THE WAY TO SEE TOMORROW (Ch. 1)

"Damn!, it's hot as fuck!" a rough voice exclaims, holding onto a cigarette and coughing lightly unto Raven who is knelt before him,

Darren a six feet two, muscled and quite ironically also pot bellied beast of a teen sporting a tattoo of Buddah on his shirtless stomach, tattoo's covering the entirety of his arms and two on either side of his exposed bare chest,

"Crow, you spot a teacher you stall him, he get's through and I'll kill you" Darren states while donning his usual menacing mug. kneeling on the toilet's wet-soiled grounds with his stout frame Raven chaffed as Darren's leg strikes his face, he could already smell the grime and piss from the incessantly neglected male gents.

"Don't let me get caught again"

Back in the classroom Darren resumes his assaults, exercising his fist against Raven's torso, each blow struck like thunder, each blow pushing him closer to an uncharacteristic burst of anger,

(Damn it i can't breathe!), Raven holds his exclamation for fear of prompt retaliation and of hurling all he had left in his body. unperturbed by Ravens situation Darren carries on with his demonstration.

"You have to hit the solar plexus, like this" he states gesturing for his friend to see, "it's a sure one hit kill, hey Crow!, get the fuck up!" he bellows,

"Yo darren" came his bare faced minion's call, Anas his name, "if he's a crow then make him fly", he snorts finding amusement in his words. Raven shoots the teen a incredulous look, watching he felt Darren must've thought so too given the look he shot his companion,

"that's gonna cost you a hundred"

"A hundred? C'mon bro, just make him do it",

"Nah you heard me",

(Thank the heavens..) Raven all but sighs, and as if to mock him, his thoughts are interrupted almost immediately as relief set's in, he lifts his head to hear the words he dreads the most

"Fifty will do, Crow!" He called causing Raven to flinch involuntarily, "get your ass on the table and fly!"

Quickly getting to the table he gets atop it with the aid of the chair, his chubby frame and bulging belly making a direct assent nigh impossible. Now on the table he tries desperately to shove away the shame as he bends his knees and spread's his arms. Proceeding with a swing motion Anas calls out after him,

"Bullshit!, This isn't what i'm paying for. I. Said. Fly!." He bellows stamping his foot on the table causing Raven to loose balance. Raven groans turning from his nose down position, blood washes down his broken nose. The blood unnerves Anas who quickly steps back before snickering,

"It seems like this chick can't fly", Raven struggles to his feet, the class now silent as they watch the scene.

"You're messing up the class" Darren says his face unchanging, "and i'm still waiting" now on his feet he tries to find something to cradle his nose.

"Hey crow did you not hear me? I said FLY!" Darren bellows smashing his feet into the side of Raven's head, "get up!" He growls, Raven's body stays motionless on the classroom floor, sharp breathes follow all around the class, Darren and Anas look to each other before facing the boy, blood pools around his head,

Darren stares wide eyed at the body, grabbing Anas by the shoulder he shoves him forward, "check him" he murmurs lightly,

Anas though reluctant steps forward hesitantly, before poking the body lightly,

"I said check him!" Darren shouts causing Anas to flinch, turning Ravens body from the arm the crowd gasps as they spot a patch of his midnight black hair matted with liquid and darker than the rest, blood.

"Shit!" Darren rushes towards the unconscious body. Ripping a part of his shirt he places it against Raven's head,

"Get the nurse!" Darren growls trying to contain any further bleeding when he notices something strange, the blood from Ravens skull seemed to be nothing but a patch of soaked blood, possibly from a cut to the head, releasing a sigh in relief. Darren picks the boy before keeping him against the wall, Raven who had long since been awake keeps the charade up, after a few minutes Darren squats before his 'unconscious' body before a heavy slap snaps his eyes open, "nice trick you played there, i must admit, you had me there for a second" forcing Raven up by his hair Anas burst in through the door nurse in tow, the two pause at the sight of a bloody boy with a chubby frame and one holding him up by his hair with a palm stretched out to strike, Darren frowns knowing very quickly how the scene looks, releasing Raven who slumps to his knees he crouches before him before speaking in a lowered tone, "If i get suspended again I'll take a leg, i get expelled and it'll be your life"

Raven rasps for air while clutching his heart, the nurse rushes in towards him helping him to his feet,

"Leave!" She shouts glaring fiercely towards the unperturbed boy

"Fuck you" a voice called out, soft enough to be a murmur, loud enough for all to hear, the class goes ghost-quiet in joint shock.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!" Darren bellows, his head tilts lightly from the nurses slap, his breathes deepen becoming more ragged as he tries to rein in his rage.

The nurse quickly pulls raven along to exit

"That was bold....."

"Than..."

"But stupid" she cuts him off

"I'll be fine" he responds

Taking a good look at him she frowns mockingly, "you don't look so fine to me"

The two quickly arrive at the infirmary, the nurse quickly treats his injuries before using a bandage to cover the injury, she implores him to rest but Raven reasond he'd be more at risk being a sitting duck, Raven set's off with ardent stealth and the grace of a baby seal on land, quickly realising that his plan to rush in and out of class is suicide, he sneaks his way past the outlooks, arriving at the male restroom he takes a stall before waiting patiently for an entry, a few minutes go by and just when Raven heavily contemplates abandoning his plan when a person walks in, already poised and in position he observes waiting for the person to utter a sound of speech, a humming tune meets Raven's ears, he quickly opens the bathroom stall startling the boy by the basin, jumping back and almost loosing his balance he steadies himself before turning towards Raven in confusion, Raven huffs a sigh of relief his hand at his heart in ecstasy,

(i wasn't wrong!), Glad at the fact that he'd met someone much like himself, pliable), Raven gestures to calm him down, before bringing a finger to his lips to have him stay silent, the average faced teen of five feet five a foot shorter than Raven stares up at him in inquiry,

"I need your help" Raven whispers harshly,

"What?, I'm sorry man i can't, your a dead man!" The teen replies whispering even harsher,

"Just go back to class and get my bag for me!",

"Bro i can't" the teen replies with trepidation,

"C'mon man!, I've got a fifty!" Raven exclaims,

The teen stares at Raven's obsidian eye's intently before sighing in defeat,

"fine!"

Raven waits expectantly as he stares the toilet doors down, each second seemingly stretching on infinitely, his instincts lead him out the toilet, Raven peeks cautiously before skulking towards his class, taking in deep breaths he slides the doors open when the whole class turns towards him, luckily for him the doors are at the back of the class, Raven quickly makes his way to his bag partially surprised and scared to find it there, Raven freezes when Darren's smell shuffles over to his nostrils. Raven holds on pondering for a moment,

(I'm risking my life here..but if it works it'll be well worth it), steeling his resolve he waits tersely for Darren to get in close, observing as Darren stomps his way over, his shadow looming over him, Raven quickly grips the metal container in his bag, just before Darren's hand grasps his shoulder he pivots smashing his bottle against Darren's head,

(i did it!, i really did it!), "Fuck You!" Raven screams before picking his bag and bolting out the classroom entrance, barely a second later he hears Darrens furious roar followed by the clatter of footsteps behind him,

(I've barely gone a few meters and I'm already wheezing), Raven takes the corner dashing towards the right, (they're catching up!), taking another turn he sees the stairs and is up in the air in a split tumbling down, groaning Raven forces himself to his feet visibly palpitating while dashing down the hall to the entrance he looks to see the school buildings main doors,

(i made it! I did i..), huh? The doors burst open to reveal a seething Darren,

(ha, I'm.. fucked, at least i tried, I'm not totally worthless after all),

"Raven Voss!!, I'll kill you!"

Paralyzed by instinctual fear Raven stands rooted to his spot,

"What the hell do you kids think your doing?!" a mans voice bellows from behind,

(here's my chance!, no one gives a damn about bullying in this school so i need an excuse to get home safe),

"Shit Darren it's the principal" one of his lackeys call,

"Bro we gotta go" another states,

"Darren not now, let's go" the bare faced teen calls, growling reluctantly he concedes leaving Raven be,

"your dead squirt" his seething final departing message as he and his posy leave out the front, Raven had been to busy revelling in his relief to notice who was behind him,

"you've got the devil's lucky kid" the principals voice struck him like a lightning bolt,

"if the kid in glasses hadn't come to me you'd probably be six feet under right now, that kid's an animal" the principal states gesturing with his chin towards Darren's previous position

Raven recalls the the several classmates with glasses in his class but they were majorly loser's like himself though maybe not as big as himself,

"Come with me" the principal calls,

Raven followed behind the principal while pondering silently,

(we're probably going to his office), after arriving at the principals office and taking a seat he looked on at the silent man who did nothing but stare him down, after averting his eyes the principal proceeds to speak,

"I'll be honest kid, I've been thinking of what i should do with you, i really haven't been able to decide, not till today at least, I'll be blunt kid, you should transfer. I'll even help speak to your mother and help you with a recommendation letter, you're obviously a good kid, not the brightest tool in the shed, but a good kid, what do you think?",

(No need to pretend you're helping me, you're probably just tired of my mom's incessant complaints) Raven mulls,

"I..i agree sir, i..i.. t..think i should t..t... transfer" Raven replies feigning nervousness,

"Good, i don't know about your families financial capabilities but the school i have in mind should be affordable even if the initial entry cost is a little expensive",

(Expensive? That's no good, mum's never going to go for it),

"T t thank you" Raven stutters deliberately in reply before giving a small bow,

"I'll give you clearance to go home now, no need to bother going back in for class, and don't let those kids see you, I'm in no mood to play hero again" the principal states exhaling in exasperation

"Yes sir!" Raven responds, (Now i just need to get out of here in one piece),

Exiting the office he begins to make his way out the school as stealthily as he could.