A/N: Certainly been a while; however, I wish to say thanks to all those whom have reviewed, followed, and favourited this story.
"Get off me!" Jimmy bellowed as the other boy tackled him to the ground. For almost a minute, the only sound that escaped from the thicket was that of the boys tussling through the damp leaves and mud.
Duncan gritted his teeth. The kid was making a valiant effort at trying to get free, but he held on with the tenacity of a gremlin who didn't know the battle was already lost and he pinned himself against the dueling force all the harder.
Bastard! Spread-eagled on his back, there was no way Jimmy could reach for another firecracker. Against his better instincts, he stopped struggling. Maybe, just maybe, the prick will buy it and I can get another shot off!
Duncan grinned at feeling his prey give up the struggle. "Had enough?" he taunted, grabbing the other boy's wrists and forcing them to the ground. No way he's getting another cheap shot off on me! "It's time you learned what happens when you mess with the Townies, punk!"
"Who's out there?! Come out to play-ay!"
Shit! Duncan froze when he saw a sharp beam of light pierce the darkness. The light could only have one meaning: a prefect out looking for students breaking curfew. And if he was caught trespassing on Bullworth Academy grounds and turned over to the police again...
"We'll finish this later!" Duncan yelled, giving the punk one last hard punch before bolting towards the road. His breath coming out in ragged, rapid gasps, he sprinted as hard as he could towards the safety of the trailer park.
The hell? Jimmy thought in a daze. He sat up gingerly, his body aching from head to toe.
"Hopkins! I might've guessed!"
Jimmy scrunched up his face, blinded by a bright flashlight. It wasn't long before he felt a large hand grab him by the scruff of his neck and haul him to his feet.
"What's the matter? Homesick already and thought you could just run home to mama?" the man taunted, switching off his flashlight and pocketing it. He knew the way back to the Boys' Dorm from here like the back of the parking lot at the In-and-Out Motel.
Jimmy looked up to see who this new tormentor was. His heart skipped; even in the dimness he could tell it was one of the prefects, a tall, vicious boy with glasses that Gary had warned him to watch out for.
"Come on! I haven't got all night! March!" ordered the prefect.
"I wasn't doing nothing!" Jimmy sputtered. He struggled to get free, but realized fast that it was futile. He had little choice but try and keep up with the prefect if he didn't want his throbbing ass to drag through the loamy soil.
The prefect grunted as they exited the woods and hit the road just outside the school gates. He sneered at the wayward boy. "You do realize that the Academy's not the only one with a curfew and that the town of Bullworth's got one too?"
"So what?" Jimmy shot back. He had already decided from the backseat of his stepfather's car that Bullworth was a dump and that he had no desire to get schooled in its local customs.
The prefect replied with a relishing grin. "Getting caught by the police for violating curfew is a serious offense. Of course, if you were a good kid, they'd just dump you back here; they know how we try to instill discipline in some of our more, let's say, troublesome students."
Some threat! Am I supposed to be scared or something? Hoping he looked as bored as he felt, Jimmy began to pick a loose thread off of his sweater.
"However," the other boy continued, "if said troublemaker is someone like yourself who's already been kicked out of a number of schools…"
What the hell's he trying to get at? Jimmy felt his stomach begin to clench; things had a way of going even further south whenever his past behavioural record was brought up. Has no one around this joint ever heard of starting over at a new prison with a clean slate?
"A person such as yourself, Hopkins, a person already on strict probation for being a punk and admitted to Bullworth with the severe reservations of the headmaster-"
"So what's your point?" he interjected.
The prefect grinned. "Point is that violating your probation is also a violation of the academic contract that even permits you to be here, Hopkins."
He almost makes that sound like a punishment. Jimmy hated Bullworth and would seize a chance to leave without hesitation. But… He scowled; truth was, he had to stay at this school or it was the end of the line. Dozens of other schools, both public and private, had a refused to admit a boy with his record into their midst. If he got kicked out of this school…Jimmy quickly stopped that train of thought. He was in this spot only because he'd been caught. Just need to be smarter next time so I don't end up in this position again…
"Hopkins!" the prefect barked, "Quit daydreaming and come with me! Unless, of course, you'd rather I pick you up by the collar," he added airily.
Scowling, Jimmy trailed behind the man-boy. None of this would've happened if I hadn't wasted all that time with that stupid prick. A resolution began to form within. He's said that he'd be back. And next time I'll make sure he gets what's coming to him.
The prefect gave Jimmy a rough shove when they reached the Boys' Dorm. "I don't know why I'm doing this Hopkins, but I'll let you off and not mention this whole affair to Crabblesnitch. But just this once; screw up again and I'll make your life a living hell. Understand?"
"Yes."
"Yes what?"
"I mean yes, sir," Jimmy mumbled sullenly. Great. Another future corporate lawyer on a power trip. Wonder what he's trying to compensate for?
"Alright. Now beat it," the other boy ordered. Job done, he began to make his way towards Harrington House and the party he'd been looking forward to all evening.
Entering the dorm, Jimmy was relieved to find it looking virtually deserted so that he could make his way over to his room in peace. The last thing he needed now was one of his tormenters to make his night even more difficult.
Exhausted, he flopped onto his bed without bothering to remove his damp, soiled uniform, which had somehow escaped the scuffle with the mystery without any rips or tears. Fucking prick…
Before letting his eyes close, a firm plan formed in his mind; he would go to the woods again and beat the other boy to kingdom com the next time they crossed paths. And to do that I've gotta learn to fight better and tougher. He smiled before sleep pounced on him. And if I learn to do that, I'll even show the phonies around here just what they're messing with!
Dripping with sweat and panting for breath, Duncan took a minute to rest before entering his trailer, cursing at himself for forgetting his inhaler. Lights blazed from the trailer and that made him nervous; the last thing he needed tonight was for his mom to get on his case again.
Might as well get this over with. Opening the rusted screen door, he hoped Lady Luck was with him and this his mom would already be passed out on the sofa; Fridays were the day she worked two jobs to earn a little extra cash. Walking quickly, he'd almost made it to the safety of his room when he heard the voice that always stopped him cold.
"Duncan!" Rosa McTavish hollered. "Where the hell have you been?! You got any idea what time is and how long I've been up worrying and wondering just what the hell you've been up to?!"
"I was out," he replied stiffly.
"With who?" she asked, her voice softening just a little.
"The guys!" he shot back. He turned away to hide his guilt; he lied so easily and frequently these days that it unnerved even him. But so what? The days I was a kiss-up, suck up dork are gone.
"What guys? Where?" she queried. She wrung her hands anxiously; the life her son had led and all the ways he'd changed for the worse since dropping out consumed most of her free thoughts.
"None of your business!" He shook his head; he was nearly almost a man and felt he'd reached the age where he should be able to come and go as he pleased.
She sighed. "Son, I know you think you're too old for me to be getting on your case like this, but you've got to understand where I'm coming from…"
Fuck, Duncan thought as he tuned out the moaning wind bag; his mom had always had the uncanny ability to sense what he was really thinking. Once upon a time, they'd been real close and he'd spilled everything to her. Of course, dropping out changed everything. She she's going to realize the person she thinks I still am is dead and that things are never going back to the way they were?
"…so, can you see why now it's so hard for me to not know where you are or what you've been up to?" Rosa pleaded.
Absently, Duncan picked a thread off his shirt; silence was the better part of valour.
"Just please don't tell me you were fighting again."
"So I won't," he mumbled. He winced at the sharp intake of breath that statement caused his mom to take. He now gave her more than just a passing glance. She looks tired. Her eyes were bruised with fatigue and the fire trunk red dye job only emphasized it. God, she looks like cheap a cheap hooker, he thought, though she really wasn't; she was merely a low income woman with poor taste.
"Duncan, please-"
"Enough!" he hollered, pushing over an empty TV dinner tray. "My life's enough of a joke without you constantly reminding of that every single fucking second!"
Rosa backed off in alarm; her boy, once so sweet and gentle spirited, was now prone to explosive outbursts that seemed to have no rhyme or reason. It was always best to back off when he got like this lest he destroy the few meagre possessions they owned.
"Glad to see you're coming around to my point of view!" Duncan yelled, storming to his room. He gave the door a good, hard slam before jumping onto his bed. What a great way to end a Fri-fucking-day's night!
He frowned. He really couldn't blame his mom for this downturn in his mood; it was all that stupid Bullworth prick's fault. Stupid fucker brought up shit he had no right to! He's going to pay for that!
His seething anger began to dissipate as he made an internal vow. Next week same Bat time, same Bat channel. Only this time that little freak will learn to never fuck with me again! He grinned at realizing the rest of his weekend now had the regimented structure he missed about school. He would redouble his efforts at the gym and spend the rest of his time learning new moves from his friends. After all, the best offense against enemy grottos is an even better defensive city wall!
'
