52. See You In Hell (Prussia) [part 1]
xXx
Your friends said you really tried to hold back.
Witnesses say otherwise.
"I'm very disappointed in you, [Name]," the principle sighed. "This fighting has got to stop. What is this, the fifth time this week?"
"The third, actually," you replied smartly. "You shouldn't be so judgmental, mister. It's not like I ask for fights—"
"But you do, [Name]! You do ask for it!" His eyes burned the surface of the desk as if all he wanted to do right then was to slam his fist into it. "This is the last time you fight in my school! Your parents have agreed with your counselor and me about your future concerning academic procedures."
"Eh? What the hell are you talking about?"
He looked at you directly in the eyes, and you swore you could see a gleam of satisfaction in them.
"You'll be transferred to a juvenile encampment for the rest of your high school career. There will be no withdrawal or reassignment once the paper work is completed."
You stood up from your chair in anger and shock. "The fuck are you—" Suddenly, guards appeared by your side and restrained your arms. "Damn you, old man!"
"Have fun at camp!" he laughed snidely as you were dragged away, dark eyes burning for a good punch in the face.
xXx
"Oi," an irritated voice said. "Get up. I don't have all day."
Even closed, your eye twitched. "Fine, fine. Don't get your panties in twist."
The bus driver shot you a dirty look, his hand slowly moving towards the gun in his holster. "Get off the bus before I make you get off!"
"Shut up, Grandpa."
Dashing off the bus before the man could kill you, you felt a tad bit better now that you'd pissed someone else off. The bus driver took off and you slung your bag over your shoulder, looking around with narrowed eyes for another target.
"[Full Name]," a low voice rumbled. You snapped your head up expectantly, but a pair of intense blue eyes stopped you. In front of you stood a tall, young man with slicked back hair and a light weight security uniform. "Welcome to IJCA. My name is Ludwig, and I'm the head of security here."
You scoffed. "The barbed fences look more of a threat than you do."
His eyes pierced deeply into yours. "I hope we will not have to meet again anytime soon." He gestured towards a small cluster of buildings. "Your dormitories are in the girls' wing. I'm sure you've already gotten your room assignment and paper work. You have ten minutes to change into your uniform and come to the dining hall."
"I'm not hungry."
"I don't care. Your ten minutes start now." You stuck your tongue at him, but turned away anyways. Behind you, Ludwig muttered, "Ich weiß nicht genug bezahlt, dies zu tun."
Grinning, you said over your shoulder, "Nein, Sie nicht."
Ludwig blinked in surprise, but it was already too late to reply.
xXx
In the 'dining hall' (a prison-like room with drilled-in-place tables and benches), you picked at your food moodily. With most of the tables taken by cliques and groupies, there was hardly anywhere you could sit. So you settled for an empty table off near the side, unfortunately close to a bunch of immature guys wolf whistling for you to join them.
"Hey, chica!" one of them called to you. "Sit with us!"
"Just ignore them," a voice said next to you. Glancing at the intruder, you turned away and decided to ignore the annoying American. "Those guys don't really want to be your friend. They just want to see if you're bullying material for them."
You placed your fork down and took a sip from your ice cold water.
"But you look tough," he continued to talk. The boy even picked up a fry from your plate and popped it clean into his mouth. "Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't you and me stick together? I'm kinda new here too, but I'm pretty strong myself. With you by my side, I'm sure we can avoid mishaps and get through this stupid academy without any kind of trouble, you get what I mean?" The boy gave you a bright, friendly smile.
"Stop conning the poor girl, Alfred," a Brit interrupted from the next table over. "She's probably already got enough things to worry about without you breathing down her neck for money."
The American's face fell immediately. "Shut up!" he snapped at the British boy. "Great, thanks a lot, Iggy. She was probably loaded! And then you had to open your big mouth and ruin everything."
You refrained yourself from marveling at the English boy's impressive eyebrows. Instead, you said, "You were going to con me?"
Alfred grinned shamelessly. "Well, I was going to try. You don't look easy to trick, though."
"…so it's the same here, too, huh," you muttered.
"What's that? I couldn't hear you."
"Never mind," you said. "I don't have any money with me. If you don't have any other business with me, go find some other dimwit to trick. I'm not in the mood right now."
Alfred blinked and stared at you for a moment, and then his grin widened. "I like you. You're cool."
"I'm flattered. Now leave."
"But you're not even eating anything!" he complained.
"Take my plate, then," you said nonchalantly. "I'm not hungry."
"Awesome! Thanks."
"Did I hear someone say my name?" a loud, rough voice cut in.
You and Alfred looked up to see an arrogant figure standing in front of the table, looking tall and smirky. The boy had tricked out, punk-silver hair and sharp red eyes. His gleaming white teeth flashed under the weak lighting of the dining hall.
"Gilbert," Alfred said, his smile fading a little. "You need something?"
"I just need to give the new girl my room number," he said, smirking wide. "Just in case she ever gets lonely and needs my awesomeness to cheer her up at night."
What the—
Alfred laughed after looking at your expression. "I don't think she likes you, Gilbo."
Ignoring the American, he leaned forward on the table, his shadow enveloping you. "How about it, babe? You up for a good time?"
Resisting the urge to give him a mouthful of your fist, you retorted, "Sorry, I don't do girl-on-girl action."
The whole dining hall fell silent.
For a moment, you panicked. Did you overstep too far? This was only your first day, and that was a little over the line, wasn't it? But suddenly, one of the tables next to you started roaring with laughter and soon, everyone else joined in. Alfred was one of the loudest. He gave you a proud slap to the back, to which you returned with an irritated elbow to the ribs.
Gilbert, on the other hand, was more than a little ticked off. His eyes narrowed and his fists clenched.
"So you think you're smart, don't you?" he hissed.
"Go away, whatever the hell your name is," you replied, just as venomous. "I'm not in the fucking mood."
The albino's jaw clenched, but he withdrew nonetheless. His friends (the hooligans sitting next to you) threw him big, teasing smiles—and for a second, you felt a little guilty. But then the boy drew himself up and spat in your food.
That was the last straw. Immediately, you climbed up on the bench to launch yourself at his cocky face, but Alfred saw it coming and grabbed onto the back of your uniform, trying to pull you back down. "It's not worth it," he hissed to you. "Ludwig's gonna be all over you if you pick a fight here."
An array of colorful vocabulary spilled out. "Fuck!" you shouted, not caring who was watching anymore (rest assured, all eyes were on you). "Just let me shut his face up! Just once!"
"No!" Another pair of hands joined to help Alfred keep you down. From the corner of your eye, you saw the Brit-boy struggle to keep your arms from tearing Alfred apart. "Settle this elsewhere! You are not making us go into lockdown again!"
"What's wrong, babe?" Gilbert smirked, eyebrows wiggling for a challenge. "Too weak to fight me?"
Red tinged the ends of your vision. "You're all the fucking same!" you spat at him, feeling your restraints getting weaker by your furious efforts. "Every single one of you—arrogant pricks that think they can just walk all over me." The emotions building up inside you for so long began to uncoil in your chest. "Don't think that I'll just sit around and take it!"
People around you looked quite surprised by your outburst; some eyed you nervously. Even Alfred loosened his hold on you to stare up at you in surprise.
Quickly taking advantage of his distraction, you finally wrenched free from their grasps and lunged forward on the table. However, before you could finally slam your fist into that arrogant shit's face, a hand suddenly whipped you back by the collar. For a second, you saw stars. But when your head slammed into the table, the daze was knocked clean out of you and you could see a familiar pair of blue eyes boring down upon you.
"I was hoping we wouldn't have to meet again so soon," Ludwig sighed.
The surrounding students that could see you from where they were sitting gasped as the German security guard pulled out a syringe kit from his pack.
"That's a level four sedative pack!" someone whispered. Another person hushed them quickly.
Glaring up at Ludwig's calm, focused face, you knew it was useless to struggle against his unbreakable hold. Still, you wriggled and thrashed around—caught up in a rage that you couldn't control. Ludwig ordered Alfred to prepare the sedative (quickly, he growled) while he kept you from lashing out at anyone. The American did as he was told (damn his nimble fingers).
"Sit down, Gilbert!" Ludwig demand, his baritone voice rumbling.
"She started it!" the albino complained, but took a seat nonetheless, mouth pursed into a pout.
"Fuck you," you said angrily at the arrogant prick.
Gilbert merely smirked. "How hard?"
"Gilbert!"
"Go to hell," you growled. There was a sudden pierce in your left arm, and you winced.
Gilbert's smirk grew larger and larger.
"I'll see you there, babe," he murmured, just before the drug took effect and the world went dark.
xXx
