Brother's Revenge

"What happened? Who were you fighting with?" asked Pran in a sharp tone. "Was that from last night?"

Pran and Leon looked at Max who was sitting in front of them. Their best friend had a bluish-purple bruise near the chin, a laceration to the forehead and several lacerations to the fist.

"Why don't you take us, Max?" Leon asked annoyed. "You said you went straight to Jane's last night."

"I do!" Max replied casually. "I went over to Jane's for a bit, then saw someone getting ganged up on the basketball court near the 4th dorm, on the way home."

"Who's the opponent? How are they doing? Aah, you're pissing me off. You should have called me. I need a little vent to release some stress." Leon said enthusiastically.

Pran snorted and hit Pran's shoulder hard. "Don't encourage him to feel great, you idiot!"

Max laughed and finished his lunch quickly. "Economics kids. Pete." Max said as he pushed his empty plate to the side of the table. "They misunderstanding to the people they attack."

"Pete? Huh! Always pretending to be a hero and bullying weaker people," Leon snorted. "I'm surprised he didn't change after we made him crawl in sophomore high school."

Max chuckled. "Come on, he's changed for the better after that. It's his unchanging style, pretend tobe cool and cold. That's just habit. But, he's fine actually."

"He fought you alone?" asked Pran with knitted brows. "How many people did he bring?"

"About twelve, I think."

Leon was flabbergasted. "They ganged up on one person? I want to know what that person did and how he was before you came to his aid," Leon said sadly. "Did you take that person to the hospital?"

"Well, actually, the guy they beat up turned out to be pretty good at martial arts, though I'm sure he'll lose to twelve in the end. However, at that time he also put Pete and his friends into trouble because of his fight."

“Ah, Pete finally found a match here too,” Pran muttered. "Good for him."

Three of fourth-grade seniors walked over to the table where Max and his friends were sitting.

"Maxine Juan Amarin?" asked one of the three seniors, Arthon--the fourth-year class president.

"Yes, Phi, can I help you?" asked Max politely. He and his two friends stood up.

*(Note : Phi in Thailand has the same meaning as a big brother or big sister).

"Come to the ESO committee room after today's activities are over. We have something to tell you," said Arthon in a firm tone.

Waddi, another senior, pointed to Pran and Leo. "You too."

The four seniors left.

Max, Pran, and Leon sat back down. "What's wrong with them telling us to go to the committee room?" asked Leon with a frown. He nudged Pran's arm. “Do we have a fault severe enough for a fourth year senior to handle?”

"What do you think? Reduce the count of running time around the field? Or ... not offer seniors when we smoke on the sidelines?" asked Pran sarcastically. "They're just finding fault with us, as usual."

"Hey, but they're fourth year seniors. They're barely even on the pitch," Max said, scratching the back of his neck. "Oh, sh*t! Was it because of my fight with the economics kids last night? How did they know? It was almost midnight and far from campus."

"And we weren't even involved at all," Leon growled, punching the table.

"Hey, calm down," Pran said as he patted Leon's shoulder. "This might not be as bad as we think."

"Yeah, let's--"

"Max!"

Max's words were cut off by the call of a man running towards the table where Max, Leon, and Pran were sitting.

"Hey, Neeo, what's wrong?" asked Leon angrily. "Why you yelled?"

The man, Neeo, one of their classmates was standing by the table trying to catch his breath. "You know the ... hhh ... girl named Jane? Biology?" Neeo asked. "She's ... hhh ... over there ... hhh ... disturbed by the Geography kids. They said your name and sent some people looking for you."

Max, Leon, and Pran immediately stood up. Max pressed Neeo's shoulder. "Where are they?"

“Basketball court,” Neeo replied, wincing at the pressure on his shoulder.

"Thank, Neeo, I'll pay for your lunch later," Max said, then before Neeo could answer, he and his two friends were already running fast in the direction Neeo pointed.

Max and his two friends ran to the engineering school basketball court. At the farthest end of the field, a group of men were seen cornering three frightened looking girls.

Jane sees Max coming. "Max!" shouted Jane loudly.

Some of the men turned their heads and put on a wary attitude. Three men form a fort to lock up the three girls, Jane and two of her friends.

Max stood in front of the men. They wear white uniforms with black trousers, usually open to reveal broad chests or shirts under their shirts. Some of them still wear brown ties that hang loosely or loop around the back of their necks.

Max counted silently. There were eleven people, including three who stood fortifying Jane and her friends. Leon and Pran stood on either side of Max, wary.

"What's this? Who's looking for me?" Max asked sharply.

One of the several men in front of him stepped forward and stood in front of Max with his hands on his hips. He was a few centimeters shorter than Max, but wider and stockier.

"So, your name is Max, hm? Freshman of Engineering ?" he asked disdainfully.

"Who asked," Max snorted.

The man pointed at Max's chest with his index finger. "My name is Ben, geography, third year. You have to keep that in mind, in case you have to greet me again when we cross paths, intentionally or not. I don't like juniors who are rude and don't like greeting their seniors."

"I'll keep that in mind. Now tell me, why are you bothering those girls and calling me?"

"That's your girlfriend, right?" asked Ben, pointing to Jane.

Max nodded. "Yes, why?"

"Incidentally, I was looking for the person who beat up my brother last night, when I saw that pretty girl pass by, and by chance again--" Ben emphasized his words. "--that girl is your girlfriend and of course, she told me where to find the person I'm looking for. You!"

"Your brother?"

"Economics. I heard you defended a guy who had an affair with his girlfriend and instead beat him up when he tried to confront him."

Max smirked. "Sorry, Phi, I don't know and can't remember which one your brother was when last night I was playing with losers trying to harm one innocent man. In the end, their leader admitted that it was a misunderstanding."

"You're such a jerk!"

"Is your younger brother a stupid boy who was lied to by his own girlfriend and tried to incite his friends to attack innocent people for not wanting to look stupid? Ah, I knew him." Max chukled sinically.

"Don't joke with me!" Ben snapped as he pushed Max away. "My brother had a jawbone shift after you beat him."

"Wow, I didn't expect your brother's jaw to be so weak," Max said with a laugh. "Just like his brain, maybe?"

Ben growls and throws a fist, but Max holds the grumpy man's fist with his hand.

"Phi, aren't you ashamed, holding on to that girl just to beat me up? Look around you, lots of people watching. What will your juniors say, seeing you beat me up just because of a girl? Moreover, she is my girl?"

"I'm going to beat you up because of my brother you hurt, not that girl," Ben hissed as he grabbed Max's jacket collar.

Max smirked. "Do they know?"

Ben shoved Max until he was two steps back and turned to his men. "Let them go!"

Jane and her two friends ran to the other side of the field after the three men holding them stepped aside.

Ben slams a fist into Max's face and hits him in the chin. Max grinned, then started moving to retaliate.

Pran and Leon didn't do anything at all, just watched with their arms folded in front of their chests. Two men moved towards them and threw a punch that made them stagger.

Pran and Leon looked at each other, then moved. All the spectators on the sidelines of the basketball court cheered, cheering for the unequal battle between three engineering students and eleven geography students.