II.II - The Heroic Trio's Separation

2

The entire situation repeated itself in Arthur's head, constantly like a tape stuck on the same part, trying to push through it. Then, he thought he knew how his condition worked. Now, he was unsure.

Why did he not rush to help Tracey?

Why did he stand in shock and wait for Ashley to do anything?

Why did he join his classmates in helpless fear?

Those questions made him downright ashamed.

Worse of all, he could not comfort Tracey or redeem himself out of guilt. So instead of doing anything remarkable for his friend, he forced himself on the ride to school with only his thoughts violently pounding themselves in his head, unwillingly to let go of his mind and mistakes.

'Why did you do nothing, Arthur? Why did you sit there like a helpless coward? Do you not care for Tracey? Did yesterday scare so that badly, you started to view the man, who practically saved your life to someone who deserves the kind of punishment he was almost dealt with? Ah, but you're too aimless without him. That's why you wanted Ashley to do something, to save you from the burden of having to take action. No wonder-'

"Arthur, you okay?" Ashley broke through the impenetrable walls of thoughts and snapped Arthur back to reality.

That reality was the newly arrived bus that came to pick them up where they settled in. The ones who remained, whether out of reluctance or unconscious instincts, were the bus driver, five other students and Hattie, the one responsible for the unusual predicament everyone found themselves in.

Arthur had no ill will towards her. But, at the very least, it showed the possibility of the condition at school. She may not be the only one who may cause a scene. And the possibility of something tragic happening increased.

Arthur shivered at the thought.

"Yeah, I'm okay, Ashley. More importantly, how is everyone else doing?"

She sighed, most likely to Arthur's lack of concern for himself. He would notice Ashley doing such things often. He won't understand why, though.

"Everyone's doing well. Maybe not mentally, but physically? Hundred and fifty percent fine."

"That's good to hear." Arthur could breathe easily.

"But," Arthur's breath held itself, "That group over there is oddly talkative for what we all went through moments ago."

She referred to the four students, who were snicking and throwing out exchanges with one other. Yet, they all seemed happy and relaxed.

Unusually so.

Right in front of them was the injured bus driver, and behind them was Hattie, but they paid no attention or inking of awareness towards the two. Instead, they seemed to ignore everything except for each other.

"That is strange... I'll go talk to them and see what's up."

"Why?"

"Because then we may better understand the school's atmosphere." Arthur responded in a reminding tone. Perhaps Ashley had tossed that goal aside. He couldn't blame her after what had occurred.

"Tracey said that, I might have believed him, but you're saying that as an excuse to see if they're all okay and see if you can help them. I'm right, aren't I?"

Arthur stayed silent.

"You're probably also reflecting on what happened on the bus, specifically your own actions."

Now Arthur let out a gasp. "You really read me like a book sometimes, huh."

"Yep, you're that predictable. A cute, predictable kid that can't help himself." She grinned widely but with a slight softness to it.

She quickly noticed the frown Arthur started to place, but she pinched her cheeks before they formed fully.

"I'm not saying this to stop you. I'm trying to let you know that you don't have to carry all this burden. I'm here too." Ashely kindly whispered.

With a comment like that, Arthur had found his chance to ask a thought that had roamed his mind since last night. "Then why won't you do the same for Tracey?"

Ashley was momentarily caught off guard. "Because..."

"Don't give me an answer right now...But, tell me later, alright?" Arthur offered with a weak smile.

Offering another weak smile in return, she said, "Sure. Go do your Arthur magic on them."

"I won't call that magic," he coughed out a chuckle.

Arthur proceeded to move out of his seat and walked towards the group. It was a standard bus with two sides. Just a lot smaller with a large, broad seat in the back where solely Ashley resided.

He swiftly passed Hattie, wanting to avoid any trouble before he came face to face with the group.

Four teenage boys and one girl were in the group, but the girl wasn't involved in the group regarding socialising with the boys. The girl sat on the left side with one of the boys, who could be her brother or boyfriend. It was unclear as he overlooked her but still acknowledged her existence from time to time. The three remaining males were on the right. They looked uncomfortable and didn't bother to place one of them in the other available seats. As the boys chatted away, only the girl stared at the window with a dull gaze in her eyes as they looked out the window.

The sole girl had blond hair that she had tied in a ponytail. He couldn't make out the face, but Arthur did notice freckles.

Arthur felt oddly curious about the girl. She looked to be having the standard reaction after an accident such as that.

Distant, yet, reflecting.

Harmed, yet safely away from any danger.

"Hey, you want something or what?" So asked a rather built, dark hair and skin boy.

"Oh!" Arthur realised he had been staring at the girl for too long, "Uh, I just wanted to, uh, ask if everyone was doing alright. With what just happened and all, I was, eh, concerned about everyone. I would be happy to help any of you, if that is the case of course."

The four boys looked at Arthur with strange gazes.

The girl's gaze was preoccupied with the view from the bus window.

A boy with long blond hair and loose clothes responded to Arthur's unanticipated question of concern. "Yup, everything's super chill around here."

"Really? Nothing about what happened earlier shooked you?" Arthur was surprised.

"I mean," the boy sitting along with the girl. He wore a baseball cap on and visible growing facial hair, "This town has been through crazier stuff than that. I'm surprised the town hasn't exploded into ash, haha."

"It's not even that, Neil. The moment that crazy ass bitch pulled out a pistol, I just knew nothing would happen to us. Look at her! If she wanted to do something, the bitch would have already." This male had gelled-up hair with expensive-looking clothes.

"I-I guess that makes sense...." Arthur awkwardly trailed off.

"Hey! What's up with the skirt? You a fag or something?" The long blond hair boy rudely questioned.

"No... this is for a bet I failed. That's all," Arthur was severely hoping they didn't notice. But, on the other hand, perhaps it was his fault for expecting anything else.

The gelled hair guy kicked the blond hair boy in the back. It looked like a hard kick that pushed him off the seat, but he shrugged it off with a wheezing laugh on the ground. "Don't be a fucking brick. I'm sorry, man. Kyle is a piece of shit when it comes to new people. Name's Dawson. You?"

"It's Arthur. But could you not hurt him? I didn't mind what he said...."

Dawson snorted. "Sure you didn't. And besides, I do whatever the hell I want to my friends. Same goes for you, new pal." He grabbed Arthur's arm and forcefully shoved him down on the bus seat, leaving Kyle to the empty seats towards the front. "Besides, someone had to hit him for insulting you. Not like his dad would." Neil, the built dark hair/boy, and the baseball cap wearer howled while Kyle blushed slightly in the front seat.

The girl remained oblivious.

Arthur started to feel very uncomfortable. "That's not very nice."

"C'mon, we're just joshing with him. Chill the fuck out, man. Plus, being nice or not is the least of anyone's concerns. You should be more focused on the clean up of shit called our school."

Arthur's curiosity began to arise. "What do you mean by that?"

"You don't know? Didn't you stay after school?

Arthur shook his head. He had gone home with Ashley since he was worried about her. The face she made at Tracey's achievement sent worries down his shine.

"A lot of shit has to be taken care of after finding out about Michael's peeps. Apparently, even some staff were in on the whole thing. Uh, Erik, what else did they say in the gym? I kind of zoned out after a bit." He gestured the question towards the baseball cap wearer, Erik, who was on his right.

Erik returned to the events in his head but dismissed them, "Nothing important, really. I kinda started talking to my crush after a few minutes."

"Oh, oh, our virgin friend may not be a virgin no more," Neil teased.

Erik, evidently embarrassed, wailed, "I've been telling you, Neil, I ain't no virgin!"

Kyle had fully recovered from Dawson's jab once he heard the new shift in topics. "Sure, bro, just like how you had sex with Mrs Adalynn."

"And just like how you, Kyle, got rejected harrrrrd by Megan," Neil blurted.

"Man shut the fuck up about that already. It's been a month already." Kyle sounded highly irritated.

Neil couldn't help himself now that he started spewing thrusts of abuse, "A month since you started to follow her everywhere you went to get her attention. 'Oh Megan, please think about it again! I'll do anything for you, anything!'" He minced using Kyle's voice.

Dawson and Erik laughed at Neil's poor, gassy impression of Kyle. Arthur started to feel uncomfortable. He thought to intervene, but Dawson's hand on Arthur's shoulder suggested otherwise. Almost like it was pushing down on him, stopping Arthur's slight movements.

And for the rest of the ride, Arthur remained quiet, staring at the girl's aimless view of the outside behind Erik.

Just like that view, Arthur felt aimless, filled with a hint of despair, and somehow, resolve.

Strangely because of Dawson's actions and attitude towards him, Arthur finally pieced together why he did nothing on the bus.

It was because of his fear of messing up or making assumptions about a distressful situation.

A fear that stemmed from Michael.

'Maybe because he's gone now, the fear has sprung up again?'

It was a plausible theory. Throughout these years, with Tracey on his side, Arthur could go through any encounter with ease, much less any fear. He realised now, in hindsight, it was because of the notion everything he did would lend up to Michael's defeat. Any mistake he had made, or slip-up would mean nothing in the grand scheme of things.

However, now.

Now there were consequences and unknown paths he could take.

Now there was no way of knowing what the right choice was anymore.

This realisation came with some self-loathing. Arthur's simple fixation on a path he knew he would cross someday was a horrid attitude to fall into.

That would mean he would be nothing but wasteful space for Tracey, contributing nothing to his new ambition to stop his parents.

But no solutions to this reformed fear constructed itself in his mind.

Really, the one thing Arthur thought of was the current moment of getting Dawson to apologise. Perhaps it would show Arthur his fears are unfounded and based on his mind's psyche.

It would require Arthur to work up his nerve, which was more difficult than he expected.

The more he squirmish, the increased pressure Dawson places on his shoulder.

Fortunately, the bus came to a haul, indicating they had appeared at school.

The school in question felt incredibly different, and nothing like Arthur expected.

It was still the same old building with its single floor but massive land mass. Almost like pieces were added after the fact, resulting in a gun-like shape without a handle at the end. The wide entrance had two walls forming a path to the doors to enter the school.

Yet, the significant differences came from outside.

A massive amount of administrators held firearms. They guarded the place like a maximum security prison. The students who had arrived were being checked from head to toe, and their bags were searched to no end.

There were about 200 students, but visibly, 100 or so were present, with that amount decreasing as students were fed up with the precautions that were placed.

Despite Dawson blocking the window, Arthur saw a student snatch his bag out of an administrator's hands, angrily walking away from the school.

"HEY KID, I did not say you could leave!"

The teenager looked back at him, showed off his middle finger and proceeded on his path.

No one followed him.

Curiosity, Arthur did not notice a single law enforcement present. He had no idea why making it strange that none of the schools' staff felt the need to ask for their assistance in any feasible way.

Mitch announced, "Everyone besides the girl in cuffs can leave. Don't be causing any trouble, y'all hear?"

Everyone mumbled their acknowledgement (Arthur being the only one who said, "Have a good day, sir!"), leaving the school bus. The girl waited a second or two longer to lift herself up and leave.

Arthur planned to stay behind, but Dawson grabbed him from behind in a half hug, carrying him off the bus.

"What's your first period?" Dawson casually asked.

"Uh, English one?"

"You a freshman?"

Arthur silently prayed this would be the last question. "Yeah, I got held back."

"How comes?" Arthur's prayer was not answered.

"Just...Just some trouble I made back in elementary school."

He grinned foully. "Seems like my buddy is a delinquent."

"N-Not really," Arthur whispered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"N-Nothing. Anywho, we better head to class. We don't want to be late-"

"Wait just a minute." He interrupted him with a tone of conviction. "You, me and Kyle need to have a chat. Yo Kyle!"

Kyle froze in place. He didn't look back, but Arthur felt Kyle knew what this would entail.

"Yea?" He turned around with a jumpiness to his words.

Dawson lifted his arm off Arthur. His expression was restless and cold as he stared at Kyle's fearful, anxious one. Somehow, Kyle understood Dawson's commands without either one speaking aloud.

Neil and Erik kept walking to the school, ignoring the bizarre exchange.

Strangely, Arthur lost sight of the girl.

Kyle walked over whilst Dawson led the way in a different direction. One of the administrators noticed them and was ahead his way to Dawson. When he stopped Dawson, the administrator opened his mouth before Dawson's hand made its way to the armed man's rough, rugged pants pocket. The man reached into his pocket before quickly retracting and rushing off elsewhere.

At this point, Arthur's instincts were telling him to express his distaste for these freakish circumstances.

But that all too recognisable voice spoke a direct, frequent input.

"Ignore them and push to the limit of danger."

Arthur swallowed the remaining bits of saliva to clean his dry mouth and did as it foretold.

Ignore the instincts.

Ignore Ashley calling out to him in the distance.

Ignore every warning sign.

And push.

Push to the limit of danger.

For himself. For them. For Tracey.

However fatal the sight may be.