll leave you both alone" He turned to walk away.

"Oh, HELL no, you aint gettin away!" Roger shouted. He grabbed Seamus and threw him back into the alleyway, and I flinched as I heard him slam into and fall over a metal trash can. Seconds later I heard him grunting as Roger and Erik began kicking him over and over again. It was then that I had my first real flash of courage. He didn't deserve this. He did nothing but help those who couldn't help themselves, and he was being attacked for it. I grabbed a brick off the ground, ran into the alleyway, and chucked it with all my might at Erik's head. It smashed into him, and he fell to the ground, completely unconscious.

I charged and slammed my full weight into Roger, knocking him away from Seamus, and actually managing to knock him to the ground. I mounted him and slugged him in the face a few times, but he quickly threw me off of him, pinning me under him and slamming his forearms repeatedly into my face.

Suddenly, as I lay there dazed, with blood dripping into my mouth, the weight was lifted off of me. I heard the dull clang of a trash can lid meeting my opponent's face, and smiled.

Seamus "Sasquatch" Flynn grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet. He looked at me coldly for a moment before grinning like the madman he had been rumored to be.

"You sure picked the right time to grow a pair of balls, Fox".

I decided to take it as a compliment. He reached out his fist to knuckle pound and I reciprocated.

"What made you change all the sudden?

I thought about that for a brief moment. What had caused the change within me? Had it been the punch to the face? The harsh words? Or his ideals? No. It had been none of them.

"I decided being a punching bag forever would suck" I said simply. "That and you saved my friend. I was just making us even".

"Well, thanks".

"No problem" I said, wiping the blood off my face and spitting some out of my mouth.

I began to walk away, but stopped when the boy behind me grabbed me by the arm.

"Wanna hang out tomorrow at lunch?"

I smiled. "Sure. I'll bring Tristan too".

He smiled like the Cheshire cat. I suddenly got the feeling that all he'd wanted all along was friends. Now, he had them.

"See you tomorrow" we said, and we went our separate ways. After that, my life would never be the same again.

Sasquatch (present)

I smirked. "You grew up man. Quite a bit. After that, when someone gave you shit, you stood up to them. It didn't mean you won every fight. But in my view, as long as you stand up to fight, you win whether you stay on your feet or not. So what do you say? Fight them with me, and let's take those trust fund babies down a couple notches".

"…Sure," he said, "let's fuck em up".

I smiled wildly, and clapped him on the back. "Lets".