Chapter Eighteen: The first fight to ignite between Nerds?

Theodore looks at him because of confusion. He can't say anything. 

Tobiah was out of his mind.

The only thing I heard soon after, Was Jesse screaming out of her lungs while trying to get him back to the version we thought will never disappear. Everyone was fighting him, while he shut his mouth looking down while clenching his fists.

I did not react to any he said. I just stood still there, next to the president, who is losing their patience with everyone.

But I wondered, where was that kid, named Jacob? No one in here announced that he lost. Or maybe he was kicked out. Kicked out.

I placed a hand at my face and started rubbing. It’s too early to quarrel for this kind of day. I sighed tiredly.

First, I was never fond of arguments. Neither I could win nor lose any of them. Just imagine how well this starts with a simple warning into a war. I was always quiet, uncurious and calm. I could feel in my veins how irritated I was.

“Everyone!” roared the President, thumping the table with his fists. He lost his patience.

Tobiah sat on his chair without a word. Jesse placed her arms below her chest like she always does. Theodore felt a hint of distraught on his face while looking at Jesse and Tobiah. Clement grabbed Jesse’s arm to pull her down to sit. Clement looked bewildered while trying to make Jesse calm. I turned to James. His eyes were darkened, and I can’t see his gaze anymore.

“This is not going anywhere.” He said while moving his head aggressively as he spoke.

Sophia placed a leg over another leg, sighing. Jesse was fuming while her eyes run sharp at Tobiah. My eyes grew anxious when Tobiah, grabbed James’ right arm. He threw him in the air and James landed on a dead lawn a few meters away from the table.

“Enough!!” I screamed. I stood up from my chair, my eyes glaring at his gaze. I sprinted into him, and I grabbed his hand, trying to make him cut it out.

“He’s a monster, Lily!” He said to me while trying to pull his hand out of my palms. “I’m trying to keep the group safe!”

“Safe?!” Jesse asked while anger was in her tone. “You want us to die, you scum!”

She pushes Clement off her and then walks to Tobiah. I turned to Theodore, who is holding Clement while he lost consciousness because of the hit. Theodore stole a glance at me, and then brushed Clement’s hair. I turned back to Tobiah, nuzzling me off him.

“Tobiah, Cut it off! Please!” I begged.

He did not listen. Instead, he rocked my arms and then threw me to the ground next to the president. Luckily, I landed on my arms. I almost kissed the dead land. I gasped heavily, pushing myself off ground. I bathed sweat as I sat on the land, turning my head to see what’s going on. I can see that Jesse was fighting Tobiah with her bare hands. I saw Tobiah pull out a knife from his back pocket. My jaw dropped when he tried to hit her with the knife.

I tried to raise afoot, but my body did not react. I can’t move. I can’t help her.

I felt a bit happier when Sophia jumped right on time where he was about to slash her arm off. Sophia looked at him because of disgust. She tried to seize the knife, but it slipped off his palms. Sophia thought he would pick it up, so she grabbed it a second before he could even bend to the ground. Tobiah smirked, and then by the time she grabbed it, he kicked her stomach. She collapsed to the ground, a black substance exploding out of her mouth. The substance stained the ground.

The knife flew and landed on the ground in its sharp edge. The knife was split into pieces.

Jesse walked to him, thinking he does not have a weapon anymore.

<Jesse POV>

I gritted my teeth and then exhaled air into the gaps of my teeth. I cannot explain how angry or irritated I was. Theodore never acted like this. What reason made him do this? Is it the fact we were working as a team, and not individually?

Whatever. He just needs to cut it off.

I aimed for a leg. It serves as a foundation, and I’m sure he’ll go to his feet if I hit one. Which one? Left or right?

When I was a little girl, four years ago, I always walk to school and pass a taekwondo studio. At four o’clock every Friday, I always see young men come in and out of the studio. Through the glass walls, I watch them fight. It caused me two years to study their movements, techniques, etc.

I chose the left. I kicked it, and then he wobbled. He was about to collapse when he let out a powerful force by kicking back. He maintained his balance, and now both of his hands are in a fighting stance.

Did he learn taekwondo too? Incredible! Not from a French nerd like him!

<Lily POV>

I can feel my feet now. Watching the two fight, I learned two things.

Tobiah wasn’t just a French nerd, he can fight too. And to Jesse, from a sassy nerd, she turned into a taekwondo girl. If that is what it was called.

I turned to James, who’s conscious is still not back. I crawled to him, slowly taking every step to him. I panted as I got near to him.

I stopped right next to him. I rolled facing the sky.

My head turns to James. His brows met each other, and he was biting his lip. Sweat slid on his glass-like skin, and I can see his small scars caused by the fall in his arm and leg. I reached out for his hand and closed my eyes to feel his pulse.

After searching on his hand with my fingers for a few minutes, I found the pulse. The heartbeat is getting fainter. I need to wake him up. I glanced at his face.

“He’s breathing,” I whispered, watching his Adam’s apple react to his heavy breathing.

I kneeled next to him, placing the arm facing upwards from the ground. A hand of mine trembled as my brows frowned. I forgot what to do next. I panicked.

“Should I do a CPR?” I said, gently touching his face. “No, he’s breathing.”

I turned to my back to see Theodore and Clement busy doing some first aid to Sophia.

I sighed. ‘I shouldn’t bother them.’ I said to myself.

I go back to James. ‘I should make him feel I am reliable, can be trusted.’

Lily kneeled next to him and gently inserted her palms at the back of his head. She fingered every single part, making sure that the head wasn’t injured.

I didn’t feel any blood, so I slowly placed his head on the ground. I sighed.

Is it even necessary to help him? To make him feel I trust him, so he can trust me?

Basically, I should, but i imagined it like giving answers to a seatmate on a periodic test. It doesn’t even connect to real-life situations at all.

I puffed, placing two of my hands together. I, no, we, need him to tell it to Tobiah. To tell him what we meant by doing this. If this really has a meaning.

My fingers slid at his legs, covered with black pants and gold glitter, the dressing code of the male scholars. I raised his leg above his heart level, pouting trying to hide how heavy these were. By now, his blood circulates from his legs to his brain. That one book from the library really helped.

As the wind blows, I can see his eyes blink. It worked.

I put down his legs to the ground. He gets up, and the first person he saw was no other than me. We both heard a scream, and then just by the time I turned my head…

Mr Byrne was holding Tobiah’s hands.

“Listen to me, scholars,” He said with pure anger. “I told you the rules, and everything to understand the etiquette presented by the Headmaster!”

“And you lads and lasses did such a disgrace!” He scolded, glaring at Tobiah.

James walks to him while his head was facing the ground.

“We ask for your pardon, Mr…- “Mr Byrne interrupted the lad by flashing his hand before him.

“You don’t have to, Smith.” It explained. “The seniors decided to  this to the Senior building.”

Senior building? After I heard his word, my eyes grew white. I’ve never heard a thing like this before.

“Are they going to announce something?” Clement asked, pushing Sophia down to see what was the teacher’s reaction since Sophia was blocking his sight.

“Yes,” Mr Byrne clarified.