Matt Shaw - The 8th

Daniel started to move back and forwards, just as I had told him to, and Ben’s moans became more frequent. Every time Ben’s penis hit the back of Daniel’s mouth, Daniel couldn’t help but gag.

“You like that?” I asked Ben. His eyes were shut. I’m not sure if he was picturing Daniel sucking him off or picturing, perhaps, Rebecca or Mrs Price. Either way, this wasn’t for him to be enjoying. With no warning, I turned to Daniel and kicked up, as hard as I could, between his legs. The sudden rush of pain caused his mouth to clamp shut… I was surprised at how far the blood spurted, from Ben, when Daniel moved away. Both of them dropped to the floor in agony.

“Who’s next?” I asked the class.

John, one of the quieter members of the group, jumped up and made a dash for the door. I was unsure of his intentions. Maybe he wanted to get help for Ben. Maybe he wanted to escape his own lesson. Either way… Silly move considering I wasn’t exactly so far away I wouldn’t get to the door first. I thrust the gun in his face.

“Sit the fuck down.”

I’m still amazed at how easy it is to control a small group with one handgun. Surely they must realise I don’t have enough bullets for all of them? I guess none of them are willing to sacrifice themselves in order to save their friends. The cowards. All they need to do is rush me. I probably wouldn’t even be able to empty the entire clip. It is, indeed, a selfish world we live in.

“I hate this place!” David exclaimed when we were away from Ben and Daniel’s earshot. “There are all these anti-bullying posters around making it look as though the school actually gives a damn but they don’t. They don’t give a flying fuck about their pupils getting bullied.” I didn’t say anything. I just let him have his little rant. “I’ve been to the teachers before but they don’t care. They don’t want to know. If they do say anything to the people involved… It’s half-hearted. It’s not meant and certainly isn’t enough to deter them. It makes me sick. Just shows you really are alone.” He started to cry. Should I put my arm around him? Not sure. Would he get the wrong idea? “All that talk about sticks and stones breaking bones but words never hurting… Broken bones heal. Bruises heal. Harsh words can have a long, lasting effect.” I couldn’t argue with him. He had a point. He looked to me, “You’re not doing a very good job of making me feel any better.”

“I’m sorry,” I stammered. “Not really sure what to say.”

“Anything!” he said.

After a slight pause, “There, there… Everything will be okay…” He couldn’t help but laugh at how useless I was. Comforting people never really was my strong point. I guess I don’t really have the family background to afford me that little life skill. Dad was always working and mum would always over compensate which I found annoying. “So what do you want to do?”

“I just wish I could make them all suffer.”

“Well, I’m sure that would be great but… I don’t think it’s very practical. Besides, I meant what do you want to do now?”

“I’m not going to class. Fancy going to the cinema or something?”

I nodded. Hopefully he’ll be paying.

Daniel was on the floor, at the front of the class, crying with blood smeared around his mouth. I’m not sure if he is crying because he’s just bitten his friend’s penis off or crying because of the pain from being kicked. Maybe a little bit of both? Ben, on the other hand, is deathly quiet in his unconscious state. He looks pale. I wonder whether he’ll eventually end up bleeding to death from his injury? Maybe. If he does, he brought it upon himself.

“Go back to your seat,” I said to Daniel.

Slowly he stood up and walked down the middle aisle back to his seat — all of his classmates staring at him. I liked how everyone was looking at him. All staring… All judging for what he has just done. He won’t be able to forget their looks. They’ll be with him forever… Just as the taste of human flesh will haunt him.

I looked around the class. Who’s next? My eyes settled on a girl at the front of the class. She immediately started to cry. She knows it is her turn.

“Please, I haven’t done anything to you…” It’s true. She hasn’t done anything to me. It’s only from hearing her call out, during the many registrations we have sat through, that I am aware of her name; Chloe. “Please…”

“I know you haven’t,” I said. “But this isn’t all about me.” I turned to look at the seven stood behind me; David, Lindsey, Elizabeth, Marcus, Samantha, Kate, Helen… They all look to be enjoying my little floor show. I turned back to Chloe… Sitting there, looking pretty with her short, dark hair and her big brown eyes, carefully applied make-up used to enhance her looks as opposed to hide them behind an unnecessary layer of slap. Looking into her eyes, she already looked as though she were going to start crying. Pathetic. You’d have thought people who were nasty to other people… You’d have thought it would have been harder to break them but this is proving fairly easy. “Come to the front of the class,” I instructed her. “Let’s have a chat.”

Reluctantly Chloe stood up. She gave a glance in the direction of her friends. No doubt she was hoping one of them would step forward and offer her some assistance. Not a chance. They didn’t want to get involved. They didn’t want the spotlight turned onto them. Chloe stood a few feet away from me. I had never really noticed before how skinny she was. I wonder if she was naturally that skinny or whether she was one of these girls who’d eat a meal just to sick it back up in the toilet when they thought no one was looking?

“Lindsey…” All I did was say a girl’s name and Chloe started to cry. She knew where this was going. “Do you want to tell the class what you did to Lindsey?” Chloe shook her head. “Oh, come on now… Don’t be shy… Would you rather we asked Lindsey?”

“Please stop it.”

They all say the same thing. It’s getting tiresome. I’m not going to stop, just as they didn’t either when they were asked. Fair is fair, after all.

“You look nervous. Don’t be. We’re all friends, aren’t we? Here… I got you something…” I reached into my rucksack, which I had left by the table at the front of the class, and pulled out a tupperware box. I pulled the lid off and showed Chloe the contents. “Chocolate cake…”

“I don’t want any.”

“Of course you do, don’t be ungrateful. I got one for you and one for your friend Lindsey… You know she likes cakes.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what? You’ve done nothing to be sorry for… Have you? Have I missed something?” I hadn’t missed anything. I knew what Chloe had done. She would spend her time, with her friends from the year above, following Lindsey around taunting her because of her weight. Lindsey being one of the school’s larger pupils. I’m not sure if it was because she over-ate or some genetic thing which made her so. It wasn’t important. The consequences of their words always had the same ending; Lindsey would cry herself to sleep, sometimes cutting herself before she climbed into her bed.

“We need to get Ben some help,” said Mrs Price. She wasn’t watching Chloe and I. Her eyes were fixed on Ben. He looked pale, there was no denying that. “He’s dying…”

“I’m talking to my friend. Please don’t interrupt me again,” I said. I turned back to Chloe and handed her a cake. “Eat it.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“You can eat it willingly or I can feed you. I don’t mind which.”

She looked back to her friends. None of them made a move to help her. Slowly she took the cake from me and looked at it.