Hello, everyone.
Writing in this section of the forums was the reason why I registered, even though I'm thankful for all the other bright pens around this place, and I'd be putting all my work in this thread--as the rules stated. I have a novel that reached chapter 5 already (130 A4 pages) and still on the go. But, for starters, I'd be putting something I wrote when I was 16. Just in case anyone is wondering, it's kind of a documentary mixed with wild and grotesque (exaggerated) events, but nothing that screws one's guts

I might put the first chapter of my novel some other time...
some other time when this internet connection stops getting lazy on me
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Saved by an unknown Friend

The final bell declaring the end of this day's school echoed in the field of Tariq Bin Ziyad's Elementary School, and just seconds after it splashed the waves of the naughty little devils from their classes, as if it was the starting bang of a marathon contest. Soon the area got filled with children's laughter and the nearby streats got jumbled with kids passing here and there. Departing moment was never sad for them, not when it meant the end of this torture they called Education. Everyone in the E4 class began putting their books in their bags, while still discussing with their friends about some cool video game that ust got released last week.

Life got bursted into the place, E4 class was gradually getting empty as more and more kids began leaving... all but one kid they usually called 'shorty' or 'nerdy' or 'four-eyed', or any other name it felt befitting. In fact, that kid was horrored by the fact that school was over, he didn't even move an inch from his chair yet, and his Science book and notebook were still on the desk before him. Three minutes later, he was sitting all alone in the class, as he finally reached for hit book and notebook with a shivering hand.

He got out of the class, looking suspiciously left and right. Even though bag was the kind that rests on one's back, he was hugging it to his chest and is now moving slowly across the hallway. Suddenly, four boys came from their hiding and pinned him to the lockers, the banging sound echoed hard in the empty place.

"Where you going, book-worm? Forgot your daily beating?"
"Please," the kid stammered, still pinned by one of them, "leave me alone!"
"Oooooh, what's the matter, little guy? Don't tell me you're already giving up!"

The boy holding him gave him a smack in the head before letting go, as the four of them cornered him with the lockers. The kid fixed his eyeglasses and clutched his bag to him tightly, bracing himself for the brutal beating that was schedualled for today.

"Today will be different, book-worm. You might not survive this day!"

The poor kid shivered strongly at those words; he somehow felt it was more harsh than usual but thought it was just him.

"Yeah, the teacher gave me a big red Zero on my finals."
"B... But I... gave you guys the right answers."

Still cursing himself to be this kind of kid, he had no other choice to avoid their bullies. It was a kind of unspoken contract between them; play it nice with them, and they'll do the same. Play it NOT nice with them, and they'll... well... today's a good example what they'd do.

"Well, that's what the teacher said as well, he said I have them correct."
"... then why?"
"Why? WHY?! I'll tell you why, you nerdy freak!"

A punch found its way to his face, and another to his abdomen, making his stomach twist and barely hold his breakfast inside. He kneeled with one leg, coughing and groaning, still confused. Then, a wabble of kicks and blows rained on the poor fellow. He braced himself strongly, sealing his eyes as his glasses got knocked off his face in the process. He began fighting, but not with them; he fought himself, his inner brain holding him by the neck and shouting at him "Don't cry, Don't you DARE cry; it will make things even worse, don't do it!" At those thoughts, he waited for this wacky trip to be over.

"Because, for some reason, word reached the teacher about the whole thing!"
"W..." across the blows, he hardly managed to utter, "What?!"
"Exactly, that's what I said, 'WHAT?!' was my freaking responce! So did you?"
"..."
"I knew it, you just told the teacher about it, didn't you, you freak?"
"N-no! I didn't!! I never-"
"If this appears in my evaluation and dad sees it, you're... you're..."

The blows came back, but the boy didn't need to finish his line to let the kid under his feet understand. Suddenly feeling his bag getting several hits for him, he immediately snatched the bag from him in anger. The kid, losing the only 'treasure' he found delight in, the only thing for this world that made friends with him, howled in horror. He stood on his feet, crying for his bag back but got held in place by two boys.

"What's this? Is this... raggy bag important to you?"
"Please, give it back, I've done nothing to hurt you guys. Please!"

He watched in terror as the boy got his bag inside out, taking every book and notebook in its turn, and teared apart every group of papers for all they worth! That was even harder on the kid than recieving their blows for an entire night; he suddenly began struggling violently at his holders, shouting and screaming 'stop it' all the while. The forth boy punched his face again, and again... yet again... the kid didn't stop shouting. This was a matter of life and death to him, those books were 'part' of his family to him, those stupid white papers and colored pens and pencils were all he ever wanted! Now all is gone, and now even his inner brain have been caught in a rampage. The kid went berserk, but it only did him little help as it just gave his enemies to be even more fierce with him.

Finally, he felt that fighting against them was really useless. It was four against ol' little me, what was I thinking? The boys began beating the kid up heavily, but somehow - after his wild come back - he didn't seem to care anymore. The kid thought it might as well be his last day in this life, it really occured to him that death was finally marching his way. Besides, he just got tired of this same old scenario happening over and over again. He cursed his innocence and kind heart the most; because of them he was the target of every bully in the class. What was once the sole reason why teachers got really interested in him is now the reason of his misery.

Suddenly the beating stopped, the kid thought that maybe it reached the part where he finally doesn't feel anything and his soul will be taken by the Grim. But things turned to another, unexpected road.

"D... Dad?!"

The kid raised his head in confusion, but all he could see was blurry figures towering on him as the rays of the sun sitting across the window to his very face. He couldn't make anything, but noticed that the figures weren't only four--there are five others now, a total of 9 people were present with him.

"Just what the HELL are you doing to this kid, Brad?"
"Dad, wait... I... I can..."
"Save it, you bastard! NOTHING can explain this gruesome act!"

The four men, they appear to be the brats' guardians, got hold on every boy as the boys' voices turned from the might dominating ones to the weakest of sounds a creature could ever make. One of them helped his neighbor in holding his boy as the other reached for the beaten-up kid and supported him to stand.

"You ok, little buddy?"
"uhh..." the poor kid was too deformed to actually talk right, he just nodded.
"I'm terribly sorry for what those idiots have done to you, but don--huh?"

The man got shocked as the kid pulled himself off, and walked slowly to his bag. He dropped gradually to his knees, eyeing closer and closer, the pile of scrapped paper his books turned to not too long ago. His vision got even more blurry, he didn't realize that his eyes finally gave in to crying, but he didn't care anymore; simply nothing matters to him anymore--he just lost his treasure and he was powerless to stop it all from happening.

It hurts, he thought, it really really hurts when something you desire the most and care for the most get ruined in front of you, yet with all your might it's still not enough to protect it.

"Hey, buddy."

The man came after him and kneeled near him, patting him on the head gently and handing him his eyeglasses.

"I promise you that I, along with the three others here--"

He turned at the other men, and they nodded, a look of seriousness filled their faces.

"We promise you that you'll get the same books back! I'll talk to the chairman for you and tell him all about this."
"... r... really?" the kid turned to him in surprise, "You... promise?"
"It's the least I can do as an apology to what my idiot of a son have done."

Then, came another kid to his view, another 'book-worm' from the same E4 class. He bowed apologizingly, still shivering at the scene.

"I'm sorry, I was the one who told the teacher about them bullying you."

The kid turned up to face him, still not believing what he heard. There was someone in that class that actually stood up for him, someone that was bullied regularly like him but actually got the guts to fight back.

"I never... expected that they'll take it this far."

The man shook his head at the kid, and smiled.

"You called for us when you saw it happen, and I'm grateful for that."

He... called for the bullies' parents? So he knew of his daily bullying and helped out? The man turned again to the downed kid and pat his head again.

"Listen, son. You just found yourself a great friend that stands up to you, and don't be afraid of what will they do to you next--I'll make sure my words will carve deem into their rock-hardy heads even if they tried to forget!"

The kid blasted finally, weeping and subbing all he could. The man was panicked and asked him several times if anything hurts giving all the beating he recieved. The kid shook his head every time the man asked, but his weeping didn't stop; those tears were not the ones that come with pain... those were the ones that come with happiness. For the first time in his life, he learned the feeling of true friends, if he ever got one. All this time it was him and his books in his little own world, away from the rest of the world. This time, however, he got saved by a friend he didn't even thought existed.