I hold my sword in its sheath, yet having brought it slightly out, I charge forward. Bending away from the slash forwarding at me, I unsheathe the sword and slash it at Pompey's stomach. Rather than aiming at his heart, I push the tip of the sword to his stomach and-
"-cut, cut-cut," the teacher sighs. "Max… I see it. You want to include action into it. Julius was a great fighter. He fought Pompey, had a fight the sons. You make a good Julius Ceasar, and you are… a great stuntman on it. But, it is a literature play. Leave the martial arts to… the martial artists."
"I even devised of what kind of technique he would have used to fight off the doubled army, mam," I plead, in justice to my idea.
"Yes. Brilliant. But… he never killed Pompey," the teacher sighs, pointing at the Pompey in front of me. "The point of literature-play, is the emotion. What if you actually harm the poor Pompey, who just wanted to do the poor role?"
"I aimed at the gut, mam, yes, but towards the kidney. It'd make anyone go through a lot of pain, but just make them immobile, and easier to surrender. And as for not harming the fake-Pompey, I assure you-"
"-I get it. You are the son of an officer. I respect it. But… please refrain from altering the concept. You are just supposed to die for the story. Also, you really think back then a person could be medicated back to life, after losing a kidney?"
"And that way, the great Julius Ceasar was stabbed by words," Sam humours me, through the speakers.
"Sam…" the teacher sighs.
"I must say I support his idea mam," Sam appears right besides the teacher, speaking slow, but loud enough for me to be able to hear it on the stage. "Kids hate the play, you know it too."
"Sam… do I need to tell you too? It is history."
"Yes. And sure, Max is a kind of… a revolutionary for this history. But think about it this way, if you may. Action will bring interest and attention. So only if the starting minute or two has such an action, an ideology… the kids would be invested."
"True but it is what it is. We don't conduct a kind of… money-making way here. It is of no need. So let us just stick to the basics. Maybe when you kids have a life of your own, on the field, you can make the changes you want."
I could already imagine that Sam wanted the teacher dead at this point, as she silently stares in between her and behind her, while holding up a smile with all the effort she could make.
"Great way of wasting my time, Maxwell," 'Pompey' says, handing me the fallen sword, while showing rage in doing so.
"You were the one who agreed."
"Well, was your plan," 'Pompey' says and looks towards the teacher and Sam, in the audience, and leaves.
The teacher and Sam leave too, leaving me alone on the stage. As the lights go out, after my signal, I leave to the backroom too.
"Well, almost had it," Sam says.
"You were right, she is beyond reason," I sigh.
"Still a good job. Both of you, thanks for helping us," Sam says to 'Pompey'.
"Well, that was embarrassing though."
"No girl was watching, man. Relax," I scoff.
"Being the only girl who did… quite good. So no worries."
"Don't Sam," I sigh.
"Oh yeah?" 'Pompey' asks. "How about you go out with me then?"
"Ah… bugger off," Sam laughs.
"Then shut up about it being some… big thing, bitch. It infuriated me, all these… deeply rooted to literature asses."
"Mind your tongue," I say, stepping in between them, right as he steps towards Sam.
"This is not some skit, Maxwell. Step back. You aren't the hero here."
"Yeah? Try me."
'Pompey' scoffs below, and punches his hand right at my face. Backing away, I hold it and push him away, but he keeps pressure and maintains it.
"Guys, stop," Sam says.
"Move away bitch, this is in between the men," he pushes Sam away.
And the door opens.
'Pompey' stares towards the door, with his frustration vanished in a moment. I look towards the door too.
"R-rusty," he says, looking at the bulky brown guy at the door. "It is just rehearsal for Julius Ceasar, r-right Sam?"
And Rusty closes-in without caring, and punches right at his face, while holding his other hand behind my back.
"Did I just hear a bitch call my sister a bitch?"
This huge brown guy, was Sam's brother. Some wouldn't believe it because of the clear colour difference… but it is what it is.
"Yeah, punching him is right," I say.
"Max!" Sam says.
Rusty lifts his leg and kicks the guy down to the floor.
"You could try your luck in some other sport. I'll make sure you are replaced in football."
And the three of us walk out. Even when Sam was mad at us for acting up… it couldn't be helped when a friend is humoured right in front of us, worse, hurt.
…
"Sam had a cut on her back, and on her elbow," I say, pleading my case.
"Yeah. And her leg twisted a bit. She could have had a bad fracture," Rusty adds.
"And… how many months has it been?" the headmaster asks.
"Not like we continued it-"
"-How many months, Max?"
"Around… one year?"
"How old are the four of you?"
I look sideways towards 'Pompey', who has a fractured arm and bleeding lip.
"The bleeding lip was done, but… you really might want to confirm on the elbow. That's just dramatic," I say.
"Max… you… all of you are in your final years. You are twenty-three. Is this how you want to set an example?"
"Sir, he inappropriately touched my sister!" Rusty speaks up, making even the headmaster flinch.
"Please don't raise your voice."
"Sir, he is lying, I did not!"
"Really? You even threatened her, and I had to wait after-hours, since I had no classes, with fear that you'll hurt her."
'Pompey' scoffs.
Rusty moves, but I hold his shoulder.
"For that temper, and all of you being the children of military officers, no wonder you beat so many other people," the headmaster sighs. "But if I take action against him, when you have hurt him… it'd be unfair."
"That is why we did not come to you… sir," Sam says.
Well, she was right.
Besides, 'Pompey' here was the one who brought in other kids, as his huge army or whatever. Just cause I kept calling him as 'Pompey'. 'Julius Ceasar' just took care of it… with his two friends.
"Sam, I'm sorry. This is just how it is. I can't exactly do anything."
"Hurting someone in training for military…" a voice comes from the door, "is a crime too. So maybe we could take him to court? Rustizen is definitely going to the military, I can confirm it."
"Mr. Ivor," the headmaster stands up.
I see a dark cloud form in 'Pompey''s face.
"Or are his parents well off, sir? I must say that we are well off too, if that is a problem. Besides... that again will be a court problem… but to you. Also, it is Villers."
Rusty always mentioned about his dad being scary. I had to ask his permission to get Sam's hand in marriage? Lovely. Every time I thought about it, it never made me feel better, not once.
"Harassment," Sam says.
"How dare he try and harass a to be milit-"
"-sexual harassment," Sam corrects.
"-ary's sister. Sexual harassment on anyone at all needs to have deep penalties."
"But Mr. Villers, there is no… proof. So it may seem like I'm favouring you."
"I'm pretty sure he'll take a penalty, than let me handle it. Right, Pompey?"
'Pompey' just looks at Mr. Villers, dumbfounded. But Mr. Villers just smirks.
"Y-yes, sir. I'm sorry, I must be out of my mind."
Leaving 'Pompey' and the headmaster in the room, the four of us step out.
"Samantha, even you got into a fight?" Mr. Villers sighs.
"There were a dozen of them, you don't expect me to rely on the boys."
"That's very good, that is exactly how strong you need to be, but-"
"-then there is no but, father."
"You didn't have to come you know," Rusty sighs.
"Well, not like I came and fought alongside. I merely helped you out of a tight situation. If I had showed up sooner, all this bullying from that guy would have stopped."
"It wasn't bullying. Besides, his name is Stacey, you know it too, not 'Pompey'. Now that is bullying."
"You mean I was bullying him, by calling him that? He tried to gro-" I realise of Mr. Villers', "-up on us and-and bring other people to hurt us."
"I understand what sexual harassment is Maxwell," Mr. Villers says.
"Clearly had to help you there a bit," Sam says.
"Stop calling the full of our first name. It's weird," Rusty says.
"You got a problem with everything I do?" Mr. Villers asks.
"You just left us for being alone after mom died… dad! Now I only see red in your work, I'm sorry."
"Rusty, he did not just abandon us!"
"Oh yes, there is the word. And he did abandon us, Sam!"
"Right, I abandoned you. If that is what you want to believe, then let us live that way all our lives, shall we?" Mr. Villers asks. "I NEVER abandoned you. Do you even… have ANY idea of what exactly happened?"
"You'd never talk about it!" Rusty says. "How could I?"
"Can this wait until we get back home?" Sam asks.
"No… you guys… can talk. I'll just leave you alone," I say and walk away, as obviously no one tries to stop me.
I just put my elbows on the rock-fence at the entrance of the university. And just… find everything ahead of me being so boring.
Could I just leave?
I feel a little pain near my abdomen. Sucker on purpose hurt me near the gut. Not like I hurt him for real, that time.
"It hurts doesn't it?" Sam asks, and I find her standing there, tightening her bag behind her, to a certain extent, which she prefers. "But we won, pat your back."
"Wow, you always have something encouraging to say," I say.
"Mm, what can I say. I'm just too good."
I laugh slightly, as she does too.
"I expected you to be inside."
"Oh no, I don't exactly need to hear it. I already have a sense of what it is. Rusty needs it the most," Sam shrugs. "Besides, I couldn't just leave you alone. You are coming with us, for dinner. Already told dad."
"Oh… that's sudden. Like, dinnner-dinner? How will I go back, will your dad drop me? Could he?"
"Just stay the night. You could phone your parents from our home."
"Stay the night…?" I ask. "Where will I…"
"Wow, you got ideas. Very nice. But we'll save that for a later night. You can enjoy with Rusty," Sam says.
"Oh… yeah. Okay."
Things seemed fine… awesome, that moment… until that moment.
Feeling a blush in my cheeks, and finding Sam in a similar condition.
But we didn't know what'd come. And that… this'd be the last normal day for us.