Chapter 4

[Peter's POV]

The lessons flew by unnoticed. 

Two thoughts stayed with me the entire day.

The first was adrenaline and the anticipation of vengeance. The second was the stares of all the students at school.

The majority of them were sympathetic, but a few were hostile, particularly Sally Avril, a petite blonde cheerleader. 

"So, what are the ionic bonds in this lattice, anyone?" 

Professor Foswell asked.

"The charges are strictly positively directed in this formula, Professor," 

I decided to participate in class for the first time all day.

"Correct, Mr. Parker. I'm glad to see you joining the discussion," 

The professor remarked as he finished sketching the formula on the board.

After fifteen minutes, the final class ended, and the adrenaline, combined with anticipation, shot through the roof.

"Parker, it's not too late to back out. Believe me, no one will judge you." 

Gwen said, with Miles silently nodding in agreement.

"Trust me, Gwen, I've got everything under control." 

I replied, slinging my backpack over my shoulder.

Then, we made our way to the abandoned warehouse.

The only thing stopping me from rushing there at full speed was the presence of my friends and the dozens of students trailing along with us.

After passing through the chain-locked gates, we found ourselves in the abandoned port warehouse. 

Thompson, the other half of the school, and his ever-loyal lackeys were waiting for us.

"You're looking at it, folks—the nerd Parker has shown up for his own funeral," 

Eugene declared, clearly trying to psych me out and sway the rest of the students to his side.

"Nice try, Thompson, but your bravado is useless in this situation. It's time to end this charade." 

I said, stepping into the center of the wide-open space.

"I didn't catch a word of your mumbling, loser, but I agree with your last point." 

He shot back, stepping out to join me.

A circle of students surrounded us, their shouts echoing like the roars of ancient crowds in the Roman Colosseum, hungry for entertainment and the sight of blood.

Thompson moved toward me without hesitation while I calmly spread my arms in an inviting gesture.

He didn't appreciate the mockery and, like an enraged bull, charged forward, aiming to strike.

Without breaking a sweat, I avoid his charge, letting him stumble past and casually tap the back of his head.

"Seriously, Eugene, you're more aggresive back in fifth grade."

Flash froze, stunned, along with everyone else. 

After a short period of silence, the crowd quickly became very excited again. Kong and Ken, his friends, were the loudest.

"Come on, Flash, teach him a lesson!"

"It's just Parker! What are you waiting for?!"

Even Liz Allen chimed in, her tone sharp.

"Flash, seriously, if you keep embarrassing yourself like this, we're done."

I smirked, keeping my cool. 

"Wow, fans, friends, and even your girlfriend. It's been a while since you lost status this fast, hasn't it, Flash?"

"Shut up!" 

He roared, his anger boiling over.

Not coming up with anything new, he charged at me with his fists again. 

Dodging effortlessly, I kept looking at him like he was nothing. Suddenly, I suddenly felt danger.

"Pete, behind you!" 

Miles shouted, his voice sharp.

With incredible speed, I jumped to the side just in time to avoid Kenny Kong's massive size coming toward me. 

Clearly, the big guy couldn't manage his momentum and crashed straight into Flash.

"Well done, buddy. That's top-notch teamwork," 

I said, saluting Miles with two fingers, "Oh, and thanks for the warning, Miles." 

I turned back to Flash. 

"Honestly, I wasn't expecting a fair fight, one-on-one. But next time, Flash, maybe pick backup that doesn't trip over themselves."

Eugene finally lost it. He pushed Kong back into the crowd and looked at me with anger on his face.

"What the hell?! You were never able to fight back! What happened to you, Parker?!"

"I just got tired, Flash. I'm tired of your bullying, tired of your attitude. Nothing else has changed. Just because someone doesn't flaunt their talents like rushing to join the football team doesn't mean they're helpless."

"It won't help you!"

Flash growled, his frustration boiling over and approaching me again.

Ducking around his shoulder, I crouched low and swept my leg against his leading foot. 

Then, Thompson toppled over, landing squarely on the ground, but he stood up instantly, brushing off the fall like it was nothing.

Dodging his swings with ease, I waited for my opening. 

Spotting his heavy breathing and worn stance, I closed the gap in a flash and delivered a sharp knee to his stomach.

The crowd fell silent.

Thompson collapsed to the ground, clutching his stomach with a fit of coughing. 

The crows turned to me, waiting for my next move. Calmly, I approached him and raised a hand.

Flash flinched, squeezing his eyes shut and covering his face, but when he peeked, he found my hand extended toward him. 

After a long moment of hesitation, Eugene finally accepted the gesture. 

Pulling him to his feet, I turned and scanned the silent crowd with my gaze meeting the wide-eyed crowd.

"Let what happened here today serve as a lesson for everyone," 

I said, steady but firm, "It's time to stop this nonsense. Seriously, we don't need to be at each other's throats." 

I turned to look directly at Flash. 

"I think you're a decent guy deep down. I don't know what drives you to act like such a jerk, but I hope this makes you think about how you treat others. I hope it makes all of you think."

Under the stunned gazes of the crowd, I stepped through them with the students making a way for me.

Reaching my backpack, I slung it over my shoulder without a word and walked away, leaving the silence behind me.