collateral damage

Chief Guard Johnson was ecstatic, practically bursting at the seams with his happiness and the joy of getting rid of Charles. The memo was crystal clear, terminating Charles from his duties on May 31, 2000, just about twenty-two days away from his total dismissal, with no chance of carrying out his administrative tasks. However, the procedures were shining under blacklight, like a bright sticker listing false allegations tarnishing Billy's reputation.

-Next week, you'll be on a bus headed to Arizona, - Rico, the security guard, told Billy, who had been pulled out of class by Professor Beins.

It was like a bucket of cold water, dousing all of poor Billy's hopes, who saw Arizona as a dark storm, a hopeless escape.

-Why? - Billy managed to whisper, completely lost in his thoughts.

Rico just looked at the boy, uncaring about his condition and only thinking about the cold beer he'd have after work.

-You've been notified. We'll call your mother and inform her, - Rico said, pushing the boy back into the classroom, leaving Billy's spirit blindsided. He felt once again that everyone was watching him, giving him looks filled with contempt and mockery. In his state of misery, he swallowed air amidst a tangle of complex emotions. His fear was all too evident, his fear was the root, and a disappointment hit him as fast as the fear did.

-Wait a moment, sir. What am I being accused of? - Billy asked.

Rico, who was already far away, could only stop briefly. -Just go to class, - he said loudly.

-Darn it! - thought the boy to himself. He saw some members of Austin's gang so calm and went into despair. What to do when you're just a kid? Adults talk to you like you're an idiot, nobody trusts words that come from the heart, and all that matters to adults is their pride and themselves.

…

All adults without exception,

Liars and abusive,

With their big bellies

And their prim words.

Damn, abusers.

I knew one who was a teacher,

He acted like a saint, ignoredIgnored people, Humiliated children,

A cunning bastard, with a feathered tie.

I can swear this one was a damn idiot,

His shiny bald head, Hairs in his ears, Damn abusers.

Be it a cop or an educator,

They couldn't care less who's beside them,

They just want money and a whore in their pocket. If it were up to me, I'd kick them out.

Be it a cop or an educator, nobody listens,

We have no voice,

I'm not a saint, nor a man,

But to hell with the prim people who hide the truth,

You lie.

You lie

…

He almost felt like singing it out loud, almost felt like taking it from the depths of his heart, all the words, true and wise, from his heart. He kept everything important, the compressed anger, the little goodwill left towards the educators of the institution, all choked with quite a bit of hatred for the injustice he was receiving.

Math, then history explained by Professor Beins, wasn't important, wasn't interesting, and only the desire to leave the place, the desire to forget all the bad things he had experienced there, the place he called home, the place he had been for four months, almost the time he had to serve, out of the five months and twenty days the juvenile judge forced him to serve to clear his guilt.

Angry Arizona, now not caring about anything. To hell with the whole world, deep down he knew that the only way was to get revenge, the revenge his heart so desperately needed, a revenge that burned in his heart, pure and hard against these old lazy, and corrupt men who only cared about their own money.

-Are you alright? - Connor asked from the dining hall chair.

-I'm not alright, I'm offended and irate. I have so much anger submerged in my heart that only the darkness of thousands of laments can calm my deep hatred. They're transferring me to Arizona, and I believe it's all because Superintendent Charles, the corrupt old man, managed to screw me over in the end, - said Billy.

-Arizona isn't that bad, - said Connor.

-What are you talking about? Do you think I'm stupid? Blacks, whites, nines, and Zetas are afraid to go there. Why are they afraid? Connor, my good friend, it's because the place must be damn disgusting. The name alone is repulsive, - said Billy.

-It's not because of that, - said Connor slowly. -They're afraid because Arizona is isolated, in the middle of the desert. The closest thing is nothingness, and right next door are the ones aged 15 to 18, and right next to them are the 18 to 21-year-olds. They're afraid because of the older ones. -

-How do you know all that? - Billy asked.

-My brother was in Arizona before me, now he's in jail, but before that, he was in the Arizona juvenile correctional facility. He's a dangerous guy, - said Connor resolutely, ending the conversation, adopting his usual attitude of focusing on what seemed important, ignoring any questions, and focusing on everything that seemed important.

-Hey Carson, I heard you're being taken to Arizona, - Cole said, along with Benson and Andrew.

Before he could utter another word, Connor grabbed his fork from the mashed potatoes he was eating and buried it in Cole's face with force, tearing the boy's cheek, who began to whimper like crazy. Connor didn't wait any longer and attacked Andrew with the same fork, which he managed to bury in the boy's chest, there were several punches, but the fight lasted no more than a miserable second. There was Connor, giving them a beating worthy of admiration, Billy's incredulity couldn't be matched by the punches that Connor relentlessly gave to the three boys, like a poisoned fury, each blow resonated. Walter, a man patrolling, tried to stop him but was hit by Connor with a powerful blow.

Two more guards and a teacher arrived, but Connor began hitting them too, he received blows with the guards' batons, and wooden sticks, hitting hard. Until he stopped.

Not only Billy was surprised, but everyone around him was, seeing Connor's massacre, who was picked up by the guards, he just gave Billy a blood-stained smile, like a damn lunatic.

****************************************************

Connor was being adorned, the guards were completely irate, their words and threats coming one after the other, with great force, from beatings to the end. In every way, he could have expected beating up the idiot Cole was the luckiest.

First, they took him to the infirmary, although corrupt, they were good guards, other people would only care about leaving him in isolation until they paid for everything that happened. Nothing else mattered but following the only singer who would lead him to success.

-You got hit hard, kid, - the nurse murmured.

Connor didn't respond, but a few minutes later, Andre, Cole, and Benson arrived, totally beaten up. Cole held his cheek while tears streamed down his eyes, crying like a daisy, while the others just adjusted their beaten bodies with implicit shame in their eyes.

-You can go now, kid, - said the nurse.

-Thank you, ma'am, - said Connor, to be taken away by the guards with excessive harshness and taken to one of the isolation cells. Not before giving a deep smile to those around him, smelling fear in the bastards.

-Don't laugh, kid, you'll be punished for your actions, - said the security guard.

-You're gonna violate me, like Superintendent Charles does to kids, you damn rapist. You think I'm afraid of some damn corrupt guards who only want to sin with kids, - said Connor so loud and strong, that even the nurse turned her gaze to the guards, the gym teacher, also surprised by the boy's words.

...