Facing Adversity: Confrontations and Allies

"Now let's return to the events in my class. Just at that moment, one of the pests intentionally provokes me.

"Hey, Karner! How's your mom doing?" Luke Foris shouted from the Sports Group. What the heck, Karner?! How many times do I have to repeat?! It's KarTner! KarTner! All his friends burst into laughter. Luke was a sturdy guy with broad shoulders and a long neck. He had dark-golden hair slicked back and amber eyes. His nose was hooked, and his face had a dense, pale stubble. Foris was the leader of the basketball team. And he was also considered a heartthrob in school, ranking 10th on the "Beauty Scale." If I were a girl, I definitely wouldn't choose him. As a basketball player, he never stepped foot in the shower after his basketball sessions (though other guys did). He claimed it was his natural scent, and women should accept him as he is. You could faint from that "sweet smell" and never wake up.

I clenched my teeth in anger but pretended to be diligently studying the pages of the marketing book. One of Luke's friends flicked a crumpled piece of paper at me. It hit me right in the head. Again, the mindless laughter. I kept silent. What else could I do? If I start yelling, they'll beat me up (or worse, target my sister). If I complain to the teacher or the principal, they'll beat me up. Besides, they'll just pat Luke on the head and say, "Come on, he wouldn't do that." Of course, everyone will rally to defend the candidate for the school president position. I'm like a mouse in a mousetrap here.

"Enough, maybe?" Josephine Carson calmly asked as she joined the Gamers group (although I wouldn't say so; she saw life separately from video games). And now, with a thud, she put down her phone and stared down Luke and his gang. "Will you ever calm down? I can't pass this level because of you! And be a decent human being; get your cronies out of here. Frankly, you all are getting on my nerves. And stop bothering Julian, it's getting annoying."

She had dark-blue, stormy eyes and fiery red hair tightly tied up. Her face had thick freckles, which suited her well. She didn't wear earrings like other girls, considering it a silly thing. As always, a white shirt, our school tie, and a black skirt. Her parents were businessmen and wanted to push her into that path. But Josephine didn't want that; she dreamed of becoming a cyber-athlete.

"Do you really like this geek?" Luke needled.

"Of course not!" she exclaimed, rolling her eyes and burying her gaze in her phone. I was very grateful to her for standing up for me because you won't find such people in our class.

"Alright, leave him alone!" Foris grumbled, and his friends laughed again.

"Big L, played well today," one of Foris's friends said, getting up and patting him on the shoulder. "Come to us again."

And off they went... countless handshakes and showering Luke with praises. Meanwhile, the guys made their way out, and I managed to flip three pages.

"By the way, did you hear? Someone from the mafia is transferring to our class," Lisa announced and took out lip balms. She had ash-blonde hair down to her waist and gray eyes. She was part of the Fashionables gang and, better yet, best friends with the leader of the Fashionables. "Now our class is back on top. More photos, gossip, magazines, school newspaper, and popularity. I love it."

"That was already known to everyone last week," Charlie said, approaching his twin sister. Unfortunately, he was also from the Fashionables, but he somehow leaned towards the Uniques. "I think it's the opposite of good."

"Oh, come on, Charlie," Karen waved her hand. There goes Mrs. Wilson, the head of the Fashionables in our class. "What bad could happen?"

"I heard that near our school, a teacher from the parallel class was shot. No one knows for sure if it was suicide. But they say someone from the mafia did it. And we only know one mafia around here," the boy muttered. "And don't you understand yet? There's bound to be bloodshed here."

'I must be going crazy.' I thought when I recalled those same lines from the news.