MCYT RANDOMNESS 2

Class System Pt5

PoV: Scar

'Scar!'

I turn back to Grian whispering my name in class behind me. He's holding his phone for me to see beneath the desk. There's a video I can't see properly playing silently on it. Grian mouths something I don't catch.

'What?'

'Quiet, class!' We fall silent.

'That's your brother, right?' I catch Grian's whisper that time, paying more attention to the video. I notice the poorly cut hair of the person there. Archer. I nod.

'Scar! Grian! Pay attention!' We have to turn back to the documentary the teacher's playing. But they lose focus on us, and I can grab Grian's phone and earbuds, sneakily watching.

'So, we were just going to the toilets and we found THIS.' That's Elex, Archer's 'friend'. Who I told him not to hang out with. The camera zooms in on my little brother, shouting and swearing, crouching in front of one of the school toilets. 'I mean... What the f***? I knew he was a weirdo, but this...? Ew.'

'Ewww... And look at his haircut, did he do it himself?'

'He's so weird.'

'Just F*** OFF!' Archer screams, turning. 'F*** off you BULLIES! Stop FILMING ME! Please!' He lunges for the camera. And the video stops.

'Scar.' I look up to see the teacher standing right next to me.

'I...It's... Nothing?' I fail to explain. She grabs Grian's phone from me.

'I'm sorry, I made him watch it.' Grian tries to protect me.

'Well, if it's so good he has to watch it in class, surely we'll all benefit from seeing it.'

'NO!' I stand, snatching the phone back and, in my panic, throwing it across the room.

'SCAR, MY PHONE!'

'Excuse me?'

I falter. But I'm saved from answering by another teacher entering.

'Excuse me, Miss Cleo, but Scar's needed urgently in reception.' Something in their tone sends ice down my back.

'Why?'

'I'll explain on the way. Come on. Immediately.'

I have to go, running from the classroom after the teacher, Mr Doc. The journey to reception is slow and silent.

'What's going on?' I ask as we arrive.

'This will be a shock for you.' Doc pauses, trying to find the words. 'You might want to sit down.'

I do, throat dry, swallowing. Doc sits on the chair next to me.

'Your brother Archer... He was found alone in the toilets with a knife. Another student told us he... well they reckon he was trying to kill himself.'

'What.'

I can't breathe. The world spins and I'm glad to be sat down. I want to scream. I want to be with him. I want to wake up from this nightmare. I should've found him at breaktime. I should've protected him. I don't cry. I can't. My mouth isn't working. My mind isn't working. Nothing is working. This isn't real. This can't be real.

'There's an ambulance on the way. We found him unconscious, but he's being given first aid in the nurse's office. The student with him managed to stem the bleeding somewhat. It could've a lot worse. Your parents are coming too though they said they worked far away... We're still searching for any reasons why he would've tried such a thing... Do you have anything that might help?'

'His friends have been bullying him.' I explain quietly. 'The principal's son and a few others... I don't know names... They ruined his hair... cut a lot of it off. And he's come home with bruises I'm sure they've caused. I reported that to the school yesterday. I don't know if they've- they've turned on him because I told or... or...' I fight sobs, continuing. 'My friend showed me a video from just now of him doing something in the school toilets.. I think he was getting something out of one of them... it'd probably been thrown in there by someone. The principal's son was recording, and shared it online.'

'These are... Serious allegations. Within the hour of the incident, the principal was also sent a text message from someone who claimed to be Archer Goodtimes, your brother. It was full of swear words, and vulgar language, do you know anything about that?'

'He'd never do something like that... He's my little brother... Oh notch he's in- in...' And then I can't hold back the tears, sobbing.

'It's alright.' Doc puts a hand on my shoulder. 'We're keeping this quiet, but if you wanted to tell your friends and have them here to help you get through that, it's allowed.'

I nod.

'G- Grian Xelqua and... And Cubfan Vex. They're in my science class now,' I explain. Just then, another student appears.

'The ambulance has arrived,' they say.

'Thank you, Zedaph... Can you find Grian Xelqua and Cubfan Vex? They're in S4, science. Tell them to come to the Nurse's office.'

He does.

'Why does he...' 

'He found Archer... Come on. You should go in the ambulance with him.'

A day passes.

I'm allowed time off school, spending it as I can in the hospital with Archer. He's not woken yet, though apparently the blood transfusion worked. He's getting better.

He groans, trying to shift positions in the hospital bed. I shift closer.

'Arch?' I whisper. He glances over, eyes barely open.

'Scar?'

I rest my hand on his, trying not to start crying.

'What happened? Why did- why did you...' I glance at the stitches on his wrist.

'Elex.'

'I told you not to hang out with him Arch... I- I saw there was a video...'

'Everyone in the school saw that video. Elex made sure of it. After he swore at and offended the headteacher on my phone. Then threw my phone down the toilet. He figured out where we lived from my photos, said he'd break in and trash the place and that if I ever saw him again he'd kill you and- and I believed he would because he had a knife. So I tried to kill myself, but the knife was too blunt be quick enough.' It all comes out in a rush. 'I- I also thought that maybe if I did something that insane he'd be arrested. But...'

'One of the students found you. Zed something.'

'Zedaph?' I know Arch recognises the name. 'Of course it was him...'

'You... know...?'

'Classmate. He's interfered with me and Elex's friendship a few times... What happened to Elex? Was he arrested? How long has it been?'

'A day at most.... I don't know what's happened to Elex. I told the school everything I knew, and I've been here the rest of the time. I'll tell the school what you've said now.'

'Good.'

'I'll make sure he's in trouble,' I promise. 'And if the school doesn't do anything, my friends Cub and Grian would be willing to beat him up with me until he stops being a bully.'

'Or until you get expelled.'

'If we get expelled we're moving schools. All of us. I'm not letting him hurt you again, Arch. You're my little brother.'

'Wait until I'm back at school to do that.' I shake my head, but can't ignore the new hope and life in his eyes I haven't seen since we moved here.

'Arch he'll...'

'I get the first punch.'

The end!