Chapter 6

It seemed such an unremarkable occurrence that I didn't even take notice of Rob accidentally brushing against someone as we went to enter the latest clothes shop the girls were investigating.

Two seconds later it was abundantly clear to me that this wouldn't just be one of those times when you brush past someone and mumble sorry and both go on your way.

I don't know what it was, maybe it was the way he rolled his shoulders as he turned, maybe it was the way his jaw was tensed or maybe it was the way he smirked when he saw it was Rob who had brushed past him.

Regardless, before he even opened his mouth I knew what was coming. The sound of Christian telling the couple of girls behind us to back up as he got closer to my back told me he had seen it too.

By now Rob had apologized and was clearly just about to carry on, but the boy had already moved in front of him and had his arms spread as if to say, what are you doing?

The boy and his friends looked to be about our age, men really but the way they carried themselves, the way they laughed and joked and eyed people around them, it was clear to me they were just boys playing at being men.

I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. They were the boys who were considered cool in high school and were desperately trying to cling to that time. Not one of them was an academic, they were all in those dead end jobs and went out every weekend drinking and making loads of fuss, just to prove that they're still cool while life just passed them by.

Evidently Rob hadn't seen what Christian and I had yet, as he just raised his hands in a placated gesture and laughed.

"Sorry chap, didn't mean to shove you or anything, we're just trying to get past."

It was clear that Rob thought this was just a misunderstanding and expected the guy to move, but as he laughed sarcastically glancing at his friends with a smirk, Rob got the message a second too late.

Bam. It was almost comical how Robs expression of understanding changed to surprise as the lads fist collided with his left cheek.

I reached forward to steady Rob and stop him from falling to the ground, something I knew would make matters much worse. In a fight you never want to be on the ground. Especially not when the idiot who punched you has a bunch of stupid friends with him.

"Hey, what the fuck was that for idiot?"

As silence and shock spread in the little gathering that had formed by now, I realized that the voice which had attacked the stupid boy was my own.