Chapter 2 WE MAKE A DEAL- the big oaf is a whimp

"Honey, time for school, better get up!" called Robert's mom.

Robert sat up and rubbed his eyes, he better hurry, he didn't want his teacher to send him out the corridor again. "Coming mom..." he called back.

"Hurry up, I'm about to leave for work, your allowance is on the kitchen counter, go buy something for lunch," said his mom, "All I had time to do is make you some sandwiches..."

"It's ok mom, you better go now, you might get late for work." he rubbed his eyes, looking at the sandwiches.

"Okay, bye son! Take care now..." said his mother as she rushed out with a piece of toast in her mouth.

"Hmm... you too..."

Robert looked at the sandwiches. "Cheese... there's still foil on the slices..."

Robert smiled. His mom has always been careless, sometimes he doesn't know how she could take care of herself if he wasn't there. He went back to his room and looked at a picture of a girl and smiled.

"Good morning Belle!" he said, "Wish me luck today too." He kissed his finger and touched the portrait, then took a hanky and got ready for school.

He was passing the tree when he saw them. The bullies from before. They stood around it as if they were waiting for someone.

"Oh, great!" he groaned, "guess they didn't forget that 40 bucks from last week..." The bullies saw him and smiled. Robert stopped in his tracks. Something in that smile tells him there's gonna be trouble...

"So there you are!" said one of the bullies.

"I guess you thought you could get off that easily did you?" said the other.

"Now it's pay-back time!" said the rest.

"W-what pay-back?" stammered Robert, "What did I do?!"

"What? You think we won't get back at you for beating us last time!?" replied the bullies

"Yeah, my head still hurts from that rock YOU threw!" said another, rubbing his head.

"B-but... I didn't... it was that girl who did all that!" Robert tried to explain.

"Are you saying that a GIRRRLL beat us up?" said the biggest of the group, "You think we stuuupid?! Eh?"

"W-what is this?!" thought Robert, "This is stupid!"

"What's the matter, wimp? Too scared to say anything?" said one of the bullies mocking him.

"Yeah, looks like he's gonna cry!"

The bullies moved around him, there's nowhere to run.

"So what 'ya gonna do now?"

Robert looked at them. There were 5, they outnumber him were bigger and were older. "Not a problem, compared to the guys back from Binunga HS, these are just babies." thought he.

"What you givin' us that stare for?!" asked the biggest, "You think you beat us all? Eh wimp?"

"I'm warning you..." said Robert in a serious tone, some of the bullies stopped in their tracks. "I don't like the sight of blood, it makes me faint!" Robert pointed out, his voice trembling. The bullies dropped on the ground.

"Why you little..." the biggest aimed a fist at him, Robert quickly dodged.

"Waaaa!!!! Wait! Wait! I didn't do anything!!!" he cried, trying hard to dodge the other hits.

"Just stay put!" said another, he held him from behind, Robert couldn't move. The big bully aimed at him again, he closed his eyes as the other struck.

'SPACK!!!'

"Graaaaah!" cried the bully from behind, Robert slipped down, causing the big bully to hit his comrade.

"Why you," said the big thug, "Look what you made me do?!" he aimed a kick at Robert and ended up kicking another guy on the crotch.

"Waaaa!!! Help! Help!" cried Robert, running around the mango tree.

"Get him!" cried the bullies. Robert suddenly collided with a low branch and fell down unconscious.

"Oh, c'mon!" cried the bullies, "That is so pathetic!"

"This is no fun at all, c'mon, let's just get his money and scram!"

"Stupid wimp, he was just in the wrong place in the wrong time."

"Yeah, besides, we could never beat that bitch no matter how we try."

"Yeah, he's really just unlucky..."

Silence. Then the sound of beatings filled the air. Angela went round the mango tree and looked down at Robert.

"Hmph." she said, "You really are pathetic." Robert opened an eye. Then two. Angela stepped back, surprised.

"Are they gone yet?" he asked. "Whew, that was close!"

"What was that all about?!" asked the girl

"E-hehe..." laughed Robert, "Just a technique I got from Binunga High. Bullies don't like prey that don't cry out you know."

"It's stupid!" said Angela, looking pissed "I can't believe you're a 'man', that is so pathetic."

"At least I'm safe." replied Robert with a smile. He dusted himself off, took out a hanky and rubbed his face. When he finished, he looked up and saw Angela still looking at him with distaste. "Is there something wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing." replied Angela.

"Thanks for helping me out!" he told her with a smile. He picked up his bag and started off.

"Just..." called Angela from behind the tree. Robert looked back. She was frowning. She seemed to have some difficulty saying what ever it is she wanted to say.

"What?" he asked.

"About last time." she continued, looking straight at him. "If you tell anyone about it, I'll kill you."

Robert shivered. Angela looked at him with such hatred; he could actually see a dark aura rising around her. "This girl never smiles..." he thought. "How come?"

"What are you looking at?"

"I won't tell anyone about it." Robert finally said, "But in one condition."

"You are in no place to ask for conditions." replied Angela, the expression on her face looking even darker.

"B-but... I think... you owe me this much... I-I mean, I am the target of these goons you know?" he stuttered "...she is so scary..."

"And what could that condition be?" asked Angela, grinding her teeth.

"Can you..." whispered Robert, "Can you smile for me?"

"Speak up boy, I can't hear you!" said Angela, still sneering.

"I... I just...need someone to look after me... against these bullies, I mean..."

"You...need...what...?"

"This is bad..." thought Robert, "I just think that... since I did get in trouble because of..."

"You want to get into more trouble do you?" she said, cutting him short."

"Well... It's just that, I always seem to attract trouble where ever I go, it's the same thing in my former school..."

"So you want a GIRL to be your body guard?" said Angela, she was really getting pissed.

"No, it's not like that, I just want to walk with you to and from school..." he said, "No one would pick on me if they see you around, right?"

Robert looked hopefully at Angela. He was beginning to have some doubts about this, what if she hits him?

"No." Angela finally said. "No man is going to walk with me from school. I've got my reputation to uphold you know!"

"Well then, what if we meet some place and head home from there?" said Robert, "I won't even stand close to you, just near enough for people to see that you're around!" Angela was still frowning, but the dark aura seemed to have subdued. "Please?" he begged, "I really want to live a normal HS life, even just for the last year."

"Don't talk to me." she suddenly said, "Don't approach me, and if you see a group of thugs coming near me, you run. Got that?" she continued.

Robert was surprised by this reply, he looked at Angela who slung her bag to her back and started to walk.

"Well? Are you coming to school or would you rather stand outside the corridor all morning?" she said. Robert smiled.

"Thank you Ange! I knew I could count on you!" he said, beaming, "I promise I won't be too much of a bother!"

"I said don't talk to me!" snapped Angela, "Now keep your distance! And stop calling me Ange!!!"

Robert kept a few steps behind, still beaming. He knew deep inside that Angela would agree to something like this. "Now the only thing left is to see you smile." thought he, "I know, I can make you smile for me."

~~~

They came in just in time for the flag ceremony. Angela was lost in the crowd of students before Robert could thank her. "It's ok, I'll see her later in that store across the street when we go home." he thought, "Maybe I could buy her a little something to make up for all her trouble."

"Hey Obet!" cried Tony from behind, "Good to see you made it to the flag ceremony!"

"Hey there Tony, good morning!" replied Robert.

"By the way, some guy from your old school was looking for you earlier." said Tony, Robert stopped in his tracks. "He said you were friends back there, I told him he would have a better chance of meeting you after school."

"Y-you said that?!" Robert asked.

"Yeah, I had a hunch you'd be late today too!" he said with a grin "Good to see you made it on time!" the teachers' voice went up the load speaker, "Well, got to fall in line, the ceremony's starting." Said his classmate.

Tony gave another grin and turned away. Robert was still thinking. "A friend?" he thought, "why does this always happen to me...!"

Later that evening, Robert was still feeling a little uneasy. He was worried about that 'friend' that visited, plus, Angela totally ignored him the whole day. It was when he stepped out the school building that his luck went from bad to worst. Outside, the students were hushed in groups, they couldn't seem to get out, it was when he tried to peep through the crowd that he realized what the problem is.

Outside the school gate, wearing brown slacks and ragged shirts were a group of 6 young men. They looked as if they were out for blood.

"Uh-oh..." thought Robert. He quickly ducked and looked for a place to hide.

"Hey Robert," it was Tony "there's your friend out there!" he called.

"Shhhh!!!" hushed Robert, but it was too late, one of the boys heard his name and started shouting.

"Oi Obet! Come out of there!" he shouted, "We just want to talk."

"Yeah," said another, "we just want a word with you!"

The students turned to Robert. He was cowering on the ground, his arms over his head, as if it could cover him from prying eyes. He looked around and noticed everyone was looking at him. Embarrassed, he stood up, went closer to the school gate and stared at the guy in the middle.

"Y-you promise not to hurt me?" he whimpered. The students behind him fell to the ground.

"Man, talk about major turn off!" he heard a girl say.

"P-promise me first!" Robert cried.

"Jeez, you're pathetic!" said the guy in the middle, "okay, I promise we won't hurt you! Now come out already!"

"Okay..." said Robert in a cautious voice. He slowly opened the gate and stepped outside.

The students gave a sigh.

"Man, I can't believe a guy like that could be such a coward!" said one student.

"Hey, who wouldn't get scared of that gang?" said another.

"It seems they came from Binunga High."

"Isn't that where Robert used to study?"

"Maybe he has a fight with them!"

"What? What fight?" asked Tony

Behind the crowds, with a dark look in her face, stood Angela. "Friends, huh?" She mumbled to herself, then turned away.

The group left. They walked out of sight and turned to a vacant lot, then the leader turned to Robert, his fist rushing towards his face. He dodged just in time, the fist just inches away from him.

"I thought you said you wouldn't hurt me?" asked Robert with a frown.

"Just as fast as ever, ne Obet?" he said.

"Danny, I told you not to visit me here!" Robert hissed.

"Hey, we just missed you buddy!" replied the other, "Besides, they were the ones who wanted to see you." he said, pointing at his companions.

"Yeah, Obet, what about us?" asked the rest.

"Yeah, we didn't even know you were gonna change schools!"

"Hey, we're still friends, right? Nothing's changed you know." he replied with a grin.

"You know, the Spark gang is..." said Danny.

"The Spark gang has nothing to do with me." cut off Robert, "I want to live a normal life, and I suggest that you guys do the same." he looked at his friends, they were all silent. He turned around and started to walk away, leaving them behind.

"They're all calling you a coward, you know?" one of them told him.

"Better a coward than a fool." he replied, stopping in his tracks.

"Just leave him be." Danny finally said, "C'mon let's go." He led the group out of the vacant lot, stopping beside Robert. "You still are and always will be my best friend, Obet." he said in a whisper. "Take care of yourself." with a smile he jabbed him on the shoulder."

"Oww..." cried Robert falling to the ground.

"So long, 'coward' we'll be seeing you around!" Danny shouted, winking at Robert. He then turned around and followed the rest of the group.

Robert looked after him, holding his arm. It really hurt. Damn that Danny, he really was pissed off about him changing schools. He saw the students run as the group passed by.

"On lookers..." Robert said to himself, "They were too far to hear us anyway.."

He stood up and started dusting himself, the crowd was gone now, some were disappointed that they didn't get to see some bloodshed. He took out his hanky and rubbed his face, then went on his way. He headed for the store where he and Angela would meet.

"Nice friends you got there" said a voice from behind.

Robert turned around and saw Angela looking at him suspiciously.

"Look, Angela, they hit me!" he cried, showing the red spot where Danny jabbed him. "They promised not to hurt me..."

"You want me to hit you too?" she said, looking at the arm with disgust. "How could a guy as big as you, with that kind of built be such a coward?"

"E-hehe... I really am afraid of blood..." he joked, deep inside, he was relieved that she wasn't 'that' suspicious.

"C'mon," said Angela, "let's go home."