Chapter 4

Clay was furious, and confused. Suddenly he was fighting some unidentified jackass. His usual group of friends were missing, and this ass-clown was trying to thrash him. The two wrestled as they each tried to overpower their opponent. Archie found purchase with his better leg and pushed Clay into a nearby “Boys” bathroom. Clay saw an advantage, he slipped backwards causing Archie to stumble forward and face-plant into the tiled wall.

Struggling to his feet, Archie turned to face Clay. Blood was now dripping from his broken nose, and also from Jessie’s scratches on Clay’s face.

“Lurchie? What the FUCK?”

“That was my sister, asshole!”

And the fight was back on. But Archie was weaker and inexperienced, Clay struck again, and again. Finally, Archie lost his footing and crashed to the floor. Clay kicked him; then Archie scuttled away and stood gasping. A more-experienced fighter might have retreated, but Archie was furious beyond reason and the grappling resumed.

Meanwhile, out in the hall some of the staff had appeared to attend to the two injured girls. The school “Resource Officer” recognized his job was in jeopardy and suggested a teacher take the girls to a bathroom for “a little cleanup.” Mrs. Jackson, the chemistry teacher, stood to her full height and pointed at his chest.

“If you don’t call the ambulance and police here in the next two minutes, I will dog your sorry ass forever. MOVE IT!”

Back in the bathroom, Archie was losing his battle. Unexpectedly, Clay grabbed his arm and catapulted him face-first into another wall, leaving another bloody smear. Now blood was dripping into his eye. Haltingly, he turned to face Clay, his hands on the wall as he tried to stay upright.

Clay snarled, “Never again, you worthless piece of shit.” Archie moaned, “asshole!”, and tried to stay up. Clay blasted his closed fist into Archie’s temple. “OW! You hurt my hand, you worthless fuck!” Clay kicked at Archie’s bad leg and he went down for good.

Archie was fully incapacitated. Clay kicked his chest and belly to keep him down, and then administered the coup de grâce: he wound up and kicked Archie’s crotch. “Remember that, asshole!” Clay heard no answer, so he kicked him again. As Archie lay still, Clay used some wet paper towels to clean himself up.

In the hall the firefighter-paramedics and police had arrived in force, preparing the unconscious girls for transport. Both were clearly concussed, and Cathie’s clothing was torn, Jessie’s head wound soaked her entire left side. The students had all been herded away, and the remaining commotion at the lockers masked Clay’s exit from the bloodied bathroom.

No one knew about Archie. He lay broken and bleeding on the bathroom floor for almost an hour.