The Will
1698 Words
"Hey hey!" said a kid behind Philip. "Don't even talk about one word of it, or you'll regret it." He grabbed Philip by his neck and lifted him up. The other demigods watched and enjoyed it. The kid has curly blonde hair, and his stature is steady and strong.
"Hey!" I said. "Stop that!" I tried to get to him, but Sander blocked my way. "Sander why are you-" He shook his head to tell me to not interfere. I looked at Philip, and he waved his hands to signal me not to come near.
"I'm.... Ugh... Sorry," said Philip while gasping for air. "I won't... talk about... that... again..."
"You better not!" said the kid and threw him to the wall behind us. The whole class laughed.
I and Sander went to help Philip while he sat on the ground, coughing. "I am so sorry that I made you talk about that, Philip!" I apologized.
"No," He coughed. "It's not your fault, but mine. So come on, let's return to our seats. The teacher might be here soon enough."
We helped him to stand up, and the kid laughed with his friend while turning his back at us. I feel very angry right now! Whatever that kid's reason for hurting Philip, it is still wrong to beat him up and look down on him!
"Hey, corn head!" I said, he turned around to look at me. I took my southpaw stance, and said, "Are you looking for a fight?"
They looked at me confusingly for a moment, and they laughed.
"We got a fight!" said a kid.
Then all of them chanted, "Fight! Fight! Fight!" They cleared the chairs and made a circle around us.
He just stood there smiling without taking a stance. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked.
"I should be the one asking you that," I said.
"Ohhhhhhh....." said the crowd.
"Silence!" he shouted, and they stopped. "I see you are serious... Okay, I'll give you a fight."
"Leo!" called Philip. "Don't do this, you can't beat him!"
"Oh, don't stop him," said another kid beside him as he pushed Philip away.
"Come at me...," he taunted, and I charged with caution. I see that he is preparing a right uppercut, but then....
"Good morning class!" said a guy who might be an instructor. I stopped and so did corn head. We all returned to our seats immediately, while they returned the chairs to their original locations.
The guy who seems to be an instructor walked from the door to the teacher's desk in a drunken manner.
"What?" I muttered as I find him unusual, but I remember him at the Assembly that he is among the instructors that lined up at the stage. He has a very long, messy hair. His eye bags are very dark, and his eyes are looking very tired. It is quite ironic that he wears an instructor's uniform, but he acts like a degenerate (no offense). He carried a bottle of booze with his right hand. He sat on the chair, with his legs on the desk. He drank from the bottle and said:
"I am Mr. Howry, your instructor." He drank again. "You!" he pointed at the girl at the front. "Come here."
She stood up and slowly went to the drunken guy. He looked at her feet. I feel the tension of the whole classroom as we wonder about what this is about, and what will he do to that girl. He pulled something from his bag.
What would it be? Is it something dangerous? He pulled it and it was a book. Maybe it is a perverted book... He wouldn't! Oh no....
"Read this to the whole class," said Mr. Howry. "and take turns in every chapter." He covered his eyes with a handkerchief and slept.
I don't want to read that! Mother said that it is the work of the devil! But what is this? Why does the girl opening the book? She's gonna read it! No, please!
"Two thousand years ago," read the girl. "when the original Olympians still lived..."
Oh, it's just history. I felt relieved that it wasn't a perverted kind of literature, but is it okay for a teacher to just sleep and let us read the book one by one? I don't know...
The rest of us just chatted, without listening to the one who reads. The three of us fell silent after what happened earlier. We didn't talk to each other.
"Leo," said Philip. "I'll tell you more about the Demigod District later. Just don't feel guilty about what happened."
I nodded.
The class ended for nearly two hours of our reading while taking turns. Mr. Howry dismissed us early. The class was supposed to end at twelve o'clock, but he ended it as early as eleven. That was a rough first morning of the first day of school.
We packed our things and we went for the door. Then a hand blocked our way. It was the corn head, along with his two buddies. I looked back to see if there is anyone left, I found out that we are the only ones are. They planned this.
"We haven't settled our fight earlier," he said.
I took my stance, but Philip and Sander tapped me on my shoulders.
"Leo," said Philip. "Promise me, whatever they might do to you, don't fight back."
I nodded and I dropped my fists. Then the cornhead prepared a punch. The punch is gonna go to my face. Philip said that I won't fight back, but he didn't say anything about dodging and blocking. It was too late for me to dodge, so I put my arms into my face, and took the blow. His punch is something I can't handle, he's stronger than dad.
I flew back to the inside of the room. I can't hear anything. My arms are getting numb. My vision is blurry. I see my hand, with a trace of blood that I didn't know where it came from. I touched my eyes, and I can feel my glasses. This is..... This is weird.... Why is my vision blurry, that I have my glasses intact? I feel pain, I don't know where. I see three guys beating and kicking two boys on the floor.
I am losing my consciousness....
I am.....
I woke up facing a ceiling.
I realized I am awake now. I tried to rise, but I felt pain in my arms when I tried to move it. I looked at it, and it is covered in bandages. I remembered what happened now. Thinking about that, I realized how strong demigods are. That was one powerful punch he gave me. I flew back a couple of meters away. I guess I barely survived it. But what about Sander and Philip?
"Sander? Philip?" I called.
"Leo?" answered Philip. I saw both of their faces. I just realized I am on my bunk bed while they just clung on the edge of the bed.
"Are you guys fine?"
"Yeah," said Sander. "But we are the ones should be asking you that."
"I'm fine," I said.
"No, you're not," said Philip. "You have to rest for a while for tomorrow's class."
"I don't think I can get better by tomorrow," I said.
"You will because we gave you a special healing medicine that the God of Healing gave us."
"You're sure?" I asked while grimacing as I felt a clicking pain in my arms.
"Yeah..."
"By the way, what time is it?"
"Seven in the evening," said Sander.
"So we skipped a class," I said.
"No, we're lucky that Mr. Howry doesn't check our attendance nor does he know the number of his students. So we'll be fine."
I looked at the ceiling. "I'm sorry guys...," I apologized.
"I said don't be sorry," said Philip. "It's not your fault, but mine. I shouldn't have talked about it when I know what will happen, and I never noticed that he was in the same class as us."
"Who was he?" I asked.
"Icarus of the Nephos family. His family is the one who owns the land that Sander's family and my family are living in. The Nephos family is probably one of which your teachers and your TV talked about demigods that live in luxurious homes."
"Oh...," I said. "Now I know why you mustn't fight back against him." They climbed down to go to their bed. "This sucks...," I said while feeling pissed off.
"Yeah, it is," said Sander.
"Just because they owned the land you guys live on, it doesn't mean they can beat us up like this!"
"I agree to that," said Philip from under me. "But I have no choice here you see. And if you are able to beat them, you might even get expelled."
I can't get expelled, but I want to beat them. Dad told me to kick other demigod kids' butts, but it turns out it is mine that's been kicked. He also told me to fight for what is right, and fight against what is wrong. He didn't teach me how to fight for entertainment as he did, because he realized that it was wrong.
I will fight for what is right! What they did to me and my friends is wrong! I will show them!
"Philip," I said.
"Yeah?"
"Am I allowed to beat him to a pulp when we match up at the tournament?"
-
*
Philip, lying down on his bed, had his eyes wide opened as he realized that the idea of Leo is somewhat brilliant.
"I guess so...," he said.
"Then it is decided! I know that I am the weakest here, because I don't have the Olympian Strength, and I don't know much about my own power."
Leo inhaled very deep.
"I'LL TRAIN A THOUSAND TIMES HARDER THAN ANYONE HERE!"
Sander and Philip felt that what Leo said reflected what they felt inside.
"When the time comes," said Leo. "I will show him what he has done wrong by beating him up to a pulp! I am saying this, and I swear to the highest gods that I WILL DO IT!"
The two smiled as they were inspired by what Leo said.
"Well, you won't be alone in doing it," said Philip.
"Yeah you won't!" added Sander.
*
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- Writer
