Page 32 of Phantom Flower

The east entrance felt strangely empty without him leaning against the pillar.

I was heading toward my first class when I heard it.

Someone was laughing.

I recognized Marco’s voice, trying to de-escalate.

“I didn’t mean—”

“Scholarship trash thinks he can talk back now?” one of the bigger guys sneered.

Three of them had Marco cornered against the lockers. The kid in the middle - some football asshole named Brad - had his hand on Marco’s shoulder, shoving him. “Look at you. Tiny little thing. Bet you suck dick for those grades, huh? Or maybe that’s why you hang around Kurosaki. You two a couple? The pretty boy with the flower and his little pet?”

Marco’s face was red, eyes wide and scared. “Leave him alone. I don’t—”

Brad shoved him harder.

Marco’s back hit the lockers.

Fucking assholes.

Marco was like 5’1 and scrawny as hell. They didn’t have anyone better to pick on than him? They were literally giants ganging up on him.

I grabbed Brad by the shoulder, spun him around, and drove my fist straight into his face.

Brad stumbled back, blood already pouring from his nose.

His friends shouted.

Marco gasped my name. I didn’t stop.

I hit him again, and he hit me back before someone grabbed me from behind.

“Rei—stop!”

Security.

Teachers.

Hands pulling me off.

Brad was on the ground, cursing, blood on his shirt.

Marco was pressed against the lockers, hyperventilating.

***

I sat in the hard chair across from Principal Hargrove’s desk.

Hargrove was a tall, thin man with a permanent frown.

He had already called my mother.

She was on her way.

Daniel too, probably, because he never missed a chance to play concerned stepfather in public.

“Mr. Kurosaki,” Hargrove said. “Fighting on school grounds. Assaulting another student. Do you have any idea how serious this is? Brad’s parents are already threatening to press charges.”