"Siege"

"Let us catch a rebel!" Andrew says with passion to Gerardo.

I start to have an internal crises. What was I thinking? This is so stupid, I should not get myself involved with these kinds of things. I started to become enraged, and to protect myself I focused that rage onto Josef even though he never did anything to my personally. 

"Joseph is by room D24, he's in the D-Building Gerardo! It's the perfect chance, he's alone in the least populated building during lunch." Andrew continues to attempt to knock sense into the nervous Gerardo.

"Fine." Gerardo says with a voice that absolutely trembles.

The hallway felt longer than it typically had, we entered the D-Building hallway and it felt like I was going through a loop for how long it seemed. Gerardo was walking slower, and Andrew was walking furiously, I was walking somewhere in the middle of both of them. 

Gerardo then stops in front of one of the first classrooms in the D-Building. The door opens to reveal another student.

"Who's this?" Andrew asks.

"It's the fourth member of our group." Gerardo explains why shaking slightly.

"I'm Jack, Jack Fargo." Jack places his hand in front of Andrew for a shake. The two of them exchange a handshake. Jack is a tall, lean, and mean looking guy. He's built similar to Andrew and has a deeper voice.

Jack then looks to me, "I'm Johnny." I say to him. He places his hand out and I give him a firm shake. 

We continue down the hallway as a group of four. I can feel the tension with every step we take. The outside world around me fades away and I hear the sneakers of each of us strike the laminate flooring. It's a terrifically terrifying feeling. Another person in the group that is observing me and judging me. I can't back down.

As we walk near the end of the hallways where the staircase leading upstairs is located, we fall in line to ascend the stairs. Andrew takes charge, followed by Jack, then it's Gerardo and I. We each climb the seemingly endless flight of stairs onto the second floor where we are greeted by a surprising sight at the end of the hallway.

It was Josef, but he was joined by...Franco.

I feel my soul leave my body. Why is Franco here? What is he doing here?

"There's two of them?" Jack questions with concern.

"I didn't know that." Gerardo states.

"I don't know about this." I add.

"Oh come on, it's four against two, it's going to be fine." Andrew is very persistent with his reassurance. 

My resistance is futile as our group converges with Josef and Franco, I try to talk to Franco, "Franco, what the hell are you doing here?"

"I can ask you the same Johnny," Franco stands his ground, "why are you here and why are you with them?"

I didn't get the answer I wanted, "You answer me first Franco." I demand.

"You know I am not a fan of Venustiano being so abusive to a lot of students. I've seen the things that his friends have done and it's unnecessary violence." Franco is firm with his statement, and Andrew looks to me.

"We can't stall this any longer." Andrew pushes me to initiate our job. 

I then speak to Josef and Franco seriously, "Siephus has sent us to meet with you," I begin, "however, I think we should talk this out civilly." Andrew and Jack give me a weird glare and Gerardo gives me almost a look of relief. I stall the mission against Andrew's recommendation.

I soon find out this is probably not in my favor as I hoped it could be. I turn around to see Venustiano and Siephus walking toward our group. Venustiano is sporting a black turtleneck complimented by his black blazer. He carries a black cane with golden couplings. I can only assume where he received that cane. He walks toward us with a purpose, moving swiftly and violently. He then stops before us.

"So...," he begins menacingly, he has annoyance and frustration in his tone, "What the hell is going on here?" He interrogates calmly but with great undertones of anger, "Why the fuck was my lunch ruined?!" He begins to raise his voice, "Someone better tell me what the hell the problem is!" Venustiano reaches his peak volume, Siephus stands next to him like a lap dog and the four of us in the group stare at him with great fear.

Andrew then pointed to me, "He doesn't want to follow instructions and jump these two." Andrew then points to Josef and Franco.

Venustiano then takes a grand step toward me, I feel my heart sink below my feet, I am scared.

"I can explain." I say with an attempt to save my own ass, but I feel like I'm only acting upon desperation. 

Venustiano then leans down to me with an intrigued expression, "Alright then," he says to me, "what is your reasoning?" I feel like he's staring through my soul.

I then point toward Franco, "I know him-"

Venustiano then interrupts me, "Oh this kid." He points his cane toward Franco.

"Yeah-" I get interrupted again.

Before I can say another word, Venustiano flips his cane so that the handle points toward Franco. Within a blink of an eye, Venustiano gives a brutal strike with his cane to Franco's face. A scream from Franco is nearly heard but he stays quiet as the blow knocks him to the floor. Andrew and Jack, shocked by the event, keep it to themselves as they grab and hold Josef back.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Josef exclaims but it utterly ignored.

Josef can't fight the grip those two have on him, so he closes his eyes as Venustiano stands over Franco who is attempting to get off of the floor. Venustiano then strikes him with his cane again as if it were a gulf club, small bits of blood is seen spraying toward the direction of the hit. Franco falls again, face down and lying on his stomach. Venustiano gives him a brutal kicking to the side which causes Franco to attempt to move his arm to brace the impact.

Venustiano keeps kicking.

Franco is unable to absorb the impact, I only witness the event in horror. I can't do anything, I don't want to be next. A tear is seen running down Josef's face, I know this is horrific but it's making Josef cry. This is a nightmare.

After a barrage of violent kicks to Franco's abdominal area, Venustiano then gives him a finalizing kick to his face that causes him to nearly roll over completely. The kick sends Franco's face to stare directly at me, the blood runs down his eyes and mouth. It's not as much blood as I'd expect, but it's enough to make you quiver. 

I can't look away, and I can't intervene, I can't do anything.

Franco struggles to breathe and lifts his right arm into the air for it only to fall back to the ground in weakness. He can't even speak, he only gives discreet grunts of anguish. He lies there for a while, with some blood reaching the floor. This seems to worry Venustiano as he stands over Franco again. 

Venustiano adjusts his blazer and flips his cane over to hold it as intended. He looks back to see Gerardo bent over an abandoned locker and Siephus looking down at the ground with some strange sadness. 

Is this really that bad?

Siephus has committed acts of violence, yet he seems to be repulsed by this situation. People are so complex, I don't understand. I don't even understand myself. I'm terrified and quite frankly frustrated. However, I don't know but at the same time I just can't find myself to act.

"I want this one soaked." Venustiano orders Siephus and Gerardo while pointing his bloody cane toward the struggling Franco.

Siephus takes a step forward, Venustiano steps out of his way as he leans down to try and lift Franco up, "Can somebody help me, this kid is fucking heavy?" Siephus requests as he struggles to try and lift Franco by himself. 

Andrew leaves the responsibility of restraining Josef to Jack and then jogs to help Siephus lift Franco who has little control of his own body at this point. Even with just Jack holding onto Josef, I have a feeling that Josef wouldn't dare try to escape Jack's intense hold. 

I take a look at Gerardo's lifeless face, his shock has left him absolutely expressionless and I sense the same complex emotions that are running ravage through the internal construct of his thoughts in this very moment. I was foolish for thinking that violence was a small price to pay for privilege. Gerardo is stuck in this world, he wouldn't dare oppose Venustiano after what he has seen. 

Venustiano leads us as a collective group into the nearest bathroom which was just down the way we entered this floor from. The D-Building upstairs bathroom is the only operating upstairs bathroom across the entire campus, it's a hotspot for drug users and gambling during nutrition, however during lunch it stays rather abandoned. I follow Venustiano's lead despite wanting to run away, however I don't want to be the next one struck by a cane.

We enter a terrible smelling bathroom where Andrew and Siephus bring Franco into the cleanest stall they can find, they force his difficult body inside the stall where Siephus smashes Franco's face against the toilet. I am horrified by these actions, I can no longer look. I look to my side where I see Gerardo run for a sink, seemingly sick from what he is witnessing. Venustiano then grabs me by the shoulder and pulls me outside of the bathroom as I hear them begin to dip Franco's head into the disease filled bowl.

We exit the bathroom as I hear splashing and grunting in the background, Venustiano looks at me, "Look at what you made me do." He says with a clear intention of manipulation.

Before Venustiano could finish his thought, a cry is heard from Josef that was just inside the bathroom, "Fuck you Venustiano! Fuck what you want! Fuck what you are! Just leave this school alone!" Josef shouts.

Venustiano returns to the bathroom and I follow out of fear. Venustiano places his face in front of Josef's, "So...," Venustiano grabs Josef's shirt by the collar, "Josef Camache, I hope you haven't forgotten that you are the celebrity right now. The fun only begins with you." He speaks menacingly but Josef does not fall back, he keeps his guard up, "I will be seeing you on the way home after sixth period." 

Venustiano signals Jack to take Josef outside of the bathroom, he soon does pull him away and Josef has no words for Venustiano. Venustiano then turns to me as I stand as still as a stone statue.

"What's your name?" He asks with great aggression.

"It's Johnny." I respond quite urgently. 

"Listen here Johnny, I better not see you get in my way again." Venustiano threatens me. I look over his shoulder to see Siephus and Andrew pull a soaking wet Franco outside of the bathroom and throw his face against a wall. I hear Gerardo vomit into one of the sinks. 

I stared directly at Venustiano with my senses overloaded and my mind perplexed as to what to feel in the moment. Venustiano then signals with his hand to leave Franco just outside of the bathroom.

"I'm going to let you go for now." Venustiano tells me, "I'll be seeing you soon though." He then gives me a pat on the shoulder and brushes away from me with Siephus and Andrew following behind him. 

How could I let this happen?

I then run over to Franco on the floor, I bend over to look at his battered body for a second. He let's out a few coughs and then I decide to grab something to clean him off. I look over to my right to see a paper towel dispenser, it's the last one left in the school, and I grab a handful of paper towels and return to Franco. I kneel down beside him and begin to clean him off. 

As I clean Franco, Gerardo comes to join me, "Listen man, I'm sorry about everything that happened." Gerardo attempts to comfort me as he wipes leftover vomit from his mouth.

"It's okay, I was at fault for this as well." I sigh, "I don't think it's right anymore for Venustiano to keep doing this to people." I have a change of heart in front of Gerardo. 

"I am wrong for working with Siephus, and I know that I'm going to be fired and kicked out of my position now." Gerardo stares blankly at a wall next to him.

We have a sense of revolution in our hearts, no longer do we want to conform or join the food chain here in this school. Gerardo and I were foolish for getting blinded by our own safety and our own thrive. I feel a need for justice, Franco doesn't deserve any of this. I will try everything to stop this from happening to another person.