3

Luther's POV

Panic grows in my chest, my head is throbbing with a headache.

My nose is bleeding terribly, and I start to feel hazy due to the loss of blood.

I don't have a handkerchief with me, so I fold my sweater and place it over my nostrils.

Marlon, my assaulter, is gone now, and I have to find my way to the nurse's office before I bleed to death.

Thankfully, the hallway is empty, so no one can witness my walk of shame.

I know the nurse's office, I have walked by it many times.

I knock on the door before pushing it open with all my strength. This is not the time to be polite, I'm bleeding to death.

I don't know, maybe I have started to hallucinate because the lady in front of me, wearing the white nurse uniform, can't be more than a couple years older than me. How is she a nurse?

Her beautiful face is stricken with shock, and her long eye lashes bates in my direction.

“Oh my God, poor boy. What happened to you?” She takes my arm and leads me to the bed in the corner.

“I… had a little accident in the restroom. One of the doors slammed in my face.” I lie.

She quickly puts her gloves on and gets to work on me.

My vision gets blurry and blurry, until I have fallen asleep. Or pass out.

I don't know how long I've been out for, but when I wake up, my bleeding has stopped, and she has given me a new shirt.

I sit up, looking at the shirt that is a little too big for me, that's when I notice that she is still in the office, scribbling in her little note book.

She smiles as she looks up at me. “You're awake.”

“I… passed out?” I ask, running my hand behind my neck.

“You were in so much pain, and it would be cruel to allow you to bear it all. So, yes, I gave you a little something." She stands up, hands folded. “Your lip was so torn that I had to sew it.”

I could still feel the pain, even though it had dulled a little.

“Are you going to tell me what happened to you now, Luther?”

My eyes slightly widen. How did she know my name?

“Come on, getting your name was very easy. Your homeroom teacher knows that you got in a little accident, so you can rest all you want and go home from here, when the bell goes off.”

“Thank you, nurse…”

“Maybelline.” She tells me. “That's my name.”

“Thanks, Maybelline.”

“Don't thank me, Luther, I'm just doing my job. What I want is the name of the person that did this to you.” She insists, her pretty face has the frown of a concerned mother.

I look down at my hands and sigh. “I don't want any trouble. This is just my first week here.”

“So, it was someone, not a door.” She smirks. “Does that person have a name?”

“I'm not telling you.” I say, very quickly.

Yes, I saw so much hate in Marlon's eyes when he punched me, but I'm not getting him reported.

That would only spell more trouble for me.

“If it's okay with you, nurse, I would like to return to my class. Thank you for the shirt, I'll return it tomorrow.”

I grab the paper bag next to me, I know my bloody sweater is in it.

I walk towards the door with my eyes on the ground, but she grabs my hand before I reach the door.

“Wait. Has this happened before?” She asks, her voice warm with sympathy.

“No.” I answer with a shameful gulp.

She reaches out and lifts my chin with her hand.

“Listen, I went to the school too, I had my fair share of bullies.” She bites down her lip. “One thing about them, they are going to keep coming back. You have to do something about them…”

Who would bully a goddess like Nurse Maybelline?

“I– I don't know how to fight.”

“You don't have to.” She chuckled. “You just need one chance to give them a taste of their medicine, and that will be enough. Believe me.”

******

“Oh my God, what happened to your face?!” My mother pulled my chin and held it up against the lamp in my room.

“Nothing,” I roll my eyes. “It's just a door in the school restroom.”

“Jesus, Luther, what happened to your face?!” Bernice's jaw is on the ground, she is horrified by my stitched lip.

“Restroom door. I know, I should be more careful.”

Even though I lie to everyone every time, I haven't forgiven Marlon.

Who does he think he is to hit me because I scored higher than he did in the math test?

He goes on with his life, laughing with his friends and smacking the asses of giggling girls at his table.

I want to kill him with my bare hands, I really want to.

But, like I said to Maybelline, I can't fight. If I confront Marlon again, he is going to leave me with more than a busted lip this time around….

So, I put my big brain into use and started to think of a good plan.

Marlon has a routine that he keeps to, like clock work.

He is always with his silly friends, but on Fridays, he trains in the rink for long hours all by himself.

That would be the best time for me to get my revenge….

So, at the end of the school day, I hide in the bathroom and wait for everyone to be locked up.

Bernice wanted to walk home with me, but I lied and told her that I was going to church first…

After I hear the janitor go around to turn off the lights and lock the windows, I wait for an extra ten minutes before hurrying towards the rink.

The entire sitting area is so dark, except for the field itself, I can see Marlon in his full regalia. I can hear the blades of his shoes slicing through the ice.

I try my hardest not to make any noise.

I walk closer to the rink, and get to the boards and wait for the right time.

I pull a small button from my pocket and throw it on the ice. The sound is small, but just enough to attract his attention.

His neck twists and I duck, feeling my heart racing in my chest.

“Who the hell is that? Will?”

He doesn't get any answer, so he gets closer and closer.

Fear almost took over, and I wanted to run out of the place before I was caught, but then I remembered the nurse.

If I don't stop him, he is going to bully me over and over again.

When he is just close enough, I retrieve a medium sized brick from my bag and hit him in the head with all my might.

For a second there, I almost froze, but thank heavens that I did it. I hit Marlon right in his perfect nose.

He grunts before falling to the ground. Unconscious.

I panic. I almost jump into the rink to make sure that he is okay, but I notice that there is no blood pooling around his head.

I didn't kill him, maybe I just cracked his skull. He will be fine.

I put my brick in my bag and make a run for it. I left one of the windows in the restroom open, that's my escape route.

*******

All weekend, I kept looking out of my window for the police to come and take me in for assaulting Marlon Gustave, but no one came.

Maybe he died? Maybe he bled internally?

Well, if the most popular boy at school died, everyone would have heard it…

On Monday morning, I nervously walk into class and firmly plant myself in my seat.

Each time someone approaches the door, I hold my breath. I don't know what shape my brick left him in, I don't even know if he will be able to make it to school today.

“What the hell are you staring at so anxiously?” Bernice nudges me, she is chewing gum.

“Nothing.” I blurt.

“Well, nothing seems very interesting today.”

I don't answer her. It's almost time for the bell to go off, and Mister bully isn't here yet.

Then he walks in, at the moment that I least expected.

He is his normal self, except his head is covered in a black beanie. He inhales before walking straight to his seat, of course he knows everyone is staring at his hat.

Bernice snorts with laughter. “What the hell is Marlon wearing?”

He has to pass my desk on his way to his, and I clear my throat and look in the other direction.

Then feel a strong hand grab the collar of my sweater and pushed me to the wall of the class!

“Hey, Marlon!” Bernice yells in fright.

He hit me so hard against the wall that a shudder left my mouth.

We are all alone at the back of the class, and he look like he is going to kill me.

His face is like an inch close to mine, and his eyes are piercing my soul.

“You think I won't remember your stupid face, huh?” He growls under his breath. “You want to fight?”